Hooked on the Coast: Chef Jay Cantrell’s Colorful Culinary Trek Through the Southeast
April 23rd, 2021
Original article by Fanny Slater for Ideal Living >
What do you get when you cross a Johnson & Wales-trained food enthusiast (whose childhood memories include plucking zipper peas off the pod and cooking farm-to-table feasts alongside his grandmother) with the abundant culinary bounty of Georgia’s coast?
Straight up Southern magic. You know, like local shrimp and grits with Tasso gravy or marinated fried chicken slathered in truffle honey and toasted pecans.
Chef Jay Cantrell, Executive Chef of The Club at Savannah Quarters, is no stranger to shaking up the classics. Ingrained with a lifelong dream of living on the shoreline, his wishes came true when he landed in one of Charleston, South Carolina’s top culinary programs. From there, he dabbled in some of the area’s award-winning eateries followed by a transition to Georgia – where he helped open (and set the tone for) legendary downtown dining destination, Vic’s on the River.
Needless to say, he’s been hooked on the coast ever since.
After nearly four years at Savannah Quarters, Chef Jay is still packing the house with customers (as much as COVID-19 will allow) for his elegant themed dinner nights and bold brunch creations.
Below is his inspiring odyssey from grandma’s kitchen helper to innovative, hard-working head chef.
