With Kindness and Respect
Recently, I had the opportunity to meet the 2023 James Beard Award Best Chef Southeast winner, Terry Koval.
Just a few days before connecting with him at his Decatur, Georgia restaurant, The Deer and the Dove, I had been sitting in the Lyric Opera of Chicago as his name was announced as the winner. Up until that time, I had never been to his restaurant, but I sat there in the audience with so much joy that a restauranteur from metro Atlanta had been recognized and honored.
In meeting Chef Koval, it was like reuniting with a familiar friend. He was kind, warm, humorous and easy to talk to. With a full house expected on a Saturday evening (especially after winning the award), the chef treated us with his full attention much longer than I could have imagined. He told us his story, one which begins with his early years. He told us of his influences and the events that led him. His guiding philosophy that he spreads with others is to treat people with kindness and respect. As we sat with Chef Koval in the restaurant booth, I thought that the award could not have gone to a kinder and more respectful person.
Congratulations, Chef Koval! We absolutely loved dining at your place!
Don’t miss The Deer and The Dove.
