Elsewhere in North Augusta (or the CSRA as a whole) of Lauryn Hill and R&B's TLC will be getting some attention in the form of specially created food?
Brian Waller, with all 10 buttons of his chef's coat fastened, is the man behind the cuisine: “Everything on the menu tells a story.”
Wrap & Roll Kitchen opened May 20 in the former T's building at the entrance to downtown North Augusta, serving wraps, bowls and comfort food like rack of lamb and “papas garlic alfredo.”
“I'm a total foodie,” Waller says.
After a short stint studying CNC programming in Atlanta, Waller returned to Augusta, first to Augusta Tech and then to the culinary arts program at Helms College.
Like many things in his life, Waller says the journey from learning how to automate machine tools to perfecting his beef bulgogi and fancy mac and cheese was inspired by his faith. “It was inspired by God,” he says of the business, which began about two years ago.
Waller, an established businessman who already runs a trucking company and two barber shops in the CSRA, said Wrap & Roll Kitchen started as a food truck but “just” opened as a full-fledged restaurant due to strict licensing requirements, including the need for a base.
“I travel a lot, and when I'm traveling, my ideal vacation is to eat,” he said, paying tribute to the chefs he's worked for and whose food he's tasted over the years – chefs who “bring a story to their food.”
Order the QB Chili Bowl and you'll be paying tribute to Waller's former business partner (it was one of the first dishes Waller made after Helms), or the Hello Wrap (beef bulgogi and kimchi fried rice with Korean barbecue sauce) was inspired by Waller's childhood best friend's family, who would always bring over bulgogi.
“What speaks to me?” Waller mused. Sandwiches, wraps, and comfort foods.
There's a flying rack of lamb with Madeira sauce for his wife; chicken tenders; mesquite pork tenderloin with “The Three Little Pigs” on the menu; and fried jalapeños with honey mustard. Though the restaurant has “rap” in its name, the menu is about more than just Lauryn Hill singing “That Thing” (the “That Thing” rap is at the top of the menu).
