Chef Jernard Celebrates Cornbread & Butter, Emmy Nomination

Chef Jernard Wells has taken viewers into kitchens across the country, but now he’s savoring the success of bringing his culinary craftsmanship from the screen to the table.

The celebrity chef and host recently celebrated the grand opening of Cornbread & Butter alongside TV One, CLEO TV and Powerhouse Productions during a brunch centered on Black excellence, food and television. The gathering marked three milestones: the C+B restaurant’s opening, the wrap of New Soul Kitchen and the 2026 Daytime Emmy nomination for Savor the City.

For Wells, the celebration represented years of building both on and off screen.

“Listen, I’m feeling so overjoyed, just feeling blessed, happy, and humble all at the same time,” Wells told BOSSIP’s very own Lauryn Bass. “You know, this is what it’s really about. We went out on a journey to tell the story of so many others, and look what we ended up gaining in return. Yes, Emmy nomination, baby. I’m loving it.”

From The Screen To The Table, Chef Jernard Is Serving His Story

Viewers who have watched Wells cook on New Soul Kitchen or travel in search of Black culinary stories on Savor the City can now experience another side of that journey in person.

Cornbread & Butter brings Wells’ influences under one roof, combining familiar Southern flavors with the techniques and inspiration he has collected throughout his career.

“I took all those flavors of my heritage and put it under Cornbread and Butter, and the joy is to share with the world,” Wells said.

He wants diners to think “upscale American cuisine” when they hear the restaurant’s name, and the opening brunch offered a sensory introduction to what that means.

Blue tones brighten the dining room, while modern bar details, statement lighting, and indoor-outdoor seating create a polished but comfortable atmosphere. The restaurant feels refined without requiring formality, allowing the food to remain the centerpiece of the experience.

Guests sampled smoked Gouda shrimp and grits topped with Creole barbecue shrimp, rosemary and mint lamb chops, Thai chili green beans, and smoked Gouda macaroni and cheese.

The peach chicken and waffles reworked another Southern staple. Sweet tea-marinated chicken delivered a savory bite with a touch of sweetness, while peaches added moisture and flavor to the waffles. A crispy cauliflower dish provided a lighter option with a savory crust and accompanying sauce, demonstrating how the menu can accommodate different tastes while maintaining its Southern influence.

Wells’ decision to build the restaurant in Grayson also brings his larger culinary vision back to the community he calls home.

“I fell in love with the community,” Wells said of moving to the area 13 years ago. “Even while traveling everywhere else in the world, when I would come back home flying in to ATL Airport, shout out to Atlanta, of course; I want to be a legacy here, and that’s when I started building Cornbread and Butter, almost two years ago.”

The result gives diners outside central Atlanta another option for an elevated brunch or dinner experience while giving Wells a permanent place to serve the flavors audiences have watched him explore on television.

‘Savor The City’ Becomes A Love Letter To Black Culinary Culture

The celebration stretched beyond the restaurant.

Savor the City earned a 2026 Daytime Emmy nomination after taking viewers around the country to explore Black culinary traditions, businesses and communities.

Sonia Armstead, co-founder of Powerhouse Productions with Rochelle Brown, said the recognition carries particular weight because the independent production company developed the project from the ground up.

“This is the first time that something we have worked on from scratch, you know, pardon the pun, because we’ve worked on this from scratch, and to see it come to fruition, and to tour, and to show off America, a lot of our culture, and our history,” Armstead said.

For Armstead, destinations such as Napa Valley demonstrated an important part of the show’s mission: highlighting Black life, businesses and culinary influence in places where audiences may not immediately think to look.

“Our whole culture and history is everywhere,” she said. “Our stories are, are, like, embedded with our history, and it’s, they’re popping up all over. So it’s a great feeling, a great, great feeling.”

Michelle Rice, president of TV One and CLEO TV, described the nomination as recognition not only for the networks and production team, but for the restaurants, chefs and business owners showcased throughout the series.

“It really was a love letter to Black culture for us, going around the country and, you know, really exploring Black culinary excellence,” Rice said. “Black businesses that are for us, by us.”

The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences nominated Savor the City for Outstanding Culinary Cultural Series alongside America The Bountiful, Best Ever Food Review Show, Fork & Hammer and Lucky Chow.

‘New Soul Kitchen’ Keeps Family Recipes And Stories At The Table

That celebration of culture also carries into New Soul Kitchen, which Armstead said draws from Wells’ family history as much as his formal culinary training.

Armstead hopes the series encourages viewers to preserve the conversations, memories and recipes that can easily disappear when families stop gathering around the table.

“You gotta pass on those stories, you gotta pass on those recipes,” she said. “I’m hoping that people sit down and make a reconnection with people they love at the dinner table. Even when we’re on the run, just make a connection.”

Rice echoed that sentiment, pointing to the accessibility of Wells’ recipes and the cultural history behind foods viewers may consider simply American staples.

“Our food is American food,” Rice said. “We were working in the kitchens, we brought all this amazing food over from Africa … and we have made our food American food.”

For Rice, creating a home for those stories remains central to TV One and CLEO TV’s mission.

She recalled a lesson from Urban One founder Cathy Hughes that continues to shape her approach to the work.

“We cannot rely on other people to tell our stories,” Rice said. “Not only can we not allow other people to tell our stories, but we cannot depend on them to get our stories right.”

Chef Jernard Says The Win Belongs To Everyone Who Bet On The Vision

As Wells celebrated the restaurant, television milestones and the people behind them, he repeatedly returned to the community that helped make each possible.

He credited his viewers as well as his longtime relationships with TV One, Urban One, CLEO TV and Powerhouse Productions, particularly Brown and Armstead.

“When you see what you see on TV and you see me, just know it’s a strong force behind,” Wells said of the Powerhouse Productions founders.

For anyone watching his journey while waiting for their own opportunity, Wells offered a reminder rooted in the persistence that took him from Mississippi to television screens, international travel and now his own restaurant.

“Dare to dream, dare to believe, and dare to do what others won’t do,” Wells said.

Cornbread & Butter now brings many of those threads together: family recipes, Black culinary history, television storytelling, entrepreneurship and community.

“That even makes me feel good when somebody bet on you and win,” Wells said. “When the house wins, everybody wins.”

Viewers can catch Savor the City through CLEO TV and follow the Daytime Emmy Awards as the team awaits the winner of Outstanding Culinary Cultural Series.

Those ready to experience Wells’ food beyond the screen can visit Cornbread & Butter at 2132 Britt Street, Suite 205, in Grayson, Georgia.

Savoring Success: Chef Jernard Dishes On ‘New Soul Kitchen,’ Cornbread & Butter & His ‘Savor The City’ Emmy Nomination was originally published on bossip.com