Chef Hal Holden-Bache Is Breaking New Ground At Lockeland Table

Hal Holden-Bache, the chef/ owner at Lockeland Table, which opened in August 2012, has spent time at some of the city's finest restaurants, including The Capitol Grille at the Hermitage Hotel and The Eastland Café. Owning a restaurant provides a chef with certain advantages, though, and he's making the most of every tool at his disposal.

Holden-Bache's seasonal menu takes advantage of the freshest ingredients available, sourced as locally as possible. His classical training kicks in to elevate old-world fare to new heights, like crawfish-andouille boudin balls with Alabama white sauce and baked Gulf oysters topped with ramps and cornbread crumbs.

One technique that you'll see Holden-Bache doing a lot of at Lockeland Table is canning. The technique allows him to use ramps long after spring is over, and hot peppers even after the summer crop giver way to winter.

Holden-Bache is also turning out a surprising array of pizzas, including one topped with four different pork preparations (called, obviously, The Pig), and another that's modeled after clams casino, using clams from Sapelo Island, GA. And his Chef's Table Night, hosted once a month, is one of the hottest tickets in town.