At Peckish, Chef Tamara Hewitt Blends Pastry Magic With Jamaican Brunch

A high tea tower like no other.

Perhaps the best expression of Hewitt’s breadth as a chef in a single dish is the kitchen’s high tea tower. Presented as an English afternoon tea tower — but described as high tea — neither convention really fits Hewitt’s one-of-a-kind sampler. A grand presentation and plenty of sweets skew the restaurant’s hero dish towards the former, but the dining room’s casual ambiance and a balance of savory bites makes it lean towards the latter. Either way, it’s a generous, filling spread with rich and refreshing flavors to alternate between.

Each high tea tower (and you’re likely to see plenty of them during your visit) features a spread of traditional favorites. Think finger sandwiches that include cooling cucumber, turkey club on freshly baked mini croissants, scones, and fruit tarts that begin conventionally but delight with a plush custard ensconced within.

“To bring a unique and personal touch, we’ve also incorporated Jamaican and Southern influences,” Hewitt adds, referencing the cultural flavors that she’s thoughtfully incorporated into dishes otherwise grounded in her experience as a pastry chef. Think hot honey chicken biscuits, oxtail empanadas, ackee and saltfish ‘fishbones’, and peach bourbon cruffins, the last of which are delightfully crunchy, practically squirting with fruit filling, and – like the strawberry-lime scones — only available in the tea tower.

Jamaica and Atlanta blend deliciously on the menu.

“My Jamaican heritage is most prominently reflected in two signature dishes: the jerk chicken wings and the cocktail beef patties,” Hewitt says.

For the chef, the patties are a beloved comfort food and a fast-food staple in Jamaica that evoke a strong sense of nostalgia. Meanwhile, the jerk chicken dish combine one of Jamaica’s most iconic dishes with wings (“undeniably so ATL!” she enthuses) to create a plate that pays homage to two identities. Served as four whole wings, each piece is rubbed in a mild jerk seasoning that’s only as hot as the barbecue sauce on the side or as mild as the complementary cilantro ranch.

“I also chose to feature hush puppies,” she says, for the legend that “enslaved people would fry cornmeal batter and toss it to distract barking dogs while others attempted to escape” and thus, a nod to “not only Southern food traditions, but also to the resilience and resourcefulness of those who came before us.”

Traditionally served with seafood, Hewitt’s hush puppies incorporate it directly into her light, fluffy, batter, with subtle notes of crab and shrimp and a hint of heat. Or, order it to accompany the shrimp and grits, which she transforms into a sophisticated corn croquette smothered in a pepper and onion-laced cream sauce.

Smaller-than-slider-sized hot honey chicken biscuits with thick morsels of fried chicken combine the two cultures again with a dash of Scotch bonnet pepper; meanwhile, pico de gallo-topped oxtail empanadas, stuffed generously with well-seasoned meat, expand the fusion aspect.

Sips are sweet and simple.

A full bar on the front concrete patio complements a sweet-forward cocktail menu that includes slushy drinks (available spiked) and tropical flavors such as Sky Juice’s condensed coconut milk and butterfly flower tea; Hibiscus spritz with tarragon; and Starboard Light with passionfruit puree, honey, egg white, and whiskey.

THC-infused drinks, beer, and soft drinks round out the cold beverages (no iced teas or fancy coffee drinks here!), but drip coffee and hot blooming tea can provide that morning-appropriate buzz. Pro tip: Tea service in a clear glass pot for the table is included with the tower.

A treat for now, another for later.

With Hewitt’s background as a pastry chef, desserts were always likely to feature prominently on the menu.

Within weeks of opening, Hewitt’s Potted Plant was already a social media sensation, and the verdict is in: it lives up to the hype. The dish’s “clay pot” is fully edible; crack it open to dig into the pretzel crumb “dirt” and chocolate mousse “soil,” revealing a gooey salted caramel base.

Similarly realistic is the kitchen’s Caramel Mocha Latte with caramel coffee mousse, pastry cream, and sponge cake and the Mini Banana, painted with green flecks, brown speckles, and all to look exactly like a three-inch version of the ripe fruit. Inside: banana pudding that tastes fresh, creamy, and balanced.

Available to go, they’re inexpensive, especially compared to many of Atlanta’s pastry shops, and make a great treat for later. Boxed up in clear packaging, novelties like the LEGO block truffles in bright primary colors and the cratered Full Moon spheres of lemon cheesecake, raspberry, and vanilla cake can make impressive gifts that can’t help but start a conversation. Oh, and don’t forget to grab fresh bread by the loaf on your way out, either — it’s on the left of the entrance.