Destin, FL October 2023

FOOD + BEVERAGE

MARINA CAFÉ: A FINE-DINING TRADITION IN THE HEART OF DESTIN

Food & Drink ISSUE

Welcome fall!

Food has a unique way of transporting us back to specific moments in our lives. The aroma, flavors, and textures can spark vivid memories and emotions associated with past experiences. Whether it's a childhood favorite dish or a family recipe passed down through generations, food holds a special place in our hearts.

For many people, fall is a particularly nostalgic time when it comes to food. The comforting scents of cinnamon, apple, pumpkin, and hearty soups can evoke memories of cozy gatherings, family meals, or holiday traditions. These flavors and aromas become intertwined with our personal stories and create a sense of warmth and familiarity.

Food can also be a means of connecting with our cultural heritage or exploring new culinary experiences. Trying new recipes, experimenting with different ingredients, or visiting restaurants that showcase seasonal dishes can be a way to create new memories and expand our culinary horizons.

Whether it's recreating cherished family recipes or exploring the flavors of a  fall menu at a restaurant; the art of creating flavorful dishes allows us to both satisfy our taste buds and connect with our memories. As always, thank you for reading and embracing this Flavorful Journey.

October 2023

PUBLISHER

Carmen Ionascu | Carmen.Ionascu@citylifestyle.com

MANAGING EDITOR

Josh Foster | josh.foster@citylifestyle.com

EDITORIAL COORDINATOR

Savannah Vasquez | savannah.vasquez@citylifestyle.com

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Shanna Magnuson with DaVista Photography, Robert Young of Forever Young Images, Alyssa Turner

Corporate Team

CARMEN IONASCU, PUBLISHER

@DESTINCITYLIFESTYLE

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Steven Schowengerdt

CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Matthew Perry

VICE PRESIDENT OF SALES Tiffany Slowinski

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF HR Janeane Thompson

DIRECTOR OF FIRST IMPRESSIONS Jennifer Robinson

TECHNICAL DIRECTOR Josh Klein

CONTROLLER Gary Johnson

AD DESIGNER Matthew Endersbe

LAYOUT DESIGNER Antanette Ray

Proverbs 3:5-6

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THE LEGENDS THAT LEFT US

REMEMBERING PROMINENT DESTIN RESTAURANTEURS AND SERVERS

Harriet Huntress Crommelin of Café 30A

Trailblazer, visionary, a force to be reckoned with; these are all words used to describe the late Harriet Huntress Crommelin, founder of Café 30A. A forward-thinking restauranter, Harriet moved to the Emerald Coast in 1995 and opened Café 30A.

“She lived in Montgomery and owned a restaurant there, and she would always come down here to vacation,” said Café 30A Co-Owner Jackie Maliszewski. “In the early ‘90s, she tried to get a reservation at Creole’s and couldn’t. She thought, ‘Wow, this place needs another restaurant!’”

In May of 1995, Harriet officially opened Café 30A in Seagrove. Harriet’s vision was for an upscale restaurant where everyone felt welcome.

“She always wanted to appeal to all crowds and all ages,” said Jackie. “Her motto was “Consistently Delicious.”

Although Harriet did not have children of her own, her employees consider her the matriarch of Café 30A.

“She was our work mom and my mentor,” Jackie said. “A lot of people say that Café’ 30A was a place where you were welcomed; a place that felt like coming home.”

Robert Allen

“Uncle Bob”

Morris of Marina Café

Uncle Bob was a Destin fine dining staple. Since he moved to Destin in the early 1980s, Uncle Bob could be found serving in any number of Destin’s finest restaurants. Those at Marina Café have a soft spot for Uncle Bob.

“He worked here when it first opened in 1988, then he worked up and down the road a little bit, but then he came back here in 2018,” said Marina Café Office Manager Judy Altilio. “He was the epitome of fine dining; a pressed shirt, ties that matched his socks; he was very prideful of his profession.”     Co-workers and customers remember Uncle Bob’s wit, his obsession with The Grateful Dead and his vast knowledge of fine wine.

“He always wore Jerry Garcia ties with matching socks, and he was a great Sommelier,” said Marina Café Server Troy Klamerus. “Everybody learned from his wine knowledge because he took the time to teach people.”

Uncle Bob had a storied past, born and raised in the Pacific Northwest; he joined the Navy and served in the Vietnam War. Later, he worked in the logging industry during the summer and began sailing in the winter. He eventually wound up in Destin where he decided to stay.

