For Chef G. Garvin, City Eats: Savannahbegan as a food tour and quickly revealed itself as something far richer. The James Beard Award–nominated chef told BOSSIP that what he found in the city’s kitchens and backstreets felt like a hidden archive of Southern migration and Black ingenuity waiting to be documented.
Source: City Eats: Savannah / AspireTV
“I was surprised by the food culture in Savannah,” Garvin said. “Once you get there, you realize there’s a really good spirit of food, a really good culinary lead. It kind of felt like a little bit of Charleston, a little bit of Charlotte, a little bit of old Atlanta.”
That revelation drives the new season of City Eats, which premiered September 4 and airs Thursdays at 8:30 p.m. ET on aspireTV. Each episode serves as a passport to the city’s past and present—proof that Savannah’s story is bigger than any guidebook.
Garvin created City Eats as more than a travel show. He built it as a counterweight to an industry that often treats Black chefs as afterthoughts. Before the cameras rolled, he was already thinking about who gets to tell food stories on national television.
“We don’t get the opportunity that white chefs get on big shows,” Garvin said. “You can’t even get a meeting until you get people who understand the external culture…there are lots of great projects, but you have to put people in a position to create and green light them.”
With years of on-screen experience—Turn Up the Heat, Butter + Brown, G. Garvin Live!—he knew how rare those green lights can be. City Eats became his answer: a series built to highlight Black-owned, woman-owned, and minority-owned restaurants that might never land on a mainstream food network’s radar.
“Where I can, I do,” he said, underscoring a mission to make Black culinary excellence visible on its own terms.
Gullah Geechee Roots & Stories Of Risk
What gives Savannah’s food its emotional charge, Garvin explained, is the Gullah Geechee heritage that anchors the city and inspires its chefs. Rather than simply replicating the classics, these chefs remix tradition for a modern palate while honoring its origins.
“Chefs who know the area understand Gullah Geechee,” Garvin said. “They want to give you more. They’re excited to externalize their creative genius. They’re rooted solidly in those traditions, but in terms of color and knowledge, they truly expand the field.”
Some of the most memorable moments came from families who transformed weekend side hustles into thriving restaurants.
“There’s a family who was cooking at home and selling plates on the weekend,” he said. “They finally left the post office to get back into what they love. Those conversations were inspiring.”
Food Without Hierarchies
Garvin’s respect for Savannah’s food culture means he refuses to rank it.
“It’s like music…every dish is unique to the place, the chef, and the story. For me to have a favorite dish is pretty impossible,” he said.
Still, he remembered “a caprese chicken that was really, really good” and “some crab cakes that were phenomenal.”
But the real takeaway is to let the city surprise you.
“The must-have is something you’ve not tried before and allow the city and its food culture to invite you into its culinary home,” he said.
A Career Defined by Over-Prepared Excellence
Garvin’s meticulous approach to food and television underpins every episode. He’s Chief Culinary Officer for the Atlanta Hawks & State Farm Arena and owns a high-end Black steakhouse in Midtown Atlanta, roles that demand the same precision he brings to City Eats.
“Show up early, over-prepare, over-deliver, treat people well, get to know more people in the space and see where I can be helpful,” Garvin said of his philosophy.
His long partnership with aspireTV and production company Picture Perfect is grounded in that ethic.
“Aspire has the ability to elevate Black entertainment…we have a great relationship because I show up every day and go to work,” he said.
Representation Is Essential, Not Optional
For Garvin, the visibility of Black food stories is not a nice addition—it’s the entire point.
“We got to stop thinking about Black as a plus one, as an add on,” he said. “It’s not important. It’s necessary…we deserve to do, be and see as everyone else does.”
He urged audiences to help sustain that mission.
“Watch the show. Let your voices be heard,” Garvin said. “Be as exciting in the build as you are in the fall. Be a part of helping create Black success. I’m doing my part, the network’s doing their part, the production company’s doing their part—find it in yourself to promote and support the show in a way that creates longevity for the project.”
Tune in Now to City Eats: Savannah
City Eats: Savannah isn’t just television; it’s a reclamation of space for Black culinary brilliance and the histories that shaped it.
Episodes are served up hot, weekly! Tune in Thursdays at 8:30 p.m. ET on aspireTV to witness how migration, memory, and modern flavor come together on every plate.
