Diana Prescott
Bastion | Nashville TN
July 2026
As a kid, Diana Prescott would stage a cooking show in the style of Chef Emeril Lagasse in her family's backyard. Recognizing her passion, her mother pushed her to not just stir the pot, but to learn how to really cook. After graduating from the University of Georgia with a degree in Spanish, Prescott took a job plating desserts at Five & Ten in Athens, Georgia, where she worked under Chefs Kyle Jacovino and Jason Zygmont, and later under Rising Stars alum Richard Neal. The line cooks there encouraged her to take the job seriously, offering tips, guidance, and some gentle pressure. Starting in 2013, Prescott moved from pastry to savory and, after five years, left as the restaurant's chef de cuisine.
After plans to stage in Norway fell through due to visa issues in 2018, Prescott moved to Kimball House in Decatur, where she was quickly promoted to sous chef and then chef de cuisine. Over the next four years, her technique and love of coastal American cuisine deepened. When the COVID-19 pandemic prompted change, Prescott landed at Chef Josh Habiger's acclaimed restaurant Bastion in Nashville, Tennessee.
As one of four co-chefs working in collaboration at Bastion, Prescott brings a distinct perspective to its experiential menu as seen in refined but comforting dishes like her wagyu tri-tip with celery root butter and black trumpet mushrooms. She also hosts an annual oyster roast, now a staple at Bastion's Big Bar, that raises money for Shell to Shore, an oyster shell recycling nonprofit working to rebuild Georgia's coastlines.
