By Suzannah Schneider, Communications Manager and Certification Coordinator
Seared cobia over indigo grits topped with lady pea salad finished with red pepper coulis at Georgia Sea Grill
We’re proud to welcome Georgia Sea Grill as Certified Naturally Grown’s very first restaurant Business Ally!
The establishment has been a pillar of Saint Simons Island since 1997, and in recent years the restaurant has honed in on sourcing ingredients as locally as possible. In fact, they even own a farm that has been Certified Naturally Grown since March of this year! Their Potlikker Farm on Blythe Island grows Southern staples like North Georgia Candy Roaster Squash, red peas, and peaches as well as tropical crops like bitter melon, dragonfruit, and turmeric.
Farmer Samuel McPherson, Chef Timothy Lensch, and owner Zack Gowen at Potlikker Farm
We are thrilled to welcome them into the CNG Business Ally community, and wish we could take a field trip to Saint Simons to savor some stunningly-plated CNG ingredients!
Read on to learn more about Georgia Sea Grille from owner Zack Gowen to explore the restaurant’s history and mission.
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Certified Naturally Grown (CNG): How did Georgia Sea Grill get started?
Zack Gowen (ZG): The restaurant has been an Island staple since 1997. I purchased the Sea Grill at the end of 2014 and moved it to its current location, and reopened in May 2015.
CNG: What are Georgia Sea Grill’s core values?
ZG: We are all about providing the best experience with quality ingredients and sincere service.
CNG: How did you make the decision to support CNG as a Business Ally?
ZG: Our farm, Potlikker Farm, is CNG certified so it made sense to us.
We believe in CNG!
Georgia Sea Grill on Saint Simons Island in Georgia
CNG: How does Certified Naturally Grown support Georgia Sea Grill’s customers?
ZG: The guidelines for CNG that our farm follows transcends to our produce we use at the restaurant. It legitimizes our goal for both the restaurant and farm.
Another cross between dinner and art at Georgia Sea Grill
CNG: What are some exciting developments at Georgia Sea Grill our CNG community can look forward to in the future?
ZG: Potlikker red peas should be rolling out soon at the restaurant!
CNG: If you had a magic agricultural wand, how would you use it to improve farm systems in America?
Make organic and Certified Naturally Grown the standard for food production. Give tax breaks for local small farms in food deserts/food swamps.
CNG: Is there anything else CNG farmers and beekeepers should know?
ZG: We also have an organically fed fish farm, Satilla Ponds, in Camden County. We hope to have our first harvest of catfish next spring! We are also working on crawfish.
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