Mark Anton and Michael Dragon, co-owners of Borago Restaurant in Santa Rosa Beach, met right out of culinary school in 1992. The two chefs graduated from Johnson & Whales University and ended up at the same restaurant in Charleston, North Carolina. The friends lived together and then parted ways for a year before meeting up again at a restaurant in Birmingham, Alabama.

“We were together at a restaurant called Azaleas for two and a half years, then one of the people in management brought us here to 30A,” Michael said. “We saw a ‘For Sale’ sign in front of the restaurant, called about it, bought it and been here for 24 years now.”

When Mark passed away in July of this year, it left a huge hole for the entire Borago family.

“He just had a big heart; a big soul and I think the biggest thing that he and I were proud of was the family atmosphere here,” Mark said. “We treat everybody like family.”

When it came to the restaurant, Mark and Mike ran everything together. They came up with the menu together and had a joint vision that made the restaurant succeed.

“They say you meet people that touch your life, and Mark was that for me, he was special,” Mike said. “He’s going to be sorely missed for sure. He was someone that everyone remembered.”

“They say you meet people that touch your life, and Mark was that for me, he was special,” Mike said. “He’s going to be sorely missed for sure. He was someone that everyone remembered.”

Pino Rella of La Famiglia

Family was everything to Pino Rella, so much so that he named his Destin restaurant La Famiglia, “The Family” in Italian. Pino moved his family from Rome to Destin in 2009 and quickly built a reputation for authentic Italian cuisine with a family atmosphere. Along with his wife Stefania, and his three daughters Francesca, Michela and Valentina, the Rella family worked together to bring true Italian flavor to Destin.

“My dad wanted the American dream,” Francesca said. “In 2000, he decided to make it happen. He came to America to look around and he looked in Florida. He loved the sun; he loved the ocean, and he loved fishing. We grew up in a little village near Rome and we had all our businesses and our house there, but we decided to close everything and move here.”

Pino and his family frequently visited Italy, and it was during a solo trip back to Rome for Easter this year, that the Rella’s got news that their patriarch had passed away.

“My father sadly left without notice. He left a lot and he left too early,” Francesca said. “He was a stubborn man, but really kind. He was a typical Italian man, always charming and joking; he laughed until the last moment.”

Over the past 14 years, La Famiglia has become a staple for Italian cuisine in Destin. Those in Italy remembered him as a gentle giant, bar owner, former soccer player and coach. Destin remembers him as a welcoming face, ready to make every customer in his restaurant smile.

“He was always talking to customers and every time he saw a kid, he would bring them to the back and have them make a pizza and make it a heart shape,” Francesca said. “Surprisingly lots of people and customers from the restaurant reached out to us to say sorry about my father.”

MARINA CAFÉ:

A FINE-DINING TRADITION IN THE HEART OF DESTIN

ARTICLE BY SAVANNAH VASQUEZ | PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAVISTA PHOTOGRAPHY-SHANNA MAGNUSON

A chandelier bar, sweeping harbor views from every seat and minute attention to service details, are just a few things that make Marina Café one of the prime fine-dining restaurants in Destin. Established in 1988, Marina Café is one of the few places in Destin where you can still find white tablecloth dining complete with dining etiquette of days gone by.

“We use stamped, heavy-weight silverware, servers will come crumb your table for you, all the things that are kind of going away in the restaurant business, we are trying to keep them alive here,” said Marina Café Director of Operations Lee Pardue. “You will be offered a before meal cocktail, bread course, appetizer, entree, pauses between courses, dessert and after meal cocktail. All the old school steps of service, those are just some of the things that makes our fine dining experience vintage.”

Marina Café was opened by Jim Altamura, a restauranter from Baton Rouge, so the menu carries with it a nod to Louisiana cuisine.

“Our andouille-crusted red fish blows every other dish away,” said Lee when asked about the restaurant’s most popular dish. “It is incredible how many of them we sell.”

As for the most popular dessert? Marina Café has its very own spin to an old southern delight, the coconut cream pie. The dish is so popular that customers often order whole pies to-go to take to events or celebrations.

“The coconut crème pie was created by one of the chefs that is currently on staff,” said Office Manager, Judy Altilio. “Jim said, ‘I want a unique dessert,’ and with zero direction, our chef produced the coconut crème pie. It is a unique presentation because it is extremely high for a pie.”

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Judy, who has worked at Marina Café for 15 years, said that what makes the restaurant special for her is the generations of families that have created traditions there.

“The number one thing I would say that keeps me coming back is loyalty, we have guests that have been coming here for 30 plus years,” Judy said. “You learn your customers and they bring their families. We have one buffet per year, and it is on Thanksgiving. I have seen families go from a mom and dad with two kids to a mom and dad with two adult kids, their spouses and eight grandkids that now come every year as their Thanksgiving tradition.”

