Number of Years in Pensacola:
20 years — off and on.

Job Title; Restaurant:
Chef/Partner in Great Southern Restaurant Group, which includes the Fish House, Fish House Deck Bar and Atlas Oyster House; owner and chef of Great Southern Café.

Style of Cuisine:
New-fashioned Southern; seafood is my specialty.

Education:
No formal culinary.

When did you decide to become a chef? 
1990

What was your first job in the industry?
Flipping burgers at the age of fourteen.

Did you have a mentor? If so, who, and what did he/she teach you?
Mentor — hmmm. A large, cruel European chef who struck me with pots and pans.

How did you end up in Pensacola?
It’s my hometown. I love it.

Describe a typical workday:
Early morning, chase down fishermen; afternoon, chase down farmers. Cook at night.

Describe your favorite day off:
Eating my way through Tuscany, Paris, Manhattan…

Tell me your favorite comfort food and why.
Grits because I was raised on them, and now I have a thousand variations.

What is the most rewarding part of being a chef?
The smiles on guests' faces.

What is your favorite thing to cook for guests from out of town, and why?
Grits and whatever fish are running in the Gulf at the time. You cannot lose.

What do you feel is unique about the culinary personality of the region?
Our rich culinary history that mirrors the five flags of Pensacola, paired with our incredible seafood, gives us an edge with the fork and plate.

What advice would you give aspiring chefs?
Work in a kitchen for a year first.