By Becca Nelson Sankey
Photography By Kim Torres Photography
For Courtney, who had plenty of experience working in the food industry, it was the beginning of a lifelong dream. “He’s worked for some really great chefs in Dallas, like Tim Byers, a James Beard Award-winning chef,” Jaton said. “He worked for a great restaurant in Fort Worth, and those are the ones that sparked his love and passion for over-fire cooking.”
The concept for The Hampton’s – which, as its former name, Rustic Field to Table, implies, sources fresh, local ingredients – was created in Dallas. Though opportunities for farm-raised and grass-fed beef and local, fresh produce year-round aren’t as readily available in San Angelo, the Hamptons keep their focus on quality and flavor.
The Hampton’s main dishes are chopped brisket sandwiches, Big Red pulled pork sandwiches infused in soda, and a brisket, pulled pork and macaroni and cheese sandwich.
Due to give birth to the couple’s third child during the time of our interview last spring, Jaton stays busy marketing the business and making its desserts, while Courtney prepares and serves everything else. “It’s definitely a one-man show,” she said. “He literally smokes 14 to 16 hours every day. You can only achieve that kind of flavor from hard work.”
The whiz of harried traffic on Martin Luther King Boulevard belies the quiet, funky commune tucked behind pencil-shaped fence pickets. The morning sun bathes the property in a rosy glow. Birds chirp, wind chimes tinkle gently in the breeze and artists – as a sign near the entrance reads – are already at play.
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