Joey Ward of Gunshow is a 2018 StarChefs Rising Star; Taste His Talent at Gala Feb. 20

Gunshow executive chef Joey Ward is on the 2018 class roster for StarChefs Atlanta Rising Stars. The honor comes with spoon, fork and swizzlers attached: Ward and his talented classmates -- Atlanta’s top chefs, sommeliers and bartenders -- will prepare tastings and pour drinks for guests to savor while sauntering around the 2018 Atlanta Rising Stars Gala at SunTrust Park on Tuesday, Feb. 20. Preview the tempting menu here. A VIP reception opens the evening at 5:45 p.m., followed by an awards ceremony at 6:30 p.m. and the Tasting Gala from 7-9:30 p.m. Ward plans to wow gala guests with Lone Mountain Wagyu tartare, brioche, white truffle emulsion and egg yolk. He’s not going it alone. Compadre and Cocktail Cart Conductor Mercedes O’Brien joins him, treating imbibers to a smooth, java-ish cocktail of Grey Goose vodka, faux’presso, coffee liqueur, Chinese black bean vermouth and burnt sugar. Buy tickets online and come taste why these men and women are Atlanta’s StarChefs. General admission is $85 per person; VIP tickets are $125 per person (plus small service fee). A portion of the proceeds will benefit The Giving Kitchen, a nonprofit dedicated to providing emergency assistance to Atlanta restaurant workers.

Gunshow’s Ward and Gillespie, Umi’s Fuyuhiko and Lisa Ito Wine and Dine Guests at Out of the Kitchen Atlanta for CURE Childhood Cancer Nov. 16

Holiday meal prepping, baking, gift making, entertaining …face it, the holidays can be kitchen intensive. Step out before prepping for a fine dining experience -- the inaugural Out of the Kitchen Atlanta gourmet dining event presented by The St. Regis Atlanta. Sixteen of Atlanta’s top chefs -- including chefs Kevin Gillespie and Joey Ward of Gunshow and chefs Fuyuhiko and Lisa Ito of Umi -- will create a three-course menu tableside followed by a dessert extravaganza on Thursday, Nov. 16 at 7 p.m. Spirits will soar, boosted by flowing wine and “Atlanta Eats” host Steak Shapiro. Come casually chic (hold off on the holiday sweaters and formal wear) for a memorable evening benefitting CURE Childhood Cancer. Buy tickets and purchase sponsorships online, $400-$10,000.

Gunshow Plans Totally Tubular 90s Throwback Week Oct. 17-21

Children of the 90s that they are, Gunshow executive chef Joey Ward and the kitchen dudes have achy-breaky hearts to revive the 90s…not for a decade, but definitely for dinner the week of Tuesday, Oct. 17 through Saturday, Oct. 21. Kevin Gillespie’s nationally acclaimed Glenwood Park restaurant flashes back to 90s pop culture for menu and cocktail themes, tunes and fashions of the era. Cocktail cart conductor Mercedes O’Brien is exploring intoxicating options involving 90s nips like Zima and Capri Sun. Fun! Come along for the ride by donning your best parachute pants, high-top sneakers, scrunchies and over-sized T-shirts and receive a special dressed-to-the-90s perk. The 90s saw the rise of online reservation services so go retro and reserve seats online now or throw way back and use the phone, 404-380-1886.

Go “Back on the Farm” with Gunshow, 5Church and Others at Atlanta History Center’s Smith Family Farm Sept. 22

Urban farmhands, swap shovels for forks and cocktail glasses for the fifth annual “Back on the Farm” fall social at the Smith Family Farm on the grounds of the Atlanta History Center on Friday, Sept. 22. Event executive chef and James Beard Award-winning cookbook author and chef Virginia Willis steers a herd of top chefs, farmers and bartenders preparing for a night of cocktails, lite bites and supper in the Grand Overlook. Gunshow “curator of all things cocktail and cocktail cart conductor” Mercedes O’Brien and 5Church Atlanta lead bartender Keyatta Mincey will be on hand harvesting their own special libations while White Oak Pastures’ Jenni Harris takes her place with the participating farmers. The 6 p.m. event supports the Smith Family Farm, its educational programming for Georgia school children and the newly established 4-H program run in conjunction with UGA Extension at the History Center. Buy tickets online, $225/individual through various sponsorship levels.

