Meet Molly Gordon | Chef Instructor & Food Blogger

We had the good fortune of connecting with Molly Gordon and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Molly, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I actually started Simply Southern Chef in college when I attended Johnson and Wales University as a way to share what I was creating in labs with my friends and family back home in Aiken. However, it quickly turned from lab recaps to sharing my own recipes and cooking tips. Flashforward to today, it is a melting pot of my life from recipes, restaurant reviews, travel vlogs, taste tests, favorite product reviews, and showcases of southern cuisine and cooking.

I never want to nail my feet down to just one precise topic, because we all know that life has so many stories and pathways. I share my life as southern chef living in the Palmetto state. It is important to me to highlight SC grown produce and local products, because supporting small businesses and SC Certified brands not only brings revenue back to our state but it also brings positive viewership to others around the world showing them all that South Carolina has to offer.

I have always grown up in the south and I am so proud of all the rich traditions and heritage I get to experience everyday.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
When I am not posting content on my social media platforms I am a Chef Instructor! I teach at Wando High School and I lead one of the top Culinary programs in the state. Just this year we swept the competition winning first place in the State FCCLA (Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America) Culinary Competition and Prostart Restaurant Management Competition.

My students also placed 4th in the Nation at the National Restaurant Association’s Prostart Invitational with the restaurant concept “Southern Strides”.

A lot of people assume I am a home economics teacher, but I always counter that with stories of my student’s successes in the food and beverage industry.

My students in my Culinary Arts Management Program receive numerous certifications, work based learning hours at restaurants and local festivals like The Charleston Wine + Food Festival, and learn managerial skills that set them up for success as the future leaders of the restaurant industry.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Friday:
Sunset Happy Hour at Red’s Ice House on Shem Creek
Dinner and Drinks at Momo Riverfront Park (specifically the hushpuppies, truffle fries, and espresso martinis!)
Night out of King St (Dispensary, Prohibition, and Share House)
Late night slice at Benny Ravello’s

Saturday:
Coffee and Donuts at Bked Shop in Mt Pleasant
Stroll through Mt Pleasant Antique Mall
Pop downtown for some shopping at Tiny Tassel, The Market (Grab a Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit), and Candlefish
Lunch and Wine Slush Flights at Wellhung Vineyard
Stroll by the pineapple fountain and Rainbow Row
Tour of the Charleston Tea Garden or Deep Water Vineyard
Late Dinner at Home Team BBQ finished with a gamechanger

Sunday:
Bagels from Rubys Bagels (BEC on Everything and French Toast Bagel with Oreo Cream Cheese)
Sunday Church at Seacoast Mt Pleasant
Brunch at Community Table
Crabbing off the dock at James Island Park OR Crabbing Lessons with Casual Crabbing with Tia
Cook your Crabs or take them to Charleston Crab House
Grab a scoop of ice cream from Off Trak
Sunset at ANY of the beautiful beaches in CHS!
(Make sure to take some Charleston treats home with you: like Charleston Tea Garden Tea, Red Clay Hot Honey, a bag of Carolina Gold Rice, or some benne wafers!)

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I want to give a huge shoutout to my family. My Dad Louis, Nana Maggie, Aunt Beth, Grandma Virginia, Cousin Ashley, and Cousin Walt have all inspired me in their own ways to pursue a career in the culinary field.

My Dad and his siblings are pretty picker eaters and he made sure to raise me to at least try everything once before saying that I didn’t “like it” and because of that I have very expanded and vast palette.

My Nana Maggie owned her own restaurant in Augusta GA called Foskoskies in the 1940s and I was so inspired by all of her tales from the “good ole days”. Those cooking skills were passed down to my Grandma who taught me cooking and baking skills growing up. She always made my birthday cakes look fabulous and tasty!

Anyone can tell you that I got my flair and taste for curated southern elegance from my Aunt and Cousin. My Aunt is an interior designer and truly taught me all it takes to throw a fabulous get together from the tablescapes, food, favors, and most importantly theme! I’ll never forget our Around the World party with food from around the Globe and how we celebrated all kinds beautiful cultures. Ashley and Walt have both taught me technical baking and cooking skills that gave me an upper edge when I got to culinary school.

Family is the only thing in life that never changes. I can always count of my family to be there to support me and that is a blessing that is priceless.

Website: https://simplysouthernchef.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/simplysouthernchef

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simplysouthernchef/

Image Credits
/stephanieascariphotography.