James Beard Award Nominee

About The Ravenous Pig

Husband-and-wife duo, James and Julie Petrakis both grew up in Winter Park, Florida and met while studying at the acclaimed Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. Collectively, their resumes including working in kitchens spanning from New York City to Atlanta. It was during this time where they gained a strong appreciation for local and sustainable ingredients. The couple returned to Orlando to start a family and open their first concept, The Ravenous Pig, in 2007.


Today, James and Julie are culinary leaders spearheading Orlando's bourgeoning food movement with multiple concepts in Orlando, including: The Ravenous Pig (2007), an award-winning American Gastropub; Cask & Larder (2012), a Southern Public House featuring seasonal ingredients located in Orlando's International Airport; and The Polite Pig (2017), a fast-casual concept in Disney Springs combining local Florida flavors with wood-fired, smoked modern barbecue. Their newest venture is The Ravenous Pig Brewing Company (2019), a 3,000 square foot facility that will produce namesake brews, available at both The Ravenous Pig and The Polite Pig and will also feature a future beer garden (2020). The brewery also brews the Cask and Larder beer line for their airport concept.


James and Julie have been recognized as semi-finalists by the James Beard Foundation for "Best Chef-South" for 7 consecutive years. The Ravenous Pig has received the Michelin accolade of Bib Gourmand for exceptional quality and value from 2022 to 2024. They have also received notable accolades from publications, such as Food & Wine, Saveur and Southern Living. They are also authors of The Ravenous Pig: Seasons of Florida cookbook.