Georgie Appoints A New Michelin-Starred Executive Chef With North Texas Ties

One of the most talked-about restaurants in Dallas over the past couple of years, Michelin-recommended Georgie is switching things up again in Knox-Henderson. Parent company Travis Street Hospitality (Le PasSage, Knox Bistro, Frenchie) has brought on North Texas-born Wes Whitsell as its new executive chef after the dismissal of RJ Yoakum over the summer. With the new chef appointment also comes a transformation of the menu, but more on that in a sec.

In 2023, we discovered that Georgie had quietly ended its partnership with celebrity chef Curtis Stone after four years and named Yoakum as its new Executive Chef. In less than two years, Yoakum transformed Georgie into a must-visit experience with one of the most creative menus in the city. He was also named a 2025 James Beard finalist for Emerging Chef.

In June, Yoakum and Georgie parted ways. Travis Street Hospitality (TSH) released this statement about the dismissal: “We recently became aware of multiple violations of company policy that do not align with our company’s values. Georgie’s success is rooted in the strength of our team, and we are confident in our continued ability to deliver an exceptional dining experience.”

Georgie’s New Executive Chef and Southern Menu

Princeton-born chef Wes Whitsell is not unfamiliar with TSH, as he served as Executive Chef at Up on Knox (now Knox Bistro) in 2017. He then went on to California, working at Gjelina in Venice, and Los Angeles concepts Osteria La Buca, Manuela, Blair’s, and Hatchet Hall — where he earned the restaurant a Michelin star. Most recently, he opened The Beach by Ours in Bali.

“Welcoming Wes home to Texas feels right,” says Stephan Courseau, Founder of Travis Street Hospitality, in a press release. “He knows these farmers, these fields, and the stories behind every ingredient. He has a way of elevating local flavors with polish yet always keeps the soul of the meal rooted in home. That balance of excellence and authenticity is what Georgie is all about.”

Georgie’s new menu will rotate seasonally, boasting “local produce, Texas game, farm-raised proteins, and Gulf Coast riches.” Whitsell will incorporate vegetables from his family’s Whitsell Farms, where he grew up working in Princeton.

On September 30, Whitsell will introduce his first “comfort” menu at Georgie. “While still a fine dining experience, Georgie’s new culinary stamp will bear Texas roots shaped by West Coast swagger and international flair,” says the release.

Menu items include platters of deviled eggs, country ham, house-fermented pickles and cantaloupe, as well as entrees like roasted heritage chicken, grilled Texas venison loin, and shrimp & grits. One dessert mentioned is a peach cobbler with buttermilk ice cream.

But the night before Whitsell launches his new menu (September 29 at 6 pm), Georgie is hosting a charity dinner, raising money for Mystic 7 foundations — the charitable foundations established to honor the seven Dallas-area girls tragically taken in the historic flooding at Camp Mystic in Kerr County. The three-course dinner costs $250 per person. Reservations can be made here.