Cutting Up in the Kitchen: Food and Fun from Southern National's Chef Duane Nutter

Born in Louisiana, grew up in Seattle, Washington, and raised on Creole and Southern cuisine, Chef Duane Nutter began his culinary career at the Four Seasons Hotel in Atlanta. After splitting his time between the kitchen and open-mic nights doing stand-up comedy as The Mad Chef, Nutter was named the chef and spokesperson of the National Peanut Board. He then went on to work at the Ritz Carlton in Palm Beach, Florida, and the famed Oakroom in Louisville, Kentucky.

Nutter competed on the Food Network's "Iron Chef America" and cooked at the prestigious James Beard House in New York City before accepting the position as One Flew South's executive chef. In 2017, Nutter opened Southern National in Mobile, Alabama, before moving it to Atlanta in 2023. Chef Nutter is the chef and owner of the Southern National restaurant and the Southern National Market. He lives in Atlanta, Georgia.

Deborah Whitlaw Llewellyn is an Atlanta-based photographer specializing in food, interior, flower, and people photography.