Celebrity Chef Spotlight

Jeremy Ford

Known nationwide for his win on Bravo’s Top Chef Season 13, Jeremy Ford developed a love for cooking at a young age after reconnecting with his maternal grandmother who passed down a lifetime’s worth of knowledge on Italian cuisine. He began his professional culinary career in his hometown of Jacksonville, FL at the age of 16 cooking at Matthew’s, a four-diamond Mediterranean-style restaurant, before moving to Los Angeles a year later. On the West Coast, he first trained under renowned Chef Christophe Eme at L’Orangerie where he was introduced to French techniques. He then honed his seafood skills under Master Chef Joachim Splichal at Patina Restaurant while manning the fish station.

In 2008, Ford moved back to his home state where he secured a position with celebrated South Florida chef Dean Max, whom he credits with teaching him everything from dressing well and behaving with class, to planning a seasonal menu around local produce. After five years of working together, Ford rose through the ranks to serve as corporate chef of the company. Eager for his next challenge, he auditioned for executive chef of the hotly anticipated Matador Room by Michelin-star Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten at The Miami Beach EDITION. He clinched the coveted position and opened the restaurant to rave reviews in 2014. Shortly after, he went on to win Season 13 of Bravo’s Top Chef.

Celebrity Chef Spotlight

Dallas Wynne

A Florida native, Dallas grew up in Palm City far from any bustling culinary scene.  As a young child, she was her mother’s wing woman in the kitchen, always by her side while she prepared meals.  Dallas choose to take a few culinary classes in high school as electives, and this is where she found her calling to shine.x

She attended Johnson & Wales University in North Miami, receiving an Associates in Science Culinary Arts and a Bachelors in Food Service Management in 2015.  Freshly new in college and new to the Miami area, Dallas was given an opportunity of a lifetime to work for Michael Schwartz.  Starting at Harry’s Pizzeria, through hard work and determination, she transferred to Michael’s Genuine Food and Drink in order to work under Hedy Goldsmith and her legendary pastry program.

After a few years at Michael’s Genuine Food and Drink, at the ripe age of 21, Dallas went to work for Michael Beltran to open Ariete as Executive Pastry Chef.  Here, not only did she lead the pastry department, but also gained valuable knowledge on managing the entire culinary team running the kitchen.

In 2019, Dallas took her talents to Grove Bay Hospitality Group and opened Stubborn Seed as the Executive Pastry Chef with the recent Top Chef winner, Jeremy Ford.  Dallas and Jeremy worked side by side creating dinner and dessert menus for the ultimate culinary experience.   Stubborn Seed received, and continues to this day, rave reviews by local and national critics. Dallas won Best Pastry Chef in 2019 by the Miami New Times.

After Stubborn Seed, Dallas worked at Groot Hospitality as the Corporate Pastry Chef overseeing multiple pastry departments for this Miami conglomerate.

However, her love of working with Jeremy Ford and the culture of love and family that was instilled at Stubborn Seed, Dallas left Groot Hospitality for The Butcher’s Club by Jeremy Ford at PGA National Resort in Palm Beach Gardens, FL.  At Butcher’s, Dallas is a force to be reckoned with.  She creates the luxurious dessert menu which seasonally features her famous snicker doodle cookies.  When not creating the dreamy desserts, Dallas oversees the kitchen ensuring all dishes are to Jeremy Ford’s standards for each guest’s dining experience.

Celebrity Chef Spotlight

Jeremy Ford

On the heels of his win, Ford partnered with Grove Bay Hospitality Group, a Miami-based restaurant group, to open his first restaurant in 2017, Stubborn Seed in Miami Beach, where he is currently the executive chef and partner. Here, Ford has received rave reviews from numerous local and national publications, including being named one of America’s 10 Best New Restaurants by Robb Report in 2018 and garnering the first four-star review in over two years by the Miami Herald. Ford was also named Eater Miami’s 2018 Chef of the Year and Stubborn Seed continues to be featured as one of the best restaurants in Miami.

In 2022, Ford garnered his first semi-finalist nomination for the coveted James Beard Foundation Awards in the category of “Best Chef: South”. In June 2022, the Michelin Guide announced its first stars in Florida and Ford earned one-star for his South of Fifth neighborhood restaurant Stubborn Seed.

Ford recently starred alongside his friends and fellow chefs Justin Sutherland and Kristen Kish in a new food show called Fast Foodies. In late 2021, Ford also opened The Butcher’s Club at the PGA National Resort in Palm Beach Gardens where he currently serves as the restaurant’s executive chef.