Southern Chefs Potluck for Wholesome Wave Georgia Spreads over Serenbe Sept. 17

Fill your plate where it’s great to be eight, and ate, at the eighth annual Southern Chefs Potluck fundraiser benefitting Wholesome Wave Georgia. More than 250 guests, chefs and bartenders from across Georgia will come together from 3-6 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 17 for family style dining, fun and fellowship in the open-air pavilion at the idyllic Inn at Serenbe. Mosey over here to buy tickets and see who’s potlucking like Gunshow’s cocktail director, Mercedes O’Brien. Choose individual for $175 or a VIP Chefs Table and Reception package for two for $600 (service fees extra). Wholesome Wave Georgia works to increase access to fresh, healthy, locally grown food for all Georgians through two core programs: Georgia Fresh For Less, which stretches SNAP/EBT dollars at farmers markets, and the Fruit & Vegetable Prescription Program, in which healthcare providers give families prescriptions to be filled and spent on fruits and vegetables at participating farmers markets.  

Auction Bidding Ends Aug. 2 for a Coveted Table at Gunshow’s Sold-out Aug. 6 “Hired Guns” Dinner

Urgent action required! Use this link and bid today because tomorrow, Aug. 2, is the last day to vie for a chance to win a table for four at the 8:30 p.m. seating of Gunshow’s Aug. 6 “Hired Guns” dinner. Specifically, the benefit auction closes at 11:59 p.m. ET Wednesday night. New Orleans sensation chef Justin Devillier blows into the Glenwood Park restaurant to unleash a storm of culinary creations along with Gunshow chef/owner Kevin Gillespie, executive chef Joey Ward and the talented Gunshow kitchen crew. Devillier is the chef/owner of La Petite Grocery and Balise in New Orleans and winner of the 2016 James Beard Foundation Award for Best Chef: South. The charity auction proceeds go to Hogs for the Cause Atlanta, an annual fundraising music festival and barbecue competition that raises money for families with children fighting pediatric brain cancer. Notice we’re not giving a ticket purchase link? We did mention the event is sold out, didn’t we?

Support Your Local Pastured Birds and Restaurants during Pastured Poultry Week July 24-30

Pastured Poultry Week, July 24-30, roosts at the top of the pecking order as far as chicken chowing (and chowing down on chicken) goes. Who wants to be cooped up when there’s a world to explore and taste? You certainly don’t and neither do these happy birds. These slower-growing breeds have continuous daytime access to outdoor pastures for at least half their lifetimes (extreme weather exception), shelters for safety and pre-slaughter stunning. During Pastured Poultry Week, savor their superior flavor in special dishes featuring pastured poultry at Aria, The Federal, Gunshow, Revival and Seed Kitchen & Bar.

Chef Kevin Gillespie’s Red Beard Restaurants and Meriwether Companies Form RedWether Collaborative to Help Chefs Get Started in the Biz

