“Top Chef” star and James Beard Award-winning chef Hugh Acheson has closed his Atlanta restaurant Empire State South after 13 years.
Acheson announced the closure on his personal Instagram account, noting that the restaurant, located at 999 Peachtree St. NE, actually shuttered about six weeks ago.
The restaurant, which Acheson ran with chef Sam Herndon, was listed for sale last year. The most recent iteration of the menu offered dishes including hamachi and shrimp tartare, foie gras torchon, scallops with leeks and beef tenderloin.
Credit: Rafterman Photography
Credit: Rafterman Photography
Acheson made his “Top Chef” debut in 2011, and has appeared on several seasons since then. In 2012, he won James Beard Awards in the Best Chef: Southeast and Best Cookbook in American Cooking categories.
Acheson continues to own Five & Ten in Athens, which he opened in 2000. He also helped open several other concepts including the National in Athens, which he co-owned; Spiller Park Coffee, Punch Bowl Social, Spaceman and By George and the now-shuttered Achie’s and Mount Royal, all in metro Atlanta.
Acheson declined to comment on Empire State South’s closure with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
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