MG Road’s Girls on Deck: Fire Island to feature chef Annie Pettry and bartender Emily Peele

Chef Sarah Cousler, who, along with bartender Erin Hawley, helped bring the all-female Girls on Deck pop-up concept back to MG Road this year, is in the process of helping chef Elliott Moss open Buxton Hall Barbecue. So Thursday, July 9, could be the last we see of the Girls on Deck for quite some time – but Cousler and Hawley plan to go out with a bang.

Guest chef Annie Pettry, (formerly of The Admiral) of Decca Restaurant in Louisville, Ky., will highlight Girls on Deck: Fire Island with guest bartender Emily Peele of High Five Coffee. The summery Fire Island theme will be carried out with outdoor grilling on Wall Street and treats including alcoholic popsicles, cocktails and more.

The plates that Pettry and Peele will be preparing during the event include:

Peel-and-eat shrimp watermelon, smoked paprika, shisito and dill — $10

Veal sweetbreads with boquerones, mint oil, fried shallot and apple butter — $12

Tuna tartare with yolk, roasted squash, tobiko and elderflower — $13

Grilled turkey wing with radish, red pepper, honey and chipotle — $11

Bone-in pork chop with jalapeno, okra, buttermilk and sun gold — $25

Grilled beets with cultured coconut milk, sesame and kaffir lime — $9

Duck confit with cherries, harissa and charred sourdough — $14

Charred spanish octopus with peach, basil, fermented soybeans and broken rice — $15

Grilled skirt steak with avocado, wild grains, cucumber, nori and ash — $19

Buttermilk panna cotta with grilled corn, blueberries and cornmeal streusel — $5

Fire Island cracker jacks with fish sauce caramel, lemongrass and peanut — $2

The menu of small plates and entrées will be served from 5:30 – 10:30 p.m. – or until the food runs out – and drinks will be served late into the night. Dish prices will range $10 – $20, and no reservations are needed.

Musical entertainment during the event will include: Leah Spicer, Jess Rosencutter, Annelise Kopp and DJ Embassador Payne.

Following is a press release from Lauryn Bodden, account coordinator at Wagstaff Worldwide, and Michael Files, brand director at Chai Pani:

Sarah Cousler, the talented young chef behind the kitchen of Girls on Deck, and Erin Hawley, the brains behind the bar, are welcoming some talented ladies for one last Summer bash at MG Road. Cousler is diving full steam into helping chef Elliott Moss open the highly anticipated Buxton Hall Barbecue in the South Slope area of Asheville, and so this could be the last Girls on Deck for quite some time. The ladies definitely plan on going out with a bang however, as they welcome two very special culinary talents into MG Road.

In the kitchen, the ladies welcome chef Annie Pettry, who five years ago used to hang her apron at The Admiral in West Asheville, and has now created quite a name for herself as the chef/owner of Decca Restaurant in Louisville, KY.

Pettry is very excited to return to Asheville and indulge her penchant for cooking over woodfired grills, as MG Road has gone to great lengths to secure all the necessary permits for a full on street grilling experience on Wall Street. Cousler and Pettry will be grilling up a storm and no doubt flooding downtown with savory smells of goodness. Pettry’s skills are not to be missed.

Behind the bar the ladies welcome local coffee master Emily Peele from High Five coffee. Naturally inhabiting the realm of liquid nourishment, Peele is excited to be lending her culinaryskills to alcoholic concoctions and summery refreshments.

On the grill Pettry and Cousler will be grilling up such items as pork chops, sweetbreads, octopus, tuna, shrimp, and other seasonal vegetables. Also on offer will be special alcoholic popsicles and other delights. Expect dish prices to be in the $10 – $20 range. No reservationsneeded. Food goes from 5:30pm – 10:30pm, and drinks ’til everyone has had enough.

As always, Girls on Deck will feature a whole roster of local lady DJs. The lineup for Fire Island includes: Leah Spicer, Jess Rosencutter, Annelise Kopp, and DJ Embassador Payne.

ABOUT CHEF ANNIE PETTRY:
Growing up in Asheville, NC, Chef Annie Pettry’s childhood was steeped in influential food experiences including growing vegetables, foraging for mushrooms, trout fishing, and countless hours in the kitchen learning from her parents’ global cooking style. After working in myriad restaurant roles, Pettry earned a Grand Diploma in Culinary Arts from the International Culinary Center in New York City. Upon completing her formal education, she worked alongside numerous renowned chefs, including Craig Koketsu (Quality Meats, New York City), Elliott Moss (The Admiral, Asheville), and Loretta Keller (Moss Room, San Francisco), before moving to Louisville from San Francisco to open Decca in 2012. At Decca, Pettry applies her classic French technique to Southern and Midwestern ingredients, with a penchant for wood-fired cooking, and accenting dishes with exotic spice blends. Pettry was named one of Restaurant Hospitality’s “15 To Watch in 2015,” a 2014 and 2015 Food & Wine “The People’s Best New Chef” nominee, a 2014 Star Chefs Rising Star, and was the winner of the 2013 Louisville Cochon 555 Heritage BBQ competition.