In Charlotte's SouthPark neighborhood, James Beard finalist Greg Collier has stepped in as executive chef at Fine and Fettle, the Canopy by Hilton's restaurant, blending his Memphis-born Southern roots with subtle French influences. Launching in October, this move promises to elevate hotel dining by celebrating Black American culinary traditions, offering locals and travelers an authentic taste of refined Southern cuisine amid a growing demand for culturally rooted fine dining.
Southern Core Meets French Nuance
Collier, who runs Uptown Yolk, 3rd & Fernwood, and the acclaimed Leah & Louise with his wife Subrina, views Southern flavors as inseparable from his identity. "Everything I do will have a thread of Southern in it," he affirms. At Fine and Fettle, this manifests in dishes like pan-seared duck breast with braised collard greens and house-made cornmeal gnocchi, or seared scallops with pickled okra, potlikker redux, and Hoppin' John featuring smoked turkey instead of pork—a nod to African-American staples reimagined without historical constraints.
- Key dinner highlights: Duck breast surf-and-turf twist; sweet potato yeast rolls with peels-turned-honey butter, emphasizing zero-waste practices.
- French homage: Playful mother sauce integrations, ensuring accessibility for out-of-town guests from Chicago or Detroit.
Breakfast Reinvents Classics
Beyond dinner, Collier's breakfast menu diversifies with vegetarian umami mushroom toast—portobello, shiitake, and oyster ragu deglazed with marsala and cream—topped with togarashi, crunchy collards, and savory coffee. Other options include pistachio-avocado toast with pickled green onions and watermelon radish, grits bowls, and duck-fat poached flank steak and eggs, balancing familiarity with bold juxtapositions.
This approach reflects broader trends in hotel dining: prioritizing inclusive, plant-forward options while honoring regional ingredients, as Southern cuisine evolves from humble origins to sophisticated plates that rival urban steakhouses nearby.
Heritage-Driven Innovation and Cultural Impact
Collier's philosophy draws from Leah & Louise's exploration of an alternate African Diaspora—envisioning Southern food unbound by slavery's legacy, using refined techniques on overlooked ingredients. At Fine and Fettle, he shifts focus to Southern-French interplay, fostering high execution standards from coffee to cocktails. This not only attracts diverse clientele but underscores Black chefs' role in reshaping American gastronomy, connecting to a cultural renaissance where heritage fuels sustainable, story-rich menus amid rising interest in diaspora cuisines.
