Hugh Acheson Working On New Atlanta Tavern

Since the new season of Top Chef is just around the corner, we imagined babe chef Hugh Acheson would be on some random beach enjoying the last of summer. But instead, he was at Cooking Light's Light Up the Night tasting event, and obviously not taking a break.

"We're working on a new restaurant project in Atlanta, but we haven't signed a lease yet. I'm working on a new book, going to the Emmys tomorrow," Acheson told us of his upcoming plans.

And while we were totally jealous of his trip to Los Angeles for the awards (but hey, remember how we said we were busy?), it seems like a trip to Atlanta might be in the books. Acheson's upcoming restaurant, he said, will be more laid-back, but with the same approach to food and drink. "This one's more like a tavern, it's meant to be slightly lower-end, but it's really a fine dining spot," he said.

Menu-wise, Acheson promises "really great seasonal foods," small plates, and a ton of great beers. "It's a bar, a place to go and have fun and relax," he said. So like a gastropub? "I hate that term. It's overdone," he said. "As soon as there are a number of bad renditions of gastropubs we all stop using it." Noted.