Six years after he first came to Greenville for euphoria, Sean Brock will return to participate in the festival, this time as a part of the Greenville food scene. Brock, who along with partner, David Howard, of The Neighborhood Dining Group, will open Husk Greenville in October, will join the local restaurant’s chef de cuisine, Jon Buck, at the Greenville Kick-Off Party on Thursday night.
This marks the first time Brock has been part of the premier local food, wine and music festival since he first participated as a rising chef in 2011. Then, Husk had just been named best new restaurant in the country by Bon Appetit Magazine, and Brock himself was just making waves.
“As euphoria has grown, so has Greenville’s culinary scene,” said Brianna Shaw, euphoria’s executive director. “So much so, that we’re now welcoming Chef Brock and his team here this fall with the opening of Husk!
“We’re honored to have been part of Brock’s star-studded culinary career, and to be the ones introducing him and Chef de Cuisine Jon Buck of Husk Greenville to euphoria’s guests.”
Since 2011, Brock has managed to push the bounds of not only himself but of southern cuisine and of southern foodways. The chef has helped popularize the idea of heirloom varieties, bringing attention to seed saving and to honoring an ingredient by understanding the history of the place around it.
“Taking on the task of representing a cuisine is daunting, because of the sense of pride attached to the regional cuisine,” Brock said during a recent interview with The Greenville News. “This is a representation of that place and those people, because food tells us everything we need to know; agriculture tells us everything we need to know.”
Buck brings an equally devout mindset when it comes to presenting food with a sense of place. The Hilton Head native has accrued experience from time spent working in California to Colorado and most recently Charleston, where he was executive sous chef at Husk. He and Brock have collaborated on their research of Upstate history, and of its food traditions, and the food will reflect an appreciation of both.
“We’re excited to be joining euphoria this year as part of the Greenville restaurant community,” Brock said of being part of the festival this year. “Cooking alongside all the other chefs in town for the kick-off party will be a great way to get the festival weekend started.”
Buck and Brock will be part of euphoria’s Greenville Kick-Off event Thursday, Sept. 21. euphoria runs from Thursday, Sept. 21 to Sunday, Sept. 24 in downtown Greenville. For tickets or other information visit www.euphoriagreenville.com.