Omnivore - Josh Hopkins to helm Empire State South
Hugh Acheson’s comments on the future of Empire State South
- James Camp/CL File
- Chef Ryan Smith, owner Hugh Acheson and wine director Steve Grubbs at Empire State South.
Chef Joshua Hopkins will replace Ryan Smith as executive chef at Empire State South at the end of the summer. (Atlanta magazine’s Bill Addison first tweeted the news last week.) Hopkins is currently executive chef at White Oak Kitchen and Cocktails and has previously helmed the kitchens at Abattoir and STG Trattoria. In case you missed it, Smith announced in April that he will join chef Ryan Hidinger later this year to open the forthcoming Staplehouse brick-and-mortar restaurant.
Owner Hugh Acheson spoke about the future of Empire State South in an interview last month:
On Smith’s yet-to-be-announced replacement: