Familiar but Better: The Delectable Comfort of Eating Americana

Tucked away in the Peachtree Parkway Shopping Plaza at the corner of Peachtree Parkway and Spalding Drive, Eating Americana is a casual cafe that specializes in locally sourced American comfort foods. Owned and operated by Chef James Chien, the menu features familiar favorites like fried chicken, hoagies, burgers, wings and brunch.

Chien officially opened the doors to Eating Americana on March 16, 2020. An infamous date, it just so happened to be the same day that Trump declared a national pandemic. Despite the fact that Chien had signed the lease 10 months prior in May of 2019, he wasn’t able to access the space to begin buildout until October 2019. Consequently, Eating Americana was not granted any government aid during the lockdowns.

Somehow, despite all the odds stacked against him, Chien has managed to build a successful eatery with a loyal following.

Don’t just take my word for it, check the reviews to see for yourself. Eating Americana is rated 4.9 out of 5 stars on Google with a whopping 102 reviews, 5 out of 5 stars based on 17 reviews on Facebook, and 5 out of 5 stars with 51 reviews on Yelp. With ratings like this it’s clear that Chien is doing something right.

“I knew what I was capable of when I selected this retail space,” explained Chien, who previously owned and operated two restaurants in the area before opening Eating Americana.

“I still had customers dating back to my first restaurant that are patrons now. Word of mouth has spread, and Peachtree Corners residents have been wonderful and supportive through the pandemic.”

Great Americana foods

Chien’s first two restaurants, Some Like It Hot and Alligator Blues, featured New Orleans cuisine. Over time he realized that a portion of his clientele was turned off to these concepts because the food was too spicy, so when he opened Eating Americana, he wanted to offer something more mainstream. “My catch phrases include ‘Everything Familiar But Better,’ ‘Great American Comfort Foods’ and ‘Unapologetically American,’” said Chien.

The most popular items on the menu include blue plate entrées like the seafood pasta, the fried shrimp plate, Southern fried chicken, meatloaf and boneless fried chicken. Don’t miss other fan favorites such as the shrimp hoagie, the Chef’s Burger, and his famous sautéed green beans.

I asked Chien what dish on the menu was his favorite, and he said he really couldn’t choose. “It’s like asking me which child I love most?!” he exclaimed. As for his favorite thing to make? “Reservations,” joked Chien.

Chien’s journey that led him to opening Eating Americana started back when he was a kid growing up in Kowloon, Hong Kong. His mother took culinary classes as a hobby, and her enthusiasm and love of food greatly impacted his desire to also master the art of cooking.
“I had a deep passion for cooking early in my childhood and was inspired by my mother and Graham Kerr, the Galloping Gourmet,” said Chien.

The Galloping Gourmet was a Canadian cooking show starring Kerr, a British culinary TV personality, which ran from 1968 to 1973. The show featured dishes from around the world and was known for Kerr’s humor and tomfoolery, which further endeared him to budding young chefs like Chien.

A winding road to success

While Chien’s culinary prowess today includes a vast array of types of cuisines and styles from New Orleans to Japanese and beyond, his path to owning an Americana restaurant in Peachtree Corners was by no means a linear one.

As a young adult, Chien attended the Fashion Institute of Technology where he received a Menswear Design and Merchandising Degree. He then went on to work in illustration, design and production in the fashion industry for eight years. His first job was with a textile company on Sixth Avenue in New York City, later designing outerwear and womenswear, and lastly overseas production.

In 1988 Chien moved to Atlanta and revisited his passions for food.

Since beginning his culinary career, Chien has worked in a variety of settings including fine dining, catering, five-star hotels, country clubs and city clubs. Possessing an entrepreneurial spirit, this path led him to open those initial New Orleans restaurants more than 20 years ago.
Given his depth of experience, Chien is outspoken on his disapproval of substitutions and modifications made to dishes except when accommodating an allergy. The process to develop his recipes and their place on Eating Americana’s menu is one he has developed with great care and attention to detail. For Chien, it’s personal.

“Chefs create menus to be consumed the way we designed them,” said Chien. “Our menus are not just a bunch of words on a page. It wasn’t meant to be dissected and replaced with or without items and ingredients, et cetera. When a guest does so, they’re only setting themselves up for disappointment.”

Commitment and joy

Chien’s commitment to his menu and the dishes he offers has certainly paid off, with many online reviewers singing their praises. It takes a lot to impress Southerners with traditional Southern cuisine, and at Eating Americana he does just that, day after day.

Chien expressed his gratitude for the support of his clients during the ever-changing landscape of the pandemic and remains hopeful for the future of his restaurant. Staffing issues, supply chain disruptions and the lack of consistent food pricing has posed a significant challenge to Chien but has not managed to hinder his success.

As a resident of Peachtree Corners, Chien and his wife often go out to eat at different restaurants nearby and even beyond the Atlanta area. Making a conscious choice to enjoy the food as diners and not critics, they enjoy exploring all of the incredible eateries that this part of the country has to offer.

You can also often find Chien and his wife biking or visiting parks in the area, walking along the river and making friends everywhere they go.

The average day for Chien starts in the early hours of the morning when he arrives to prepare for the day and make any necessary food purchases before it opens. Eating Americana operates from 10 a.m. on the weekends, and 11 a.m. during the week, until 2 p.m., seven days a week; dinner hours are from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. every day except Sunday.

Chien’s greatest joys as owner and chef of Eating Americana, above and beyond the physical act of making food for his clients, is forming long-standing relationships with his customers.
“The gratification comes from long-time customers dating back to my first restaurant, and the new customers and their joyous expressions on their faces when they eat my food,” Chien continued. “This is my joy.”