Local Chef Jim Shirley to Cook a Modern Southern Dinner at the James Beard House in New York City

The James Beard Foundation (JBF) recently announced that Chef Jim Shirley of South Walton will be cooking at the landmark James Beard House on January 24, 2020. This will be the sixth time local favorite Chef Jim Shirley will head to New York City to cook at the renowned Beard House. Chef and his culinary team will prepare a modern southern meal that represents South Walton and highlights the culinary strengths of the Gulf Coast.

“I’m excited for another opportunity to represent South Walton in New York City,” says Chef Shirley. “It’s truly an honor to be asked back again. Our modern southern menu represents South Walton and the farmers that thrive here.”

During the six-course meal, select fine wines and local South Walton beer will be paired with each course. Guests will also have the unique opportunity to meet Chef Shirley and his team and ask questions about the dishes they have enjoyed. The menu is reflective of North Florida’s attitude, culinary innovation, and agricultural edge which includes dishes such as Lionfish Cakes, an invasive species capable of causing extinctions of native plants and animals, reducing biodiversity, competing with native organisms for limited resources, and altering habitats. Also on the menu, a Succotash with Gulf Red Snapper, Heritage Pork Belly Crackle, Smoked Fried Apalachicola Oyster on Chicken Fat Bread, Blood Orange Pie and Cornbread Pudding.

Meanwhile in South Walton, the community is invited to dine at one of Chef Jim’s restaurants – Farm & Fire Southern Pizzeria (in Santa Rosa Beach) or Great Southern Cafe (in Seaside) where the James Beard kitchen will be live streamed and a tasting menu of items being served in New York will be offered for purchase locally.

The James Beard Foundation’s mission is to celebrate, nurture and honor chefs and other leaders making America’s food culture more delicious, diverse, and sustainable for everyone. The Foundation also maintains the historic James Beard House in New York City’s Greenwich Village as a “performance space” for visiting chefs. Guest chefs are selected through the Foundation’s director of house programming who actively seeks noteworthy talent as evidenced by national or regional reputation and use of high quality, seasonal, and/or local ingredients.

The dinner will be held Friday, January 24, 2020 at 7:00 PM at The Beard House.

Member Price: $140 and Public Price: $180. All events are held at the James Beard House, located at 167 West 12th Street in New York City, unless otherwise stated. Reservations are accepted Monday through Friday between 9:00 A.M. and 5:00 P.M. by calling 212.627.2308 or by going to www.jamesbeard.org/events/modern-southern to book online.

About Chef Jim Shirley

Nationally recognized restaurateur Chef Jim Shirley is owner of the Great Southern Café, Ji•Shi Ki•chn, The Meltdown on 30A, The Bay, Farm & Fire Southern Pizzeria, and North Beach Tortilla Co. in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida. He is also the co-owner of Great Southern Restaurants, which owns The Fish House, The Atlas Oyster House, and The Fish House Deck Bar in Pensacola, Florida.

Chef Jim uses Southern accents with great skill and spirit, traveling far afield to graze and glean, absorb culinary ideas, select fine wines, and look for pockets of sustainable farming practices. As a Pensacola native, Chef Jim uses his knowledge of local waters and his families’ farming histories to promote “New Ruralism,” a movement to champion sustainable agriculture at the urban edge. After developing restaurants in Pensacola, Shirley’s home base has become the renowned New Urbanist community of Seaside, Florida. Co-Founder Robert Davis recruited Shirley to develop a renewed farm-to-table focus that has revolutionized the regional restaurant scene.

About James Beard Foundation

Beginning with a fundraising dinner cooked by Wolfgang Puck in early 1987, the James Beard House has become a milestone in the careers of chefs including Tom Colicchio, Marcus Samuelsson, Nancy Silverton, and Dominique Crenn. The James Beard Foundation’s mission is to celebrate, nurture, and honor chefs and other leaders making America’s food culture more delicious, diverse, and sustainable for everyone. The Foundation also maintains the historic James Beard House in New York City’s Greenwich Village as a “performance space” for visiting chefs.

About South Walton:

Located along a 26-mile stretch of white sandy beaches in Northwest Florida, South Walton encompasses 16 distinct beach neighborhoods, each with its own visual style, amenities and charm. South Walton is home to four state parks, one state forest, and more than 200 miles of hiking and biking trails. Renowned for natural scenic beauty, turquoise waters and sugar sand beaches, South Walton was named one of the “Secret Florida Beaches” by Travel + Leisure. An upscale, yet casual place to unwind, South Walton is the place to recharge and build lasting memories. Learn more at VisitSouthWalton.com.

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