ATLANTA — With the 2024 Paris Olympics underway, many are looking to savor French cuisine at home, and one Atlanta restaurant is unknowingly uniquely answering that call while also serving up a lesson in history.
Bread and Butterfly in Inman Park aims to celebrate the African diaspora through the lens of French cuisine with its latest menu, offering a distinctive and elevated dining experience. The mastermind behind this establishment, Chef Demetrius Brown, said he draws inspiration from his Trinidadian heritage and his great-grandmother’s kitchen.
"My great-grandmother immigrated here from Trinidad along with my grandfather," Brown shared. "I was always in the kitchen with her, not necessarily cooking, but just watching what she did. I never really thought of cooking as a profession until high school."
Despite getting a late start in the kitchen, Brown pursued his passion for culinary arts at Johnson and Wales University, which is renowned as the best culinary school in America, according to a U.S. News report.
His journey through some of the finest kitchens fueled his frustration over the lack of representation of his culture's cuisine at a higher level, leading him to establish Heritage Supper Club, a pop-up restaurant dedicated to the African diaspora. The opportunity to purchase Bread and Butterfly with Brandon Blanchard from its former owner, a 2017 James Beard semifinalist Chef Billy Allin, allowed Brown to further integrate his culinary vision.
"We had to find a line between France and Africa, starting off with Haiti, which was colonized by France and gained independence in 1804. They kept the language and a lot of the culinary influences," Brown explained.
This research led to a rich, educational, and flavorful menu that takes diners on a journey through Africa to the Caribbean through France as Brown looks to challenge common misconceptions about Black and brown cuisine.
"People think our food is unhealthy, not technical, and not tasty. That couldn't be further from the truth. Our food is super flavorful; it's always spice-ful but not always spicy," he said. "French food is always put on a high pedestal, so we use high techniques to elevate our food."
At Bread and Butterfly, Brown combines French culinary techniques with African flavors to create dishes that deliver flavor and presentation every time. He aspires to elevate the African diaspora cuisine to the same esteemed level as French cuisine.
"We hope to make the point that even though our food may look exotic and intimidating, it's actually not," Brown remarked, adding later, "We just incorporate different flavors. The food we're making here is revolutionary. To be part of something so transformative in the city of Atlanta is really special, and we're creating history."
Brown invites everyone to experience this culinary renaissance and learn a lesson in food at Bread and Butterfly.
"I think everybody should come and experience it while they can still get a table," he said.