EVENTS: IDE ALL-STAR CULINARY BASH

instagram: @Chefjgdetails

pronouns: he/him/his

EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION: Pennsylvania Culinary Institute (Pittsburgh)

BACKGROUND: Renaissance St. Croix Carambola Beach Resort and Spa, The Mix Lounge (St. Croix), Urbana Restaurant at the Hotel Palomar, Mitsitam Café at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian (Washington D.C.)

CURRENTLY: Sweet Home Cafe at the National Museum of African American History and Culture (Washington D.C.)

WHY HE IS AMAZING: Upon his graduation from culinary school, Grant moved to Saint Croix and shortly thereafter was named the 2004 Best New Chef in Saint Croix and 2004 Young and Most Talented Chef of the Virgin Islands by he Virgin Voice Newspaper. In 2005, Grant opened The Mix Lounge in Saint Croix as part owner and Executive Chef. In 2006, Grant moved back to the United States and was hired as the executive sous chef to open Urbana Restaurant at the Hotel Palomar in Washington, D.C. He stayed for two years before accepting the position as sous chef at the Mitsitam Café at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian. In 2012, Grant played a critical role in the Mitsitam team that received a RAMMY for 2012 Best Casual Restaurant. That same year, Grant represented Team USA at the Global Meat and Livestock Blackbox Challenge in Tasmania, AU where they received the Silver Certificate. In 2013, Grant co-founded a lucrative yet short-lived catering business known as Details Catering. Grant served numerous high-profile clients in Washington, D.C. including First Lady Michelle Obama. In spring 2014, Grant was tapped to be the Executive Chef of Mitsitam Café, where he and his team transcended cafeteria dining on the mall to running a kitchen that emphasizes the importance of cooking from scratch and utilizing the entire animal, paying homage to this Native American tradition. He also introduced distinctive ingredients such as chicken gizzards and frog legs to the museum dining scene. Grant is known for his innovative approach of incorporating indigenous techniques and ingredients into distinctive dishes for the modern day palate. In 2016, Jerome helped launch the Sweet Home Cafe at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture as the inaugural Executive Chef. In 2018 and 2019 he was a named a James Beard Best Chef Semifinalist: Mid-Atlantic

LAST NIGHT ON EARTH HE’S EATING IN: Tokyo