Savannah ‘She’fs: Brandy Williamson

Written by Sophie Leopold, Photos by Kendra Frankle

Welcome to Savannah Shefs, a new series spotlighting the women who define the flavor of Savannah. The moniker “Shef” owes its origins to the ladies of Cherry Bombe, an indie magazine dedicated to sharing the stories of women in the world of food. This fall, District borrowed the term as a springboard to explore the girl power in Savanah’s kitchens.

Brandy Williamson is the mastermind behind The Public, Soho South Café and Agency (Atlanta), in addition to executive chef at Local 11 Ten. As the name suggests, this venue, located at 1011 Bull Street, is all about locality. The restaurant is farm to table focused, proudly supporting nearby farmers to craft seasonal dishes. “I want to buy from the farmer out on the island, not the company importing and storing,” Williamson said.

Eating locally goes hand in hand with eating seasonally. At Local 11 Ten, the menu changes with the seasons in order to accentuate the region’s freshest bounty. Revisioning offerings is hard work for everyone, but Williamson and her staff know the worth of produce at its peak.“I’m not going to sacrifice what I want to be for someone else,” Williamson said. “It sounds weird, from someone who cooks for other people, but I’m not going to sacrifice quality for anything.”

Simplicity is also a core element of Williamson’s cooking style. “We don’t need to manipulate food to make it delicious,” Williamson said. “You don’t have to process food as much as we do.”

Phrases such as ‘farm to table’ and ‘clean eating’ may be buzz words in today’s restaurant industry, but those principles have been present in Williamson’s kitchen throughout her life. Williamson credits her late grandmother as the individual who first fostered her joy of cooking and eating. Her grandmother was a single parent of 13, a woman who created a home in a true farm to fork spirit. According to Williamson, everything was homegrown. She raised cows and pigs, slaughtered them and broke the meat down herself. Williamson’s grandmother used what she had, not because doing so was trendy, but because the knowledge of how to make a meal out of anything kept her family thriving.

Williamson recalls riding home from visits to grandma’s, a lard biscuit in each hand, with warmth. “You can eat well no matter if you’re dirt poor or filthy rich,” Williamson said.

Williamson’s heart has always been in the kitchen, but the realization of cooking as a career came later. As a senior business student at her native North Carolina State University, she struck up a conversation with a classmate who attended culinary school. Williamson had never imagined the option before that moment. Following college graduation in May of 2005, she began her studies at Le Cordon Bleu in September. From day one Williamson knew it was the right decision. 

After culinary school, she found herself interning in Savannah, soon establishing the city as home. “It sucks you in,” Williamson said. Over the course of five years, Williamson worked her way from intern to executive chef at Sapphire Grill, and found that Savannah was the place to stay and flourish her Southern palette. Next, she was hired onto the team at Local 11 Ten. 

“What’s the worst [about professional kitchens]? The heat, the stress, the pressure,” Williamson said. “But what’s the best? The heat, the stress, the pressure. I love the grit, noise and fire. I love serving people and making them happy.”

While Williamson is classically French trained, she’s not going home to whip up croquettes or soufflé. In fact, fine dining is a rarity in her daily life. Milk and cereal are always well stocked. On weeknights she fires up the barbeque, opting for simply grilled proteins and vegetables. Williamson harks back to grandma by buying a large cut of meat and pairing down the portions herself. When entertaining for a crowd, it’s a big pot of Brunswick stew. 

“Good food is good food, you know it when you see it.” Williamson said.