In a town known for heavy summer tourism, it is common to see restaurants bare or even closed in the winter months, but not so with Marina Café. Not only does the food and service speak for itself, but the staff has produced some ingenious ways to fill the slower months with customers.

“We have our early dining promotion from 5-6 p.m. which is buy one entrée get one free, so especially in the winter season, you can see a line of people at the door waiting,” said Lee. “We also serve happy hour every day from 5-7 p.m. in our lounge.”

Although the original location was inside of the Destin Yacht Club, when Jim Altamura built Marina Café two years after opening, he put a lot of thought into how the restaurant would both look and function as a fine-dining staple.

“Every seat has a harbor view to it, that’s how Jim designed it, so that with a slight head turn you are looking out at the Destin harbor," Lee said.

As for the future, now that Altamura has retired and handed his beloved restaurant over to the next generation of restaurateurs, new owner Danny Bilger plans to keep the fine dining tradition alive.

"We are constantly renewing and revising the property and freshening up because the building is over 30 years old,” said Lee. "But the elegance and grace of the restaurant is still here, our revitalizing is more about just keeping up and taking care of the classic restaurant. We are a dining experience; you are going to really experience a meal at Marina Café.”

“ALL THE THINGS THAT ARE KIND OF GOING AWAY IN THE RESTAURANT BUSINESS, WE ARE TRYING TO KEEP THEM ALIVE HERE,” SAID MARINA CAFÉ DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS

LEE PARDUE.

THE HIDDEN GEM OF 30A

Chef’s Bistro 30A Brings

A Myriad of Cuisines & Flavors

Justin Sharpe has loved cooking since he was a kid. From working alongside his grandmother on a family meal to his many jobs in prestigious restaurants and vineyards across the country, Sharpe has honed his cooking skills to perfection.

Sharpe’s restaurant, Chef’s Bistro 30A in Gulf Place offers a delightful array of cuisines from French to Jamaican that will titillate every palate.

“We offer a wide variety of styles, techniques, and cuisine,” Justin said. “We have Italian, Jamaican, Pacific Islander, Asian, French, traditional American, Indian, Mediterranean, Mexican, and our own fusions. We have Wagyu burgers, omelettes, poke bowls, curry chicken and lamb, Italian meats lasagna, Cajun tortellini, duck fat ribeye, fish tacos and seafood enchiladas just to name a few of our menu items.”

Justin has trained under several chefs and has cooked for many a celebrity over the past 20 years. He said that in all his years of training, he learned more from his mentor Jacques than he ever learned in a classroom.

“I cook as well as I do now because of learning from Jacques in Solvang, California,” Justin said. “I worked all over the Santa Barbara wine country. I started out at Justin Vinyards, then I

went down to Birnam Wood Country Club and Montecito Country Club to Los Angeles cooking for the likes of Mike Douglas, Kirk Douglas and Catherine Zeta Jones. We even had Betty White’s birthday parties and Save the Animals galas.”

That fast-paced life of California left something lacking for Justin, as he said he began to get burnt out.

“I just got fed up with L.A. and I thought, ‘Where did I live the last time I was happy?’” Justin said. “So, my wife Candice and I moved to Clearwater, Florida and opened Chef’s Table Café. After two years in business, we had a line at the door awaiting our opening and were on a wait for most of the day."

Justin said he discovered a breakthrough in the menu when he and his wife decided to incorporate a Jamaican food menu to the restaurant. The couple fused Justin's classic French techniques to Candice's cultural and traditional Jamaican dishes and the result was a hit.

"We sold out of Oxtails, Curry Goat, Curry Chicken, and Jerk Chicken almost every day before we sold that restaurant and moved back to this area,” he said.

Now from his kitchen in Gulf Place, Justin offers the freshest food he can get his hands on and the most flavorful combinations you can imagine.

"We buy all our seafood from Destin Ice Seafood and Water Street Seafood and they both buy from the local docks,” Justin said. “We source from the local farmers markets when we can and are always seeking Fresh Florida products. We also get products directly from Georgia and Alabama fruit and vegetable farmers I have met as customers of the restaurant.”

Whether a local or vacationer in the Santa Rosa Beach area, Chef's Bistro 30A, or the equally acclaimed Chef's 30A Deli just up the street, will have something fresh and new to taste and discover.

“We have a humble location that serves some of the best, freshest, highest quality food in the area with our own culinary twists,” Justin said. “I would consider us a casual family friendly restaurant with fine dining quality flavor and presentation.”

