Meet PCG Member – Adam Reed: Continuing His Family’s French Chef Tradition with Local Flare
PCG Professional Member Chef Adam Reed didn’t think he’d end up in Matthews, North Carolina. But when an opportunity presented itself, he braved the weather (literally) and made the move.
“I had never actually considered moving south because I don’t like the heat,” he said.
Born and raised in New York City, Reed, his wife, and 18-month-old daughter moved to Indian Trail in 1997. Ten years later, they relocated to Matthews to be closer to their restaurant.
Santé
, a French-American restaurant tucked in a historical building in downtown Matthews, opened in 2001 at the hands of Reed. He initially moved to North Carolina to open a restaurant with a partner, but ultimately, the concept was sold to Reed and his wife, Veronica. Thus, he’s never worked anywhere in the area except at his own business.
Ideally, he says, it’s what all chefs want: their own spot to do their own thing. Luckily for Reed, it all came to fruition when he was only 29 years old.
Reed is of French descent and is French-trained but never attended culinary school. He comes from a long line of French chefs, including his great-grandfather, grandfather, great-uncle, and uncle, who were all top chefs in NYC during “the golden age of French chefs.”
He was surrounded by great food as he grew up and got his first professional kitchen job at age 19. He spent years working in various kitchens in the city and learned from each chef along the way.
In 2012, Reed was invited by Kris Reid to become a founding member of the Piedmont Culinary Guild. The two were aware that Reed was already supporting local farms and knew he’d be the perfect fit.
“Chef Reed is one of the most dedicated chefs in our community with his commitment to and advocacy for local food,” said Reid, Executive Director of PCG. “He has helped PCG establish itself in the early days, showing up to our events and also playing a leadership role in our Membership Committee, which vets incoming members. His tireless efforts at his restaurant have helped to drive consumer awareness to the need to support local farms and to celebrate local flavors that can only be found here. I am so grateful to know Chef Reed and to have worked alongside him in the PCG and at several community-facing events.”
Reed’s restaurant is conveniently right across the street from the Matthews Farmers Market, where he finds local produce to use in his dishes. He will sometimes visit other markets in the area, especially if he can’t find exactly what he’s looking for in Matthews. Reed also uses Freshlist, an organization dedicated to helping chefs find locally-sourced food and offering delivery to save time.
“I try to be seasonal,” said Reed. “I try to utilize a lot of market product. As a business owner, it’s about balancing what I feel I can sell and what clients are open to trying.”
Reed finds that PCG helps him connect with farmers, get the product he needs, and communicate for help. He is an active user in the closed Facebook group where he can ask and answer questions and just enjoy great conversation.
“I think that Kris Reid is very strong in keeping focus and collaborating and using Facebook so that people can really connect with each other,” he said. “It’s made it so that we can all connect with each other in a way like never before.”
Before joining PCG, Reed was familiar with many chefs. But his membership allowed him to become much more engaged with the chef community.
In addition to his PCG Professional Membership, Reed also set Santé up with the newly formed Business Membership to further support PCG and its mission to support the local food community.
He’s also active in PCG’s annual events including Farm to Fork in the Garden, which launched last year – where he partnered with Jessica Smith of Strong Bird Farm. His dish: kale-stuffed chicken breast medallion with apple slaw, pickled radish, fig jam, and shaved smoked egg yolk.
“Chef Adam is dedicated to local, fresh ingredients, and it shows in his dishes,” said Smith. “He turned a pile of fruit, eggs and veggies into an elegant, exquisite, upscale meal for Farm to Fork.”
This year, Farm-to-Fork In the Garden occurs on October 6. Chef Reed will team up with fellow PCG Professional Member, Cindy Digh of Clearview Farms to create another locally-sourced dish.
However, his favorite events are “the ones I get to go to and just enjoy myself,” he said with a laugh. He loves to hang out, socialize with others, and enjoy good food made by his peers.
Today, Reed continues to act as chair of the PCG Membership Committee. “We’re pretty active in terms of trying to go through who we feel are the right members to be involved in the Guild,” he said.
And he continues to operate Santé, serving the good people of Charlotte and Matthews French-American cuisine using locally-sourced ingredients with family-inspired passion.
Profile written by Allie Papajohn
Santé
165 N. Trade Street
Matthews, NC 28105
