Local Chefs Elevate Dining in St. Augustine and St. Johns County

Chef Matt Brown is one of the talented culinarians bringing attention and diners to the First Coast.

In 2021, the VCB kicked off a program recognizing the chefs and culinary professionals contributing to the elevated dining scene here. Some of the area’s great chefs were recognized in a video to help raise awareness of Florida’s Historic Coast quality dining options and culinary heritage. With a rise in new, delicious restaurants entering the scene since then, it was the right time to reignite the chef recognition program. The VCB recently visited over 50 restaurants in St. Johns County to recognize chefs as ‘Culinary Legends’ of Florida’s Historic Coast.

Chefs were selected based on their overall reputation, team leadership, dedication to their craft, culinary innovation and unwavering commitment to showcasing the region's finest flavors. Honored chefs are those who have made their mark on the local culinary scene. The cuisines and atmospheres are varied, spanning the world of food and style: Florida’s Historic Coast boasts some of the most unique fine dining experiences while casual dining reaches another level in the region.

“Since honoring the inaugural class of chefs, the dining scene has elevated even more,” says Susan Phillips, President and CEO of St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra and The Beaches Visitors and Convention Bureau. “The region has so many chefs who are rising to the top and deserve to be recognized. Many other chefs in the county are certainly worthy of recognition. The VCB will continue to recognize chefs for their hard work and dedication in years to come.”

Here's a complete list of chefs recognized by the VCB. See below for a sampling of stories about and recipes from some of those chefs.

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