Talent and exciting food culture spread across the U.S. The challenge is helping new chefs reach diners so more folks can enjoy the experience. Enter RedWether Collaborative, a partnership between chef Kevin Gillespie’s Red Beard Restaurants and innovative hospitality developers Meriwether Companies that takes the food hall trend to a new level by encouraging chefs to try a new concept or open their first restaurant. In a nutshell, “I have been wanting to help chefs try a new concept or open their first restaurant, and I finally have the right partner to do this,” says Gillespie. “As a restaurateur, I think mostly about food and service. Meriwether thinks about the setting and the overall experiences. Together, we envision a curated, micro-restaurant environment where aspiring entrepreneurs get to take the next step toward their dreams with RedWether as a support structure behind them. It’s a unique hybrid of restaurant and incubator.” Noting that our nation’s progressive food culture extends beyond major cities, RedWether Collaborative is choosing Nashville and Kansas City for initial ventures. The company’s first location is slated to open in Kansas City in mid-2018 with Nashville’s Germantown Union mixed-use development next on the horizon. RedWether will control service and bars inside each space, giving chef tenants the ability to focus on their food without other restaurant and bar burdens. Red Beard Restaurants is the parent company that oversees Atlanta chef, restaurateur, speaker and cookbook author Kevin Gillespie’s food and beverage ventures, including his restaurants Gunshow and Revival, all of his merchandise and Red Beard Special Events, which operates Communion Cantina, his BBQ pop up Terminus City and Gamechanger, opening in August 2017 at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Meriwether Companies is a multi-disciplined, experiential real estate development and investment firm focused on designing distinctive and interesting hospitality and residential projects located in resort communities and select urban settings.

Kevin Gillespie Plants Chef Demo and Cookbook Signing at Peachtree Road Farmers Market May 13

Chef Kevin Gillespie always has new ideas up his sleeve (in addition to his famously colorful tats). Gillespie, of Gunshow, Revival, Communion Cantina, Terminus City and Gamechanger, opening soon at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium, leads the 10 a.m. chef demo at the Saturday, May 13 Peachtree Road Farmers Market. His culinary excitement will set mouths watering for more cooking tips to go. No ‘cue quandary here. Buy one of his cookbooks that morning and snag a signature and maybe a splash of barbecue sauce to mark the page. Shop from 8:30 a.m.-noon and enjoy live music by Bailey Diamond.

Last Chance! Bid to Win Coveted Table at Gunshow’s Sold-Out May 7 “Hired Guns” Dinner

Bid like your Sunday supper depends on it! One lucky bidder will win four tickets to Gunshow’s “Hired Guns” dinner on May 7 featuring guest chef Grae Nonas, Food & Wine’s Best Chef 2015 and James Beard Foundation semifinalist from Minneapolis. A four-top ($400 value, drinks and gratuity not included) for the 8:30 p.m. seating is up for grabs to the top bidder in a special online auction running through May 3. All proceeds from the auction will benefit Grae’s chosen charity, Immigrant Justice Corps, an organization that seeks to expand access to immigration counsel and a group close to Nonas’ heart.

2017 Taste of the Nation Showcases Celebrity Chefs and Atlanta Faves April 20

Atlanta’s annual Taste of the Nation is always one of the city’s most highly anticipated culinary events. This year promises an even greater abundance of chefs, restaurants, surprises and an intimate VIP Dinner Experience at the Thursday, April 20 extravaganza filling downtown Atlanta’s Southern Exchange at 200 Peachtree. TV personality and restaurateur Cat Cora, who opened Cat Cora’s Kitchen at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in partnership with Hojeij Branded Foods, will serve as the event’s honorary chef. Aria chef Gerry Klaskala, Umi chef Fuyuhiko Ito and Gunshow chef Kevin Gillespie take their talents to the tables for the ultra-exclusive VIP Dinner Experience featuring a multi-course dinner prepared tableside by the chefs and fine wine pairings. Guests opting for the 7-10 p.m. Grand Tasting experience will sample signature fare and spirits from more than 50 of Atlanta’s premier restaurants -- including Cat Cora’s Kitchen, Chicken and the Egg, 5Church, Gypsy Kitchen, Marlow’s Tavern, Seed Kitchen & Bar and Umi -- along with the excitement of auctions, wine tastings and live entertainment. “Cat Cora’s California Trip” is sure to stir a feeding frenzy of hot bidding in the live auction. Taste of the Nation events are held in more than 30 cities across the nation. Proceeds support Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry campaign to end childhood hunger in the U.S.A. Buy Grand Tasting experience tickets here, $250 per person.
 

