Chef Jeffrey Schlissel, known as Cheffrey to some and the Kingpin to the Bacon Cartel to others has been in the culinary field for over 30 years. What started as an enjoyable way to spend time with his mother turned into a lifelong career.
Cheffrey has extensive knowledge cooking cuisines of all types but has a genuine passion for creating dishes that combine Pan Asian Floribbean flair, or as he calls it “Floribbeanasian”. He makes use of locally sourced and sustainable products in all his recipes. As of late, Chef has been experimenting with modern cuisine, smoking and creating unique and delicious dishes like VEGAN bone marrow! His experimentation and propensity to push the envelope with his recipes is why he is also known as the “Mad Scientist” and why the Locale Gastropub is now the Locale Gastropub & “Test Kitchen”.
Growing up in South Florida provided access to a Latin pantry which introduced Chef’s palate to a broader range of taste experiences. Bold, fiery flavors meshed with sweet, refreshing tropical complexities come to yield a Zen-like experience for your taste buds.
Chef’s restaurant experience includes corporate and independent restaurants as well as hotels and country clubs.
“Being exposed to the influx of people from different countries gave me the opportunity to experience flavors that I had never tasted. I always questioned what would that taste like, and then experimented until I got the flavor profile I was looking for.” – Chef Jeffrey Schlissel
Five years ago, the Kingpin got hooked on his new love, playing with fire, and where there is fire there is smoke.
“For me smoking our food is the most primal way of cooking! It brings us around the fire to talk, to tell stories, and reconnect with the way things used to be. It is the ultimate challenge to find that sweet spot in the smoker and get the final product to be as close to perfect as possible!” – Kingpin /Jeffrey Schlissel
To add, The Kingpin said, “adding a kiss of smoke to the flavor profile adds complexity to the dish. I want to break the norm and send our guests taste buds on an adventure.”
He has presented at the National Convention of the American Culinary Federation for six years. He works with local farmers to feed their animals better to provide him with a better usable product for his guests, and to be less impactful on our natural resources. He has seen too much-wasted food in the industry and continues to do his part by building a culture around limiting waste to maximize resources and profits.
Chef Jeffrey Schlissel is the President of the Palm Beach Chefs Association, winner of the best Asian Fusion Restaurant in 2012 by Boca magazine, Cutting Edge Chef of 2016 by the National Convention of the ACF, 2017 Chef of the Year for the Palm Beach Chefs Association, 2022 Presidential Medallion at the National Convention in Vegas. He is now delighting guests with his unique creations as Head Chef / Mad Scientist of the BC Market and Butcher Shop.