Folks in the restaurant industry know good food, so we want to know where they eat when they’re not cooking. In this series, we ask a local chef, bartender, restaurateur, or waiter to share their favorite restaurants in town and what they order there. This week, we interview Matt Martin, chef of local produce purveyor Freshlist. With more than 10 years of restaurant experience, Martin has curated tastes for diverse dishes.

NoDa Bodega, NoDa
A bodega and deli serving sandwiches and salads with personality
Matt’s order: Southwest Kale Salad
Pro tip: “Make sure you go on Thursday nights — that’s when they do a special vegan menu,” Martin says.  

Lang Van, Plaza Midwood
A simple eatery with welcoming staff specializing in Vietnamese dishes and noodles
Matt’s order: #67 (house special hot pot)

Vana, Uptown
An upscale restaurant focused on open-flame cooking
Matt’s order: Any whole cooked vegetable

Roasted cauliflower at Vana, prepared with white curry, yogurt, broccoli, chow chow, and raisins. Kristen Wile/UP

Supperland, Plaza Midwood
A renovated church-turned-restaurant specializing in steaks and Southern dishes
Matt’s order: Porridge bread and the broccoli

Pepperbox Doughnuts, South End
A colorful spot in the Design Center with chef-driven and vegan-friendly yeast doughnuts
Matt’s order: Piña colada donut and fritters

More from this series:

Duke Bread’s Adam Duke
Counter-‘s Sam Hart
Community Matters Cafe’s Ashley Anna Tuttle
Your Farms, Your Table’s Sam Diminich
Para’s Alex Verica