Downtown Chattanooga Restaurant News

Chef Erik Niel talks about fishing the way most chefs talk about their mentors. Growing up in Mandeville, Louisiana, he spent his childhood waist-deep in the lakes north of New Orleans, chasing redfish and speckled trout with his dad and brother...

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Erik Niel is the Chef/Owner of Easy Bistro & Bar, Main Street Meats, and Little Coyote, all located in Chattanooga, TN. This in Erik's second time on the show, previously joining us all the way back in 2015. Erik grew up in Louisiana, Virginia, and Texas, before finally settling in Chattanooga after attending Johnson & Wales.

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Budget meat cuts often get a bad rap for being tougher and less naturally flavorful than so-called “premium” cuts like filet mignon and porterhouse. But imagine a cut of meat that’s richly flavored and meltingly tender, much like a rib eye — yet only slightly pricier than a pork chop. According to Erik Niel, chef and co-owner of Main Street Meats, Easy Bistro, and Little Coyote in Chattanooga, Tennessee, that cut is coppa steak.

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FINALLY getting to share a true passion project of mine! Throughout my career, I have made more than a hobby of finding and supporting the best local spots in the towns I perform in. I can't wait to experience that with you in a whole new way!

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T o eat in modern America is to participate in not-knowing. We encounter the meal on our plates, yet behind that, much is kept hidden from us: how the animals were treated, how the land was farmed, who processed the bodies, and who butchered them.

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Chef Erik Niel came to Chattanooga to watch football 25 years ago and never left. That's a good thing. When the history of the city's 21st-century restaurant scene is written, Niel and his wife, Amanda, will have their own chapter.

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This fun-loving city on the Tennessee River is a favorite travel destination, not least because of its roster of great eateries. Whether you’re looking for creative takes on seafood or some of the tastiest baked goods around, you’ll find them in Chattanooga’s best restaurants.

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Years ago, Erik Niel was duck-hunting in Louisiana with his brother. After a long morning in the blind, they stop at the gas station for a little pick-me-up. Brother pumps unleaded. Erik walks to the cooler. Grabs two High Life tall boys in a can...

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The recipes we share come from chefs, mixologists, cookbook authors, and contributing writers across the South. We love them all, but here are a dozen seasonal recipes G&G editors have on repeat in our home kitchens all summer long.

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