Bid on a Four Top for Gunshow’s SOLD OUT March 12 Hired Guns Dinner and Help the American Brain Foundation during Brain Injury Awareness Month

Kevin Gillespie and fellow “Top Chef” season six alum Jen Carroll are reuniting, joining Gunshow executive chef Joey Ward and crew for a one night Hired Guns dinner on Mar. 12 to showcase Carroll’s signature flavors. Even though the event is sold out, a set of four tickets is up for grabs in a special charity auction. Bid on a chance to win this table for four at the 8:30 p.m. seating, a $400 value (drinks and gratuity not included). March is Brain Injury Awareness Month, and all proceeds from the winning bid benefit the American Brain Foundation, an organization close to Carroll’s heart. Bravo “Top Chef” finalist and fan-favorite Carroll is executive chef and partner at Requin, a seafood-focused French Mediterranean restaurant in Fairfax, Virginia, with location number two set to open in Washington, D.C. She also has appeared on “Top Chef: All-Stars,” “Top Chef Duels,” “Life After Top Chef” and multiple other cooking shows. Learn more about the American Brain Foundation and its work to fund research for Alzheimer’s disease, stroke, Parkinson’s disease, autism, epilepsy and other brain diseases.

Songs for Kids Foundation Food + Music Festival Chefs and Musicians Feed, Engage, Inspire and Entertain on Feb. 25

Spend the afternoon, evening or both at the Songs for Kids Foundation Food + Music Festival on Saturday, Feb. 25 at Park Tavern, adjacent to Piedmont Park. Singing and supping prevail from 1-5 p.m. when guests can sing praises over food and drink tastings from more than 25 top Atlanta chefs including Shaun Doty of The Federal, Gunshow executive chef Joey Ward and Revival executive sous chef Rémi Granger. Entertainment flows as well through live celebrations of hits from artists like Taylor Swift and Bruce Springsteen, performances by SFK artists and kids from hospital programs, special kids activity zones, and silent and live auctions offering everything from private chef dining experiences to vacations, concerts, spa packages and sports memorabilia. Rock on into the night when Shaky Knees Festival presents an evening concert lineup featuring David Shaw plus Matt Myers of Houndmouth and Friends & Family. Doors open at 7 p.m. for the 8 p.m. Park Tavern concert. Pick the Xorbia ticket option that works for you: daytime food festival ($45 adults/$10 ages 16 and under), evening concert (all ages, $25 per person in advance/$30 at door) or combo ($65 adults/$35 ages 16 and under).
 Songs For Kids Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization founded in 2007 with a mission to enrich the lives of children suffering from illness and hardship. SFK integrates musicians, year round, into the lives of kids inside and outside of children’s hospitals and special needs camps through live interactive concerts, hospital bedside performances and the Songs For Kids Records songwriting and recording program

Target Dec. 29 to Buy Individual Tickets to Jan. 29 Gunshow “Hired Guns” Dinner Featuring Chefs Rahal and Rojas of Provisions in Montreal, Canada

Rifle through your calendar app and mark Thursday, Dec. 29, as the bull’s-eye day to buy individual tickets to the first Gunshow “Hired Guns” dinner of 2017. For the Sunday, Jan. 29 event, chefs Kevin Gillespie and Joey Ward are crossing the border to bring in guest chefs Hakim Rahal and Pablo Rojas of Provisions in Montreal. Rahal and Rojas have garnered attention from critics and diners alike for their five-course family style menu created around the ingredients of the day from local purveyors. Prior to Dec. 29, tickets to this event were only available to those purchasing the entire “Hired Guns” series. As with the remaining five events, any tickets still available will go on sale for $95 per person one month prior to the dinner via Xorbia. Seating is limited to 100 guests at the intimate dining experience where chefs create and come out of the kitchen to mingle with guests. Next up, Jennifer Carroll of Requin in Washington, D.C. on March 12; Grae Nonas of Tullibee in Minneapolis on May 7; Justin Devillier of La Petite Grocery in New Orleans on Aug. 6; Jamie Bissonnette of Toro and Coppa in Boston on Sept. 10 as well as one more surprise visitor on Nov. 5. “Hired Guns” began in 2013 as a way to lure some of the country’s most-talked-about chefs to Gunshow to share their styles and personalities alongside those of Gunshow’s own “kitchen dudes.” The Glenwood Park restaurant is open for dinner Tuesday through Saturday from 6-9 p.m. Reservations are encouraged but not required.

