Meet Josh Elliott | Chef & Restaurant Owner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Josh Elliott and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Josh, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
The freedom to create my own vision.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I definitely don’t think it was easy. It took a lot of time, hard work, and determination to get to where I am today, but I think one of the things that sets me apart, is that at this point I can say, I am in it for the pursuit of the process. For me there’s no result. I really enjoy the process. When I start to attach a result to things, I find that my motivation gets altered. Right now at QP we’re in it to have a good time while we put out quality products.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
We would start at Panther Coffee or Chugs in Coconut Grove, grab a coffee, and always a pastelito if it’s Chugs, for the drive up to Hollywood Beach. My favorite place to walk the boardwalk, people watch, and then end up at Le Tub for a burger, fries and seafood salad. Can’t be beat. For dinner we’d go see our friends at Macchialina. To me, there is no one in Miami doing things like Mike Pirolo is a G, and my wife loves Jackie Pirolo and what she’s done with her wine list, and anything they put on the table is going to be excellent, but don’t skip the Brocollini al Cesare.

Just so we’re clear, I’d never take anyone on a weeklong itinerary 😉 but next- hit Michael’s Genuine in the Design District for brunch and some fancy window shopping, Alabama Jacks in Key Largo for some real rustic Florida fun and live music, Palacio de los Jugos for fresh juice, picadillo and yuccas. Have to head to Little Havana for a walk down Calle Ocho a frita at El Rey and some real Miami culture, and then Taquiza in North Beach is one of our oldest, most reliable favorite spots to hit up – anything on the menu is going to be killer but don’t skip the chips and guac, they’ve been grinding their own mesa for a decade, and then walk the boardwalk and people watch along the beach. There are so many amazing things happening in this city right now, it’s very exciting for the people who have been here grinding the whole time.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Shoutout always to my wife and my business partner, Ellie, my constant constant. And a collective shoutout to every person I’ve worked with over the last 15 years, every prep cook and line cook, every dishwasher, every employer, and all the family and friends who have supported me.

Website: www.qptapas.com

Instagram: @qp_tapas

Other: @chefjosh_elliott

Image Credits
Radskills, Jackie Sayet