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 26, 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 tree 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 restaurant nestled just across from Buckhead Village. The sun was still golden, the patio was buzzing with weekend energy and Willis greeted us as if we were old friends, her presence as vibrant as the plates that would soon hit our table.

“This patio is such a vibe,” she says, 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. Willis 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. Willis was born in Atlanta and raised near what is today Ponce City Market, back when it was a Sear’s warehouse and retail store 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 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, going to some of the events with her parents. “They are still vivid memories for me,” she says. 

The energy of the city’s evolution pulses through her story. She studied journalism at Georgia State University — she hosted the campus newscast — and later took a leap into culinary school at Gwinnett Techical College, thanks to a nudge from her dad and a scholarship.

She became a chef driven by her curiosity for food, 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, Willis 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, Willis 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 says. “You remember what they liked last time and surprise them with something new.”

Our 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 Willis 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: Willis isn’t afraid to take on a good challenge.

“Chopped” was filmed in New York City, and it was an all-day, all-night affair. “We started at 5 a.m. and wrapped around 1 a.m.,” she says. But her mind-set 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,” Willis had already made her mark on screen, appearing on “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, Willis hosted a watch party at MidCity ATL, a bar 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, Willis celebrated a career milestone.  

She now is part of a small but mighty group of “Chopped” champs and alumni from Atlanta: 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. 

Willis 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 Willis 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 Willis’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 Chilean seabass fillets, onion, saffron, served over taftoun bread)
• Hanger Steak (biber salcasi pepper yogurt marinade, oyster sauce, onion, saffron, yogurt, tahini)
• Pistachio Lava Cake

Where: 3060 Peachtree Road

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 Road. 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.