John Currence facts for kids

John Currence is a famous American chef. He lives in Oxford, Mississippi. As of 2019, he owns four popular restaurants in Oxford: City Grocery, Big Bad Breakfast, Bourè, and Snackbar. He also runs a catering business called The Main Event.

Chef Currence has also opened many Big Bad Breakfast restaurants in other states like Alabama, Florida, Tennessee, and South Carolina. In 2009, he won a special award called the James Beard Award for being the Best Chef in the South. This was for his work at City Grocery. Later, he even appeared on the TV show Top Chef Masters on the Bravo network.

Early Life and First Steps in Cooking

John Currence grew up in New Orleans, Louisiana. This city is famous for its unique food and culture. When he was a kid, his mom would sometimes take him and his brother out of school for trips to Europe. This probably helped him learn about different foods and cultures early on!

After finishing high school, John went to college. While studying, he had a part-time job washing dishes at a restaurant called Crook's Corner. This was his first experience working in a professional kitchen.

His cooking career officially began when he worked for chef Bill Neal at Crook's Corner. In 1989, John moved back to New Orleans. There, he became a sous chef (which is like a head assistant chef) at a restaurant called Gautreau's.

Chef Currence's Restaurants

John 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 cities. You can find them in places like Charleston, SC, Durham, NC, Destin, FL, and many cities across Alabama, Tennessee, Arkansas, and Kentucky.

He also runs a catering business called The Main Event. This business provides food for parties and events in Oxford. Many people in Oxford really admire Chef John Currence and his cooking!

City Grocery

City Grocery was Chef Currence's very first restaurant. It opened in 1992 and has been in Oxford's main square since 1996. The restaurant serves delicious Southern food and traditional Creole French dishes.

The New York Times newspaper once suggested visiting City Grocery for its "lively upstairs bar and elegant dining below." In 2013, Southern Living magazine named its upstairs area one of the "South's Best Bars." City Grocery has also won several Wine Spectator Awards for its wine list.

Big Bad Breakfast

Big Bad Breakfast started in Oxford in 2008. It became so popular that Chef Currence opened many more locations. These are now in Florida, Alabama, Tennessee, Arkansas, Kentucky, and South Carolina.

This restaurant has been recognized by many food publications. For example, The Culture Trip called it one of the best diners in the South in 2016. It has also been featured in The Daily Meal, Serious Eats, and Travel and Leisure.

Snackbar

Snackbar opened in 2009. The chef at Snackbar, Vishwesh Bhatt, also won a James Beard Award for Best Chef in the South in 2019. This shows how talented the chefs working with John Currence are!

TV Appearances

Chef Currence has appeared on several TV shows. He was a contestant on season 3 of the cooking competition Top Chef Masters. He won one of the challenges, but was later eliminated from the competition.

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

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!

Books by John Currence

John Currence is also an author! He has written several cookbooks:

• 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 praised by The New York Times Book Review. Big Bad Breakfast was even named the Los Angeles Times Cookbook of the Week!

Awards and Special Recognition

John Currence has received many important awards for his cooking and restaurants:

• In 2009, he won the prestigious James Beard Award for Best Chef South. This is one of the highest honors a chef can receive in the United States.
• The Mississippi Restaurant Association named him both Restaurateur of the Year and Chef of the Year.
• 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.
• His book Pickles, Pigs & Whiskey won the Best Cookbook Award from the Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance (SIBA) in 2014.

Standing Up for What's Right

John Currence is also known for his activism. He was featured in The New York Times for starting something called the "Big Gay Mississippi Welcome Table." This was a protest against a law signed by Governor Phil Bryant. The law, called House Bill 1523, was seen by many as unfair to certain groups of people. Chef Currence wanted to show support for fairness and equality for everyone.