Celebrity Chef Justin Gaines, winner of Food Network's Chopped, has taken up residency at Lou Reda's American Table in Rocky Mount. Gaines is the Chef / Co-Owner of this restaurant. Since 2017, he has been leading the evolution of food in this part of the state. The result: An elevated menu, rave reviews, and a reservations list that is quick to fill up.
Creating in the kitchen comes naturally to Gaines. After graduating from the Culinary Institute of America, he worked as a chef in restaurants from New York to Alabama. Today, he calls Rocky Mount home.
"All of the ingredients used at Lou Reda's are local," Gaines says. "We stock our restaurant kitchen in much the same way that we stock our home kitchen, with daily deliveries of fresh ingredients that we select ourselves, at the market each morning."
Diners can order up Corn Beef Hash or a Venison Burger with mixed berry aioli. There's a Real French dip for the culinary timid and Fried Pig Ears for those with an adventurous palette. The local and chef favorite comes down to two dishes: The Pot Roast and the Duck Leg Jambalaya. These are dishes that are prepared to perfection, plated to impress, and found only in Rocky Mount.
Now it seems foodies will be making a similar pilgrimage for the same reason. Lou Reda is giving Chef Gaines a canvas to paint his culinary masterpiece. If his performance on Chopped is any indication of what the future holds, we expect the true winners will be those lucky enough to make it on the reservation list.
===