Best at the Beach

Southern Living, Sep 2005 by Vanhooser, Cassandra M

Good food is always on the table, thanks to some of our favorite chefs along Florida's Panhandle. Come meet them.

A narrow road in the northwest corner of Florida dips down off U.S. 98 between Destin and Panama City. It traces the curve of the Gulf of Mexico. Some call this "the Florida Smile." Others simply refer to it as Scenic Highway 30A.

I call it paradise.

Locals will tell you that fall is the best time of year to be here. Crowds melt away, and there's suddenly time to linger. To celebrate the season, we invited the chefs and owners of some of our favorite restaurants to join us for a potluck supper. We asked them to bring a dish from their menus and to talk about their restaurants.

Appetizers: Yianni's Seagrove Grille

The family-owned restaurant sits at the end of a strip mall east of Seagrove. A glassed case of desserts, including the honey-drizzled baklava ($4.99), greets customers as they step inside. Greek murals grace the walls, as do collections of baseball and political memorabilia, creating a comfortable, friendly atmosphere.

We asked owner Yianni Georgiades to bring samples of traditional Greek favorites, including dolmades (rice-stuffed grape leaves, $3.99), spanakopita (spinach-stuffed phyllo pastry, $6.99), tiropita (feta-stuffed phyllo, $6.99), and tzatziki (yogurt dip) with homemade pita chips ($3.99). We also love his fresh seafood selections and tasty hand-cut steaks. 4935 Highway 30A, Seagrove Beach; (850) 534-0002.

Soup: The Lake Place Restaurant

"It's a mom-and-pop restaurant, really," says Jim Richard, chef/owner of The Lake Place Restaurant. "We're all very close, and we take care of each other."

They make just about everything in-house, from the bread to the andouille sausage. For the Louisiana-born chef's signature crab bisque, he buys local snapper bones and makes fish stock and then cooks blue crabs with the fish stock to make crab stock.

Jim's restaurant looks much like a rustic lake house with bare wood walls, vaulted ceilings with exposed beams, and a screened porch. Add white tablecloths and bold artwork, and the place becomes both casual and sophisticated. 5960 Highway 30A, Santa Rosa Beach; (850) 267-2871 or www. thelakeplacerestaurant. com.

Salad: Fish Out of Water

Located in the WaterColor Inn, this restaurant is easily the most elegant and sophisticated on 30A. The dining room features soft, muted colors, flowing draperies, and ironwork mixed with colorful art glass. Best of all, it boasts a second-floor porch for spectacular Gulf-view dining.

The food is sublime. We asked chef de cuisine Philip Krajeck to bring Whitaker's Arugula Salad ($10). It features seasonal ingredients such as organic greens, serrano ham, roasted beets, and Lumiere cheese.

Chris Hastings, owner of Birmingham's hot and hot Fish Club, was just tapped to be a culinary advisor for St. Joe Towns & Resorts, which owns Fish Out of Water. "Look for our restaurants to be more closely tied to the land they're sitting on," Chris says. "There are things worth celebrating right here." 34 Goldenrod Circle, Seagrove Beach; (850) 534-5050 or www.watercolorinn.com.

Whole Fish Entr�e: Bud and Alley's

For almost 20 years, Bud and Alley's has been the most popular watering hole for much of 30A. In fact, many people make the rooftop bar their first and last stops at the beach.

"This is a happy place," says coowner Dave Rauschkolb, who started the restaurant with executive chef/co-owner Scott Witcoski in 1986. "People come from all over the world to eat here, and they just want to have a great time, and they want really good food," Dave continues.

The rustic, unpretentious menu reflects the two friends' relaxed, easygoing attitudes. Oysters Seaside ($10), baked with butter, breadcrumbs, shrimp, scallops, calamari, and lemon and lime juice, has long ranked among the favorites. Scott also recommends the Grilled Whole Fish of the Day ($28), the dish he prepared at our potluck.

"It embodies everything that we're about," he muses. "It's coastal. It's fresh. You just can't beat it." 2236 East Highway 30A, Seaside; (850) 231-5900 or www.budandalleys.com.

Fish Entr�e: Summer Kitchen/Blue By Night

James Dillon's restaurant sports a dual personality. Called Summer Kitchen during the day, the eatery features both breakfast and lunch menus. For the dinner meal, it becomes Blue By Night, an intimate bistro serving more upscale fare.

At breakfast, the French toast ($5.75) and the sausage, tomato, and potato frittata ($7.25) both make excellent choices. The sandwiches ($5.75-$7) and burgers ($6.50) are a hit with the beach bound.

Shawn Sherman assumes the reins at dinner, experimenting with both Southwestern and Asian flavors in his dishes. His signature entr�e is sesame-crusted tuna over fresh spinach with cucumber, grilled onion, and bell pepper marinated in Asian teriyaki ($27). "It's really fresh," he notes. "Everything works together." 60 North Barren Square, Rosemary Beach; (850) 231-6264.

Pork Entr�e: Trattoria Borago

Ask locals where they like to eat, and chances are Trattoria Borago ranks among their favorites. "I think our big thing is consistency," says chef/owner Michael Dragon.