Dinner With ”Chopped” Winner, Atlanta’s Chef Christan Willis

Food, Flavor and Full Circle Moments

By Daniela Cintron

Published June 24, 2025
Last Updated June 25, 2025

If I’m honest, I didn’t expect to end my Friday night watching a champagne bottle get sabered under a sky of twinkling lights and three branches. But when you’re celebrating with Atlanta’s newest “Chopped” champion, Chef Christan Willis, a regular evening quickly turns into a memorable story.

It all started at Delbar in Buckhead, the MICHELIN-recommended Middle Eastern spot nestled just across from Buckhead Village. The sun was still golden, the patio was buzzing with weekend energy, and Chef Christan greeted us like we were old friends, her presence as vibrant as the plates that would soon hit our table.

“This patio is such a vibe,” she said, settling into the table. Around us, the laughter of coworkers unwinding after a long week mixed with the clinking of glasses and the unmistakable scent of saffron and grilled lamb. Christan didn’t just pick this place for the food, though she’ll tell you Mediterranean cuisine is one of her favorites, but because this place feels like Atlanta right now: bold, warm, and unapologetically global.

She’s lived the layers of this city. Christan was born in Atlanta and raised near what is today Ponce City Market, back when it was a Sear’s factory and before, just steps away, the Atlanta Beltline became a connector of people and neighborhoods in the city. Growing up, she got to experience the 1996 Olympics, going to some of the events with her parents. “They are still vivid memories for me,” she shares. 

The energy of the city’s evolution pulses through Christan’s story. She originally studied journalism at Georgia State—yes, she hosted the campus newscast—and later took a leap into culinary school at Gwinnett Tech thanks to a nudge from her dad and a scholarship that helped her turn curiosity into craft.

She became a chef driven by her curiosity for food, the flavor profiles and how it brings people together. Cooking became her way of telling stories – and all that journalism training came in handy now that she is in front of the camera. 

Right out of culinary school, Christan started her professional career with Atlanta’s own Chef Ford Fry, working under the acclaimed Rocket Farm Restaurants group at St. Cecilia and The Optimist.

Since founding her private chef business in 2016, Chef Christan has cooked for everyone from celebrities and athletes to families marking milestones. She’s crafted thousands of menus, each personalized and precise, remembering allergies, preferences and cravings. “Being a private chef requires serious memory skills,” she laughed. “You remember what they liked last time and surprise them with something new.”

The night didn’t end at Delbar. Oh no. We followed the celebration next door to The Garden Room at the St. Regis, where live music floated through an enchanted indoor space dripping in florals and fantasy. It was here that Christan raised a sabering knife — a nod to her daring, show-stopping moment on “Chopped” when she stuck her hand into a 400-degree oven just seconds before the clock ran out. (Spoiler alert: it paid off.) One thing was clear at this point, Chef Christan isn’t afraid and takes on a good challenge.

“Chopped” was filmed in NYC, and it was an all-day, all-night affair—“we started at 5 a.m. and wrapped around 1 a.m.” But Christan’s mindset was crystal clear: “I know my pantry. I know my spices. And I know how to build complex flavors. That’s all I needed.”

Before winning “Chopped”, Chef Christan Willis had already made her mark on screen, appearing on shows like “The Today Show”, “Home & Family”, Netflix’s “Pressure Cooker”, and Food Network’s “Cooks vs. Cons” and “Raid the Fridge”.

The night the show aired for the first time, Christan hosted a watch party at MidCity ATL, a gem of a bar tucked in Midtown, just off Peachtree Street. It’s one of those neighborhood spots where they remember your drink order and greet you by name, or make you feel like they should. Among friends, good drinks and great vibes, Christian celebrated a career milestone.  

Chef Christan is now part of a small but mighty group of “Chopped” champs and alumni from Atlanta, like Kevin Rathbun, who won with his brother in 2013, and Chef Marlo, who took the title in 2023. Chef Josue Peña from Iberian Pig Buckhead debuted in the show in 2022, and Chef Pat Pascarelli from Grana and White Bull, in 2024. 

Chef Christan is not stopping anytime soon. She’s got more stories to tell – some on screen, many on the plate – and she’s committed to pouring love into every bite.

As the night wound down and the champagne fizzed over the edge of the freshly sabered bottle, I realized this story isn’t just about a TV win or even a chef’s rise. It’s about Atlanta – its neighborhoods, its flavors, its spirit – and the incredible people like Chef Christan who keep writing new chapters in Atlanta’s culinary story.

And if you ask me, this city tastes better when she’s cooking.

Meet other Atlanta celebrity chefs. 

Where We Went and What We Ordered: 

Delbar

Middle Eastern cuisine in Buckhead, MICHELIN-recommended. A favorite of Chef Christan’s for its vibrant flavors and patio scene.

• Sabzi Plate (Bulgarian sheep’s milk feta, saltwater-soaked walnuts, radishes, tarragon, watercress, mint) 
• Taftoun Bread (Fresh flatbread made with sesame and cooked in a tandoor oven) 
• Hummus 
• Dill Labneh (Strained yogurt, dill walnuts, garlic, citrus)
• Beets Salad
• Adas Polo (Crispy layer of rice, lentil, raisins, saffron, basmati rice, crispy onions)
• Omani Shrimp (Black tiger shrimp, Persian dried lime, sour orange, served with sour orange, yogurt and herbs)
• Seabass (Wild caught Chieland seabass fillets, onion, saffron. Served over tafton bread)
• Hanger Steak (biber salcasi pepper yogurt marinade, oyster sauce, onion, saffron, yogurt, tahini)
• Pistachio Lava Cake

Where: 3060 Peachtree Rd. 

Insider Tip: Self-parking is validated for the first two hours if you park on One Buckhead Plaza and Two Buckhead Plaza parking decks.

The Garden Room

Whimsical, floral-forward cocktail bar at The St. Regis. Lush and dreamy.

• I Love Lychee Cocktail (Tito’s vodka, giffard litchi-li liquor, lychee, lemon, egg white) 
• Passion Crème Brûlée (tropical fruit, chantilly cream)
• La Vie en Rose (vanilla parfait, meringue, raspberry sorbet, liquid nitrogen rose) 
• Blueberry Cheesecake (mascarpone, blueberry basil compote, chocolate sablee, honey)
• Gummy Bears 

Where: 88 West Paces Ferry Rd. Insider Tip: If you are not a night owl, brunch on Sundays is very fun here.

Daniela is the content manager and bilingual editor for Discover Atlanta. As an award-winning bilingual journalist, she is passionate about shinning light on untold stories about culture, food and Atlanta.