Well-Seasoned Chef: Joey Ward

From the venue:

Enjoy a relaxing evening dining, sipping and learning from Chef Joey Ward of Southern Belle & Georgia Boy in the Edible Garden Outdoor Kitchen.
Joey Ward is the executive chef and owner of Southern Belle and Georgia Boy in Atlanta. Originally from Powder Springs, Georgia, Ward set his sights on becoming a chef at an early age, drawing inspiration from his grandfather—a former cook in the U.S. Navy—who served as a father figure. He spent his childhood Saturday mornings watching the cooking shows that followed children’s cartoons on PBS, and he’s been channeling his creativity into inspired culinary creations ever since. 
Ward spent his formative years working in the kitchen of Atlanta’s celebrated Cherokee Town & Country Club and earned his degree in Culinary Arts Management from the world-renowned Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, in 2005. He returned to the South to begin his career as the sous chef on the opening team of The St. Regis Atlanta before moving on to work under Woodfire Grill’s former executive chef and Bravo “Top Chef” alum, Kevin Gillespie, who would go on to become his mentor. After two years of guidance under Gillespie, the two worked side-by-side to open Gunshow in 2013. For six years, Ward served as executive chef at Gunshow, where he showcased inventive flavor combinations, a keen eye for presentation, sharp attention to detail and a true passion for creativity in the kitchen. 

Joey Ward, Southern Belle & Georgia Boy
He now brings this expertise to Southern Belle and Georgia Boy, his first solo restaurant ventures, which opened in November 2019. His menus at both concepts aim to celebrate the diversity of arts, culture, food and people of his home state. At Southern Belle, Ward and his team offer craft cocktails and a curated selection of wines that highlight the stories and passions of Southern distilleries alongside dishes that embrace the multicultural flavors of the “New South.” At Georgia Boy, connected to Southern Belle via a secret passageway, Ward presents an intimate, reservation-only, multi-course tasting menu experience for 16, where guests are welcomed to explore Southern cuisine as viewed through his inventive, colorful lens.
Ward was recognized as a James Beard Award semi-finalist in the Best Chef: Southeast category in 2022 and awarded the prestigious Trifoliate Award in 2021. Also in 2021, Atlanta Magazine readers named him Best Chef and Southern Belle Best Restaurant in the magazine’s annual “Best of Atlanta” issue. In 2018, he was named a Rising Star by StarChefs.  When he’s not in the restaurants, you can find Ward spending time with his dogs, Louis and Forrest, and his wife, Emily, a spirited Southern belle for whom the restaurant was named. He lives in the Old Fourth Ward neighborhood of Atlanta. 
The chef line-up is announced online in late March, and open seats are available to purchase starting on April 1 via the Outdoor Kitchen phone line. Registrations are processed in the order they are received.
Please note: Circles Members receive early registration access, and these popular dinners sometimes sell out during that period. For dinners that are already sold out by April 1, you may join the waitlist via the link below. To learn more about becoming a Circles Member, visit atlantabg.org/join.
Schedule: Select Tuesdays, April – October, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.
Fee: $135 per dinner; $750 for six dinners
Registration: Call 404-876-5859 ext 2559
Waitlist Link: Join the Waitlist
See the Full Schedule