Cooking from the heart with fresh ingredients comes naturally to Chef Bret Jennings, an Altavista, Virginia native who grew up surrounded by angel biscuits, country ham with redeye gravy, sweet corn, homemade bread and butter pickles and fresh tomato sandwiches. Subsequent pairing with international travel and time behind some of the country's most celebrated stoves has produced a signature culinary style of sophistication and farmer's market that is much more than a shotgun marriage: it is sublime alchemy that has regional food critics and diners equally shaken and stirred.

Jennings has trained domestically with two of America's top chefs, Ben Barker of Durham, NC's Magnolia Grill and Bob Kinkead of Kinkead's in Washington, DC. Both have been named to GOURMET's Top 50 Restaurants in America. Additionally, Barker has been awarded the Best Chef in the Southeast honor from the James Beard Foundation. Barker describes Jennings as "a culinary genius" and expresses his pride that Elaine's On Franklin is still carrying on Magnolia Grill traditions while allowing Jennings' own personality to shine through. Barker further states, "I wish Elaine's were open on Monday (when Magnolia Grill is closed) so my wife Karen and I would have a place to go out in Chapel Hill."

Jennings began his culinary career while a college student at NC State in Raleigh, NC. He worked as a caterer, busboy and waiter before traveling extensively to research other culinary traditions in Thailand, Mexico, France, Italy, Germany and Spain. In 1999 he opened his own restaurant, Elaine's On Franklin. Wine Spectator magazine has awarded the restaurant its coveted Award of Excellence for its wine list each year since 2001. Jennings was also featured in Southern Living Magazine, was invited to cook at the James Beard House December 2002, and was awarded the top rating of four stars by Greg Cox and the Raleigh News and Observer in 2003.