The man from Niceville

In the fifth season of the Bravo network's often-imitated hit "Top Chef," Jeff McInnis was eliminated in the 10th episode—ironically during a Miami-themed challenge—over what the judges called "a watered-down version of seviche." But the resilient 30-year-old chef with model-good looks was happy to return to his beachfront kitchen at the Ritz-Carlton South Beach, where he whips up goat-cheese sorbet with a liquid-nitrogen machine and a fried-green-tomato club sandwich with eggplant, feta mousse, arugula and ketchup. Just don't expect to see grilled unicorn on the menu at the DiLido Beach Club.

Are you sick of people asking you about Top Chef?
It was fun. I'm glad I did it and I made a lot of great friends from the show. But I thought I would have at least made it to the finale. The response locally has been positive. People come in asking to speak to me now.

Do you have plans to do your own show?
If somebody approached me, I would, but all I really want to do is cook. Becoming popular is nice, but the more projects you take on, the more it takes you away from the kitchen. And then, the whole point of it breaks apart.

You're known for your sorbets and liquid-nitrogen machine. How does it work?
Sorbet works really well because our dining room is on the beach, and it's refreshing on a hot day. I like giving people something that tastes and feels good. I use liquid nitrogen instead of sugar, salt or alcohol, which is what's usually used to keep sorbets smooth. I do a cucumber sorbet, a sangria sorbet. I also do a sorbet that melts into a vinaigrette over a salad.

What's different about the food you prepare at DiLido as compared with other beachfront restaurants?
I try to be as organic as possible, which is hard to do in South Florida. But we get our produce from local farms in the Redlands and Homestead. I actually go out to the farms. I don't use any butter or white flour. It's really about keeping the food as pure as possible. And the style of food is mainly Southern Mediterranean- and Northern African-inspired cuisine. It's really different than most of the food you'll find in South Beach.

Did you really grow up in a Florida town called Niceville?
Yeah, it's in the Panhandle. At 15, I was cleaning fish for a local seafood restaurant. I grew up surfing and around boats, so I guess that's really where my love for cooking began.

Tell us about the cookbook you're writing.
It called "The Natural Course." It's focused on organic foods and split into chapters like farm, sea, garden, desserts and cocktails. I'll also include some recipes for sorbets.

How about opening your own restaurant?
Certainly not in this economy. I'm really happy where I'm at right now.

The DiLido Beach Club is located at the Ritz-Carlton South Beach, 1 Lincoln Road, in Miami Beach. Call 786-276-4000 or visit Ritzcarlton.com. For more on McInnis, visit Chefmcinnis.com. Contact Joanie Cox at jcox@citylinkmagazine.com.