Metro Atlanta-based chef and restaurateur Jernard Wells uses food and bold flavors to connect and uplift Black communities.
For seven seasons, the charismatic, upbeat culinary master has hosted “New Soul Kitchen,” a half-hour cooking show on CLEO TV, a subsidiary of TV One. The show, which features Wells preparing some of his family’s signature recipes and international cuisine, also teaches viewers how to prepare meals in under 30 minutes on its shorter-format franchise, “New Soul Kitchen Remix.”
Wells told UATL he combines step-by-step instructions with his down-to-earth, extroverted personality to make cooking accessible to all people.
“I have to create the illusion, since I can’t have everyone across the world at my dinner table. Your kitchen is your world, so you can make the food to your liking,” Wells said.
“You have to love your food the same way you love anything else, because our energy transfers. Soul food is not a cuisine. It’s the way you feel when creating it, because you’re tying together emotions and spirit into the dish.”
On “Savor the City,” Wells’ new travel series, he’s stepping away from the stove to become a tour guide.
The show premieres on TV One on April 3, and spotlights Black culture in destinations like Martha’s Vineyard, New Orleans, Napa Valley, Nashville and Harlem, New York. Each episode features Wells sightseeing, conducting interviews with community figures, sampling dishes, sipping cocktails and immersing himself in local culture.
Wells said he also wants the series to celebrate and acknowledge Black-owned mom-and-pop establishments with rich histories.
“I go to the hidden gems in the community where people go when they get off work. I want to put them on a pedestal, because they’re doing amazing work but don’t get the shine they should have,” Wells said.
Credit: TV One
Credit: TV One
Sonia Armstead is co-founder of Powerhouse Productions, the company that produces “Savor the City.” She said Wells’ interpersonal savvy makes people comfortable.
“He has the magic touch. He comes in, makes people feel good and at ease,” Armstead said.
Michelle Rice, president of TV One and CLEO TV, calls Wells “the Black Anthony Bourdain,” after the late chef and host of CNN’s “Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown.”
“He gets to be a man on the street that gets the origins of restaurants, food and takes us on a road tour of America. He’s showing people a slice of life that they may not even know exists,” Rice said.
Credit: Bita Honarvar
Credit: Bita Honarvar
Credit: TV One
Credit: TV One
Traveling has inspired Wells to open a Southern-inspired restaurant called Cornbread and Butter. Planned to open this summer in Grayson, Georgia , the concept is family-style brunch and dinner.
In 2009, Wells, who was born in Chicago and raised on a farm in Mississippi, became a sous chef for TV chef Paula Deen. He later landed a gig as a caterer for playwright and director Tyler Perry’s play “Big Happy Family.”
He would go on to open Bon Appetite Bistro, a sandwich and soup shop in Ringgold. Six years later, he moved to metro Atlanta to open East Wave Fusion, a casual Asian restaurant located in downtown Atlanta, where he operated it for three years.
After taking his culinary talents to television, Wells was named runner-up on the competition cooking show “Food Network Star.” Later he became a contributor to “The Best Things I Ever Ate,” for six seasons.
He then met Cathy Hughes, founder of Radio One and TV One, who offered him his own cooking series, “New Soul Kitchen,” on CLEO TV. The show began as 15-minute segments hosted by Wells and vegan chef, Porsche Thomas.
In its second season, “New Soul Kitchen” became a half-hour show and featured four rotating female chefs as co-hosts. Wells has been the only host since its third season.
In 2022, he published a cookbook, “Southern Inspired: More Than 100 Delicious Dishes from My American Table to Yours.” He plans to release its next installment soon.
Wells said he’s now concentrating on mentoring and developing young chefs. Cory “Chef Romance” Hinton, a native of Chattanooga and Wells’ sous chef for nine years, said Wells encourages him to be persistent with his culinary aspirations.
Credit: Cory 'Chef Romance' Hinton
Credit: Cory 'Chef Romance' Hinton
“He encourages me to never give up on my dreams, grind for what I want, make myself known to the masses and not wait for someone to give me opportunities,” Hinton said.
While mentoring brings him a sense of purpose, Wells said part of his motivation as a culinary artist is simply seeing people smile after tasting his food. He called the experience therapeutic.
“Cooking is my art form that allows me to meditate and create Zen moments. Their experiences continue to train and extend my palette, so I wanted to come back and build another legacy with that community,” Wells said.
Become a member of UATL for more stories like this in our free newsletter and other membership benefits.
Follow UATL on Facebook, on X, TikTok and Instagram.
About the Author
Keep Reading
The Latest
Featured
