John Currence facts for kids

John Currence is a well-known American chef. He is based in Oxford, Mississippi. He has owned several popular restaurants there, including City Grocery, Big Bad Breakfast, Bourè, and Snackbar. He also runs a catering business called The Main Event. Chef Currence also has many Big Bad Breakfast restaurants in other states like Alabama, Florida, Tennessee, and South Carolina.

He won a special honor called the James Beard Award in 2009. This award was for "Best Chef, South," and he received it for his work at City Grocery. Later, he also appeared on the TV show Top Chef Masters during its third season on the Bravo network.

Early Life and Cooking Start

John Currence grew up in New Orleans, Louisiana. This city is famous for its unique food and culture. While he was a child, his mother sometimes took him and his brother out of school for trips to Europe. These trips helped him experience different foods and cultures early on.

After finishing high school, John went to college. One of his first jobs was washing dishes at a restaurant called Crook's Corner in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. This was where he started learning about the restaurant business. In 1989, he moved back to New Orleans. There, he worked as a sous chef (a head assistant chef) at a restaurant called Gautreau's.

Chef Currence's Restaurants

Chef Currence owns several restaurants in Oxford, Mississippi. These include City Grocery, Bourè, Snackbar, and Big Bad Breakfast. He has also opened many Big Bad Breakfast locations in other states. You can find them in Alabama, Florida, Tennessee, Arkansas, Kentucky, and South Carolina. He also runs The Main Event, a catering business in Oxford. This business provides food for events both at their location and elsewhere.

Many people in Oxford love Chef Currence's food. Vogue magazine once said that "you can't visit Oxford without hearing someone sing the praises of Chef John Currence."

City Grocery

City Grocery was John Currence's first restaurant. He opened it in 1992. It serves Southern food and traditional Creole French dishes. Since 1996, it has been located in the Oxford Courthouse Square. The New York Times suggested visiting "its rowdy upstairs bar and elegant dining below." In 2013, Southern Living magazine named it one of the "South's Best Bars." City Grocery has also won several Wine Spectator Awards of Excellence for its wine list.

Big Bad Breakfast

Big Bad Breakfast started in Oxford in 2008. It became so popular that Chef Currence opened more locations. These are now in Florida, Alabama, Tennessee, Arkansas, Kentucky, and South Carolina. Many publications have praised Big Bad Breakfast. These include The Culture Trip, The Daily Meal, Serious Eats, and Travel and Leisure.

Snackbar

Snackbar opened in 2009. The chef there, Vishwesh Bhatt, also won a James Beard Award in 2019. He was named "Best Chef in the South."

TV Appearances

John Currence has appeared on several television shows.

Top Chef Masters

He was a contestant on the third season of Top Chef Masters. This is a reality TV cooking competition. He won the second week's challenge, but he was eliminated in the third episode.

Other TV Shows

Chef Currence also joined Andrew Zimmern on the Travel Channel's Bizarre Foods. They explored The Blues Trail and tried different kinds of BLT sandwiches.

He also appeared on an episode of Anthony Bourdain's show, Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations: Parts Unknown. This episode was about the Mississippi Delta and Southern culture.

In 2009, he was on the CBS Early Show. He showed viewers how to cook a three-course meal for four people for less than $35.

Cookbooks and Publications

John Currence has written several cookbooks. These include:

• Pickles, Pigs & Whiskey: Recipes from My Three Favorite Food Groups and Then Some
• Big Bad Breakfast: The Most Important Book of the Day
• Tailgreat: How to Crush It at Tailgating

He also helped write a cookbook called Wild Abundance: Ritual, Revelry & Recipes of the South's Finest Hunting Clubs. His book Pickles, Pigs & Whiskey was reviewed by The New York Times Book Review, The Washington Post, and Eater. The New York Times Book Review called it "a culinary rebel yell in a new key." His book Big Bad Breakfast was chosen as the Los Angeles Times Cookbook of the Week.

Awards and Recognition

John Currence has received many awards for his cooking and restaurants.

• In 2009, he won the James Beard Award for Best Chef South.
• The Mississippi Restaurant Association gave him the Restaurateur of the Year and Chef of the Year awards.
• In 2008, he won The Great American Seafood Cookoff in New Orleans.
• The Southern Foodways Alliance gave him the Guardian of Tradition award in 2006.
• In 2015, he received the Mississippi State Tourism Investment Award.
• In 2014, the Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance (SIBA) gave him the Best Cookbook Award for Pickles, Pigs & Whiskey.

Community Involvement

John Currence has also been involved in community issues. The New York Times featured him for starting the Big Gay Mississippi Welcome Table. This was a protest against Governor Phil Bryant's signing of a law called House Bill 1523.