Chefs are the heartbeat of Territory. In each of our cities, we partner with a network of talented local chefs to craft the meals on our menu. We work with some of the best chefs across the country, including three new celebrity chef partners who competed on Bravo’s Top Chef. 

 Territory chefs are first vetted based on their overall alignment with our ethos. If we have a similar food philosophy and ingredient standards, then we look at the taste and quality of their food. Our chef partners draft their own meal concepts from scratch. Their culinary expertise and passion is a big part of what makes our menu so special. Bringing a meal to life on Territory’s menu is a full collaboration between the chef, Territory’s culinary team, and Territory’s nutrition team.

As Territory’s resident registered dietitian, I make sure that the meals are compliant with our nutritional standards. We have calorie, sodium, and macro targets for each dietary filter. While occasional exceptions are ok, we feel strongly about our food being equal parts nutritious and delicious. It’s easy to make food taste good with loads of butter and salt, but our creative and health-conscious chefs can make delicious food without either.

Our new Top Chef partners include Kevin Gillespie, Joe Sasto, and our long-time partner and friend Eric Adjepong.  Each chef designed two special meals that will be executed by one of our local chefs. Kevin, Joe and Eric each have signature cooking styles and flavor profiles, so it was very important to preserve their authenticity when we developed these meals. Here are some details on the development of each of the meals:

Chef Kevin Gillespie’s Meals for Territory

Chef Kevin Gillespie’s meal is an adapted version of Country Captain Chicken from his Atlanta-based restaurants. The original meal had several elements that we needed to adjust, including whole bone-in chicken, ghee, smoked pork, butter, and bacon grease. These ingredients give the dish its signature rich, smoky, stew-iness, and the meal went through four iterations before we finally replicated it successfully with Territory-friendly ingredients. In the end, we used a mix of boneless chicken breast and thigh, coconut oil, house-smoked almonds, and arrowroot to create that savory smoky flavor in a stew that was as thick as the original. These tweaks also helped reduce the fat and sodium, ensuring that the meal sat comfortably within our nutrition parameters.  

Chef Joe Sasto’s Meals for Territory

Chef Joe Sasto had several incredible meal ideas, which allowed us to choose the one that could stay truest to the original and that best complimented our menu. Chef Joe’s meals introduced unique ingredients like hibiscus to our menu, which imparts a tart, cranberry-like flavor to the pork. The crumble topping is a blend of carefully puffed and seasoned grains, which elevates the skill level of the dish. After initial testing, we added roasted sweet potatoes to the plant-based version to boost the variety of elements and provide additional color.

Chef Eric Adjepong’s Meals for Territory

Chef Eric Adjepong has the advantage of experience with Territory, as he has designed meals for our menu in the past. Eric’s cooking is heavily influenced by West African flavors and he built his meal around yassa, a deeply flavorful caramelized onion sauce. We made two minor ingredient changes from his original concept to appeal to a wider audience, replacing ground lamb with ground beef in the burger and replacing broccoli rabe with roasted broccoli. Eric’s meals hit the nail on the head as far as meeting our flavor, nutrition and ingredient standards.

Want to try for yourself?

We are so excited to bring these meals by Chefs Kevin Gillespie, Joe Sasto, and Eric Adjepong to Territory‘s menu. You can count on these meals being nutritious, and delicious. Click here to try these meals today!