Gotta Till The Soil (Sam Hart, Chef)

CW/TW: child abuse, sexual abuse

In this episode, I speak to Sam Hart, chef and owner of Counter- as well as a new restaurant opening this Fall, called Biblio. Sam's culinary journey and innovative restaurant concepts are informed by his mental health journey and, while aligned with his principles, run things counter to what you might expect.

Counter- is a fine dining, story-driven, progressive tasting menu in West Charlotte, where on a seasonal basis, they change not only the food that's on the plates, but also the story that is the driving force behind it. And Biblio, opening up later this year, honors of all the winemakers, vineyards, and distributors that tell their stories through wine lists. 

In this rich episode, Sam and I chat about:

• Sam's mental health journey and trauma responses,
• Why telling stories through food is so important to him,
• What it was like to have a diagnosis and an understanding of the mental health issues he was going through,
• The stigma around sexuality,
• What it means to "succeed" with mental illness versus "struggling" with it,
• How Sam tends to and maintains his mental health as a form of self-care.

... and so much more!

Connect with Sam on Instagram: @chefloosely @counterclt

Check out Counter-: https://www.counterclt.com/

The Relatives
Time Out Youth