Chef/owner Kevin Gillespie and the Gunshow team are gearing up for the return of the popular Hired Guns dinner series in 2024. On select Sunday evenings throughout the year, notable chefs from across the country venture to Atlanta to work alongside Gunshow chefs to showcase their flavors and personalities.

Guests can look forward to the following Hired Guns guest chefs on Sundays in the coming year:

• Jan. 21: Mason Hereford of Turkey and The Wolf (New Orleans) – Hereford is the owner of the beloved New Orleans sandwich shop that was named Best Restaurant in America by Bon Appetit in 2017. He also is owner of breakfast spot Molly’s Rise and Shine and author of New York Times bestselling cookbook “Turkey and the Wolf: Flavor Trippin' in New Orleans.” He recently partnered with his wife Lauren and Turkey and the Wolf co-chef Philip Cenac on Hungry Eyes, a new restaurant serving deluxe drinking food, zippy wines and martinis.

• Feb. 25: Andy Doubrava and Tiffani Ortiz of Slow Burn – The duo is behind the nomadic restaurant series Slow Burn that focuses on the preservation of wild and sustainable ingredients. Their mobile pantry is the backbone of Slow Burn’s DIY “trash to table” culinary concept that hosts pop-ups across the country.

• May 19: Karen Akunowicz of Fox & the Knife and Bar Volpe (Boston) – No stranger to Gunshow, which hosted the launch of her cookbook “Crave: Bold Recipes That Make You Want Seconds" in October, this rising culinary star is a James Beard Award-winning chef and owner of two popular Boston restaurants. She became a fan favorite when she competed on Bravo’s Emmy-nominated “Top Chef” Season 13 and Top Chef “All Stars.” She was a finalist on The Food Network’s “Tournament of Champions” 3 and 4.   

• June 23: Jenner Tomaska of Esmé (Chicago) – At their MICHELIN-starred restaurant, Tomaska and his wife Katrina Bravo, partner with local artists, creatives and luminaries to create an entirely new experience every 12 weeks that tells a story about the partner's work through thoughtfully composed dishes, music and handcrafted service pieces. Previously, Tomaska was executive chef of Next Restaurant where his creative, nuanced approach yielded 18 four-star Chicago Tribune reviews and three, three-star Chicago Tribune reviews, as well as two James Beard Rising Star Chef nominations in 2016 and 2017.

• Sept. 8: Matt Wallace of Blacksheep (Beaufort, SC) – Wallace, who once worked with Gillespie at Woodfire Grill, is now chef/owner of a 14-seat eatery and serves a chef-driven and seasonally appropriate menu that changes monthly. Eater Carolinas declared, “Beaufort’s Blacksheep is arguably one of the top restaurants to open in the Carolinas since the outbreak of Covid.”

• Oct. 20: Matt Conroy and Isabel Coss of Lutèce (Washington, DC) – At Lutèce, MICHELIN-starred chef Matt Conroy and his wife and pastry chef Isabel Coss welcome guests to experience modern French cuisine in a fun and casual setting, in the Parisian neo-bistro style. Conroy, who trained first in classical French and then Mexican cuisine, celebrates seasonal ingredients through simple, original dishes paired with joyful natural wines produced in a thoughtful manner. Coss was born and raised in Mexico City and pushes the boundaries of classic French techniques with playful, indulgent desserts. She was awarded StarChefs’ Rising Pastry Chef in 2019 and Best New Chef in 2023 by Food & Wine.

“It is always such an incredible feeling to welcome innovative and ground-breaking chefs into Gunshow and work alongside them even if just for one evening,” says Gillespie. “After taking a hiatus during the pandemic, we are excited to be back with a stellar lineup, and I know our guests are looking forward to experiencing some of the country’s most exceptional chefs, who each bring their unique styles and cuisines to our kitchen.”