Twisted Soul Cookhouse & Pours

The story

Twisted Soul Cookhouse & Pours – Atlanta, GA | Michelin Recommended Global Soul Food

Twisted Soul Cookhouse & Pours, in Atlanta’s Apex West Midtown, operates on the motto “good simple food.” But the cooking is far from simple: it draws on Chef Deborah VanTrece’s decades of travel and culinary exploration, and the restaurant has earned a Michelin Recommended distinction for its confident, soulful cooking.

Chef Deborah VanTrece

Chef VanTrece spent twenty-five years as a flight attendant before graduating as valedictorian of her class at the Art Institute in 1994. She worked as an executive chef during the 1996 Centennial Olympics, cooking for foreign dignitaries, and later opened Edible Art in East Atlanta, a small restaurant and catering operation that helped put the neighborhood on the map. At Twisted Soul, which first opened in late 2014 and moved to its current location in 2016, she revived the soul food principles she established at Edible Art, now calling it “global soul food” – the soul food of different cultures as she has experienced them.

The Food

The menu changes with the seasons, but signatures include Chef Deborah’s Classic Creamy Seafood Grits, House Smoked Pork Chops with apple jus and green onion eggs, and the Twisted Soul Salad with pecan crusted goat cheese and cornbread croutons. Brunch brings Pimento Cheese Grits Casserole, Vegetable Fritters, and the Twisted Omelet with crawfish and sausage gravy. Executive Chef Robert Butts, a two-time winner of Taste of Atlanta and a James Beard Burger Battle Champion, leads the kitchen under Chef VanTrece’s mentorship.

Recognition

Beyond the Michelin recommendation, Twisted Soul was voted best new restaurant in Atlanta by Georgia Voice and ranked among the best new openings by Thrillist. Chef VanTrece has been named one of Zagat’s Most Badass Female Chefs, and her recipes have been showcased at the James Beard House. She continues to grow her catering business with clients including Mercedes-Benz of Buckhead and the government of Fulton County. The restaurant’s warm, unpretentious setting – with outdoor seating and live entertainment – makes it a neighborhood destination for anyone looking for food that travels beyond borders.