Seems like Creative Loafing’s Cliff Bostock’s got Decatur on the brain this week.

First, Cliff reports he’s heard rumblings that Watershed’s owners are scouting locations for a new restaurant, where Joe Treux will head the kitchen.  Treux was named Watershed’s chef last May, after Scott Peacock left to do some documentary film making about Southern cooking.

Secondly, Mr. Bostock ventured to Decatur’s new No. 246 on Tuesday and had quite the grand experience.

Soon after we learned that chef Joe Truex would take over the culinary reins at Watershed, we were quickly reassured that he and his wife’s current venture “Repast” would remain open.  However, it seems that things have changed.

The faceless Besha Rodell reports on CL’s Omnivore…

I just spoke to Joe Truex, who delivered the sad news that Repast will be closing after tomorrow night’s service. Truex, who has owned Repast with his wife and co-chef Mihoko Obunai since early 2006, was announced as Scott Peacock’s replacement at Watershed in May. At that time, the couple announced that Obunai would continue as Repast’s chef and owner. But two months later, they feel that the economy and notoriously slow summer months cannot sustain the restaurant.

Admittedly, I don’t know too much about the lives, pressures and influences on a professional chef, but Scott Peacock’s stated reason for leaving Watershed seems unique.

He isn’t taking his talents to a more popular food city or trying out for Iron Chef.  Instead, he’s leaving the Decatur restaurant so he can capture a disappearing folk culture.  From a recent Access Atlanta interview…

But his project, where he crisscrosses his native Alabama talking to its most senior residents about their stories and memories revolving around food, seems pressing. One interview subject passed away before he could record her on film, making Peacock realize what a “narrow window of time” he had to complete the work.

He’s been in talks with Alabama Public Television and the Sundance film festival and has shown early cuts to select viewers.

“It’s starting to catch on. My goal is to have 100 interviews by the end of the year. I have 35 now.”

Now, such a project certainly can’t hurt Peacock’s professional career, either from an inspirational or public image standpoint.  But make no mistake, capturing interviews of the southern foodways is no walk in the park.  It’s a taxing and difficult undertaking, and something you really need to have a passion for to pursue.  These days it seems that documenting folklife is most often reserved for freshly motivated graduate students.

Anyway, best of luck to Peacock on this new chapter.  I’ll be very interested to see the results of his labor.

Monday just might turn out to be the new Tuesday at Watershed.

Jonathan at Watershed writes in…

Watershed is pleased to announce a new tradition:

“Raid the Cellar” Mondays.

Every Monday (all day) every bottle on our extensive wine list will be available at half price for dine-in guests. Don’t miss this excellent opportunity to enjoy rare and boutique wines at an exceptional value.

We look forward to seeing you on Mondays!

Wait! Isn’t today Monday?! Gotta go!