About the Chefs and the Food

The team we’ve put together at Buxton is a big part of our success so far. We all spent months getting on the same page, many of us working together since long before we opened the doors. Then we all went through the trial-by-fire that is opening a new restaurant, adapting and dialing in until everything was the way we wanted it. And of course, we still continue to evolve. There are three chefs in particular who are a big part of the restaurant, and this book, behind the scenes.

Sarah Cousler: Sarah’s mom is from the Philippines and her dad is from the eastern part of North Carolina, so she has a very interesting combination of culinary backgrounds. She has so much history to pull from on both sides, and like me she loves drawing inspiration from her family and her roots. It’s funny because even though Sarah is now one of our city’s most talented chefs, her mom still barely lets her cook when she goes home! Sarah has further developed the Asian side of her culinary skills with trips to countries like Japan. She’s going to be a big part of our future and I’m so excited to see what dishes she comes up with next.

Dan Silo: Dan is from upstate New York. He fell in love with Asheville and packed his knives. In a small world moment, Dan actually came in to train at the Admiral on my last day there. I was so checked out at that point that I refused to train him! But we ended up getting to know each other socially and he eventually started working with us at the Punk Wok and Thunderbird pop-ups. Dan was a huge part of opening Buxton, and not just the menu. He literally was there doing physical labor, rehabbing the building. He and I also spent long nights cooking hogs, smoking all night and working all day. I think that’s a real bonding experience, going through a crazy 24 hours like that.

Ashley Capps: Ashley and I go way back. I’d guess we met sometime in 2008. She had spent time in New York and worked at very highly regarded restaurants like 11 Madison Park, but I was more impressed by what she created. She has a way with desserts—there’s no other way to put it— and I desperately wanted to bring her on to run the dessert program at the Admiral. We couldn’t afford it, but I always kept Ashley in the back of my mind as I thought about opening my own restaurant. Once I finally got the project back on track, there was nobody else. Her own career had taken her to multiple restaurants in the meantime, including John Fleer’s Rhubarb, but the timing worked in our favor. She was ready for a new challenge and she brainstormed and produced Buxton’s desserts from the opening menu on.

Then there’s me, Elliott. As head chef, what’s most important to me is honoring the South Carolina barbecue traditions I grew up with. (Yes, I understand that might sound a little weird coming from a North Carolina restaurant.) What I mean by this is that we always take time to do things the right way. Buxton is a whole-hog barbecue restaurant first and foremost, and that means it has an educational component almost everyday. We often get questions like, “Why can’t I order ribs today?” Or “Why don’t you have brisket?” Well, it’s just not the type of barbecue we do.