Erik Niel is the Chef and Co-Owner of Easy Bistro & Bar, Main Street Meats, and Little Coyote in Chattanooga, TN, and a two-time James Beard Award nominee for Best Chef: Southeast.
His first restaurant, Easy Bistro & Bar, has been a pillar of the Chattanooga dining scene since it opened in 2005—offering a robust menu of shareable plates that celebrate local flavor and ingredients from the Tennessee River Valley. In 2014, Erik and his wife Amanda opened Main Street Meats, a neighborhood restaurant and butcher shop that utilizes whole animal butchery and works closely with Chattanooga’s surrounding farmland to explore the distinctive flavors of the region.
Deeply committed to furthering Chattanooga’s food culture, the Niels launched the Scenic City Supper Club in 2015, a guest chef series created to shed light on Chattanooga’s restaurant scene and its dedicated community of chefs, farmers, and producers. Most recently in 2023, Erik and Amanda opened their third concept, Little Coyote, inspired by Erik’s time living in Texas and the food that captured his heart there. Located in Chattanooga’s historic St. Elmo neighborhood, the open and airy indoor-outdoor restaurant showcases smoked meats and housemade tortillas (all done on-premise), served alongside an agave-driven beverage program.