THOM 5 | Fall / Winter 2015

FOODIE
Hunting wild quail
in the Southern
traditional way that
has been done for a
long time is a privilege.
As an outdoorsman
it’s the holy grail of
the outdoor experience.
Outdoor Pursuits
It comes as no surprise that Chris’ love of the
outdoors extends beyond fishing into wing
shooting. Because so much of his time is spent
working at his restaurant and other projects, he
welcomes any chance to escape to the outdoors.
That’s one reason he’s thrilled to cook for the
Longleaf Affair at the Plantation Wildlife Arts
Festival in Thomasville. In addition to looking
forward to getting to know the folks who own
the great plantation, he enjoys hunting quail and
turkey in that part of the South. “Hunting wild
quail in the Southern traditional way that has
been done for a long time is a privilege. As an
outdoorsman, it’s the holy grail of the outdoor
experience.”
His love of both the outdoors and working with
his hands led him several years ago to pursue
a newfound hobby. Chris makes a pilgrimage to
Canada each October to shoot woodcock, and
then heads to Louisiana in February when the
woodcocks migrate South. On one of his hunting
trips to Louisiana, he had a cocktail at the Pecan
Island School Lodge garnished with a hawthorn
needle tied with woodcock feathers and skewered
with an olive. Chris was so intrigued by the
garnish that he took the idea to tie those feathers
to a hat or lapel pin to give a homemade gift to
folks who invited him to fish and hunt. Chris
says what started as a creative outlet turned into
a sought-after side
business. “I entered
them in the Garden
and Gun ‘Made in the
South’ contest a few
years ago, where they
became quite popular.”
Runners-up in the
Style category, the pins
were so well-received
that Chris took orders
for several years.
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