The Bon appétit!

BY JORDAN STAGGS PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF DERRICK LEWIS

As a boy growing up in Tuscaloosa, Alabama (Roll Tide), Derrick Lewis says he and his family did “what we do best when we could, which is fishing, hunting, work, school, church, and cooking.” t was that last thing that inspired the young man, whose mother is a chef, to embark upon his culinary career when the time came.

“Outside of work, my mother provided meals with the church ministry, and my father, who does construction work, would sometimes cater his barbecue for grocery stores like Winn-Dixie, Bruno’s, and a few others,” Lewis says. “Being engulfed by such talent inadvertently piqued my interest and set me on a path to follow my dreams and go to culinary school at Culinard of Virginia College in Birmingham, Alabama.”

Influenced by the endless hard work of his parents, Lewis endured the grind through college, living and working in Tuscaloosa and then driving an hour for class each way, doing homework, and keeping his grades up. His efforts were worthwhile, earning him spots on the Dean’s List and President’s List, membership in Phi Beta Gamma, and a job offer from Walt Disney World. Lewis moved to Orlando after college and cooked at three different restaurants within the Disney property. “Accepting the invitation to Disney opened the door to all the possibilities that I probably wouldn’t have gotten back home,” he says.

Lewis went on to work in award-winning restaurants Luma in Winter Park and The Osprey in Baldwin Park, further honing his skills with the dream of opening a food truck one day.

“Not long after moving to Orlando, I started volunteering with kids at the Edible Education Experience,” he recalls. Part of the Emeril Lagasse Foundation Kitchen House and Culinary Garden, this nonprofit educates and inspires people of all ages to understand and appreciate food from seed to table.

“Based on the relationships built there, I was placed on their list of preferred caterers. That was the beginning of Well Kept Catering. I realized that I could capitalize and really connect with my clients through catering and began to see a future in that career. I’ve always loved cooking and placing a piece of me in front of guests and clients because I love to create moments and memories with food.”

Lewis moved south to Port St. Lucie, where he started Well Kept Catering and now thrives as a private chef. As for the name, he says, “Before culinary school, I had my hands in the fashion industry, working with fashion shows and personal styling. MrWellKept was my stylist/personal handle on Instagram because I was always dressed to the nines, and it fit. However, the beauty of being an artist is that even though the art being created may change, my values didn’t. ‘Well Kept,’ to me, means that you keep something or someone in pristine condition because you appreciate and place value in it. My guests are left feeling kept very well by a chef who strives to exceed expectations. The Well Kept Chef is a title that exemplifies not only my attention to detail but also my work ethic, appreciation, and the quality of service I provide to my clients.”

Keeping his guests well fed and taken care of, whether for a private dinner or a large event, also means Lewis must work hard to keep himself well. Citing the vast difference between working at a restaurant and running your own catering company, he says, “When you have your own business, you make your schedule, but you have to create your schedule because now you’re the one handling marketing, social media, budgeting, menus, clients, meetings, etcetera. Since my last job in a restaurant, I’ve grown tremendously with multitasking, planning events, and handling managerial duties. I had to learn quickly!”

Planning and keeping a positive attitude are crucial for pulling off a great dinner or event, Lewis shares. He strives to maintain a healthy environment for his team during larger catering jobs and to be prepared for any challenge.

While there are many private chefs in the field now, especially since the start of the pandemic, he says, The Well Kept Chef stays busy. “I love event days when I get to see the foodies devour my food,” he says. “The moments that I create with family members, corporate events, weddings, or festivals are what I live for. I get to create food, have the masses love it, be part of their moments, and curate the perfect memory for many—that is the most rewarding part.”

Last year, Lewis’s hard work and skills led him to become part of the acclaimed James Beard Foundation’s Legacy Network. This program “connects powerhouse industry veterans with the next generation to help build a more equitable future for hospitality and food media,” according to the foundation. “As a whole, the Legacy Network helps to address the historical gaps in mentorship and resources for Black American and Indigenous professionals. This experience will strengthen the cohort members’ professional visions and empower them to blaze paths for others.” In partnership with renowned bourbon producer Woodford Reserve, Lewis and eleven other mentees frequently met with the Legacy Network advisors over eight months to discuss their goals and how to reach them.

