Chef Ben Vaughn has had a love for great food and an aptitude for cooking
since he was a child. But the Chef/Owner of Memphis' Grace Restaurant has
come a long way from his days as an eight-year-old boy making pancakes at home.
Chef Ben Vaughn is an award-winning chef who has brought his talents, via Grace
Restaurant, to the heart of Memphis, Tennessee. Chef Ben Vaughn is a southerner
with a love for his native cuisine. Chef Ben Vaughn traces some of his earliest
influences back to the Greek diners of a South Florida childhood. This was Chef
Ben Vaughn's first exposure to the potential of continental cuisine. A family
friend who owned a few Greek restaurants would take Chef Ben Vaughn on a tour
through the kitchens and show him what happened behind the scenes. Luckily for
Memphis food lovers, these early childhood experiences set a culinary course
for the rest of Chef Ben Vaughn's life.
When Chef Ben Vaughn was 15 years old, he committed himself to a professional
cooking career. "I definitely had a drive," says Chef Ben Vaughn,
thinking back. This year, Chef Ben Vaughn proudly opened the doors of Grace
Restaurant, with menus designed around local seasonal ingredients. Cooking is
an art that Chef Ben Vaughn takes very seriously.
Chef Ben Vaughn's passion shows through clearly at Grace Restaurant. His
expressed goal is to create an approachable selection of uniquely southern
ingredients and present them with a bit of French artistic style. One example
is a simple, yet delightful halibut and grits. For a more elaborately prepared
entree, try Chef Ben Vaughn's rack of lamb, or his pimiento seared Hawaiian
shutome, served with lobster, sweet potato hash, and oven dried tomato aioli.
Whatever your tastes, Chef Ben Vaughn has the skill and the passion to impress.
Next time you are in, or even close to Memphis do yourself a favor and pay a
visit to Grace Restaurant. The friendly staff will be happy to see you and Chef
Ben Vaughn will prepare you a delicious meal that will not be forgotten for a
long, long time.