Micah Garrison

Micah Garrison took the role of executive chef at Middleton Place Restaurant in 2006 after cooking at classic Lowcountry restaurants such as Boone Hall Plantation, Cypress and 82 Queen.

These days, Garrison is spending much of his time in the production gardens at Middleton, trying to be as self-sustaining as possible.

He is a two-time winner of the Sustainable Seafood Initiative Award sponsored by the South Carolina Aquarium.

Q: Why is sustainable seafood so important to you?

A: I am a huge fan of the Aquarium and the work that is done there through Megan Westmeyer. There is no better way to show how important it is to support the livelihood of people who live and fish in this country than to support local and domestic sustainable seafood.

Q: Tell me about your commitment to local produce and seafood?

A: The new dinner menu just came out and is at least 50 percent to 75 percent local. And we are striving to go even higher than that. That is why I am so committed to our gardens; there is an advantage to being able to plant what I want, when I want and then create the menus around that.

Q: What food that goes into the restaurant do you actually grow here at Middleton?

A: It changes with the seasons, but we are currently growing many varieties of tomatoes, jalapenos, Japanese eggplant, green beans, okra, corn, blackberries, blueberries and herbs. I love being in the gardens. I saw a huge hawk this morning and I'm constantly battling with the crows. It's a fun challenge to be up close and personal with Mother Nature.

Q: How do you manage the gardens as well as the restaurant?

A: It is a challenge, but the credit has to go to my staff. If I didn't have a solid GM, sous chef, and front and back of house staff, I wouldn't be able to leave this building and focus on what is growing in our gardens.

Q: How connected do you feel to rest of the dining scene in Charleston?

A: I don't feel that I'm so far removed that I'm out of touch, but I'm far enough removed to not feel the pressure to follow trends. I feel like I can do my own thing out here and be true to my culinary values. I definitely feel like we're putting out the same quality of food. I've put in my dues downtown, and now I'm able to focus on what I want to do.

Q: What is your favorite culinary event of the year?

A: I love doing Taste of Charleston just because it's so fun, but I would put (Charleston) Wine + Food (Festival) right beside that. They do a wonderful job of getting this town national publicity.

Q: What is your guilty pleasure food?

A: Unfortunately, that would be a Double Quarter Pounder from McDonald's. More often than not, I work here all day and then realize I haven't eaten. It's way too easy to pull into McDonald's on my way home. It's perfect.