Restaurant Eugene’s former sous chef, Kevin Ouzts, is recently back from a California food pilgrimage and ready to show the Atlanta food world what he’s learned.

After graduating from culinary school in Atlanta in early 2009, Ouzts headed out to America’s food mecca with stints at The French Laundry in Yountville and The Fatted Calf in Napa.  At The Fatted Calf, Ouzts discovered his passion: the art of Charcuterie.

This was something he had never encountered in the modern South.  As he details on his website, “As a native of Atlanta and the South, I discovered that this is a world that the city of Atlanta has never truly had the opportunity to embrace.”

Back in Atlanta today, Ouzts has founded his own company, “The Spotted Trotter”, which will sell everything from pates to terrines (which is like pate, but has more coarsely chopped ingredients) to jerky and crepinettes (a small, flattened sausage) at Sawicki’s and the Peachtree Road Farmer’s Market beginning next weekend.

Ouzts tells DM that he believes his product stands out because it’s made in boutique batches and “every primal cut, trim, or whole animal will be sourced locally either within the state of Georgia or surrounding Southeast.”  He continues, “We will use fresh, organic herbs and spices when available, except dried spices. All of our animals are humanely-sourced and the finest quality the Southeast has to offer.”

For the more gastronomically inclined among us, you can peruse a list of a few of the specific items which Ouzts will offer up for sale over the first few weeks of business.

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