Episode 52: “A Culinary Legend”

Nationally recognized restaurateur Chef Jim Shirley sat down with VIE Speaks host, Lisa Marie Burwell, to talk all things food and stories about building his brand in Northwest Florida. Chef Jim Shirley is the owner of The Great Southern Café, The Meltdown on 30A, The Bay, Farm & Fire, North Beach Social, The C-Bar, b.f.f., and 87 Central Square in South Walton, Florida.

Chef Jim uses Southern culinary accents with great skill and spirit, traveling far afield to graze and glean, absorb 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 family farming histories to promote “New Ruralism,” a movement to champion sustainable agriculture at the urban edge. Jim is chair of the state board of directors of the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association, a past president of the association’s Northwest Florida Chapter, founder and president of the Society of Great Southern Chefs, and a member of the Southern Foodways Alliance. He is among the five distinguished Celebrity Chefs of Pensacola and has cooked at the James Beard House in New York numerous times. Check out Chef Jim’s full episode wherever you get your podcasts and learn more about what this culinary legend is up to.