The Bearded Chef Kitchen

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The Bearded Chef Kitchen

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Catering by Chef Brandon Basista — a James Beard–recognized chef with two decades of culinary expertise. Thoughtful menus, whole ingredients, unbeatable flavor.
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Available for events, weddings, pop-ups & more! Serving Central FL and beyond!

04/11/2026

Flash flooding. Schools closed. Kids stuck at home. And apparently they’re tired of eating like they live in a restaurant.

The audacity of these children. 😂

Miso maple butter sweet potatoes, tamarind chicken thighs, carnitas, yellow jasmine rice, Cuban black beans. Apparently, Dad needs to switch it up.

Fine. We’re having hot dogs.

WAGYU GLIZZY FOCACCHY! 🌭

Quarter-pound Wagyu glizzies nestled into homemade focaccia made with Wagyu beef tallow and Wagyu bacon fat. Baked to GBBD perfection. Golden, Bussin Bussin & Delicious.

Wagyu in the glizzy, compliments of Forgotten Block and Suwannee River Wagyu . Wagyu tallow in the focacchy.

Completely unnecessary? Probably.

Abso-freakin-lutely worth it? You bet your buns.😏

Just another day of kitchen goblin shenanigans while we ride out the flooding.

Now the important question… what are we putting on these bad boys?

Stay safe, stay dry, and eat something good, y’all!

27/10/2026

Something borrowed. Something blue. Something blackened. 🌮

Lane snapper tacos at a waterfront wedding? Damn right!

We brought a little Bearded Chef love to Tampa Bay Watch with local lane snapper from Sammys Seafood, fresh tortillas from Don Pancho Market , brown butter shrimp salad, and roasted local blue oyster mushrooms and cauliflower.

I love when a couple builds their day around what they actually enjoy eating. There’s absolutely room for a damn good taco at your wedding.

Thank you for trusting us to feed your people. Getting to cook for days like this means a lot to me.

And that sunset? I had nothing to do with that. Taking partial credit anyway.

Getting married? Throwing a party? Tell me what you love to eat. We’ll start there.

19/10/2026

Bachelorette dinner Saturday night… wedding brunch send-off Sunday morning. 🤌

We started with Little Gem Caesar, Suwannee River Wagyu filet, and chocolate pot de crème. Twelve hours later, we were on the other coast with Suwannee River Wagyu bacon from Forgotten Block sizzling on the griddle.

Different groups, different celebrations… same love for feeding people well.

Big thanks to Suwannee River Wagyu and Forgotten Block for the beautiful beef, and to everyone who trusted us to feed their people this weekend!

Planning a bachelorette weekend, wedding celebration, or dinner with your favorite people? Send me your date, location, and guest count. Let’s talk food.

12/10/2026

Who says vegetables have to play a supporting role? 👀

Spent Saturday night on Anna Maria Island celebrating Meghan’s bachelorette weekend with 14 wonderful guests!

Heirloom tomatoes, grilled peaches, creamy Boursin, spinach-stuffed chicken roulade, and some beautiful roasted seasonal vegetables.

And one of my favorite plates of the evening? Golden-seared king trumpet mushroom “scallops” with coconut velouté. Completely plant-based and every bit as intentional as the rest of the menu.

That’s one of my favorite things about private dining… getting to create something unique for the people around the table. Different tastes, different dietary needs, but the same care and attention going into every plate.

A huge thank you to MM and hannah.mcanespie for trusting me with the evening and bringing everyone together! And congratulations to meghanmcanespie !

Good food, great people, and hopefully a few new food memories made along the way.

04/10/2026

Man what’s goin on out here?! 😂

A rare night out of the kitchen… figured I’d let somebody else entertain people for a change.

The wifey Sarah Basista and I got to catch Omgitswicks / Florida sketch comedy & friends at Gleason Center at Florida Tech with Dewayne Williams, Myke Herlihy, and Ken Miller… there were several times I was absolutely dead lol. Great time, great show!

Apparently I can plate a dinner but can’t act normal for one damn picture. 🤙

25/09/2026

October is officially booked.

That feels a little wild to say.

