Decatur, GA — The chef of a downtown Decatur restaurant won a James Beard Award on June 5.

Chef Terry Koval at The Deer and the Dove won Best Chef: Southeast, according to Eater.com.

Koval opened the Decatur restaurant in 2019 along with its adjacent coffee shop, B-Side.

When the restaurant was first announced a press release said the Deer and the Dove would “pay homage to the bounty of the region’s surrounding farms and local purveyors. With many items coming out of a wood-burning oven and grill, the cooking at The Deer and The Dove will be rustic, creative New American cuisine, rooted in the seasons with ingredients sourced from local farms.”

Koval’s story is one of perseverance. Like other restaurateurs, Koval struggled to keep his business open during the COVID-19 pandemic and had to let his entire staff go when the pandemic started back in 2020.

Koval told Axios, “I’m not by myself. The Southeast dining scene has so much talent. I share this with all of them.”

An employee of the restaurant said the staff held a watch party for the event.

“The joy was intense,” the employee said.

Decaturish reached out to Koval for comment and will update this story when he responds.

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