Southport Magazine

One of the defining characteristics of The South is its food. To name a restaurant “Southern” is to promise to deliver not just Southern food, but a true immersion into Southern culture. It’s a tall order. But Ashely and Jim Davis and their family have met the challenge at Southern, a Gathering Place located under the water tower at 15 East Brown St. in Southport. We spoke to Ashley to find out more about how they created a uniquely Southern dining experience. 

Tell us about Southern, A Gathering Place. What sort of restaurant is this? 

It’s a farm-to-table approach to creative Southern cuisine. Fine dining you can wear your jeans and flip-flops to; or a suit and tie, if you like.

Where did the name come from?

When I first started thinking about the restaurant many years ago, I thought the name “Southern” in an old typewriter font sounded perfect—not just because of the food I wanted to serve, but because of the general aesthetic and culture I wanted it to be encased in. I wanted this dining experience to feel more like eating at my home, at my dinner table, rather than at a restaurant. When our guests come here, I want them to feel Southern, even if they aren’t.

Can you tell us little about your history as a chef and what inspires your cooking?

I don’t know if I’d call myself a chef, even though that’s technically what I do at this restaurant. I prefer to say I just love to cook. I have loved cooking for as long as I can remember. I used to stand on a purple chair at my mom’s stove and attempt to cook for my little brother when I was very young. Both of my parents and my Nana were excellent cooks, and I would say that my first inspiration and influence certainly came from them. In our family, food always fixed all problems; and nothing feels better to me than cooking something for someone and seeing their enjoyment in eating it. Now, I am mostly driven by a desire to create unique dishes that utilize seasonal and local ingredients; and to collaborate with my two sons and my husband on these creations.

Locals saw the opening process for Southern drag on a bit. What were some of the challenges you faced? 

It definitely was a long process, which the majority of was held up by architecture, engineering, and permitting. Once we began construction, even though we had some hurdles, everything was pretty smooth from there. We worked with some wonderful people on this project, and had the support of members of the community that helped us to get open.

Can you walk us through the process of creating your first menu? How did you whittle down endless options into what we see today? 

The first menu that I had, I started 17 years ago on my computer in a Word doc. When we decided to open the restaurant, I started adding things to that menu. It definitely changed a lot between the time we decided to begin this restaurant project and actually printing the first real menu. My family ate lots and lots of fried chicken, biscuits, mac and cheese, pimento cheese, pork chops, and compound butters. Wanting to serve a dish in the restaurant and being able to execute it properly during service are two different things. It’s definitely been a learning experience. Our main menu is very small because we focus on local and seasonal ingredients, so we have a specials menu that we create and change on a daily basis. This is one of my favorite parts of this job, to be able to stay creative in the kitchen; and I also think it excites our guests to know that they don’t ever have to get the same thing twice if they don’t want to.

Your doors have been open for a while now. What has been the best part of owning your own restaurant?

I’m real bossy, so I like being my own boss. LOL… Really, I’m a hard worker; and it’s very rewarding to know that my hard work is for me and my family. It’s also great having a really amazing team that I get to work with every day, and being able to work with my boys and my husband is the best part. We have lots of laughs in our kitchen, and it keeps me happy to be at work. 

What has been the biggest challenge?

The biggest challenge has been figuring out how much to prep, and of what; and being able to turn my brain off so I can sleep at the end of the day.

Any advice for up and coming chefs and restauranteurs?

Do what you love, cook with as many people as you can and learn from them, and find someone to work with that will help you foster your strengths and encourage you to pursue your aspirations. My opinion is that you can go to school to learn how to cook, but the very best education is working in the kitchen with other people.

What does the future hold for Southern? 

We hope to welcome as many guests as possible, and to continue to make food that everybody loves.

Please feel free to share anything else you’d like us to know!

Through the process of opening this restaurant, one of the best parts has been all of the friendships we have formed with our amazing farmers who work so hard to provide our restaurant with top quality produce, eggs, seafood, pork, chicken, beef, bread, rice, grits, honey, ice cream, and so on. I feel so passionate about these people, I celebrate them by displaying our sources on blackboards in the dining room for everyone to see; because it’s very important to me for people to know where their food came from. I am so grateful for each and every person who provides us with all of our amazing ingredients.