Appalachia: A Personal and Culinary Homage in London's Shoreditch
Camilla Meshiea and Ryan Sheehan have reimagined their Shoreditch eatery, Counter 71, into a venue called Appalachia, drawing inspiration from the culinary heritage of the Appalachian mountains in the United States. Meshiea hails from a family rooted in Georgia, while Sheehan's background is from Savannah, Georgia, where their paths crossed. The kitchen is overseen by Chef Ali Borer, who fosters a cozy vibe with additional countertops and flip-out stools. This swift change highlights the difficulties faced by independent dining establishments. Their art collection showcases pieces by Savannah artists Betsy Cain and Lisa Watson. Borer's menu uniquely combines Appalachian flavors with Thai influences, featuring dishes such as curried crab omelette and smoked pork chop. The basement bar, Lowcountry, serves rare bourbons and creative cocktails. Appalachia is situated at 71 Nile St, London, N1 7RD, United Kingdom.
Key facts
- Camilla Meshiea and Ryan Sheehan transformed their Shoreditch restaurant Counter 71 into Appalachia.
- Appalachia draws on culinary traditions of America's Appalachian mountain range.
- Meshiea's maternal family settled in Georgia and moved west to Nebraska; Sheehan's Irish family settled in Savannah, where the couple met and married.
- Chef Ali Borer, formerly of Smoking Goat, leads the kitchen.
- The space was refreshed, not rebuilt, with new countertops from the same marble as the original counter.
- Extra covers were added with flip-out stools along windowsills.
- Art on walls includes works by Betsy Cain and Lisa Watson, sourced through Susan Laney of Laney Contemporary.
- Borer's cooking fuses Appalachian traditions with fire-led, Thai-influenced techniques.
- The basement bar, Lowcountry, features rare bourbons and rye whiskies, with a banana pudding Sazerac.
- Appalachia is located at 71 Nile St, London, N1 7RD, United Kingdom.
Entities
Artists
- Camilla Meshiea
- Ryan Sheehan
- Ali Borer
- Betsy Cain
- Lisa Watson
- Susan Laney
- Ben McCormack
Institutions
- Counter 71
- Appalachia
- Smoking Goat
- Laney Contemporary
- Wallpaper*
Locations
- Shoreditch
- London
- Georgia
- Nebraska
- Savannah
- Fulham
- United Kingdom
- Nile St
- Lowcountry