BILOXI, Miss. (WLOX) — Chef Chris Drake, owner of The Sicilian II on Pass Road, is a semi-finalist in the national James Beard Favorite Chef competition.
The competition began with 30,000 chefs. After several rounds of voting, the field has been narrowed to 128, with Drake among those remaining.
Drake said the recognition is a reflection of his father, Hristos Drake, who founded the restaurant. He said his father opened The Sicilian II not to turn a profit, but to share a meal with people.
“And this feels like it’s everybody’s way of saying thank you, showing their gratitude. And all I have is gratitude. And so everything is build on gratitude and love and loyalty, and I don’t think he could’ve ever asked for anything more than that,” Drake said.
Drake said if he wins the $25,000 grand prize, he plans to invest it back into the restaurant and into the employees who have remained with him throughout.
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Online voting for the Final 16 ends on Thursday, July 30, at 9 p.m. CST. To vote, visit favchef.com.
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