Local chef takes top honors in cooking challenge

Destin Log and Walton Log - Destin,FL,USA - Javier Medina, chef at Smiling Fish Cafe in Santa Rosa Beach, was named Top Chef during the first annual Southern Breeze Gulf Coast Chef Challenge Finals in Gulf Shores, Ala. This event featured this year's winning chefs from the preliminary challenges in Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, and Mississippi.

Medina wowed the judges with four lamb variations - lamb carpaccio with ginger and horseradish, a mushroom crusted lamb chop, grilled lamb tenderloin, and hickory mesquite smoked lamb loin - served with butternut squash puree, roasted fall vegetables, and baby bock Choy with a lamb jus.