Root Kitchen and Wine Bar opens on Chattanooga's North Shore

photo The new Root Kitchen and Wine Bar replaced the former Elemental Restaurant located at 2 Northshore in the Whole Foods shopping complex.

Root Kitchen and Wine Bar will mark its grand opening on Friday, in the corner that Elemental occupied for more than a year and a half at 2 North Shore.

The new eatery started serving low-country and Southern cuisine about two weeks ago, shortly after Elemental closed its doors.

A restaurateur couple from Charleston, S.C., spent about $40,000 renovating the space, transforming Elemental's sleek gray interior into a warmer space enveloped in green walls and burlap curtains.

Like Elemental, Root uses fresh and local ingredients.

"We're not getting anything from anybody we don't know," said Gabriel Camp, 33, who owns the restaurant with his wife Eva, 29. "We're really big on knowing our purveyors."

The Camps retained Elemental chef Brian Hedeman, who also has some ownership of Root. Hedeman and Eva Camp are Root's chefs.

The restaurant's meat and chicken come from Tennessee and Georgia, Camp said. About 70 percent of its vegetables come from farms throughout the state. Whenever possible, the restaurant staff uses fresh herbs they dry themselves; walls framing Root's server station feature hanging jars of them.

Root still serves flatbreads, among Elemental's most popular items. With an eye on seafood, Root's menu includes crab cakes and grilled Picketts trout. The restaurant plans to have live music about twice a week, including jazz guitar and bass with Alan Shikoh this Friday.

The Camps spent a couple of years drumming up plans for a restaurant venture. They've run restaurants that span Mediterranean, seafood and barbecue, among others.

"We knew we were going to be in Chattanooga; we didn't know where," Camp said. "We really like the way that the city is moving and the entrepreneurial spirit of the area."

The couple moved to Chattanooga in July.

Camp said he came across the opportunity to open Root after meeting Elemental's developer. It took only a few weeks to strike a deal, he said. Elemental's website is still up, noting its Aug. 17 closing and transition to Root.

The former restaurant got its share of glowing reviews, including a mention in a November 2013 Forbes Travel Guide piece about Chattanooga, which complimented Elemental's crisp ambiance and quality food.

Contact staff writer Mitra Malek at mmalek@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6406.

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