Terry Koval wins Best Chef - Southeast at James Beard

What they're saying: "It's a lifetime achievement. It's great for the city of Decatur, the city of Atlanta, for our restaurant and for our farmers," Koval told Axios Chicago's Justin Kaufmann and Monica Eng.

• "I'm not by myself. The Southeast dining scene has so much talent. I share this with all of them."

Zoom out: The Bitter Southerner took home prizes in two media categories in a separate ceremony over the weekend: Food Coverage in a General Interest Publication and Feature Reporting for Shane Mitchell's "Blood Sweat & Tears."

• Other local nominees included Mike Jordan for his writing in Atlanta magazine and The Wall Street Journal and Charles Bethea, a staff writer at The New Yorker.