Most of the time I’m too busy doing the actual work to stop and look at the calendar… prep, load in, cook, plate, clean, drive home, repeat.

But every one of those dates represents somebody trusting us with a birthday, a wedding weekend, a family dinner, a company gathering, or just an excuse to get their people around a table.

And I don’t take that lightly.

November and December are already down to very limited availability, so if you’ve been talking about getting something on the calendar for the holidays or before the end of the year… now’s the time.

Thank y’all for continuing to trust me to feed your people.

Back to work. 🤘

November + December inquiries are open.

24/09/2026

20 Years at the Pass.

A few plates from last night’s Gullah-inspired private dinner, southern roots and some of my favorite flavors to cook with.

• Fried green tomato with whipped smoked pimento cheese, tare-lacquered pork belly, burnt blood orange candied habanero, and toasted benne.

• Compressed watermelon with charred peach, shaved country ham, basil, cane vinegar, and burnt cane syrup gastrique.

• Florida sweet corn velouté with blue crab, brown butter, crispy country ham, chive oil, and crème fraîche.

• Cola-braised short rib over creamy Carolina Gold rice, with an oil-poached egg yolk, escovitch vegetables, and reduced cola braising jus.

Thank you to KCFS, Inc. & Antonio Bolton for having me!

Brought Little Chef along to help with dinner… turns out we were cooking at his restaurant. 😂

Want me cooking for your next dinner? Send me your date, city, and guest count. We’ll start there.

24/07/2026

✨ Introducing our new partnership with The Bearded Chef! 🌴👨‍🍳 The Bearded Chef | Private Chef & Caterer With Personality

Happy Palm Stays guests can now elevate their vacation with an unforgettable private chef experience.

🍹 Exclusive Happy Palm Stays Signature Mocktails

Golden Hour Palm Spritz – A tropical blend of carrot-pineapple ginger syrup, passion fruit, coconut water, fresh lime, and sparkling water, inspired by Florida sunsets.🌅

Happy Palm Lagoon – Butterfly pea flower blueberry syrup, white cranberry juice, coconut water, and sparkling water, inspired by Florida’s stunning lagoons.🌊

✨ Featured Chef-Curated Menu:

🍉 Compressed Watermelon Tataki with smoked shoyu, lime, sesame & togarashi
🧀 Whipped Matcha Goat Cheese Phyllo Cup with strawberries, pistachio & hot honey
🌽Brown Butter Seared Scallops with sweet corn risotto
🍗 Lowcountry Chicken Cake with chow chow & black garlic comeback sauce
🍰 Guava & Lemon dessert with black pepper pound cake, guava cheesecake ice cream, cherry plum, Rainier cherry, SunGold kiwi, lime, honey & basil

Whether you’re celebrating a birthday, family vacation, anniversary, or simply want a restaurant-quality meal in the comfort of your vacation home, The Bearded Chef delivers an exceptional dining experience from start to finish.

🌴 Happy Palm Stays guests receive an exclusive offer!

Use code HAPPYEATING when booking your private chef experience to unlock a special Happy Palm Stays guest experience.🍽️✨

19/07/2026

Southern comfort met Korean technique tonight.

One of my favorite bites on the menu was a Southern & Korean-inspired gyoza filled with house sausage, kimchi, ginger, and lemongrass. It’s a dish that feels familiar but still surprises you.

Tonight’s family-style menu:

• Peach Gochujang Chicken Cakes with chow chow and black garlic comeback sauce
• Southern & Korean-Inspired Gyoza with house sausage, kimchi, ginger, and lemongrass
• Tare-Glazed Roasted Salmon with fresh herbs and crispy garlic
• Coffee & Black Garlic Braised Beef
• Herbed Bacon Fried Rice
• Charred Broccolini with ginger, garlic, and sesame

Finished with beautiful microgreens from . Grateful to work with local farms that care as much about quality as I do.

This is the food I love to cook. Southern roots, Asian influence, and classic technique brought together around one table.

Grateful for another evening doing what I love.

21/06/2026

It may be pouring but we still out here cookin up your faves! Don’t worry… rain will stop soon. 😎

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