Author and Chef-Owner, 610 Magnolia and Nami; Culinary Director, Succotash; Louisville, KY

Edward Lee is the chef-owner of 610 Magnolia and the newly launched Nami, a modern Korean steakhouse, both located in Louisville, KY. He is also the culinary director for Succotash in National Harbor, MD, and Washington, DC. Edward was the recipient of the 2019 James Beard Foundation Writing Award for his book, Buttermilk Graffiti: A Chef’s Journey to Discover America’s New Melting Pot Cuisine (Artisan Books, April 2018) and he also authored Smoke & Pickles: Recipes and Stories from a New Southern Kitchen (Artisan Books, May 2013). He has been a six-time finalist for the James Beard Foundation Award for Best Chef: Southeast. In 2018, Food & Wine named 610 Magnolia one of the country’s most important restaurants of the past forty years, and the Michelin Guide DC awarded Succotash a Bib Gourmand in 2019. Edward appears frequently in print and on television, and his writing has been featured in The New York Times, Esquire, Food & Wine, and many other national publications. He was nominated for a daytime Emmy for his role as host of the Emmy-winning series, Mind of a Chef on PBS. He has hosted and written a feature documentary called Fermented. His philanthropic work includes the Lee Diversity Scholarship to support the Southern Foodways Alliance Oral History Workshop. In 2018, Edward launched The LEE (Let’s Empower Employment) Initiative, which works to bring more diversity and equality to the restaurant industry. @chefedwardlee  

Photo Credit: Jolea Brown