Chef Biography
James Gillespie was born in 1963 outside of Niagara Falls, New York. His first job in a restaurant was at age 15, as a dishwasher at the Youngstown Yacht Club in Youngstown, New York. The chef then started him prepping, and two years later he entered the CIA. After graduating from the Culinary Institute in 1982, he did his externship at the Hotel Meridian in Houston, Texas. The following year he joined ClubCorp of America, working in Dallas, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.
In 1992, he moved to Hawaii and accepted a position as chef at 3660 on the Rise in Honolulu. In 1996, the Great Chefs television crew showed up at 3660 to tape Chef Gillespie for the Discovery Channel’s Great Chefs of Hawaii television series.
Chef Gillespie left in 2000 to rejoin ClubCorp of America at the Plaza Club in Honolulu and in 2004, was appointed executive chef of the Sunset Bar & Grill. In 2006, he moved on to Ko’olau Ballrooms and Conference Center where he resides today.
Recipes
Grilled Chicken Napoleon with Shiitake and Spinach Ragout
Serving: 4 Print Grilled Chicken Napoleon with Shiitake and Spinach Ragout By Great Chefs October 8, 2015 For a great country-style meal, this dish is hard to beat. Mashed potato forms a bed for half a grilled chicken breast, which is topped with a spicy shiitake and spinach ragout, then covered with the other half […]