07/10/2026
This one doesn’t come easy for me. Yesterday, Tampa’s culinary scene lost a chef who turned it on its head. I lost a friend.
In 2008, I took over PR at a little restaurant called Bern’s Steak House. Not a job I ever expected to have but somehow, I was suddenly the publicist for the empire Bern built.
And then I met Chef Chad Johnson. Quiet. Smart. Pencil ✏️ behind his ear. Not a media guy, not a PR guy, frankly. But slowly, we got to know each other. We battled through our first Winefest together and quickly realized we had each other’s backs. What started off slow took off like a rocket ship.
Two James Beard nods. Trips all over the country. Cooking at the James Beard House thrice. The Kentucky Derby, twice. Wrote A BOOK!! So many evenings of fun, so many jokes, so many celebrities cooked for and with. And it just kept going. COVID. Reconcepting a restaurant. Opening a hotel, a bar, a w**e shop, a restaurant. Pop-ups. James Beard Dinners. Festivals. Emeril. You name it, we did it.
You did tell me no sometimes but always with a reason I could respect. There were so many more yes moments. Nothing I brought you was ever too crazy (insert mechanical 🦈 ) or impossible. I respected you. I cared about you. I loved your girls, your wife, your whole fun family. Most importantly, I loved you.
After 11 Winefests together including one virtual one, our time together ended, probably because we were both too hard-headed to admit how strong we were together. A different direction was needed. Our story ended too soon.
But I treasured every day I had with you.
The best days of my career happened in that chef suite, in your office chair, or crying in the walk-in (lol). We always knew exactly where we stood with each other, and I only wish I could tell you how much that meant to me. We made magic 🪄 together, and I’ll miss you for the rest of my days.
Thank you for a lifetime of memories in the 13 years I spent at Bern’s. You are irreplaceable to that team and especially to me.
One last “heard” for you. 💔