Chef/pitmaster Shannon Bingham is making a change. His Texas-style BBQ-slinging at Emmylou’s inside St. Roch Market, a stall that opened in January 2020, was unfortunately short-lived due to the pandemic. After all, without Bingham, Blue Oak BBQ wouldn’t have the success it enjoys today. But, after a four month hiatus, Emmylou’s reopened and began offering fried and grilled chicken specials that customers just couldn’t get enough of. “Outside of barbecue, I’ve always leaned towards fried chicken,” says Bingham. “It’s well-received and makes people feel comfortable.” In these times of uncertainty, it seems like there’s nothing more important.
So Emmylou’s has moved into the old Fritai space and has transformed into “Buttermilk,” featuring that Southern-fried favorite for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The menu includes buttermilk biscuits with white sausage gravy, fried chicken fingers with slaw and honey mustard, grilled chicken sandwiches topped with potato chips, spicy popcorn chicken, and pimento cheese with jalapeño potato chips. One particular dish of interest was the shaved kale and cabbage salad with citrus-pickled onions, parmesan, fried saltine crackers (YES!) with buttermilk dressing, a salad that can be enhanced even further will the addition of fried or grilled chicken.
Bingham is commemorating Emmylou’s final days this month starting Feb. 22nd with the opening menu — Frito Pie, charcuterie with house made pickles and mustard, and smoked meats (beef cheeks, turkey breast, pulled pork, jalapeno cheddar sausage, St. Louis spare ribs) — so get it while the getting’s good!
Buttermilk is set to open Monday, March 1, 2021 offering dine-in and carryout, with delivery in the works.
