Chef wearing glasses, white chef's jacket, and apron standing with arms crossed in front of a bar stocked with various bottles of wine and liquor. Next to him is a close-up of a plated dish featuring grilled shrimp over a creamy sauce with spinach, topped with crispy fried garnish.
Three-panel image: left, a chef in glasses stirring food in pots in a kitchen; center, close-up of prepared food items on wooden spoons arranged in a tray; right, the chef speaking to two men at a counter with empty plates and cooking utensils hanging above.
Triptych with a close-up of hands preparing food in small white cups with spoons, a chef wearing striped uniform and glasses in a kitchen, and boiled ravioli being lifted from steaming water with a strainer.
WINNER PERFECT IN SOUTH WALTON

Grand Champion Executive Chef

Southern Boy Cooks

Nationally recognized restaurateur Chef Jim Shirley is owner of the Great Southern Café, 87 Plaza, The C-Bar, The Meltdown on 30A, b.f.f., The Bay, Farm & Fire, and North Beach Social.

Chef Jim uses Southern accents with great skill and spirit, traveling far afield to graze and glean, absorb culinary ideas, select fine wines, and look for pockets of sustainable farming practices. As a Pensacola native, Chef Jim uses his knowledge of local waters and his families’ farming histories to promote “New Ruralism,” a movement to champion sustainable agriculture at the urban edge.

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A SELECTION OF THE AWARDS AND ACCOLADES THAT JIM AND HIS RESTAURANTS HAVE RECEIVED
White text displaying 'PERFECT IN SOUTH WALTON 2019' with a small South Walton logo and text at the bottom.
Wine Spectator Award of Excellence logo featuring white text on purple bars above and below a minimalist white wine glass outline on a black background.
Blue circular badge with yellow border featuring white text '30A' where the zero is a yellow sun with rays, above a red ribbon banner with 'HOT SPOT' in white letters and '30A.com' in small white text below.
The words 'James Beard Foundation' displayed in a stylized serif font with 'Foundation' inverted below 'James Beard'.
Text logo reading 'VAN NESS BUTLER JR.' in bold blue uppercase letters above a light blue banner that says 'VISIT SOUTH WALTON HOSPITALITY & TOURISM AWARD' with small dots on each side.
Logo of Shining Example Awards featuring a stylized yellow lantern above the text with 'SHINING EXAMPLE' in bold black letters and 'AWARDS' in gray letters below, and a yellow circle emblem with 'SOUTHEAST TOURISM SOCIETY' at the bottom.