Chef Spotlight
Anyone who asks Chef John Minas where his love of cooking and fine dining originated will be met with a smile and a story that shows his admiration of the art of cooking from a young age.
Chef Minas grew up in the deep-rooted Armenian community of Watertown, Massachusetts, with his Armenian and Assyrian family. He fondly recollects visiting his grandfather’s home every Sunday and watching as his grandfather poured his love into traditional Armenian and Middle Eastern dishes. The creativity he experienced through his grandfather’s cooking ignited a fire within Chef Minas.
Chef Minas’ love and dedication lead him to the prestigious Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, where he trained and learned valuable techniques he carries with him today. Through his entire professional career, he has been devoted to furthering his knowledge of food, from nutritional cooking to classical methods.
In 2011, he was honored by serving as the Executive Chef to Florida’s First Family. For four years, Chef Minas proudly served the Governor and First Lady healthy, flavorful dishes with a global twist.
Chef Minas is excited to be sharing his internationally inspired cuisine with the entire Tallahassee community.
Building History
Located in Tallahassee’s newly created Cascades Park, this once dilapidated building has now become one of the city’s most premier restaurants and social scenes. With its contemporary finishes, it’s hard to imagine the building is rooted in such rich Tallahassee history.
In 1921, the City of Tallahassee built The City Electric Building to serve the growing population and its demand for electricity. The plant converted coal into gas, providing lighting and heat for the city’s residents. Serving as the power plant for both electricity and gas, you could often find a line of people waiting outside the building to pay their monthly utility bills up until the mid-1950s.
In 2012, the City Commission added the building to the Tallahassee-Leon County Register of Historic Places. After years of neglect, the area surrounding the building was renovated into a 24-acre park. The overhaul created storm water and flood control, green space acquisition, and parks and recreation improvement to preserve to site’s cultural and natural heritage. Now known as the Cascades Park District, the newly renovated area surrounding the City Electric Building features 2.3 miles of biking and walking trails, breathtaking greenspaces, an interactive fountain and splash pad, cascading waterfall, and an outdoor amphitheater with seating capacity for up to 4,000. The exquisitely designed park became the perfect backdrop for a restaurant.
The building, renamed in honor of light bulb inventor, Thomas Edison, has been transformed into a beautiful piece of art, marrying historic charm and clean finishes.
Once a place where people gathered to pay monthly bills, The Edison now plays host to residents and visitors enjoying the park’s rich history and inventive dining.