New restaurant in Iona now serving up Southern cuisine – with a side of community connection
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IONA — Rich in hospitality, delectable bites and thoughtfully curated dishes, a new restaurant in town is serving up Southern cuisine. And its owners are hopeful it will become a community gathering place “where everyone has a seat.”
Society Table, located at 3372 North Main Street in Iona, opened on July 17. The building was previously home to Jill’s Chicken Shack.
Society Table owners Brandi Tyler and Blake Dawson live in Idaho Falls, and both have worked in commercial real estate for many years.
“We love good food, and we travel. I grew up in the South. Brandi lived in the South. We miss that cuisine,” Blake said.
The two wanted to open a restaurant together, and they thought it would be enjoyable.
Blake said they were excited to find the location in Iona, and even more so when they learned about how the previous businesses that occupied the space had brought the community together. It’s a building filled with good memories, they said.
“We were telling my dad about this building, and he’s like, ‘That used to be Ernie’s Cafe.’ And he starts telling me these really good stories about when he was a teacher at Bonneville and he would come here with (another teacher), and they would get burgers,” Brandi said. “Then Jill’s Chicken Shack; the stories were still the same. They wanted to have a sense of community, and that’s where this was born.”
When you walk in, there’s a “society table” right in the middle of the dining room. Beautiful lighting hangs from the ceiling, and there are several black tables and chairs.
“We want to provide a sense of community, where everyone has a seat. If you are by yourself, if you want to meet someone, have dinner! Have breakfast! And you want some company? Come here, there’s going to be company,” Brandi said.
Inside Society Table, there’s a case filled with sweet treats like lemon bars, New York-style cheesecake with butterscotch, pecan pie, and more.
The menu also includes foods like buttermilk biscuits served with peach preserves, creamed corn croquettes, and meatballs with tomato jam and tallow chips.
There’s meatloaf with a beef bourbon jus, pommes dauphine, and glazed carrots; a tempura pork belly served with dirty rice and pea velouté; and a pork chop that’s ash-blackened, with gorgonzola dolce espuma, pommes dauphine, glazed carrots and basil chiffonade.
“We are trying to keep things honest — quality ingredients and not taking any shortcuts. It really is us just trying to delve deeply into what Southern cuisine, and kind of American cuisine at large, is,” said Mac Schauster, Society Table’s executive chef.
The restaurant serves breakfast, brunch and dinner; lunch will be coming soon. Everything is made from scratch, Brandi said, and it’s all done with care and high-quality technique.
“I think our menu gives everyone an option. You are getting delicious, quality food at different price points,” Blake added.
Chef Mac said he loves the memories that are made when sharing food with others. At Society Table, he’s grateful for the team he has.
“My favorite thing about being a chef is I get to nurture people — and I get to develop talent and give cooks the ability to flourish, to share their own personalities through the food,” Mac said.
It’s a place that the chef says is all about genuine, honest hospitality. As for the food, it’s genuine expression, he added.
“If you are an American and you love food, we have something on the menu for you. We’ll do a couple different twists and turns here and there. We are grinding everything in-house and using incredible spices,” Mac said.
Society Table is open Wednesday through Saturday for breakfast, 8 a.m. to 11 a.m, and for dinner starting at 4:30 p.m., with the last seating at 8:30 p.m. Sunday, it’s open for brunch from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m.
There will be High Society Table dinners once a month, according to the owners. The events will feature a fine-dining menu, allow for about 14 people, and support a charitable cause.
Below is a gallery of a variety of the menu items Society Table offers. EastIdahoNews.com was invited to a chef’s tasting night this week and tried small portions. Needless to say, it was an incredible experience.
