Twenty-nine-year-old chef Jeff McInnis looks like he just stepped out of central casting as a southern California surfer. The truth isn’t far off, as he grew up in the beachside town of Destin, Florida on the picturesque Panhandle and began his love of cooking literally immersed in fresh fish as an adventuresome 15-year-old working on local boats and cleaning fresh catches of the day. A year later, he was peeling shrimp, cleaning squid and cutting fish for The Marina Café, where the head chef took a liking to the young, eager teen and gave him his start cooking on the line. His future was set.
After receiving a formal education and degree from Johnson and Wales in Charleston, South Carolina, Jeff spent several years experiencing a variety of culinary environments and served in nearly every capacity of the restaurant industry to perfect his craft and hone his presentation, taste and guest service skills.
Jeff embarked on his professional career as a Sous Chef at Atlanticville Restaurant and Café outside of Charleston, South Carolina. After further developing his culinary skills on the island of St. John, Virgin Islands, Jeff accepted a position as a Sous Chef in San Francisco at Azie, an upscale Asian fusion restaurant where he learned how to maximize flavors and a new style of cooking. Jeff continued his culinary education working as a Sous Chef at the Five Star Orient Express resort in Virginia where he expanded his knowledge on French and American cuisines.
Returning to his native Florida, Jeff worked directly under famed Chef Norman Van Aken, then joined The Ritz-Carlton, South Beach culinary team in 2004 working as a Garde Manger chef. In 2006, he was promoted as Chef de Cuisine of The DiLido Beach Club, where he incorporates fresh, local and organic ingredients into to the Southern Mediterranean and Northern African-inspired cuisine for which this oceanfront restaurant is known.
Jeff has been featured in El Nuevo Herald, Florida International magazine and Florida Travel and Life and has been invited by the James Beard House to be the featured chef in an upcoming dinner.
# # # # #