First Look: Rising Son in Avondale Estates offers a taste of blue-collar cooking

Rising Son, the new restaurant from Hudson Rouse and Kathryn Fitzgerald Rouse , officially opened March 29 at 124 N. Avondale Road in Avondale Estates, in the storefront space formerly occupied by the Bishop.

Hudson Rouse, who runs the kitchen, is the former chef at the popular Reynoldstown breakfast and lunch spot Home Grown . But his background also includes stints running a small farm and working at Octopus Bar, One Eared Stag and Ration & Dram.

Kathryn Fitzgerald Rouse, who runs the front of the house and oversees the beverage menu, worked at Leon's Full Service and was in charge of the craft soda programs at the General Muir, Yalla and Fred's Meat & Bread .

On the menu at Rising Son: breakfast all day, starting at 8 a.m., with lunch (including Southern-style meat-and-three plates with fresh vegetables) from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Recently, the Rouses took a break from lunch service to talk about the ideas behind the restaurant and what they have planned for the future.

“I grew up in Albany, Ga., and I grew up eating at meat-and-threes,” Hudson Rouse said. “My granddad was a chef, my uncle was a chef and my twin brother is a chef, so we were always around food.

“I’m a blue-collar country boy who likes good food. To me, a blue-collar place provides quick, good service and quick, good food. The flavor of my food comes from fresh vegetables. After working on a farm and selling to restaurants, when I started cooking I really wanted to bring that to the forefront.”

Fried chicken, pork chops and trout are regularly found on the meat side of the menu. But sides change with the seasons, sometimes daily or weekly, according to what vegetables are available from local farmers. Last week, broccolini casserole, curry sweet potato salad, buttered radishes with herbs and griddled kale were featured.

Along with fresh juice drinks, shakes and slushies, Rising Son soon will offer a full bar with cocktails, draft beer, wine and sodas.

“Our cocktail list will be three-ingredient, very simple, classic drinks that will be brunch-driven until we open for dinner,” Kathryn Rouse said. “Our well will be one bottle per spirit, but it will all be amazing stuff. Like the food, we want the cocktails to be enjoyable and affordable.

“We did not open this place to impress anyone. We opened it to support our community, feed our community and support our children. We’re cooking real, simple food for all the right reasons.”

“We want everybody to feel at home here,” Hudson Rouse agreed. “We want people from the neighborhood to feel at home, as well as the workers who come in here and eat lunch at the counter.”

Here are some more glimpses of Rising Son.