Chefs Lee Gregory of Alewife and Joe Sparatta of Heritage joined forces with local farmer Matt Gottwald to create Southbound in 2014, with the intention of bringing a neighborhood family restaurant to Bon Air. With two of the most highly acclaimed chefs in town running the kitchen, Southbound was destined to be a hit spot for foodie adults and hungry children alike. Throughout the past eight years, Southbound has garnered many accolades and awards from some of the most prestigious people in the food scene.

LEE GREGORY

Originally hailing from South Carolina, Lee received his training under Richmond Chef Dale Reitzer of Acacia for five years before moving to Six Burner, followed by Mockingbird in Staunton and Blue Light Grill in Charlottesville. In 2011, Lee and a business partner opened The Roosevelt, establishing himself as a culinary powerhouse. 

While at The Roosevelt, Lee earned an astonishing three James Beard Foundation Award nominations as a semifinalist for best chef Mid-Atlantic as well as earning the title of StarChefs Rising Star. 

In September 2018, Lee opened Alewife in Church Hill to showcase his passion and talent in the realms of seafood, soul and sustainability. Alewife has garnered an immense amount of accolades throughout the past 5 years, becoming a main staple of the Richmond culinary scene.

Chef Lee’s newest venture is Odyssey Fish at 6919 Patterson Ave, which celebrates the bounty of the Mid-Atlantic region while focusing on casual and sustainable seafood.

JOE SPARATTA

A native of New Jersey, Joe worked for prestigious Chefs Craig Shelton of The Ryland Inn and Scott Anderson of Elements prior to moving to Richmond. Joe and his wife Emilia worked at the beloved (and missed!) culinary staple Pasture, where they were approached about opening their own restaurant. The Sparattas opened Heritage in late 2012. Since its opening, Heritage has been an absolute go-to for out of towners and locals alike, remaining a favorite in the Richmond food scene. 

Chef Joe’s latest project takes him out of his own restaurants and into award-winning Hardywood Park Brewery. As their Chef consultant, Joe has established Hardywood Westcreek’s new fast casual restaurant as well as a pizza kitchen at the original Ownby Lane location.  

Joe is the co-founder of the Richmond chapter of Ben’s Friends, a restaurant industry weekly meetup for people looking for a secular path to sobriety, or just a safe place to talk.