Awards & Recognition
★James Beard Award Winner 2012 - Best Chef Southeast
★James Beard Award Winner 2012 - Best Cookbook in American Cooking
★James Beard Nominee 6 times (2007-2012)
★Food & Wine Best New Chef 2002
★Atlanta Journal Constitution Restaurant of the Year 2007
★StarChefs Rising Star 2007
★StarChefs Mentor Award 2012
Notable Facts
→Canadian-born chef who opened flagship restaurant Five & Ten in Athens, GA in 2000
→Sold Five & Ten restaurant to former protégé Peter Dale in 2024
→Regular Top Chef judge and Top Chef Masters competitor
→Published 6 cookbooks including James Beard Award-winning 'A New Turn in the South'
→Founded multiple restaurants including Empire State South (Atlanta), The National (Athens), The Florence (Savannah)
→Champion for No Kid Hungry charity and advocates on Capitol Hill
→58K Instagram followers
→Mentored numerous chefs who have gone on to successful careers