Like many of his Alabama contemporaries, James Boyce is a well-traveled chef. He broke into the cooking world with a lengthy run in New York City as a student at the Culinary Institute of America and an assistant to Daniel Boulud at the famed Le Cirque.
During an extend stay on the West Coast, Boyce became one of the most famed chefs in the area and received, among plenty of other recognition, a nomination for “Best Chef of the Southwest” by the James Beard Foundation.
But when Huntsville businessman Jeff Sikes struck up a conversation about his desire to open a restaurant, Boyce saw the opportunity to take the next step in his career. He moved to Alabama in 2008 and launched a career in the Rocket City with his flagship venture, Cotton Row. He’s already up to three restaurants now—including the Pane e Vino Pizzeria and the laid-back Commerce Kitchen—and has quickly become a local favorite.