Ashley Randall
Audio By Carbonatix
Georgie has had a long year. The Michelin-recognized restaurant in the Knox-Henderson neighborhood is part of Travis Street Hospitality, which also includes Knox Bistro, Frenchie, Rose Cafe, Le Passage and Le Bilboquet.
In June, the group announced that chef RJ Yoakum was out after serving as executive chef for two years. At the time, Georgie co-owner Stephan Courseau told The Dallas Morning News that Yoakum’s departure was his decision, and that Yoakum had violated company policies.
On Friday, The Dallas Morning News reported that chef Wes Whitsell, who replaced Yoakum, is now out after just two months.
Yoakum was expected to usher in a new era for the restaurant — and by all accounts outside of the kitchen — was doing that. Yoakum was nominated for a James Beard Award for Emerging Chef, and the restaurant was recommended in the 2024 and 2025 Michelin Guide.
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Wes Whitsell was tapped to replace Yoakum as the executive chef at Georgie in September, just a little over two months ago. Whitsell’s culinary direction marked a pivotal shift for the restaurant. Whereas Yoakum pushed a creative and refined French menu, Whitsell’s was to lean into his “Texas roots shaped by West Coast swagger and international flair.”
Whitsell had previously worked for Travis Street with a stint at Up On Knox (now Knox Bistro) in 2017. He most recently worked at Hatchet Hall in Los Angeles, where he earned the restaurant a Michelin star in 2022. The guide described the fare as “a broad range of classics from across the South.”
At Georgie, that meant Agnolotti in a hazelnut brown butter sauce and harissa roasted carrots were replaced with Grandma’s dinner rolls and shrimp and grits.
Perhaps it was too drastic a pivot for Dallas diners. If we get more information, we’ll update.