Fire Up for Gunshow “Hired Guns” 2017

Gunshow is loading an all-new lineup of superstar chefs over six can’t-miss Sunday dinners in the upcoming year. The 2017 “Hired Guns” series is sure to trigger excitement among Atlanta foodies who will be able to savor signature dishes created by renowned chefs from all over North America without even venturing outside I-285. Chefs Kevin Gillespie and Joey Ward are going international for the opener on Sunday, Jan. 29, inviting Hakim Rahal and Pablo Rojas of Provisions in Montreal. Season tickets make the perfect gift and are the only way to guarantee a seat at the intimate dinners as the series is expected to sell out quickly. Buy the entire series now for $1,000 per couple on the Red Beard Restaurants merchandise site. The package includes souvenir tickets, signed menus and a photo opportunity. Drinks and gratuity are additional. If tickets are still available after season passes are purchased, they will be priced at $95 per person and go on sale Dec. 29, 2016 via Xorbia. 

Other 2017 “Hired Guns” dates and chefs include: March 12 – Jennifer Carroll of Requin in Washington, D.C.; May 7 – Grae Nonas of Tullibee in Minneapolis;  Aug. 6 – Justin Devillier ofLa Petite Grocery in New Orleans; Sept. 10 – Jamie Bissonnette of Toro and Coppa in Boston; and Nov. 5 – TBA. As with the Jan. 29 event, any available tickets may be purchased through Xorbia one month prior to the dinner.

#Foodgram: Vivian Howard

Vivian Howard calls the Tarheel State home, but the chef behind Kinston, North Carolina’s Chef and the Farmer plowed her way to Atlanta’s Gunshow in October to share her talents as guest chef in chef Kevin Gillespie’s Hired Guns series. She’s on the road again on a wild food truck tour promoting her first cookbook, “Deep Run Roots.”

Merry Beardsmas, Everyone! Chef Kevin Gillespie’s Holiday Gifting Extravaganza Now Underway

Turn to the Santa sporting a red beard and apron for chef-inspired holiday gifts. Atlanta chef, restaurateur, speaker and cookbook author Kevin Gillespie’s Beardsmas is back for its second year, and the Beardsmas bag spills over with new delights and returning favorites. Head to Red Beard Merch for these gifts or other hats, t-shirts and Red Beard items that are the perfect additions to your holiday checklist.

What’s New:

• Gunshow Golden Ticket bidding begins Cyber Monday, Nov. 28 at redbeardmerch.com. Bid on a one-of-a-kind “golden ticket” redeemable for an immediate 7:30 p.m. reservation for four (private event nights excluded), glass of complimentary Champagne for each guest and a complimentary round of cocktails any time you dine at Gunshow through 2017. Bidding starts at $1 and lasts for 72 hours with a portion of the winning bid benefitting the nonprofit Share Our Strength: No Kid Hungry campaign. Sorry, dinner and additional drinks are not included.
• Shop the Peachtree Road Farmers Market with Kevin explores the state’s largest producer-only farmers market on May 13, 2017. Chef Kevin and a small group begin with a pre-opening tour followed by time to shop and meet the farmers and capped by a post-market cooking demo with Kevin (15 spots available; $99 each).
• Personalized Voicemail/Audio Greeting by Chef Kevin lets them think the chef is answering your phone. Keep it to a clean 30-second message ($25).
• Gunshow’s Joey Ward Chefs Dinner in Your Kitchen, a four-course dinner for 10 with wine to impress friends or business clients. (Three will be sold, $5,000 each).

