Richard Blais comes back to his roots

From Meredith Ford at Access Atlanta: You can go Home to chef Richard Blais on April 21 New restaurant will feature farm-to-table concept There was a time when chocolate and salt would have never been paired; red wine with fish considered completely out of the question. And in the world of restaurant couplings, it's hard to imagine Atlanta chef Richard Blais (currently knocking up the ratings on Bravo's "Top Chef" series) and mega-plex restaurateur Tom Catherall pairing up.

But that's exactly what's happened. The ink is barely dry on the deal, but Catherall and Blais confirmed Thursday plans to reinvent Catherall's tony Buckhead spot, Posh, into a farm-to-table concept serving modern home-style dishes with Blais at the kitchen's helm.

"I've been to JCT Kitchen a lot," said Catherall, who decided to make the change just two weeks ago, and contacted Blais. "I love the food there. I think in this time of recession, people are looking for homier, comforting dishes."

Dishes like pork short ribs and collard greens in a coffee barbecue sauce with poached peaches? Hopefully, since that's one of the offerings on the menu. The new name? Home.

Catherall owns and operates a plethora of local restaurants through his culinary concept Here to Serve Restaurants; Blais has been in and out of the local culinary scene in Atlanta after opening his critically acclaimed restaurant, Blais, which closed in six months. His modern take on molecular gastronomy has earned him a rep with critics, and earlier this year he announced plans to open a new upscale burger concept on the West Side called Flip. Plus, there's the whole "Top Chef" gig.

"I'm still involved with Flip on a consulting basis," Blais said.

Catherall is changing some of the decor of the former Seeger's location — wood floors, new artwork and a homier feel to the ambience will accent the Southern-inspired menu. Home is scheduled to open on April 21.

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1. I am totally psyched about this. I love Richard and he is my favorite competitor on Top Chef.

2. I went ahead and made a reservation at Home for my birthday in May. Swweeeeet!