For Executive Chef Chad Livingston, his dishes begin with the visual first and the recipe second, served up at his elegant eatery, Burlingame, located in a 1947 cottage in Fernandina Beach.
Livingston honed his skills at the Culinary Institute of America in New York and the highly regarded Salt at the Ritz-Carlton Amelia Island before returning to his roots.
Some of his fondest memories were created around a table with his family, who hail from Louisiana and Italy. “We have big families on both my mom and dad’s side, so get-togethers were always like big feasts,” he said.
Livingstone creates contemporary American fare with fresh, sustainable ingredients. The bounty includes homemade bread, but the primary focus is seafood: fresh oysters, shrimp, and local fish. With his background in music, he often turns to his guitars as a way of letting go and curing any menu-writer’s block in the kitchen.
In both food and music, Livingston always enjoys the pursuit of perfection.
This episode is part of our original series, “Florida’s Table,” produced in partnership with VISIT FLORIDA.
