White Provision Complex goes back to its bloody roots
May 9th, 2008 by Cliff Bostock in Restaurants 
The latest big buzz is the announcement that Anne Quatrano and Clifford Harrison have announced plans to open a “meat-centric” restaurant with the rather bizarre name of Abattoir. The owners of Bacchanalia and Floataway Cafe say the new restaurant will be located in the White Provision complex on Howell Mill Road. A November opening is planned.
The new name — French for “slaughterhouse,” though commonly used in English — is not exactly receiving rave reviews in the blogosphere. Here’s “Therese” on EGullet:
Am I the only one who finds this a really, really horrendous name for a restaurant? Will I be expected to slaughter and butcher my own meat? Will the process be part of the dinner’s entertainment? Are the guests potentially subject to similar treatment?
To which “Doodad” replied:
Very bad name. Perhaps the motto should be “where the elite meat to eat.”
The White Provision Company opened as a meat-packing plant in 1910 — the South’s largest — and was commonly referred to as “The Slaughterhouse” around town, according to this history of the site. But it was the present Bacchanalia building itself that bore the name “abattoir,” specifically the United Butchers Abattoir. You can read about that facility here.
In other news, Quatrano and Harrison announced they have hired Chef Todd Immel away from Table 1280, where he has been replaced by his sous chef, Tracey Bloom. No plans to make Immel lord of the abattoir were announced.
(Map showing the White Provision Company and United Butchers Abattoir from www.artery.org.)
May 9th, 2008 at 8:24 pm
Yeah, I too did a double take when I read that that would be the name of the place. I was like, “French word or no, it’s still freakin’ means slaughterhouse!!”
Somewhere in this has to be a joke and if you find it, let me know.