To complete our partnership with World Red Eye for the #FoodDrive305, World Red Eye met up with the Australian native, Chef Janine Booth as she opened the doors to her restaurants Root & Bone Miami Beach and Stiltsville Fish Bar. Booth got behind the wheel of the 2018 Jaguar E-Pace, adding a bit more flare and excitement to what already is a stunning SUV.
Chef Janine Booth was born and raised on the beautiful, island continent of Australia. A place with pristine blue skies and sunshine, Booth lived in a culinary melting pot for most of her life, and was exposed to a vast array of flavors and cuisines and her ongoing fascination inspired her to begin cooking classes at a young age and immediately her passion, drive and creativity was ignited. In 2006 Janine took an eight-month culinary sabbatical, where she travelled extensively through Spain, Italy, Greece, France, Turkey, Germany, Monaco, UK, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, Croatia, Thailand & Indonesia, exploring and gaining incredible knowledge on international flavors.
Booth brought her culinary passion to the United States just eight years ago and since then has appeared on a number of TV networks including shows on Fox, CBS, NBC’s Today Show, and the hit show Chopped. Booth and her partner Jeff McInnis are spicing up the Miami culinary scene as they recently opened Stiltsville Fish Bar in Sunset Harbour, which features the best seafood bites alongside incredible view of Biscayne Bay.
Whether Booth is managing her restaurants, being a mother, this entrepreneur does it all. Booth got in the driver’s seat of the Jaguar E-Pace and spilled all details about riding the luxurious Jaguar E-Pace all throughout the streets of Miami.
World Red Eye: Tell us a bit about yourself?
Janine Booth: I was born in Australia and grew up there for the first 22 years of my life. I have spent the last eight years here in the United States, splitting my time from New York and Miami. I am a Mum of my little girl Sunny who is now 16 months old and she is my greatest achievement yet!
WRE: Who influenced you to become a chef?
JB: I grew up watching the Naked Chef – Jamie Oliver on TV and just loved his ethos and passion for creating amazingly fresh and tantalizing dishes. My dad owned restaurants and ice cream stores growing up so I was introduced to the business at a young age.
WRE: What is your favorite part about living in Miami?
JB: There is so much to love about Miami; the weather, the beaches, the bay, the melting pot of cultures, and the amazing food scene that has been transpiring over the past 10 years.
WRE: Have you ever driven a Jaguar E-Pace before this drive?
JB: No, this was my first time and I enjoyed every second of it!
WRE: How would you describe the driving experience of the Jaguar E-Pace?
JB: The Jaguar E-Pace was super quick, extremely luxurious, and full of features.
WRE: If you could describe the Jaguar E-Pace in one word what would it be and why?
JB: The Jaguar E-Pace is luxurious! The leather seats and supreme finishes of the Jaguar E-Pace make for an incredible ride.
WRE: Where did you travel to with the Jaguar E-Pace?
JB: I mainly drove the Jaguar E-Pace to the restaurants, to the beach, to Sunset Harbour for a quick paddle board and home!
WRE: The Jaguar E-Pace is packed with technology. What was your favorite tech feature?
JB: My favorite tech feature of the Jaguar E-Pace was the self-parking feature! In Miami, parking is always an issue and I loved how the Jaguar E-Pace parks itself.
WRE: If you could drive the Jaguar E-Pace anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?
JB: I would love to take the Jaguar E-Pace on a road trip around Australia with a camper van on the back! I have always wanted to take that trip and this would be the way to do it!
WRE: Would you recommend the Jaguar E-Pace to your friends?
JB: Absolutely! The Jaguar E-Pace was incredible.
WRE: What was your favorite experience when working with The Collection?
JB: Working with The Collection was incredible, there dedicated team worked with me in such a professional and friendly manner.
WRE: How would you describe the food at Stiltsville Fish Bar?
JB: At Stiltsville Fish Bar we have a handful of local fisherman who bring us only the freshest seafood that the surrounding Florida waters have to offer from their catch that day. This then makes up our ‘Daily Catch’ menu where we feature as many as 8 different types of fish for that day. The main menu is filled with classic dishes that we have reinvented with innovative techniques and creative flavor combinations. At Root & Bone NYC & Miami beach we focus on classic Southern hospitality and food with some really fun and elaborate takes on fried chicken, meatloaf, biscuit sandwiches etc.
WRE: What are some of your signature dishes at Stiltsville Fish Bar?
JB: At Stiltsville Fish Bar you will find a classic Florida dish is coconut shrimp, we do a version of this using Royal Red Shrimp wrapped in kataifi filo dough, fried in coconut oil and topped with key lime cilantro aioli and toasted coconut. We also have an incredible whole crispy snapper with lemon basil salsa verde, as well as some delicious grilled oysters with green neck butter and charred sourdough bread which are both super popular. At Root & Bone our signature dish is our sweet tea brined fried chicken dusted in lemon powder along with buckwheat waffles and whiskey maple syrup.
WRE: The James Beard Foundation has recently nominated you the Rising Star Chef of the Year. How excited where you when you heard about the nomination?
JB: 99% of chefs hope to one day be nominated for this award so it is a huge honor for me; but it is truly an award for my entire team at Stiltsville Fish Bar who work tirelessly to make sure our vision is met each and every day.
