![\"CLEO](\"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/restaurants\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/17422256603112.jpg\")
Source: Derek White \/ Getty<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tChef Wells brings Southern flavors and TV culinary stories to his new restaurant Cornbread & Butter.
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t‘Savor the City’ TV series earns Daytime Emmy nomination, highlighting Black culinary culture across America.
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tChef Wells credits his community, viewers, and production partners for supporting his entrepreneurial and television dreams.<\/p>\n
Chef Jernard Wells has taken viewers into kitchens across the country, but now he\u2019s savoring the success of bringing his culinary craftsmanship from the screen to the table.<\/p>\n
Source: Derek White \/ Getty<\/p>\n
The celebrity chef and host recently celebrated the grand opening of Cornbread & Butter alongside TV One, CLEO TV and Powerhouse Productions during a brunch centered on Black excellence, food and television. The gathering marked three milestones: the C+B restaurant\u2019s opening, the wrap of New Soul Kitchen and the 2026 Daytime Emmy nomination for Savor the City.<\/p>\n
For Wells, the celebration represented years of building both on and off screen.<\/p>\n
\u201cListen, I\u2019m feeling so overjoyed, just feeling blessed, happy, and humble all at the same time,\u201d Wells told BOSSIP\u2019s very own Lauryn Bass. \u201cYou know, this is what it\u2019s really about. We went out on a journey to tell the story of so many others, and look what we ended up gaining in return. Yes, Emmy nomination, baby. I\u2019m loving it.\u201d<\/p>\n
From The Screen To The Table, Chef Jernard Is Serving His Story<\/p>\n
Viewers who have watched Wells cook on New Soul Kitchen or travel in search of Black culinary stories on Savor the City can now experience another side of that journey in person.<\/p>\n
Cornbread & Butter brings Wells\u2019 influences under one roof, combining familiar Southern flavors with the techniques and inspiration he has collected throughout his career.<\/p>\n
\u201cI took all those flavors of my heritage and put it under Cornbread and Butter, and the joy is to share with the world,\u201d Wells said.<\/p>\n
He wants diners to think \u201cupscale American cuisine\u201d when they hear the restaurant\u2019s name, and the opening brunch offered a sensory introduction to what that means.<\/p>\n
Blue tones brighten the dining room, while modern bar details, statement lighting, and indoor-outdoor seating create a polished but comfortable atmosphere. The restaurant feels refined without requiring formality, allowing the food to remain the centerpiece of the experience.<\/p>\n
Guests sampled smoked Gouda shrimp and grits topped with Creole barbecue shrimp, rosemary and mint lamb chops, Thai chili green beans, and smoked Gouda macaroni and cheese.<\/p>\n
The peach chicken and waffles reworked another Southern staple. Sweet tea-marinated chicken delivered a savory bite with a touch of sweetness, while peaches added moisture and flavor to the waffles. A crispy cauliflower dish provided a lighter option with a savory crust and accompanying sauce, demonstrating how the menu can accommodate different tastes while maintaining its Southern influence.<\/p>\n
Wells\u2019 decision to build the restaurant in Grayson also brings his larger culinary vision back to the community he calls home.<\/p>\n
\u201cI fell in love with the community,\u201d Wells said of moving to the area 13 years ago. \u201cEven while traveling everywhere else in the world, when I would come back home flying in to ATL Airport, shout out to Atlanta, of course; I want to be a legacy here, and that\u2019s when I started building Cornbread and Butter, almost two years ago.\u201d<\/p>\n
The result gives diners outside central Atlanta another option for an elevated brunch or dinner experience while giving Wells a permanent place to serve the flavors audiences have watched him explore on television.<\/p>\n
\u2018Savor The City\u2019 Becomes A Love Letter To Black Culinary Culture<\/p>\n
The celebration stretched beyond the restaurant.<\/p>\n
Savor the City earned a 2026 Daytime Emmy nomination after taking viewers around the country to explore Black culinary traditions, businesses and communities.<\/p>\n
Sonia Armstead, co-founder of Powerhouse Productions with Rochelle Brown, said the recognition carries particular weight because the independent production company developed the project from the ground up.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is the first time that something we have worked on from scratch, you know, pardon the pun, because we\u2019ve worked on this from scratch, and to see it come to fruition, and to tour, and to show off America, a lot of our culture, and our history,\u201d Armstead said.<\/p>\n
For Armstead, destinations such as Napa Valley demonstrated an important part of the show\u2019s mission: highlighting Black life, businesses and culinary influence in places where audiences may not immediately think to look.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur whole culture and history is everywhere,\u201d she said. \u201cOur stories are, are, like, embedded with our history, and it\u2019s, they\u2019re popping up all over. So it\u2019s a great feeling, a great, great feeling.\u201d<\/p>\n
Michelle Rice, president of TV One and CLEO TV, described the nomination as recognition not only for the networks and production team, but for the restaurants, chefs and business owners showcased throughout the series.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt really was a love letter to Black culture for us, going around the country and, you know, really exploring Black culinary excellence,\u201d Rice said. \u201cBlack businesses that are for us, by us.\u201d<\/p>\n
