As chef and owner of Cotton Row, Galley & Garden, Commerce Kitchen, Pane e Vino in the charming cities of Huntsville, Alabama and Birmingham Alabama, James Boyce has built an incredible 25+ year culinary career upon an authentic appreciation for pristine American ingredients and dynamic leadership in the kitchen. A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, Boyce began his culinary journey at New York’s venerable Le Cirque, under the tutelage of Daniel Boulud. He has since served as executive chef at Mary Elaine’s at the Phoenician resort, the Loews Coronado Bay Resort, and Studio, at the Montage Resort in Laguna Beach, California. Among the many accolades bestowed upon the restaurants during his tenure, Boyce is particularly proud of bringing Mary Elaine’s and Studio to national prominence with the vaulted Mobil Five-Star award.

Boyce’s desire to fuse comfort, elegance and American cooking culminated in February 2009, when he opened Cotton Row in a three-story brick building built in 1821 along the cotton exchange. Boyce’s seasonal menus showcase a bounty of regional Alabama produce, daily-caught seafood, farm-raised meats, and game. Menu highlights include House-Cured Fudge Farms Bacon and Baby Spinach Salad with Pomegranate Vinaigrette and Jalapeno Demi-Glace; Red Sichuan Pepper Crusted Ahi Tuna with Tempura Haas Avocado, Citrus Cucumber Salad
and Sweet Soy; Pan Seared North Carolina Wreckfish with Creamy Orzo, Cippolini Onions, Andouille Sausage and Brown Butter; and Braised Beef Short Ribs with White Parmesan Grits, Portobello Mushroom, and Herb Caked Tomato.

His elegantly casual approach to cooking has brought him acclaim from journalists and diners alike. He has been lauded by the likes of Food & Wine, Esquire, Wine Spectator, Robb Report among others. Boyce leads an active outdoor lifestyle in Huntsville where he lives with his wife, daughter, and son.