Atlanta’s acclaimed culinary scene is defined not only by extraordinary talent, but by what emerges when its finest chefs come together. As plans heat up for the upcoming Georgia Food + Wine Festival, organizers are building on an unforgettable evening. After years in the making, a long-held vision came to life as six distinguished chefs gathered for the inaugural Chefs Table Expereince - an intimate celebration of culinary depth, diversity, and artistry. Serving as lead chef and creative force, Chef Jernard Wells curated and executed the vision, personally selecting each chef for the distinctive talent and perspective they would bring to the table. The result was more than an exceptional meal; it was a defining culinary moment shaped by shared purpose, mutual respect, and a vision finally realized.
Known as “The Family Chef” and “The Chef of Love,” Chef Jernard has earned millions of followers through his unmistakable warmth, bold Southern flavors, and belief in the connective power of food. Although he once envisioned becoming an attorney, his culinary story began alongside his late father, a chef with Creole roots, and took an unexpected turn after his father passed away. At just 16, Jernard opened his first restaurant to help support his mother - a beginning that has evolved into an extraordinary career and, most recently, the opening of his ninth restaurant Cornbread & Butter in Grayson, Georgia. His distinctive flavor profiles reflect that heritage, as well as French and Asian culinary training and experiences abroad in Malaysia and the Philippines. Today, the celebrated television host and bestselling cookbook author is known for New Soul Kitchen and New Soul Kitchen Remix, with appearances on Food Network, Cooking Channel, and the Oprah Winfrey Network. A James Beard House-honored chef, his recent Daytime Emmy nomination for Savor the City fulfilled a longtime bucket-list dream - another milestone in a remarkable journey.
For Chef Cory Hinton, Chef Jernard’s influence reaches far beyond the kitchen beginning at a Chattanooga festival, where Hinton’s name was drawn from a hat to apprentice under the acclaimed chef. Later invited to serve as Chef Jernard's sous chef, Hinton walked nearly 15 miles to and from work for nine weeks - a remarkable commitment that began a decade-long bond rooted in mentorship, brotherhood, and unwavering belief.
Hinton’s determination grew from a deeply personal desire to rewrite his story. Incarcerated at 18, he emerged committed to building a different life and showing his children that mistakes need not determine their destiny. Today, childhood memories of his grandfather’s Alabama garden and a treasured fish recipe honoring his late father, Makail Musa Mohamed, live on through Boulevard Famous Fish. Pairing Creole-Cajun fish with sweet, Creole-inspired coleslaw, Hinton gives every guest “a piece of me.” As he prepares to take the Chattanooga concept on the road, he credits Jernard - the mentor he considers a brother and father figure - with seeing his potential and helping him transform a second chance into a meaningful legacy.
Chef Richard Ingraham embodied that same spirit of passion and purpose whose extraordinary talent brought another distinct perspective to the evening. For Ingraham, food has always represented love and family - an enduring philosophy that has guided nearly three decades in the culinary arts. Born and raised in Miami and formally trained at the Art Institute of Atlanta, he found his calling as a private chef, ultimately becoming the longtime personal chef to NBA legend Dwyane Wade and his family. His work with elite athletes and entertainers has placed him at the intersection of fine cuisine and sports nutrition, where every dish must deliver both exceptional flavor and purposeful nourishment. Wade describes Ingraham as “a diversified chef that can cook it all, for all,” adding that he “puts his heart and soul into his dishes.”
Yet behind the celebrated clientele is a deeply personal approach. Ingraham’s family influences each dish he creates, and the joy of watching guests experience his food continues to inspire him. That balance of passion, pleasure and well-being shaped his cookbooks, Eating Well to Win and LOVE: My Love Expressed Through Food. Whether fueling peak performance or gathering people around a table, Ingraham hopes guests feel the intention within every bite - a reflection of the principle that has carried him throughout his career “Always cook with passion and purpose.”
For Chef Tregaye Wright, food has always been about possibility. Her first inspiration came from her grandmother, Sherry, who delighted in blending cultures with Southern traditions - sometimes enthusiastically, as Chef Tregaye remembers, adding newly discovered jerk seasoning to nearly everything for over a week! Beyond flavor, her grandmother instilled in her the confidence to experiment, create and make every dish her own.
That spirit carried Chef Tregaye through profound loss. At 19, she unexpectedly lost her mother to a blood clot and, soon after, her grandmother, leaving her to help raise three younger siblings. Resilience became part of her story and ultimately her success. Wright went on to become the first-ever African American woman to win Season 12 of Food Network Star, published author of Kitchen Conversations with Chef Tregaye, and the host of Tregaye’s Way, one of the early culinary shows on Oprah Winfrey’s network. Today, her television career continues on Prime Video, extending a platform she built by learning the business while remaining unmistakably herself.
Some of her proudest work happens beyond television. Through her nonprofit, Any Given Supper, Chef Tregaye provides young people with culinary training, tools, real-world experiences and something equally important - confidence. For Chef Tregaye, success is not simply about creating memorable food, but creating possibilities for the next generation.
While Chef Tregaye's journey is rooted in resilience and creating opportunity, Chef Alejandro Valdivia has forged an equally distinctive path - one shaped by adventure, exploration and the wild. For Chef Alejandro Valdivia, the kitchen has never been confined by four walls. Known as “A Wild Chef,” the Cuban-born outdoorsman, traveler and culinary adventurer finds inspiration in the places he explores and the ingredients he encounters along the way—whether cooking over an open fire or working with wild game such as venison, duck and even octopus. A Le Cordon Bleu graduate, Valdivia brought that fearless approach to MasterChef: Legends, where he emerged as a Top 4 semifinalist, later earning an invitation to return for MasterChef: Back to Win.
Today, Chef Alejandro turns that same adventurous spirit into extraordinary private dining experiences, pop-ups and culinary journeys that blur the line between chef and storyteller. His travels have taken him across the American West cooking in the elements and internationally through his Chasing Wild Flavor project, exploring the connection between food, culture and place. For Valdivia, an unforgettable meal begins long before the plate reaches the table - it begins with the hunt, the landscape, the people and the story behind every ingredient.
Rounding out this remarkable group is Chattanooga-based Chef Antonio Tate, known as “The Sneakerhead Chef,” whose approach to food is grounded in flavor, culture and connection. Tate’s earliest culinary lessons came beside his father - a biochemist and restaurateur who taught him to think of food as chemistry. Today, that foundation comes alive through bold combinations of Southern traditions, global spices and cultural influences, all delivered with a distinctive sense of style. As chef and owner of Party Bites Kitchen + Catering, Chef Antonio has grown a childhood fascination with food into a multifaceted culinary brand centered on creating memorable experiences.
Yet Tate’s work reaches well beyond the kitchen. From intimate dinners and large-scale catering to community events and hands-on culinary experiences, he uses food as a way to bring people together. His “Sneakerhead Chef” identity playfully connects his love of sneaker culture with elevated cuisine, while experiences such as Spice Theory invite guests to explore the cultures and stories behind global spices. Whether teaching, catering or gathering people around his table, Tate approaches hospitality with intention - blending bold flavor, creativity and community into meals designed to mean something long after the last bite.
Together, the Georgia Food + Wine Festival and these six chefs created an experience that celebrated not only exceptional cuisine, but the remarkable stories, journeys and connections that give it meaning.
Festival Dates: April 1-4, 2027
2nd Annual Chefs Table Experience: April 1
georgiafoodandwinefestival.com
"My ultimate goal is to leave an indelible impression on every person who has an opportunity to taste my food albeit at my restaurant or at special dinners like the one we curate at Georgia Food & Wine Festival," said Chef Jernard Wells.