Beardsmas Back by Demand:

• Go Hog Wild with Terminus City BBQ for 100 served up by Chef Kevin and a keg of Kevin’s favorite beer ($6,000)
• Pair of 2017 Hired Guns Season Tickets for Gunshow’s guest chef series ($1,000)
• Private Dinner with Kevin for you and 10 friends, with customized signed menus and autographed cookbooks ($10,000)
• Gunshow Cocktail Class ($75 per class)
• Red Beard Restaurants Stocking Stuffers – a few of Kevin’s Red Beard faves all packaged up in a company-branded bag ($40)

Red Beard Restaurants is the parent company for Gillespie’s restaurants Communion, Gunshow and Revival, his BBQ pop-up Terminus City and all of his merchandise.

Atlanta Community Food Bank Roasts City’s Hospitality Titans Kevin Gillespie, Ford Fry and Linton Hopkins Nov. 7

Well done, gents. Kevin Gillespie, Linton Hopkins and Ford Fry won’t be cooking, they’ll be roasted while chefs from their restaurants prepare a three-course “Legend of Atlanta Roast” dinner in their honor on Monday, Nov. 7. Chefs Andreas Müller of Revival and Joey Ward of Gunshow rep Gillespie’s Red Beard Restaurants. The elegant affair at Legendary Events’ new Flourish space benefits the Atlanta Community Food Bank as it gears up for holiday and winter food needs. Jenn Hobby and Jeff Dauler of Star 94.1 FM emcee the evening. Read more about Gillespie on the event website.

White Oak Pastures and Savory Institute Farm-to-Table Feast and Movies Ignite Passion to “Eat It, Wear It and Regenerate It” at Ponce City Market Nov. 4

Expect more than simply “dinner and a movie” when White Oak Pastures and Savory Institute are in charge of the evening. Find out why what you eat and wear matters while noshing on fall farm-to-table fare and viewing four short films from Savory Institute at this Ponce City Market event on Friday, Nov. 4 from 6-8 p.m. There’s a whole lot of local going on here: White Oak Pastures is providing its grass-fed meats and pastured poultry for the night’s chef-grillmasters Kevin Gillespie of Gunshow, Andreas Müller of Revival, Tal Baum of Bellina Alimentari, Reid Harrison of White Oak Pastures and Jenn Robbins, and brews flow from Second Self Beer Company (which sources from local farmers). Will Harris will share his White Oak Pastures story and approach to regenerative farming, segueing into the viewing of four globe-spanning films produced by an award-winning documentary crew for Savory Institute’s project, “Eat It, Wear It, Regenerate It: Igniting a Consumer Revolution.” Leave sustained by great food and holistic thoughts prompting conscious actions. White Oak Pastures, named a Savory Global Network Hub in 2015, serves as a center for education and support of regenerative land and animal management for farmers and consumers. Buy tickets online, $35 per person includes food and two alcoholic beverages. Delve into more details on our blog.  

Gunshow Locks 2016 “Hired Guns” Season with Visiting Chef Vivian Howard October 23-24

The Gunshow 2016 “Hired Guns” season of high-profile visiting chefs concludes with a visit from East Coast native and chef Vivian Howard on Sunday, October 23 and Monday, October 24. Restaurateur, chef, cookbook author and speaker Kevin Gillespie will join Howard in the kitchen, along with executive chef Joey Ward and Gunshow’s “kitchen dudes.” In 2005, Howard and her now-husband Ben Knight opened Chef & the Farmer in Kinston, North Carolina, to thrill guests with creative, thoughtful cooking grounded in local ingredients and traditions. Across the street, Boiler Room, her most recent restaurant, features oysters, burgers, beer and everything in between. Howard has been consecutively named a James Beard Best Chef: Southeast semifinalist from 2011 to 2016. Among her numerous roles, she’s also television producer and host of “A Chef’s Life” on PBS, which has won a Daytime Emmy, Peabody Award and garnered Howard the 2016 James Beard Award for Outstanding Personality/Host, and her first cookbook, “Deep Run Roots: Stories and Recipes from My Corner of the South,” is due out in October. Buy tickets through Xorbia, $95 per person (not including drinks, tax and gratuity). For more information, visit gunshowatl.com or call 404-380-1886.