Known for her artful and delectable Port City Southern Cuisine, Chef Mashama Bailey of The Grey is Connect’s Best Chef for 2022. A James Beard award-winning chef, this is just another notch on the belt when it comes to her many accolades, both regionally and nationally. She also took Connect’s Best Chef crown in 2021, 2019 and 2018.
Her restaurant, The Grey has also won in various categories over the years. Clearly, locals just love her food.
Her passion for cooking arose naturally as she learned to prepare meals alongside the matriarchs of her family. She studied at the Institute of Culinary Education in New York. And she worked in various kitchens throughout New York state, honing her craft. That is, until she met her current business partner John O. Morisano.
In 2014, the two joined forces and opened The Grey in the now iconic old Greyhound bus station, which they restored into an upscale eatery boasting some of the most lauded food the region has to offer. The dynamic menu rotates with the seasons, so you can always expect the freshest, most flavorful culinary creations.
Between the elevated dishes, exquisite wine pairings, and chic decor, The Grey offers a warm, hospitable dining experience that keeps patrons coming back for more.
In a 2016 interview, Bailey once said, “I’m looking forward to growing into a person that’s respected in this industry, and that’s all.” Today, it is evident that she’s accomplished that and so much more, as Savannahians are proud to call her our own.
