James Patterson

Bold, imaginative, passionate

…these are just a few words used to describe 46-year-old Corporate Executive Chef James (J.P.) Patterson’s cuisine with McConnell Golf Properties. He currently also holds the position of Food and Beverage Director at Porters Neck Country Club. J.P.’s delectable dishes are a prime example of his tribute to our local wondrous bounty with an upscale twist, as displayed in dishes such as Cheerwine Glazed Pork Belly over Pimento Cheese Grits with Locally Sourced Microgreens and Crispy Fried Black Eye Peas.

One unusual trait found in all of J.P.’s cuisine, is the ability to create a sense of elegance while keeping it simple. This is evident in many of his dishes such as his “Uptown Down-South Shrimp and Grits”, combining Coastal Carolina Shrimp sautéed with Tasso Ham, Shallots, and Fresh Cream over a Fried Cajun Anson Mills Grit Cake, garnished with Shaved Parmigiano. The menus at Porters Neck Country Club showcase J.P.’s culinary innovation. Other signature dishes include Cast Iron Seared Scallops with Brown Sugar Whipped Sweet Potatoes, Crispy Bacon Lardon, Wilted Greens, and a Sorghum Reduction. Savory Sage Sausage and Cornbread Stuffed Joyce Farms Poulet Rouge accompanied by Duck Fat Glazed Roasted Fingerling Potatoes and Local Okra.

A native of Wilmington, North Carolina J.P. also graduated from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. He trained for nearly three years under the watchful eyes of Craig Deihl of Cypress and Donald Barickman of Hospitality Management Group Incorporated of Charleston S.C. After a short stint at Four Square(Durham, N.C.) with Shane Ingram, J.P. was Executive Chef of the Grille at Glen Lenox, and has been with McConnell Golf Properties now for over fifteen years. J.P. lives in Wilmington, NC with his lovely wife, Toccoa, and their eleven year old daughter Harriet, and their two Australian Labradoodles(Grace and Dixie).