Celebrity chef among new food vendors at THE PLAYERS Championship

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — THE PLAYERS Championship is welcoming an assortment of brand-new vendors for the tournament.

Silkie’s Chicken & Champagne Bar is one of the newest vendors at THE PLAYERS Championship.

Chef Kenny Gilbert spent days preparing for this tournament.

“Like 6 o’clock in the morning, I was working on orders, sending out to my vendors, timing everything to come in at the right time. Having the right quantity of food” Chef Gilbert said

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He’ll be dishing out his famous chicken, biscuits, and champagne cocktails.

“One of the signature sandwiches we’re going to be highlighting is called THE PLAYERS. It’s our jalapeno cheddar drop biscuit with a smoky fried chicken thigh. That’s going to be topped with pimento cheese and pepper jelly,” he said.

Chef Kenny opened his restaurant back in November 2020 while most restaurants were struggling during the pandemic.

He told me his restaurant in Springfield holds a special place in his heart.

It’s the neighborhood is where his wife and his late-father-in-law grew up.

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“He used to say all the time man Kenny you work really hard I’m very proud of everything you’ve done and how hard you’ve worked,” Chef Kenny said.

Now he’s hoping his father-in-law is looking down on him this week as he shares his food with thousands of golf fans at the players.

“I’m excited to have the team out there. Just to be a part of something that’s very special and very historic,” Chef Kenny said.

You can catch chef Kenny and his famous chicken and biscuits at hole 12.

The celebrity chef was a contestant on Bravo’s Top Chef back in 2010 and if you didn’t know it is already one of Oprah’s personal chefs.

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