Chef Jamie Daskalis

Chef Jamie Daskalis is a graduate from the Culinary Institute of America with a degree for Baking & Pastry. She has worked in the restaurant business for 20 years. Growing up her father had four restaurant locations in New York. It was in those restaurants that her love of the food started. After graduation, she started working at her fathers smallest restaurant called Coney Island, located in Middletown NY. As business grew and things were going well, a new opportunity arose in Myrtle Beach and she grabbed it. Here she found an amazing sense of community. She wants to be involved and give back to the people that support us on a daily basis. Myrtle Beach has taught her, that when you give, you get back. Jamie will tell anyone willing to listen, that this community is amazing and she is proud to be such a big part of it. Recently, Chef was awarded “Best Chef” from South Carolina Woman Magazine and Grand Strand Magazine and is super excited for the release of her first cookbook this year entitled “Making It Delicious.”

When Chef Jamie decided it was time to move south to open Johnny Ds in Myrtle Beach, she was trying to close the book on her life in NY and getting ready for her new adventure. Creating the menu here at Johnny Ds was a job in itself. Every recipe needed to be tested and retested. Food costing, plate presentation, menu design, photographs and product testing was done to ensure the best possible dishes for the restaurant. Jamie works everyday to ensure that her customers get the best possible experience. She is always wanting to learn new things and feels like she still has so much more to learn, so she can be the best Chef and Restauranteur she can be. She is always spending time looking to improve or to revamp a recipe. Her dedication to creating new recipes to entice your palette shows in some of her new dishes like the Brisket Skillet, the Steak & Onion Benedict and the Pork Belly Tacos. She knows that when you think you know it all and are the best, you can not improve yourself and she says, the best is yet to come.

Jamie also spends time engaging with the community via social media because it is not just about food and service. It is about getting to know your guests. The best part of her day involves hanging out in the dining room, learning about her guests experience and listening to their feedback.

On top of all of this, Jamie is a strong advocate for Autism Awareness. Her son James was diagnosed at age 3 with Autism and since then she has made it a top priority to do whatever she can to help him and other children like him anyway that she can. From hosting Sensory Friendly events here at Johnny D’s to creating an Autism Awareness Campaign every April, where she features a child or adult with Autism everyday, that reaches thousands of people to help spread understanding of Autism and how it affects families. Money collected and raised during these events are donated to two local organizations, Champion Autism Network and SOS Health Care. Champion Autism Network works to help make the Grand Strand an Autism Friendly Travel and Living destination, hosting Sensory Friendly Events and bringing awareness and understanding of the struggles and beauty of Autism. While SOS Health Care provides many services, including ABA Therapy, Social programs and their Autism Community Education Program. Her commitment to her son and the cause has truly made a difference and she says it has made her a better person. James has taught her to not be so quick to judge another, to look at the beauty within a person, that a little love and understanding can go a long way.

Chef is excited for her future here in Myrtle Beach with her family and thanks you for joining her to share her passion for food and life. Please feel free to find her on any of her social media outlets and stay connected. She thanks you so much!