Whitney Otawka, culinary director, Greyfield Inn, Cumberland Island, Georgia
Chef Whitney Otawka.Lyric Lewin/CNN
Toward the back of the kitchen, Whitney Otawka peeled white Georgia shrimp while her husband pressed mini hot dog buns on a grill for a Southern twist on a lobster roll. Otawka is the name and face of their partnership, having built her reputation on "Top Chef" Season 9 and stints in Hugh Acheson's restaurants. Now, she's culinary director of the historic Greyfield Inn (4 North 2nd St, Cumberland Island, GA 32034; +1 904-261-6408), a dreamy retreat tucked into dense oaks and pine forests on Georgia's Cumberland Island.
On most mornings she wakes up and walks out to the inn's garden to see how their crops are faring. She sources most of her ingredients from the garden and the island, using seasonal produce and fresh catch to create meals that reflect the moment.
To Otawka, eating locally and in season is a way of life. It gives you a sense of place, she says. Take, for example, the shrimp from coastal Georgia in her rolls. They feed and give birth in the marshes of Georgia's barrier islands, and the grass gives them a sweet taste.
"You don't have to manipulate as much when you have pure, fantastic ingredients," she says. "If we learn to identify the things that grow well in our regions I think we can have a better impact on the way food is served."