“Just to have been accepted into that program felt like I reached a monumental goal because all I’ve ever wanted was to be part of the James Beard program somehow,” Lewis says. “It opened doors for me to network, converse, and meet pioneers in the food industry. From creating food policies to helping those who have no clue how to achieve their goals, the Legacy Network steps in to fill the void for us ‘little people’ in the culinary industry. It felt like family.”

The James Beard opportunity also led to Lewis working with Woodford Reserve representative Darnell Edmonds on a special dinner series, Sip & Sense, held at a private courtyard home in Alys Beach, Florida, in October of 2022. The weekend dinner series paired food with bourbon, with the goal of thrilling all the guests’ senses through the flavor profiles of the bourbon and the chef’s creations combined. “This was the first time I felt like I had a platform to showcase my skill and get credit for it,” Lewis says. “The team we had for that event worked so well, even though it was our first time; it felt like family working together. The synergy that transpired from the whole team in sync made me want to do it all over again. It was a great fit, thanks to the vision that Darnell explained to me about what he’d wanted to take root—the concept of the pairings and me having complete control over my food. I also can’t overlook that we were all people of color from different backgrounds. It was inspiring and pivotal to me. I’m very grateful Woodford Reserve gave me that moment to shine.”

Between catering gigs and creating private dinners for his clients, Lewis is gearing up to purchase his food truck this year—a dream finally coming true thanks to years of relentless work and preparation. He also loves to barbecue at home and make pizza from scratch in his backyard brick oven with his wife, Samantha. “I think my lovely wife, Sam, loves the build-your-own pizza part the most,” he says. “I’m also hoping to release some new spices and sauces for the holidays, so be on the lookout! Everything is moving very fast, but I’m trying my best to enjoy each moment I spend with my family. I want to thank my wife for all she does to support my goals. I love you!”

Heritage Dunes, Seagrove Beach, Florida

Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix 2023

The race is on! Formula 1 celebrated a hugely successful second annual Miami Grand Prix from May 5–7 at the Miami International Autodrome. PATRÓN is the first official tequila sponsor of the F1 Paddock Club, partner of Oracle Red Bull driver Checo Pérez, and now the official spirits partner of the Oracle Red Bull Racing team. They celebrated the weekend with star-studded events both on and off the track. The PATRÓN Pit Stop featured a live performance by Becky G., with notable guests including the cast of The Real Housewives of Miami. Following Red Bull driver Max Verstappen’s second Miami win on Sunday, Becky G. and actors Ben Barnes, Eli Brown, Kendrick Sampson, and Thomas Doherty made their way to the Oracle Red Bull Racing Team after-party at the Toejam Backlot.

2023 Under The Sea Fundraiser For Uma Florida

The Under the Sea fundraiser on May 11 supported the fifth installation of the Underwater Museum of Art (UMA) in Grayton Beach. Guests viewed new UMA sculptures and enjoyed specialty cocktails and catering from local restaurants, including Bijoux, Black Bear Bread Company, Grayton Beach Catering, Grayton Corner Café, Marrow Chefs, Mozey’s, North Beach Social, Swiftly Catered, and Stinky’s Fish Camp. Live music by Stormfolk and headliner The Cleverlys rounded out the evening of fun and fundraising, produced by the Cultural Arts Alliance with Visit South Walton, Grand Boulevard Town Center, First National Bank, Florida Arts & Culture, Latitude Margaritaville, Merrill Lynch, Morning Star Foundation, Seaside Yacht Club, and South Walton Artificial Reef Association.

Chip Hilton Celebration Of Life Golf Classic 2023

Legacy Golf Club proudly held the return of the Annual Chip Hilton Celebration of Life Golf Classic on April 14, 2023, in Panama City Beach, Florida. The tournament benefited the Zimmerman Lab at UF Health Shands Hospital, “We are proud to host this special tournament in honor of Chip Hilton for the first time at his home course, Legacy Golf Club,” says Hilton, Inc. vice president of marketing Elise Whitman. “Chip was a beloved Hilton family member who valued friendship, unconditional love, and complete acceptance. He was an avid golfer who became an instructor, teaching his students valuable life lessons such as patience, perseverance, and determination.”

