Join us at Jackson’s Steakhouse as Chef de Cuisine, Blade Herring takes us through his culinary training which began in the world of Asian fusion cuisine, blending Peruvian and Japanese cuisine and then back to his Southern roots in Pensacola. The five-course food and wine pairing will be held on Thursday, November 4 at 5:30 p.m.
Born and raised in the small town of Live Oak, Florida, Chef Herring jumped right into the culinary world two weeks after high school in 2009, where he enrolled at the Art Institute of Jacksonville where he focused in the culinary program.
In 2010, he transferred to Keiser University Center for Culinary Arts, longing for a more one on one learning experience with the professional chef-instructors. In 2012, after completing culinary school, he moved to Key West and worked at the nationally recognized resort, The Westin Key West Resort and Marina, located in the heart of old town Key West.
Blade immediately fell in love with the Keys lifestyle and food. For the next six years he worked seasonally throughout the Keys at many of the top restaurants including Kaiyo Grill, Islamorada’s first Asian fusion and sushi restaurant which also is one of the Key’s preeminent culinary experiences and at the landmark Islamorada restaurant, since 1947, the Green Turtle Inn. These experiences would go onto to shape and define him as a chef.
In 2018, Chef Herring and his family chose to move to Pensacola to set down some roots. Shortly thereafter, Executive Chef Irv Miller brought on Chef Herring as Jackson’s Chef de Cuisine. Chef Herring is a self-described journey man chef “whose thirst for knowledge led me to work at many different cuisine style restaurants under some top chefs throughout the years. My cooking style is defined by bold flavors and a combination of multiple tastes and textures.”
Chef Herring has created a menu that reflects his globally influenced culinary journey over the years. The menu for the evening is as follows:
To Start
Scallop ceviche, tostone’s, avocado, salmon roe, ruby red grapefruit
First Course
Miso pork ramen, enoki mushroom, pork belly, menma, quail eggs, scallions
Second Course
Crispy- skinned seabass, tomato butter, Cajun chickpea stew
Third Course
Korean- style short ribs, bleu cheese-smoked grits, pineapple teriyaki glaze
To Finish
Mimi’s 10-layer chocolate cake
Romeo Amodeo will hand select wines to pair with four of the courses. The event cost is $75 per person (plus tax and gratuity) and will include four wines and five courses. Seating is limited; reservations required. Be sure to make yours by calling Jackson’s Steakhouse, 850-469-9898.