MEMPHIS, TN, June 21, 2010
/24-7PressRelease/ -- Always striving to excel in culinary endeavors, Chef Ben Vaughn has introduced a new dining gem into the already vibrant culture of Memphis, Tennessee. Au Fond Farmtable is a breakfast and lunch establishment conceived by Chef Ben Vaughn in tandem with his popular dinner enterprise, Grace. Specializing in comfort food, Chef Ben Vaughn's Au Fond Farmtable serves classics of southern cuisine. With the distinctive palette of Chef Ben Vaughn at the helm, Au Fond Farmtable has evolved old favorites like pork and beans into unique but recognizable delights. Chef Ben Vaughn's goal is to create his menus as coordinated with local farmers as possible.
"'Au fond' is a French term," remarks Chef Ben Vaughn, "that implies 'basically' or 'essentially' in English."
Chef Ben Vaughn named Au Fond Farmtable after the local farmers and suppliers that are the lifeblood of his award-winning kitchen. Situated in Midtown Memphis, Chef Ben Vaughn's new restaurant venture continues to champion the modern green business model of local supply. Chef Ben Vaughn makes a concerted effort to acquire as many ingredients for his menu as possible from within a short drive of Memphis. Furthermore, Chef Ben Vaughn applies his exquisite cooking skills to customizing his menu to the local agriculture of the Memphis area. This means that Chef Ben Vaughn builds his menu according to what the farmland around Memphis yields.
The menu at Chef Ben Vaughn's Au Fond Farmtable features items from simple and light to rich and sumptuous. Counter service is prompt and warm. Chef Ben Vaughn dreams up items like pimento and cheese sandwiches, chicken and dumplings, and a savory shrimp and grits that sticks to the memory as well as the ribs.
While Grace Restaurant next door serves only dinner, Chef Ben Vaughn's Au Fond Farmtable is open during the days, cooking up morning and midday country fare. But Chef Ben Vaughn does not let Au Fond Farmtable lie idle at night. The restaurant also host weekly culinary events on select nights. These events build community and provide food education. For Chef Ben Vaughn, things like Monday night Family Dinners and Tuesday night Cheese Tastings are simply more reasons for people to get together and have a good time with food. As a child, that is what drew Chef Ben Vaughn to cooking in the first place.
Visit Au Fond Farmtable at:
Cooper-Young next to Grace Restaurant
938 South Cooper Street
Memphis, TN, 38104
901.274.8513
Chef Ben Vaughn remembers the first time he ever cooked. He was about eight or ten years old, and the menu consisted of pancakes. He relates, "My mom worked all the time. I made breakfast, lunch and dinner for my sister and I." Chef Ben Vaughn learned how from the back of the box. "I think I ruined plenty of my mom's Corning ware or whatever she was using at the time."
He relates that an old family friend was his first cooking influence. "He would take me around as a child, 12, 13 years old, to these really interesting Greek diners and restaurants in South Florida. He owned a few different ones and he would swing me back through the kitchens and I'd get to see all the stuff going on behind the scenes. It was very cool."
The decision to become a chef was a natural one. Chef Ben Vaughn admits that he always was motivated to do something with the arts. His mother was an artist, so Chef Ben Vaughn grew up with a strong art and music influence. But his options were limited by the fact that he couldn't sing, dance or act. According to Chef Ben Vaughn, he was about 15 years old when he decided to cook for a living. "It was definitely a drive. It was something I wanted to do."
Chef Ben Vaughn's first job was at a well-known eatery in Florida called Mario's. He was sixteen years old and found himself in the kitchen, baking. Later, he was offered the opportunity to work with award winning Mark Militello as well as the Food Network's Sara Moulton. He gives Sara Moulton the credit for teaching him that the key to success was to remain in the kitchen. Chef Ben Vaughn recalls her saying, "You know the chefs that open restaurants and all of a sudden you see them in the front and the back? Stay in the kitchen."
Vaughn's culinary influence comes from the diverse cuisine of South Florida. Chef Ben Vaughn was voted as one of the top 5 "Best Chefs in Memphis" and tied with Chef Wally Joe for the 2nd Place Silver winner.
Chef Ben Vaughn garnered acclaim during his stint as chef and partner at the Memphis, Tennessee award winning River Oaks Restaurant. In the fall of 2009 he opened his own restaurant, called Grace after his daughter. Grace Restaurant serves Southern food cooked with French techniques. Soft lighting sets the mood in a cozy dining room and patrons can relax in a salon area on couches and antique love seats. Locally made art decorates the walls, and an outdoor terrace is available for dinner and cocktails.
Chef Ben Vaughn has started a blog at http://www.gracememphis.com and the restaurant's Facebook page has over 1200 fans in just a few short months. Grace Restaurant is open six days a week and closed on Sundays. Chef Ben Vaughn says the Memphis restaurant will have special menus each week.
"It's going to be a local thing, very approachable, kind of a French technique meets Southern ingredients thing," Chef Ben Vaughn concludes. "We just want to have a good time. It's a platform for me to cook, really. And it'll be a very casual but nice atmosphere.
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