Willa Jean is a stylish café whipping up modern Southern classics like flaky biscuits, fried chicken sandwiches, and irresistible pastries in a cozy atmosphere.
"Chef Ryan White continues in chef Kelly Fields’ James Beard Award winning footsteps at this Southern bakery and restaurant in the CBD. Willa Jean, besides being all about the biscuit, conjures comfort food to the 10th power, dishes like chicken and waffles and grandma’s sausage gravy. And those shrimp and grits, swimming in an etouffee gravy floating with a perfectly poached egg." - Beth D'Addono
"Chef Kelly Fields earned the prestigious James Beard Foundation’s Outstanding Pastry Chef award in 2019 for her restaurant Willa Jean. She sold the restaurant in 2021 and moved to Provincetown, home of natural beauty, coastal gastronomy, and vibrant queer culture. But Willa Jean’s biscuit situation — those shrimp and grits, that fried chicken sammie — is chef Kelly all the way." - Beth D'Addono
"Breakfast service done well is a cheerful, life-affirming start to the day, and Willa Jean does it with aplomb. There’s a range of decadence happening across the main food menu. At the healthy end of the spectrum, there are grain bowls and the omnipresent avocado toast with poached eggs. On the more sinful side, there is the pimento cheese dip, the griddled banana bread with whipped butter, and the city-appropriate hangover bowl, with braised short ribs and grits. However, the most indulgent dish of all just might be the béchamel- and gruyere-drenched Croque Madame. And don’t forget to take out some of their delicious cookies as you leave. It’s a great change to the usual sausage and eggs of regular diners, in a space that’s at once welcoming and functional." - Paul Oswell
"Pastry chef Kelly Fields does complicated things with simple ingredients at her modern bakery and eatery. It’s part of the restaurant group overseen by local star chef John Besh, so it’s no surprise that it’s drawn nods from the James Beard Foundation, among others, for its delectable biscuits, corn bread, and more-involved dishes like crawfish and grits. Located in the sleek new district of mid-rise condos and apartments a couple blocks north of Lafayette Square, Willa Jean makes a great spot for a lazy breakfast or brunch—reservations are all but essential on weekends. It’s local knowledge that it’s also open for dinner and that the quality at that time of day remains high, with varied delicious dishes like braised lamb pasta and beer-can chicken (plus, it’s easier to get in)."
