The Garden Produce: Chef Spotlight on Chef Dwayne Beliakoff from The Bread & Board
The Bread & Board, established in 2016 in the Five Points area of Jacksonville, is a twist on the classic sandwich shop.
Instead of fillings between two slices of bread, the owners Jonathan Cobbs and Chef Dwayne Beliakoff, thought, why not create a spread of fresh ingredients such as meats, cheeses, fresh breads, etc. on a board and let you build what you like?
Options for everyone
Bread & Board offers options for everyone. They serve seasonally inspired sandwiches and sandwich boards made with their house-made bread, fresh salads, homemade sides, and entrees inspired by the owner’s world-travels.
Vegan, vegetarian, or gluten free? They’ve got you covered. They always have something on the menu to suit any guest’s needs or are happy to accommodate.
We stopped by to ask Chef Dwayne a few questions about what makes him tick.
What ultimately inspired you to want to become a chef?
When I was a young kid my family moved from Oregon to Florida. I grew up in a very large family, our parents worked quite a bit, so we had to fend for ourselves. None of my siblings were interested in cooking, so if I wanted something good to eat I had to cook it myself. It started with simple things (hamburger helper, spaghetti etc.) As I got older my interest grew. I started reading Gourmet Magazine and studying the craft. One of the chefs that stood out to me was Greg Higgins in Portland, Oregon. Growing up in Oregon as a child it always intrigued me. So when it came time to go to college I decided to move to Portland, and go to culinary school. It was a life changing experience, within a year of moving I got the opportunity to work for Greg Higgins. I ended up working with him for several years. It was a great experience.
What’s the strangest thing we would find in your Walk-in?
At any time you can find Nori, Truffle peels, Kimchi, homemade pickles, togarashi, pork cutlets. We love to have ingredients that you normally would never find in a sandwich shop.
What is the newest trend you see emerging?
I feel like people are becoming more willing to try different ingredients. Mixing ingredients from different cultures to make more traditional dishes is one of our favorite things to do. We have several items like the Nori Omelet and the Javaneese-style Atlantic Salmon, where we take traditional techniques, with Asin ingredients to make something great. With the prevalence of social media people have gotten more adventurous with food. I feel like I can play with ingredients from any culture.
If you could dine anywhere in the world, where would that be?
I would probably go to a region as opposed to one city. I’ve always been intrigued by the Bask region of Spain. It has a great mix of classic culinary arts like charcuterie, cheese, and wine making. Also it is on the forefront of modern cuisine. It is the perfect mix of old world and modern cuisine.
What’s your favorite meal to cook for family or friends?
In the summer months we like to do a mixed grill. It can consist of any mix of lamb, beef, pork, chicken, fresh fish. What ever we decide. Then we use fresh vegetables that we have in our garden. In the winter we like to do one pot dinners. One of our favorites is a gnocchi with braised beef and porcini mushrooms. We also do a braised curry. We call them one pot wonders.
Who if any has been a constant source of inspiration throughout your culinary career?
While living in Oregon I worked for Bruce Carey Restaurants. BCR owns 23Hoyt, Saucebox, Bluehour, and Clarklewis. I was the opening General Manager at Saucebox. While working for Bruce Carey I worked as a GM, Bartender, Cook, and as a Chef. I got to learn every aspect of the restaurant. Bruce’s motto was, ” God is in the details.” It was the approach he took with all of his restaurants. He always took the same approach with the back and front of the house. With a love for food – his food knowledge is unrivaled. He never has to advertise, and his restaurants are full every day. He is a great friend of mine to this day. After years of working for him and now after owning restaurants of my own, I feel privileged to be treated like a peer and not as an employee.
If you had the opportunity to cook for or dine with, who would it be?
For me it would be all about the conversation and not the food. I would love to get together all of my favorite late 90’s rock bands together and cook a feast. Michell Stype of REM, The Indigo Girls, Erica Badu. I would love to have a eclectic crowd. Cook some incredible food, and have a great time.