In the first of three dynamic dinner experiences by the New South chef collective, experience Old South ingredients in a fresh new way through the creative talent of Chefs Robert Butts, Auburn Angel; Gary Caldwell, Marcus Bar & Grille; Max Hines, Breaker Breaker; Demetirus Brown, Bread & Butterfly; and Justin Dixon, Humble Mumble. This powerhouse line-up of Atlanta chefs present their dishes in a collaborative menu to showcase culture and reimagined Southern cuisine– all infused with a little playful competition.
Learn more about The New South collective on Instagram @thenewsouthatl and read the chef bios for this dinner below.
The series continues with two more dinners from The New South this fall. Line-up announced in August.
Date: Thursday, June 11
Time: 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.
Fee: $125 (Member $115)
Registration Deadline: June 4
Instructors: Chefs Robert Butts, Gary Caldwell, Max Hines, Demetrius Brown and Justin Dixon
About Chef Robert Butts
Chef Robert Butts an Atlanta native started his culinary journey with His family cooking traditions filled with love and togetherness showed him how food can bring joy to many people. He worked on recipes some good and some bad. At nine he made a dish for Thanksgiving that caused the family to doubt his cooking abilities. That still did not stop his passion to pursue a culinary career.
Chef Butts graduated from Johnson C. Smith University with a degree in Mass Communications, Public and International Relations with a minor in broad casting. He became a rising star at the university which included receiving the first-time title for the university, “Mr. Johnson C. Smith.” His communication skills were put into action at a local news station. Chef Butts’ professional ambitions still dreamed of fulfilling his passion for the culinary craft. He then graduated from the Art Institute of Charlotte with high honors. The hunger to broaden his knowledge, shifted his studies abroad. moving and living in the South of France where he picked up a job at Hotel La Source. He also spent time in Italy and Holland. At this time Chef Butts learned the simplistic and beauty of how food should be experienced. One of his mentors Chef Morgan took him out to the garden every morning to challenge him with bringing the garden to the table. Chef Butts became a household name in a small French town.
Since returning to his home in Atlanta, Chef Butts has had the opportunity to share his culinary
talents with many top named and respected Chefs and restaurants. He has grown from a prep cook to an Executive Chef. Winning many awards including two-time winner of Taste of Atlanta, Heritage fire Atlanta Champion, winner of Southwest Brunch Fest, best dish twice Culinary Fight Club Champion, King of the Kitchen Winner of Atlanta, one of the Top 10 Up and coming chefs from Nola Farm to table, Atlanta Brunch Fest winner, Fish House Live Winner, James Beard Burger Battle Champion. Articles that named Chef Butts a Rising star of Georgia by Restaurant Informer. Additional articles from James Beard, Food and Wine, Eater Magazine, Eater Atlanta, Bon App, and Dlish British Magazine. Featured in AJC Multiple times, Southern Living Magazine and Sheen Magazine.
Chef Butts inspires a new wave of southern food with his peers. So much more in the works for this man and he lives by what he always quotes ,“Don’t tell me the sky is the limit when there are foot prints on the moon.”
About Chef Gary Caldwell
Louisiana native Gary Caldwell brings over two decades of culinary experience from renowned restaurants across the country to his role as executive chef at Marcus Bar & Grille.
Caldwell’s official culinary journey started at the age of 15 working at a Popeyes in downtown New Orleans – quickly adapting to the lively restaurant environment, especially throughout Mardi Gras with the frenzy of parades passing by – but, before that, soaked in his hometown heritage in his grandmother’s kitchen. After graduating from the Culinary Institute of New Orleans in 2001, Caldwell launched his career in fine dining at Pascal’s Manale, known for its Italian-Creole cuisine. His path then led him to Las Vegas, where he spent 15 years – some of which was spent on the opening team for the Wynn Las Vegas – before moving to Atlantic City and joining the team at Borgata Hotel. Ultimately, he made his way back down South, working as executive chef at Ludacris’ Chicken and Beer in Atlanta and Covington’s City Pharmacy before joining the Marcus Bar & Grille team in 2024.
Known for his “modern Bayou” cooking style and crowned a winner on Food Network’s Chopped in 2024, outside of the kitchen, Caldwell finds joy in family time, fishing trips, gardening, and exploring small towns to support local businesses.
