Chef Jason Ellis grew up in Greenville and cooked his way from Army kitchens in Germany to private catering for Atlanta celebrities before coming home to open Crave with two friends he has known since high school. If the name is familiar, he placed fifth on season seven of Gordon Ramsay's Hell's Kitchen. Crave took over the old 821 Lounge space in the West End, below Jianna and a short walk from Falls Park.
The concept is brunch that refuses to end at noon. Its all-day menu runs into the evening on Fridays and Saturdays, built on Ellis's Southern comfort cooking and the smoked meats that made his name, so chicken and waffles or shrimp and grits work as easily for dinner as for breakfast.
Diners keep pointing to the jerk chicken and waffles, shrimp and grits in a lobster sauce, the smoked brisket eggs Benedict, and an orange marmalade French toast, usually next to a build-your-own mimosa flight. The room stays casual with bistro seating, and the staff keep dog treats on hand for anyone who brings a four-legged guest along.