When you get a near-constant flow of email, you can’t be too aggressive with the delete button. And, yet, when it comes to menus from Vinetta — the Appalachian-inspired, plant-forward pop-up from partners Joel Penn and Amanda Newsom — I’ve had to retrain my trigger-happy index finger.
All summer long, I’ve drooled over Penn’s visually stunning creations — be they chilled corn soup with corn miso, pickled Georgia peaches, peanuts and cilantro, or grilled figs and squash with Sweet Grass Dairy’s Thomasville tomme, shallots, pistachio, chile honey, basil and za’atar.
It’s taken a heap of willpower not to submit to Vinetta’s lusciously described fare, whether offered as takeout at weekend farmers markets, or at seated dinners at finer restaurants.
But, a food-obsessed person like me can resist only for so long.
That’s how I found myself at Talat Market on a recent Monday, marveling over the Three Sisters, Penn’s painterly composition of South Georgia corn, squash and purple-hull peas, with country ham, corn miso, pickled Georgia chanterelles, boiled peanuts and lunchbox peppers. This was the chef’s meditation on the Native American practice of planting corn, beans and squash together — a smart, sustainable farming technique that benefits the soil and yields a trinity of ingredients that taste terrific together.
Jimmy Clemmons
Jimmy Clemmons
In an interview, Penn, 36, and Newsom, 38 — who met in a journalism class at the University of Georgia — shared Vinetta’s origin story. “This whole thing started many years ago, very kind of casually and organically as a supper club out of our house in Athens,” Penn said. “I was I trying to push myself and grow as a cook, and I wanted to try different recipes that wouldn’t necessarily work in a fast-paced professional setting.”
By then, Penn, who once dreamt of being a music writer for Rolling Stone, was on his way to establishing his chef’s credentials (East West Bistro, the National, Heirloom Cafe), and Newsom had decided to get her master’s in nonprofit management, which she later put to good use for three years at Atlanta’s Giving Kitchen.
Vinetta became a path for the couple to explore their Appalachian roots: Penn, who loves preserving and fermenting, was born in Manassas, Virginia, and still has family in Virginia and West Virginia; Newsom is a product of North Georgia. When Penn’s sister, Anna, suggested he call the project Vinetta, he thought the word sounded cool and evocative. What he didn’t know at the time was that their paternal grandmother’s name is Vanetta Rae.
With the change of a single vowel in her name, the partners were able to play on their love of wine, and still honor Nana.
As Vinetta has evolved, Penn has been able to explore his connections with farmers, and his love of Asian ingredients and foodways. Newsom hasn’t eaten red meat since she was 15, and, while Penn does put meat on the menu, it’s usually not the star of the plate. (My five-course experience at Talat began with a single Gulf Coast oyster, topped with an icy mixture of dashi and nori. That was followed by King salmon, cured in green-garlic miso and paired with watermelon, sunflower and shiso, and a dish of Georgia quail, with tomatoes, okra, seaweed, green-tomato kimchi, marigold vinegar and purslane.)
Wendell Brock
Wendell Brock
By the time the pandemic hit, the duo had decided to focus solely on their pop-up. Newsom left her job in marketing and communications at Giving Kitchen in August, 2020. Penn, who, after moving to Atlanta, worked for nearly a year as Wrecking Bar Brewpub’s chef de cuisine, was cooking part-time at Watchman’s. When COVID-19 forced Watchman’s to suspend operations, he was free to pursue his passion project. The ultimate goal is to open a brick-and-mortar restaurant, possibly near their home in the West End.
Meanwhile, look for Vinetta at East Atlanta Village Farmers Market’s Okra Fest (Sept. 20); ASW Exchange (Sept. 25) and Freedom Farmers Market (Oct. 30).
And, if an outdoor culinary adventure sounds like a good time, consider camping with Vinetta at Cloudland Canyon State Park in Rising Fawn Oct. 15-17. For $750, two people can glamp, Vinetta-style, from Friday dinner to Sunday breakfast. The package includes meals, drinks and camping fees. You’ll need to bring your own tent.
“Every time we go camping, I like to make fun and elaborate meals over the campfire,” Penn said.
During one memorable outing, he thought out loud, “I wish I could do this for a living.” That was the spark that lit the flame.
To follow Vinetta’s journey, sign up for updates at VinettaAtl.com.
Warning: Reading the menus can lead to late-night food fantasies and uncontrollable hunger pangs.
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