About Chef Max Hines
Executive Chef of Eater’s 38 Essential Atlanta Restaurants Breaker Breaker, Maximilian Hines was a Rising Star Chef 2022, and won Atlanta magazines best pop up 2023 with his pop up Stolen Goods. Hines’s personal project, Stolen Goods, hosts pop-up events which feature ‘irreverent’ interpretations of well-known dishes. The project focuses on intersections of world cuisines, with particular attention paid to the impact of the African Diaspora on food cultures. Stolen Goods works to shed light on the stories of Black cooks—past and present—and to create opportunities for Black industry professionals.
About Chef Demetrius Brown
Demetrius Brown discovered his love for food at an early age, inspired by his late great-grandmother’s cooking. Born into a Trinidadian and Jamaican family and raised in Providence, Rhode Island and Atlanta, Georgia, Demetrius started cooking for his family at the age of five. He grew up surrounded by diverse cultures and found that the restaurant landscape he encountered was disconnected from the cuisine and dishes he wanted to create – a frustration that ultimately led him down a path to explore his heritage.
Brown’s gastronomic passion was kindled during his teenage years when his grandfather introduced him to one of the premier culinary schools in the U.S., Johnson & Wales University, during a trip to Providence. Despite initial expectations to follow in his family’s footsteps in the automotive industry, Brown decided to pursue his passion for cooking, enrolling at Johnson & Wales. After graduation, he returned to Atlanta, carrying with him a burgeoning desire to delve into the exploration of Caribbean and Afro-American cuisine.
Following time working at some of the finest restaurants in Atlanta and The Hill at Serenbe in Chattahoochee Hills, Brown’s professional career continued to blossom as he took on the role of executive chef at The Pinewood in Decatur, Georgia, where his innovative approach earned him an Eater “Young Guns” nomination in 2020. The next year, in the midst of the pandemic, Brown launched Heritage Supper Club. Through the project, Brown shared the rich traditions of Caribbean and Afro-American cuisines, and earned the title of “Best Food Pop-Up” from Atlanta Magazine in 2021.
His quest to celebrate the cuisine of the African diaspora advanced with his acquisition of Bread & Butterfly – Atlanta’s Parisian daytime café in Inman Park – in August 2023, following a successful Heritage Supper Club pop-up event at the restaurant under its former owner and chef Billy Allin. Paying homage to Bread & Butterfly’s roots, Demetrius has evolved many beloved breakfast and lunch dishes on the menu while thoughtfully weaving in his signature culinary style and building upon his strong relationships with small, local farms. As part of the restaurant’s next chapter, Brown opened the restaurant for dinner, featuring a new menu serving French cuisine as seen through the lens of the African diaspora, particularly Caribbean cuisine. Brown aims to educate patrons about the origin and evolution of these dishes while making them approachable to a broad audience. Since its debut, Bread & Butterfly has been named to The New York Times’ America’s Best Restaurants in 2024 and The 25 Best Restaurants in Atlanta list in 2024 and 2025. The concept was also nominated for the Georgia Business Journal’s Best Specialty Restaurant category in 2025. In addition to his efforts in the kitchen, Demetrius is a Food Network Chopped Next Gen finalist and winner of Food Network’s Beat Bobby Flay.
Through his culinary ventures, Brown seeks not only to bring beautiful flavors to the table, but also aims to inspire the next generation of chefs and contemporaries to push the boundaries of the food industry. His journey from a young boy cooking for his family to a celebrated chef reshaping the culinary landscape in Atlanta and beyond exemplifies his dedication to discovering and sharing his heritage through food.
About Chef Justin Dixon
Chef Justin Dixon is an Atlanta native and the founder of Humble Mumble, a concept that helped redefine the city’s sandwich scene through bold, flavor-driven cooking. His work is rooted in Southern tradition with global influence, focused on balance, depth, and dishes that feel both familiar and unexpected.
Justin’s approach to cooking is thoughtful and intuitive, with an emphasis on layering flavor, honoring ingredients, and creating food that connects. Whether in a casual setting or a collaborative dinner, his goal is always the same: to make food that resonates and leaves a lasting impression.
Outside of the kitchen, Justin is a plant lover, vinyl enthusiast, and someone who puts family at the center of everything he does, all grounded in a deep love for his city.