The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences nominated Savor the City for Outstanding Culinary Cultural Series alongside America The Bountiful, Best Ever Food Review Show, Fork & Hammer and Lucky Chow.<\/p>\n
\u2018New Soul Kitchen\u2019 Keeps Family Recipes And Stories At The Table<\/p>\n
That celebration of culture also carries into New Soul Kitchen, which Armstead said draws from Wells\u2019 family history as much as his formal culinary training.<\/p>\n
Armstead hopes the series encourages viewers to preserve the conversations, memories and recipes that can easily disappear when families stop gathering around the table.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou gotta pass on those stories, you gotta pass on those recipes,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019m hoping that people sit down and make a reconnection with people they love at the dinner table. Even when we\u2019re on the run, just make a connection.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rice echoed that sentiment, pointing to the accessibility of Wells\u2019 recipes and the cultural history behind foods viewers may consider simply American staples.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur food is American food,\u201d Rice said. \u201cWe were working in the kitchens, we brought all this amazing food over from Africa \u2026 and we have made our food American food.\u201d<\/p>\n
For Rice, creating a home for those stories remains central to TV One and CLEO TV\u2019s mission.<\/p>\n
She recalled a lesson from Urban One founder Cathy Hughes that continues to shape her approach to the work.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe cannot rely on other people to tell our stories,\u201d Rice said. \u201cNot only can we not allow other people to tell our stories, but we cannot depend on them to get our stories right.\u201d<\/p>\n
Chef Jernard Says The Win Belongs To Everyone Who Bet On The Vision<\/p>\n
As Wells celebrated the restaurant, television milestones and the people behind them, he repeatedly returned to the community that helped make each possible.<\/p>\n
![\"Chef](\"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/restaurants\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/17388668815083.jpg\")
Source: CLEO TV & TV One \/ TV One, CLEO TV<\/p>\n
He credited his viewers as well as his longtime relationships with TV One, Urban One, CLEO TV and Powerhouse Productions, particularly Brown and Armstead.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you see what you see on TV and you see me, just know it\u2019s a strong force behind,\u201d Wells said of the Powerhouse Productions founders.<\/p>\n
For anyone watching his journey while waiting for their own opportunity, Wells offered a reminder rooted in the persistence that took him from Mississippi to television screens, international travel and now his own restaurant.<\/p>\n
\u201cDare to dream, dare to believe, and dare to do what others won\u2019t do,\u201d Wells said.<\/p>\n
Cornbread & Butter now brings many of those threads together: family recipes, Black culinary history, television storytelling, entrepreneurship and community.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat even makes me feel good when somebody bet on you and win,\u201d Wells said. \u201cWhen the house wins, everybody wins.\u201d<\/p>\n
Viewers can catch Savor the City through CLEO TV and follow the Daytime Emmy Awards as the team awaits the winner of Outstanding Culinary Cultural Series. <\/p>\n
Those ready to experience Wells\u2019 food beyond the screen can visit Cornbread & Butter at 2132 Britt Street, Suite 205, in Grayson, Georgia.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Chef Wells brings Southern flavors and TV culinary stories to his new restaurant Cornbread & Butter. ‘Savor the City’ TV series earns Daytime Emmy nomination, highlighting Black culinary culture across America. Chef Wells credits his community, viewers, and production partners for supporting his entrepreneurial and television dreams. Chef Jernard Wells has taken viewers into kitchens<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":18016,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[272],"tags":[604,605,606,607],"class_list":["post-18015","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-soul-food-kitchens","tag-soul-food-kitchen","tag-soul-food-kitchens","tag-soul-food-restaurant","tag-soul-food-restaurants"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/vive.im\/@dnc\/117184742273195501","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/restaurants\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18015","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/restaurants\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/restaurants\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/restaurants\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/restaurants\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18015"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/restaurants\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18015\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/restaurants\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18016"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/restaurants\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18015"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/restaurants\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18015"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diningandcooking.com\/restaurants\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18015"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}