Jesse Blanco

Jesse Blanco

Panel Moderator - CEO @ Eat It and Like It

How many of you remember the days when we had three or four TV channels and you actually had to get up from your seat to change them? Show of hands please…

It was back in that day that Jesse developed a curiosity about television news. 6:00pm would come around and his mom would say “get out of my chair and change the channel.” There was no other TV set, so he watched the news. A lot. And so a career was born.

Since those days, Jesse has enjoyed a 19 year career as a television news anchor. In that time he has reported on major stories like hurricanes, Super Bowls, Shuttle launches and a Presidential Inauguration. He has lived in places like Orlando, Fort Myers, Savannah, Nashville and even El Paso, Texas. More importantly, though, spending time in a variety of places has allowed him to experience and understand different people and different cultures. That would obviously include food…both cooking and eating.

It helped that Jesse was raised in Miami along with a very, very large Cuban-American family where the genetic make up consists of food, drink, music, dancing, laughing, family, and friends. Toss in an insatiable desire to travel and explore and you get someone who is only happy being curious or learning and trying new things.

During the week, besides catching himself on the nightly news, Jesse participates in countless fundraisers and community events that take place in and around Savannah. On the weekend you’ll likely find him either tinkering with a new recipe or exploring something or somewhere with his family. During football season, you’ll find him parked in front of a TV-glass of red wine in hand-cheering on his Miami Dolphins or Hurricanes. The Historic District of Savannah, Georgia is where he calls home with his wife, Sheila, and their daughter.

Building Food: Creating and Maintaining Food Product Brands in Savannah

Ben Tucker Theater

The food business can be tough. But what does it take to succeed, and what unique assets and challenges does Savannah offer in the quest to deliver deliciousness? In this panel, owners of Savannah’s best-loved food brands share their stories of building and maintaining their empires and what they are doing to innovate in this […]


Eat It & Write It!


Whether you’re working on a pitch for a food publication, trying to brush up your blog, or write a killer Yelp review: Good food writing is about taste, place, and people. This hands-on workshop led by Emmy-nominated food journalist Jesse Blanco will walk you through how to create better content about food and dining. REGISTER […]

Workshop Limited Access