Chef Kenny Gilbert been on countless relative TV shows like Top Chef and Cut Throat Kitchen. He was recently voted Best Chef in Folio's Best of Jax 2018 readers’ poll.
He has worked his way up from fast food to leading several five-star restaurants across the U.S.
"I grew up cooking with my mom and my dad and I just stayed with that," Gilbert said. "I enjoyed time in the kitchen with my mom and time around the smoker with my dad."
Gilbert has made a name for himself by cooking for celebrities such as Oprah Winfrey.
"I told Ms. Winfrey back then you know I'm not taking this money that I earned here to buy a watch, I didn't go out and buy a car, instead I created 17 jobs, you know so to be able to do something very promising in the community is what I was trying to do," he said.
He now owns multiple restaurants across the First Coast. His latest concept is Gilbert's Southern Kitchen and Bar in Jacksonville Beach.
"We're focusing on local seafood, smoked meats and a lot of fresh vegetables," Gilbert said.
The menu offers up modern southern cuisine and features flavorful favorites and classics like shrimp and grits.
"We take roasted garlic, sun dried tomatoes, little bit of oil sauté up the shrimp in that we add some savory herbs which is sage parsley rosemary we deglaze with a little shrimp stock cheese sauce and then bring it all together with andouille sausage and scallions," he said.
The Anna's Mac n' Cheese, which is named after Gilbert's wife, is also a hit.
You can add any meat such as smoked turkey brisket or garlic crab.
The BLT biscuits are also a hit, made with smoked fried chicken and pork belly on jalapeño cheddar drop biscuits.
"There's homemade smoked belly pickled green tomato and then we garnish it with dill pickles and rattle peeper remy wine sauce," he said.
Location: Gilbert's Southern Kitchen and Bar, 831 1st St. N., Jacksonville Beach