2023 Walton County Artist Of The Year

Bradley Copeland is passionate about having a passion – and for her it’s art. Not just the creation – but how it’s a channel to express feelings and ideas, give purpose and heal us, physically and spiritually.

For Bradley, painting is a metaphor for navigating her life’s story, and when she began to open herself to the clues and symbols the paint presented instead of imposing the meaning, magical things began to happen. But it took a painful push from the universe to learn this lesson.

Painting has always been the 25-year-old artist’s favorite thing – her escape – since childhood; yet she really didn’t consider it a calling, just something she did on the side while trying to figure out life’s purpose.

Still, she was excited to work on her first solo show in her new studio, even taking a month off work to prepare. Two days before opening, Bradley spilled a pot of boiling water on herself; she couldn’t walk or work, only endure painful, daily treatment for her severe burns.

“I was close to losing everything,” says Bradley. “I couldn’t go back to work, but I had some commissions lined up, and then COVID happened… I couldn’t show, my only option was to paint.”

Bradley began promoting her work online, and interest snowballed. Suddenly she was so busy painting she couldn’t go back to her retail job, and this prolific young artist realized art was her life’s passion.

“I think everyone has gifts and abilities and things we love, and we are supposed to listen to clues in life… the Universe forced me and I’m so thankful,” says Bradley, whose story had just begun.

“Art is all over the place,” proclaims Bradley; “Everything I see in life I translate in as many different ways I can represent as possible.”

This wasn’t always her practice; in fact, Bradley became easily bored or discouraged by her detail-driven, hyperrealistic imagery, frustrated by her efforts to share personal experiences with the art she loved.

So, Bradley gave herself assignments of random topics to paint, with the only rule being it had to be ugly and painted in as many different forms as possible. Something amazing began to happen – Bradley started having fun with her art. learn more about the artist of the year program at visitsouthwalton.com.

Drag queens, with their bold, bright lips was an early assignment, leading to her series of Lips paintings – that opened up the local art scene to Bradley.

“The Lips are a symbol of femininity in raw forms, so much strength and ugliness in a beautiful way, and for drag queens – men who have more privilege – to put on women’s clothing is a huge sign of strength,” says Bradley.

She continues to use symbols in her work to represent different stories or hidden meanings, like the spirals inside a seashell which are also like the solar system, and to help her make sense of things.

Walton County’s 2023 Artist of the Year says it feels amazing to have been selected for this recognition. In her interview, Bradley says she was honest in telling her story, and her selection was the greatest compliment.

“The reason I paint is to process or sort my feelings or to make other people feel something, and all of that has to do with my story. It’s behind every piece that I make,” says Bradley.

The artist, who resides in Santa Rosa Beach, has more than 600 pieces in her collection with many works appearing in galleries across the Southeast, as well as her own studio. She has also appeared in several group and solo shows. She draws inspiration from the surrounding arts community, filled with friends, business owners and creatives with whom she’s bonded.

Still, Bradley’s passion for art is exceeded only by her desire to share how it has the power to heal others, just as it continues to do for her.

She teaches art classes weekly at the Walton Correctional Institution in DeFuniak Springs. She encourages residents to loosen up with the same messy process she uses, allowing the paint to dictate where it goes, and then finding the pictures or bits of beauty the paint brings out.

Quoin, pronounced “coin,” is a new twenty-four-room luxury hotel in Wilmington, Delaware, with a nature-filled identity, a Victorian-era influenced palette, and three distinct food and beverage concepts operated by Method Co. Its recently opened craft cocktail lounge, Simmer Down, emphasizes a low-andslow atmosphere, featuring the space’s original brick ceiling and a custom, room-spanning painted mural by the Reverend Michael Alan. The hotel derives its name from the Old French word meaning “corner” or “angle”—connecting the building’s history as a banking house and its corner-lot architecture through a single thread. Visit TheQuoinHotel.com to book a stay.

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