The new menu at the Blue Chair Tavern is a story about where the trail from the Low Country meets the road of Appalachia.

“The Blue Chair Tavern menu is Low Country cooking influenced by the Appalachian food culture, with a Creole Cajun emphasis,” said Chef Rick Wright.” It’s the commonality of it all — shared ingredients and cultures. It’s a merger of Creole, Spanish, French, Indigenous, and Scots — the diversity of people, their traditions and all their stories. That’s the heart and soul of food, and I want to carry those traditions forward.”

Wright is passionate about good food and people having access to good food.

“This passion comes from my heritage. I grew up in poverty in eastern Kentucky. I learned to cook from the women in my family — grandmother, mother, aunts. We cooked at home and ate food from the garden.

“All my life I have seen a lack of access to food and how it affects people. People struggle to put food on the table. Children go to school hungry or jacked up on sugar. Food insecurity outreach is a big need, and it is something I will continue to be involved in.”

This commitment to access good food has led to action. While the Director of Sewanee Dining, Wright started the Kitchen 2 Table program to benefit the Community Action Committee. The program receives unused portions from McClurg Dining Hall and repackages them into freezer safe, microwaveable meals. On average, the food donations create 500 meals a month for the CAC to share with their neighbors.

He also played a key role in the South Cumberland Summer Meals program, which provides meals to children and youth ages 2-18 at community partner sites in Franklin, Marion, and Grundy counties.

With the UT Grundy County Extension office, he opened a commercial kitchen, which provides nutrition education and serves a monthly community meal.

He has worked on creating healthy menus for the Jewish Federation and the American Heart Association. He also volunteers with World Central Kitchen, which serves chef-prepared meals to communities impacted by natural disasters and during humanitarian crises. “They call me when they need me,” said Wright.

“When the Blue Chair closed, John Clark, C’82, called me and asked if I wanted to go into business at the Blue Chair,” said Wright. “I didn’t see how it could work because the facilities needed work. It’s a tiny space which creates challenges. Then I realized other than places such as Shenanigans or the dining hall, you can’t really go out to eat every week in Sewanee. There aren’t that many every-day-working-man venues where you can get something good to eat at a good price. Plus, the closest place to get barbecue is in Monteagle. A smokehouse and a tavern were a piece of business entirely missing.”

Since the Blue Chair Tavern opened, Wright said the Shrimp Po’ Boy, gumbo and the smash burgers have been the most popular items on the menu. “We do everything from scratch. Food is sourced locally and regionally, such as produce, shrimp from the Gulf, and wild caught catfish. We will be using bison from the Lost Cove Farm, and lamb from Emmett Lodgson. We will soon run a blue plate special, which we are calling the purple plate, with food sourced locally.”

Current hours are 4–9 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday. When the downstairs kitchen comes online, brunch and lunch will be offered. Provisions will also be available such as smoked meats, and pasta dishes purchased by the pound, boxed lunches and premade casseroles. Pizza offerings are also on the horizon. There are vegan and gluten free options available.

“We want to be the third place, where you can get a good drink, a good meal and feel included,” said Wright. “The story of The Blue Chair has always been about community and comfort, and we will continue that. I respect all that good work that has come out of there.”

The Blue Chair Tavern is located at 41 University Ave., Sewanee. To keep up with the next chapter of the Blue Chair Tavern, follow them on Facebook. Better yet, come on in and pull up a chair at the table. — reported by K.G. Beavers