VERSATILITY
The Cellar’s executive chef, Wayne Shivers, says cast iron skillets impart “a certain seasoning and flavor” into his garden vegetable dishes.
executive chef Wayne Shivers enjoys creating traditional Southern dishes with bacon, corn, and garden vegetables. “It feels garden-grown, just the way grandma always did it,” he said. “It gives a certain seasoning and flavor that a traditional pan wouldn’t do for you.” For the restaurant’s skillet okra dish, Shivers first fries bacon pieces to season the pan and then cooks okra, onions and tomatoes together, topping it with the crispy bacon at the end. He’s also created a similar corn dish with red and green
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peppers topped with bacon. “We do these side dishes every once in awhile for that nice flavor,” he said. “Just like a wood fire flavor, skillets have that unique taste.” Across the county in Senoia, chefs at Southern Ground Social Club use deep iron skillets to dress up their dishes. “The more you use them, the more they’re seasoned,” said chef Bobby Elder. “That complex flavor is imparted into what you’re cooking.” Southern Ground tends to use skillets for cornbread and fried green tomatoes — mainstays