Chef Terry Koval. Photo by Andy Lee.Terry Koval, an Atlanta chef with decades of experience in the restaurant industry, has been named the James Beard Award’s Best Chef in the Southeast. This award is given to Chefs who set high standards in their culinary skills and leadership abilities and are making efforts to create a sustainable work culture in their respective regions while contributing positively to their broader community.
Koval is a renowned chef in Atlanta’s restaurant scene, known for his dedication to and practice of the Slow Food movement, which celebrates locally grown foods. His culinary journey began at Canoe in Vinings, where he worked up to Executive Sous Chef. He then joined the team at Concentrics Restaurants, continuing to hone his skills and gain experience before moving on to create the menu as the opening chef at Farm Burger, a burger joint focused on grass-fed and locally sourced ingredients.
Three years after Farm Burger, Koval moved to Wrecking Bar Brewpub, where he served as the executive chef and partner. There, Koval gained a reputation for his creative and seasonally focused dishes, which often showcased local foods.
In 2019, Koval opened his concepts The Deer and the Dove and B-Side in Decatur, for which the James Beard Foundation recognized him as Best Chef. The restaurant’s menu reflects Koval’s culinary philosophy, which is rooted in the seasons and features ingredients sourced from local farms.
Koval was announced the winner at the James Beard Foundation’s annual restaurant and chef awards ceremony in Chicago on June 5, 2023.
