Best known as a Food Network host of programs such as Dinner: Impossible, Worst Cooks in America and Restaurant: Impossible, Chef Robert Irvine has a long list of credits to his name. The British-born Irvine received culinary training in the British Royal Navy and served aboard the HMY Brittania, where he cooked for the royal family. He has also prepared cuisine in the Naval Mess in the West Wing of the White House and been executive chef at Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort and Caesars Atlantic City.
Chef Irvine’s renowned creative cuisine arrived on Hilton Head Island in February 2009 with the opening of his restaurant, eat! The restaurant focuses on fresh, locally sourced ingredients, and the menu runs the gamut from beloved Southern dishes such as fried green tomatoes or blackened snapper and grits to traditional French dishes like duck confit or foie gras, all with his unique twist. Voted Best New Restaurant in 2009 by Hilton Head Monthly readers, eat! has remained a favorite with islanders and visitors alike.
Best of all, eat! welcomes groups for a wide array of events. Cooking classes at the restaurant last two to three hours and can welcome 30 to 50 people. Each class includes a gourmet three- to five-course meal, cooking demonstration, recipe booklet and other giveaways. Classes are taught by an in-house chef; Chef Irvine is available on a fee-basis only.
"At Robert Irvine’s eat!, our staff believes in building events from the ground up; pre-packaged cookie-cutter events are not what our guests expect or desire," says Lee Lucier, executive chef. "We do not have any ‘boxed’ menus. We build every event plan with great detail to the customer needs with an emphasis on menu concept, event execution and attention to all the details."
Ideas for other events include lunch-and-learns, private chef dinners and wine tastings. The restaurant’s main dining room can accommodate banquets of 80 to 100 for formal dining or as many as 130 for cocktails. The lounge can host 80 for cocktails, and the entire facility has a maximum capacity of 150.
Eat! is located near the center of the island in the Village at Wexford shopping center.
