::Chef James::
Simplicity with a slight twist best describes the food of James Turner.
A 1991 graduate of Baltimore International Culinary College, he was
born and raised in Cambridge, MD, a small town on the Eastern Shore. At
an early age, his mother started showing him how to cook. Little did he
know this would be the start of something he loved to do. He also
learned about food from watching his aunts and his grandmother. In high
school he took some vocational classes in food service, and he got his
first restaurant job at 15, cooking breakfast at a local family
restaurant in Cambridge. Slowly he realized that this was what he had
to do. After winning a local vocational cooking contest, he decided to
continue his training at culinary school.
His real restaurant experience began after he graduated from Baltimore
International Culinary College. He worked at the historical Tidewater
Inn in Easton,MD, as a line cook and moved up to first cook, and then
spent some time at St. Michael's Harbour Inn and Marina. After that he
moved across the Bay Bridge to the historical Treaty of Paris
Restaurant in Annapolis, MD, and worked his way up to Executive Sous
Chef. After almost 2 years at the Treaty, he moved to Massachusetts and
took a job as a line cook at the Boston Ritz Carlton. Working with
great chefs of many different nationalities was an incredible
experience. After 2 years at the Ritz and feeling a little homesick,
James came back to Maryland and found himself at the Washington Monarch
Hotel in Washington, DC, where he gained some experience in banquet
cooking. After a short time there he moved to Persimmon in Bethesda,
MD, and stayed there for 5 years as the Sous Chef. Working with
Persimmon's chef owner Damian Salvatore, James' experience and love for
food started to come full circle. He helped the two star-rated bistro
by the Washingtonian Magazine earn three stars for three years straight
as well as a Blue Ribbon for best in the area. Then James decided he
was ready to take the next step in his career and came to Harry
Browne's Restaurant in Annapolis,MD, as the Executive Chef.
James' food is simple, but he has may influences, ranging from family,
the Eastern Shore, and the ethic food he's experienced to local chefs
Tracy O'Grady, Bob Kinkead, Jeff Black, and Damian Salvatore to famous
chefs such as Patrick Clark, Paul Bocuose, Jasper White, Thomas Kellar,
and Tom Colicchio. James hopes that with his experience and his love
for cooking he can make dining at Harry Browne's one of the best
experiences in Annapolis.