Southern Grace Celebrity Chef Dinners with Ryan Smith

For the fourth consecutive year, Fisher’s at Orange Beach Marina announces it will host the Southern Grace dinner series featuring award-winning and celebrity chefs from across the South. Fresh off his nomination for a James Beard Award, Fisher’s Executive Chef Bill Briand will open up his kitchen to spotlight the talent and cuisine of notable chefs from across the region.

Ryan Smith is Chef/Partner at the award-winning Staplehouse. Originally from State College, Pennsylvania, he has called Atlanta home for 15 years. Ryan took an interest in cooking while he was in college, working in the kitchens at Penn State University. He went on to attend The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY, and got his degree in 2000. From there, Smith moved to Atlanta to explore the history and traditions of the Southeast and gain experience working for some of the city’s best chefs.Ryan has worked in some of Atlanta’s most prominent restaurants, including Bacchanalia, Canoe, Restaurant Eugene, Holeman & Finch, and Empire State South. Since opening in September 2015, Staplehouse has been named Bon Appetit’s Best New Restaurant in America, GQ’s Best New Restaurant, Atlanta Magazine’s #1 Restaurant in Atlanta. It was also a James Beard finalist for Best New Restaurant. Staplehouse is the for-profit subsidiary of The Giving Kitchen; a 501c3 that provides grant assistance to metro-Atlanta restaurant workers facing unanticipated hardship.

Each event begins at 6:30 p.m. with a cocktail reception where guests will have the opportunity to mix and mingle with their favorite chefs, followed by a communal-style seated dinner at 7:30 p.m.