It’s always been about the grind for Jeremy Ford.
The Jacksonville native cut his teeth at several local and nationally recognized restaurants, honing his skills alongside celebrated chefs like Jean-Georges Vongerichten and Dean Max. Ford got his big break as a “Top Chef” contestant, where he wowed America and the judges with his masterful creations. He spun his season 13 win into a partnership with Grove Bay Hospitality, a Miami-based restaurant group, to debut Stubborn Seed in 2017. Ford’s Miami Beach flagship restaurant opened to rave reviews for showcasing locally sourced seasonal ingredients in elevated dishes that delivered a unique, palate-pleasing culinary journey unlike any other. It provided a fine dining experience in a casually cool ambiance where Ford, in his signature cap, was seen nightly, cooking behind the kitchen’s glass wall. And it held that formidable level of hospitality for years until the team finally achieved the industry’s holy grail, a Michelin star, in 2022 and again in 2023.
Expanding his culinary footprint into Palm Beach, Ford opened The Butcher’s Club as part of the PGA National Resort’s multimillion-dollar renovation in late 2021. The sultry restaurant is his take on a steakhouse, where guests can find juicy cuts of Wagyu and prime steaks alongside original takes on typical chophouse dishes like escargot, beef tartare and potato gratin. He also teamed up with longtime collaborator and friend, the uber-talented Dallas Wynne, who is now the restaurant’s executive chef. The following year, Ford opened his third restaurant and second collaboration with Grove Bay Hospitality, Beauty & the Butcher, in Coral Gables as a tribute to his eldest daughter, Madelynn (the beauty).
Ford is also cultivating his TV roots as the co-host of truTv’s “Fast Foodies.” Ford and lauded chefs Kristen Kish and Justin Sutherland welcome a celebrity on each light-hearted episode to learn about their favorite fast foods. In the first round, each chef replicates the dish; in the second round, they re-create it as they wish. And if owning and running three restaurants across three counties and hosting a TV show weren’t enough, Ford announced late last year that he’s debuting a second Stubborn Seed in Las Vegas at the swanky Resorts World later this year. We sat down with the multi-hyphenate for a playful, rapid-fire Q&A to learn more about his likes and dislikes.
Most underrated ingredient
Celery root
Favorite vegetable
Hakurei turnips. I love eating them roasted or shaved raw.
Perfect Valentine’s Day meal
Something light—like sushi or tataki
At home, what can’t you live without?
My AG1 (Athletic Greens) shake that I have every morning. I couldn’t live and do what I do without AG1. That stuff is a miracle powder.
Don’t like eating
Live seafood—anything that’s still moving
Favorite Palm Beach County restaurant
Stage
Played-out dish
Tuna tartare
Advice for aspiring chefs
Even when work is over, your training is not done. You should still put your head in some cookbooks. Think about the day you just had. It doesn’t just end after service is over.
After a long day, are you sipping on beer or wine?
A cold beer—anything I can squeeze a lime into—like Modelo
Dream guest (dead or alive) to cook for
Jimi Hendrix. I’m a huge fan.
Something we don’t know about you
I’m a farmer now. I bought a 5-acre farm in Homestead with a 100-foot greenhouse. I’m also building a 7,000-square-foot air-conditioned event space to host farm-to-table events and dining experiences and hoping to be hosting them by this fall/winter season.
Three words to describe how you felt when Stubborn Seed received its first Michelin star
Wake me up.
Tell us about Stubborn Seed in Las Vegas.
I’m excited about having access to West Coast ingredients. [Vegas aligns] with how we roll; we like to keep pushing and never stop. So it should be a great marriage.
This article is from the January 2024 issue of Boca magazine. For more like this, click here to subscribe to the magazine.
