Before the advent of supermarkets and commercial meat processing, communities relied on the expertise of local shops, where their butcher would source and hand-select the finest cuts. When James Beard-nominated chef and owner Brian Whittington opened his flagship Chop Shop on Anastasia Island in 2018, it quickly became the place for St. Augustinians to go to for quality products curated by trained chefs and staff. He is now bringing that experience to the growing community of SilverLeaf in northern St. Johns County.
“It is hard to believe that I’ve already been in the restaurant/hospitality industry for 25 years,” said Whittington, who recently closed his popular high-end eatery, Preserved Restaurant, which was named one of “The South’s Best New Restaurants” in 2016 by Southern Living magazine.
Whittington wanted to shift gears and focus on the Chop Shop brand while also creating more family time for himself and his team.
Although starting from humble beginnings as a dishwasher at South Beach Grille in Crescent Beach, Whittington also spent time at Alinea in Chicago, which was named the “Best Restaurant in the World” by Elite Traveler as well as lead chef at Restaurant Orsay in Jacksonville for four years.
“Our community craves and expects real food experiences, not just in a restaurant but in their homes,” he explained. “The home cook should have access to the freshest and highest quality products. That’s what Chop Shop is about – providing the best ingredients we can find.”
Whittington and his managing partners, Ben Zimmerman and Anthony Quintieri, favor the quality of a product over the locality. The team sources the most sought-after products in the Southeast, working with a selection of hand-picked farms.
Chop Shop at SilverLeaf offers custom cuts of beef, lamb, pork, chicken and duck, house-made sausages, and fresh and prepared seafood like shrimp, scallops, crab cakes and seaweed salad. Farm-fresh fruit, vegetables, greens, herbs and specialty grocery items, like charcuterie, pickles, sauces, rubs, oils and spices are displayed to provide a well-rounded meal.
Busy locals will enjoy the prepared items like soups, chowders, stocks and sauces. House sommelier Christof Bauer has carefully-curated an elevated beer and wine selection to accompany any meal perfectly.
“It all comes down to the team, and I’m so proud of this one,” said Whittington. “Anthony and Ben both have a long, heavy-hitting history of hospitality in this area. We’re all passionate about good, quality ingredients, and we can’t wait to be that familiar place in this community where everybody knows your name and favorite cut!”
Chop Shop Artisan Butcher has locations at 600 Anastasia Blvd. and 50 Silver Forest Drive, Suite 103. Both locations are open Tuesday through Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. https://www.restaurantji.com/fl/st.-augustine/chop-shop-artisan-butcher-/
