Johhny Grits A Fresh Addition To Tarpon Springs

Johnny Grits owners are hurrying in an attempt to be open by September 1 at the Klosterman Road location, former home of Nana's Restaurant. 

Although his schedule is grueling with small business priorities, executive chef and co-owner Christopher Muller was able to answer some questions on Tarpon Springs Patch.

Patch: What is Johnny Grits?

CM: "Johnny Grits is a fresh and modern take on classic southern breakfast and lunch fare. Our name comes from our passion of the south's staple starch 'the grit.' Our signature creation is our "grit skillet sides" where you can have wonderful ingredients folded into our grits like cheeses, meats and veggies. A few of our favorite fold in combinations are sacon and blue cheese, three cheese, mushroom and swiss cheese, and even sautéed mushrooms and truffle oil grits.
  
Patch: What type of cuisine do you serve?

CM: "Our motto is 'southern fresh,' so no microwaves, no hormones, all natural meats and nothing frozen (except the ice-cream).

For breakfast, we have all the classics, but with creative modern twists: omelettes, pancakes, Belgium waffles, biscuits and gravy, stuffed french toast, fried chicken and waffles, breakfast sandwiches and of course, our grit skillettes. 

For lunch, we have homemade soups daily, fresh salads, southern fresh fried chicken, hand made burgers, pulled pork, mac and cheese, creamed corn and shrimp and grits! 

For dessert, we do a skillet apple pie with ice cream and tall root beer floats, to name a few." 

Patch: What can people expect from the store when Johnny Grits opens?

CM: "A modern, bright, clean, fun atmosphere where everyone feels welcome and the food is something you call your mother about."  

Patch: How did you end up opening a restaurant?

CM: "The three owners each have a wonderfully odd passion for southern cuisine, especially grits. When we decided to open Johnny Grits, we all agreed we had to do things right: all fresh ingredients, all items made on site and no short cuts. Keep the menu simple and do only the things that we do perfectly. We didn't want to have one of those menus where you could get 'everything.' We wanted to make sure that what we put out is what we do best and is of the best quality that is available.

For example, our grits come from a stone-mill grit house in South Carolina, each of our bacons come from a farm in a different state and was chosen by us for its specific flavor. Our maple syrup is from Vermont not flavored corn syrup and our chicken comes from an all natural, hormone-free farm. We go to these lengths all because of the passion we have for the food." 

Patch: Why did you pick Tarpon Springs to open a restaurant? 

CM: "We each grew up here in Tarpon Springs. We have great, deep and wonderful roots here. My parents, myself, my brothers and two of the three owners live here in Tarpon." 

Patch: What are your future plans for the place? 

CM: "One grit at a time." 

Patch: What is your goal with the restaurant? 

CM: "See every customer leave Johnny Grits with a full belly and a big smile."