CELEBRATION OF THE SUDS PRESENTS CHEF BLUZ

The "Celebration of the Suds" presents Blues Chef J.D. Austin creator and owner of "The Chef Bluz Dinner Show”, live at 2pm and 6pm on Saturday, March 18th. Also at 1pm on Sunday. The chef will create various Culinary Dishes incorporating beer into recipes. The Show will be upbeat and educational at the same time. Toss in some the love of cooking, paired with blazin’ blues. 

Chef JD is a true entertainer to be observed. He is the next up and coming culinary performer that will be entertaining the nation in the near future and he is a product of Southern New Jersey.

CHEF BLUZ COOKS UP SOUNDS, FLAVORS OF SOUTH
ERIC FINE For The Press, (609) 272-7017

J.D. Austin is cooking up a unique recipe that combines food and music. But it's far from the usual fare. Casting himself as Chef Bluz, the Somers Point resident will lead a five-piece band through a lighthearted set while preparing a meal. The show debuts Thursday, Feb. 20 at the Tuckahoe Inn.

Austin is no stranger to the kitchen. A sous chef at the Tropicana since 1996, the suburban Philadelphia native has spent more than 25 years at various restaurants in southern New Jersey. He also plays the harmonica and has recently picked up the guitar.

His passion for blues dates back to his late teens, when he discovered the music via the rock bands of the mid- to late-1970s: Led Zeppelin, ZZ Top and Eric Clapton. Music helped Austin get through some hard times. By the time he was 19, he had lost both his parents. During his youth, his younger brother died in a swimming pool accident.

The genesis of the act, Austin says, "is actually an idea I had over a year ago, where I wanted to marry my love for blues and food. It's kind of like Emeril meets B.B. King. ... It's about good food and good blues, and I have some of the best musicians."

Years of listening to music at restaurants - on the radio as well as live - helped inspire the act.

"It just became second nature," the 45-year-old says. "It's just like a light bulb went off, and then I just had to figure out how I could manipulate the food and the music at the same time."

Jam sessions at the Bubba Mac Shack and Schooners in Somers Point gave Austin the opportunity to work on his chops and recruit musicians. The lineup includes guitarist Frank DiNunzio, organist Dr. Bobby Fingers, bassist Andrew Lalasis and drummer Dave Palamar. The band performed for the first time on Feb. 3 at the Showmax Food Expo at Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort. The tunes have kitschy names such as "Table for Two," "An Appetizing Moment" and "Enter the Entrée."

In actuality, though, the music serves as a prelude for a four-course gourmet feast that has more than a touch of the South by way of New Orleans. Austin gives kudos to Tyson Merriman, the Tuckahoe Inn's chef, who will prepare the meal for the patrons as Chef Bluz puts on a live-cooking demonstration (a la Emeril) during the show. The performance also will feature short biographical sketches and anecdotes that recall famous blues musicians.

"I'll go through one chorus of the song," he says, "and then I'll start describing ... how I'm making the food and showing how the food is prepared. When I start talking, they (the band) turn the volume down. And then as we finish the course, I finish out with the rest of the lyrics. ... I wanna tell people about the blues. I want them to get up and have a good time. It's interactive with the audience."

The appetizers include Abita Shrimp, a recipe that takes its name from a popular Crescent City beer. The dish features a garlic butter sauce and cornbread. A Caesar salad follows and sets the stage for the entrées: a choice of "black and blue" prime ribs of beef or catfish. The former is seared on both sides with Cajun seasoning and then topped with blue cheese and crabmeat. The latter is sautéed in corn meal. (The menu also includes a vegetarian option.) The meal concludes with "Tyson's World-Famous New Orleans-Style Bread Pudding."

Not surprisingly, Austin believes the food and the music will complement one another. After all, they both originate from the South.

"The spicy foods, the smells, the beer, the flavor of Mardi Gras, just the New Orleans party atmosphere - you have that and also the types of food that were indigenous to the area of the Mississippi Delta," he says.

Chef Austin, in his real-life role, speaks as enthusiastically about southern New Jersey fare. In fact, given a choice, he will stick to recipes from his own backyard.

"Actually, southern Jersey cooking is what I have a passion for," he admits. "I don't know how to explain it. There's a certain type of flavor that we bring to the table."

Illustration:
J.D. Austin, aka Chef Bluz, hopes his mix of cooking demonstrations and playing blues becomes a southern
New Jersey institution. Photo provided by J.D. Austin

WOW! Chef Bluz Brings Down The House!

Bargintown N.J. -- Wow! Over the Top!, Out of the Park!, "Kick It" right up your Blues Ally! Chef Bluz's brings it all to the table...

If you were at his "Night in Chicago", held at "Bayshores Inn" in Bargintown N.J. He brought it to your table and then some!Great Blues, Fine Cuisine and more fun and entrainment then you could handle is what you got on this truly special night. Chef Bluz's was backed by his Famous Blues Band, the "Chef Blues Kitchen" Chef Bluz wowed the audience with Chef Bluz special mix of Home Town Chicago Blues, Blues History, and Cooking Demonstrations.Chef Allen Edwards and his tireless staff shucked and jived to bring Chef Bluz's recipes to life and deliver them with flair. Taking the "Chef Bluz Dinner Show" to new heights.

After the show Chef Bluz stated: Wow what a great night! The Guy's in the band had it Going on, The crowd was really into it from the start. Thanks to everyone who made Chefbluz at Bayshores a Smashing success! To my Staff, what can I say. GREAT JOB!!! WE ARE ON OUR WAY TO THE TOP.