People in Miami know Chef Jeff McInnis for his daring new flavours in Southern-inspired dishes. As the owner of Yardbird, Root & Bone, Stiltsville Fish Bar and Mi’Talia Kitchen, McInnis has become known nationally and has earned James Beard Award nominations. Moving from a small town to top cuisine proves how much he loves and focuses on what he does.
The South is where these stories take place.
McInnis was born in Niceville, Florida and spent much of his early years learning about Southern cooking. During his teenage years, he worked as a fisher and found that using fresh, nearby ingredients is best. His journey eventually led him to specialize in seafood dining in Miami Beach. Just a few years after his mother’s restaurant closed, he was cooking seafood at The Marina Cafe at age 16. He developed a real admiration for the dishes and cooking methods used in the South because of these early experiences.
Culinary Evolution
When McInnis was a finalist on the Bravo series “Top Chef,” he became well-known across the country. Afterwards, he was the executive chef at Gigi in Miami and helped launch Yardbird Southern Table & Bar which was nominated for a James Beard award as the Best New Restaurant. He pays special attention to sustainability and prefers local ingredients for his cooking.
Janine Booth has collaborated with me.
In both areas, McInnis regularly partners with his wife, Janine Booth, who is also a chef. Both of them have designed and launched ventures such as Root & Bone and Mi’Talia Kitchen. They support each other with mutual respect and have the same goal of creating delicious, yet easy-to-understand dining menus. While running their restaurants and kitchens, they also raise their family which shows that it’s possible to unite various parts of life.
Boosting Your Italian Taste
Going beyond the Southern style they were known for, they brought Mi’Talia Kitchen & Bar to Miami to reimagine Italian dishes. The restaurant draws from Italy’s many types of food and updates classics such as cauliflower arancini and bucatini carbonara. The kind of ingredients and fearless flavour choices display the restaurant’s commitment to offering a unique taste of Italy here in Miami.
Leading and Guiding
During his career, McInnis switched from being a chef in the kitchen to taking a leadership role. He stresses that good mentorship and positive comments in the kitchen help people get better and grow together. Managing staff and leading change have become two main responsibilities for him as he keeps adapting.
Merge Your Creativity with Your Corporate Skills
Being a restaurateur, McInnis understands that a little creativity in the kitchen needs to be matched with good business skills. Meals he plans are new and interesting, but they must also profit the business. His expertise in bringing these two elements together has been key to his business advancement over time.
Looking Ahead
Jeff McInnis keeps improving Miami’s food scene with his original recipes and dedication to quality. Eric Ripert’s career trajectory from kitchen work in Florida to becoming an outstanding chef and owner of a restaurant inspires new cooks. People remember McInnis’s work for making restaurants that are deeply rooted in tradition and at the same time, full of new ideas.
Check out Chef Jeff McInnis’s interview on the Flavors Unknown podcast to learn more about how he views food and what he has achieved: