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n the dark back wall of Table 20 in Cartersville, Georgia, is a colorful pinwheel—the first thing you see when you walk in. The painting displays each month’s ripe fruits and vegetables and serves as an ode to the restaurant’s commitment to seasonal cooking. But there’s another sign, not quite as visible, that may be just as emblematic of the Table 20 vision. “Not Atlanta” is emblazoned on the wall above the kitchen. Executive chef Christian Farrar says it’s not a dig at Atlanta but rather a source of inspiration for the culinary culture smaller cities can offer. “People were telling me you can’t cook the way we’re cooking now. People would say: ‘It’s not Atlanta.’ And so we were like, ‘Yeah, it’s not Atlanta. You’re
right, but we’re still going to cook this way,” Farrar says. “My question ultimately with Table 20, when I was coming into it, was why wouldn’t good food
work anywhere?”
Farrar and his team have anchored their mission to Cartersville’s Main Street. Table 20 is located in the historic downtown district, wedged between an antique gift shop and a Mellow
Mushroom. It repurposed what used to be a Quiznos fast food restaurant. The space sat vacant for years before Table 20 took over the lease in 2016. Inside, the dimly lit restaurant maintains a laid-back atmosphere. Fifteen light oak table tops fill the dining area. Drinks are served in mason jars, and every meal starts with a small bowl of popcorn drizzled with homemade butter. Farrar says this is the year they’ve found their footing.
“Being farm-to-table this far outside of a farmers market—far, far away from a farmers market—is pretty hard. So being seasonal allows us to get local produce in the best way we can from the Georgia State Farmers Market. And that kind of approach equals a better quality in food as well,” Farrar says.
He and his team like to draw inspiration from warm climate cuisines to inspire the menu in the summer months. Last summer’s big hit was bun cha—pork and beef Vietnamese meatballs flavored with peach nước chấm, served atop a warm rice noodle salad with scallions, cucumber, and bean sprouts. Less popular dishes shine on the menu, too; the baked Cajun crab dip’s smoky crawfish is warm and earthy and mellowed out when dolloping spoonfuls onto Ritz crackers. The Very Berry salad mixes the fresh taste of seasonal berries with the richer sweetness of golden raisins and dark chocolate, then finishes with a balsamic vinaigrette. The winter menu features dishes they’ve tweaked to perfection, such as venison and bacon wontons with cranberry ponzu and sesame oil, and brisket stroganoff, served with crème fraîche that’s made in house, and traditional German egg noodles with fresh-shaved horseradish. But whenever you come to Table 20, expect a few surprises.
“We have that daily weekly section on our menu,” Farrar says. “We change things within weeks, sometimes day-to-day. My chefs and myself are always working on stuff that, by the time it gets on the menu, we’re pretty certain that we’re on to something good.” The ever-rotating menu speaks to Table 20 being a seasonal restaurant with Southern inflections, but a global influence. When planning the menu’s next iteration, Farrar keeps his inspiration simple, starting with a list of produce that will soon be in season. He hopes their execution of locally sourced, seasonal cooking is enough to not only inspire the Cartersville community but bring people in from farther away. “If you’re from Atlanta or something like that, it might blow you away a little bit. You could have a good old day trip out here. There’s some beautiful places to hike. Come see us after that.”