“We have a humble location that serves some of the best, freshest, highest quality food in the area with our own culinary twists,” Justin said.

Wine Bottle FROM T-SHIRT TO

Jessie Orbovich, owner of wine brand Slay Rose’ believes in serendipity - when things that happen seemingly by chance end up creating a happy or beneficial outcome.

As a creative young entrepreneur in Boston, Jessie opened Go Garbaj, a vintage clothing consignment store. Her most popular items were vintage t-shirts that she upscaled by screen-printing slogans on them. The slogan that always sold out as soon as it hit the rack was her own catchphrase Slay Rose.’

“I was wearing my Slay Rose’ shirt and I met a winery owner named Nicole Abiouness,” Jessie said. “Nicole said, ‘I own a winery in Napa, I don’t make rose’ but I know people who do.’ I was trying to trademark the Slay Rose’ slogan at the time, but once I got the trademark, I called her up and she said, ‘I wear my Slay Rose’ shirt all the time and guess what, I make rose’ now!’ So that’s how I got my wine brand.”

Although connecting with Abiouness winery felt serendipitous, Jessie said running the actual wine business has taken a lot of intentionality.

CONTINUED >

“It’s not an easy business, it’s a lot of work, but I get to use my talents from my years in the restaurant industry,” Jessie said. "I love meeting people, I love wine and food, so I guess Slay Rose’ really keeps me social.”

Jessie moved to Destin three years ago, following her family who have lived in the area for decades. Having lived here once before, she said it was like moving back home. Of course, it helped that the Destin and South Walton area are always ready to embrace a new wine.

Slay Rose’ is a 100-percent pinot noir rose’, which means it has a drier, bolder taste than other rose’ wines. Jessie is proud of her small batch, vineyard to bottle wine, and for good reason, it not only sells well, but it is also fine on the palate.

“The wine sells itself; the name only gets you so far,” Jessie said. “I wouldn’t be getting into the places I’m getting into if it wasn’t a good wine.”

Slay Rose’ can be found locally in Modica Market, Cork and Barrel, Shunk Gulley Liquor and Grayton Corner Wine Shop to name a few. The unique aspect of Slay Rose’s marketing is that every label can be personalized. Jessie encourages customers to tag Slay Rose’ on social media and share how they personalized the label.

“You can write in your own hashtag on the label,” Jessie said. “It’s a fun marketing thing for people to do. It started with the hashtags on the shirt, but I thought it would be fun for people to be able to personalize the bottle.”

From t-shirt design concept to wine bottle, Jessie said the whole Slay Rose’ journey has been a happy one. Now in her third year of production, Jessie is focusing more on marketing and said she is looking to expand into new markets and even into nearby states (look out Texas and Louisiana) in the near future.

“My catchphrase is ‘How do you Slay Rose?’” Jessie smiled. “You might slay it for breakfast with your grandma, or dessert with your niece, or all day with your girlfriends. How ever you decided to Slay Rose’, share it with us! We love seeing how you Slay Rose’.”

Beauty from Ashes

provides quality stone for quality homes

Sometimes life gives you lemons, and other times it throws stones at you; that’s where Angela Rissi got the idea for her custom countertop company Phoenix Surfaces. Her motto is, ‘When life throws stones, we make countertops!’

“Phoenix means, rising from the ashes, and I went through a hardship in my life that I never thought I was going to go through,” Angela said. “I was devastated, but I realized who I was, and I decided to do what I knew how to do with stone, and that’s how the name and the business came about.”

Angela was born into a large, loving, loud, and always laughing family in Brazil. In 1990, Angela came to the United States with many dreams and aspirations in her luggage. From working in the cleaning industry, volunteering at the American Red Cross, and

taking cosmetology classes to co-founding the Brazilian Catholic community of Worcester, MA and working in a hair salon; she has done it all.

Angela has been in the custom countertop business for 18 years and she knows her stone. From granite and marble to quartzite and quartz, she knows where each slab comes from and how it’s produced.

“A lot of people don’t realize that it’s a long and hard process for that stone to come into your house,” she said. “Most of the natural stone comes from Brazil. They literally explode the mountain, cut the slab, polish the slab, ship it overseas, cut it again, give it a final polish, and bring to your house.”

When it comes to her favorite material for a home, Angela said her passion is the pure natural stone.

CONTINUED >

“What I like about natural stone is that it is like a fingerprint, it will never be the same twice,” she said. “Mother nature makes the best art. We sell countertops, but I always tell my customers that we are putting a piece of art in the kitchen, bathroom or fireplace.”

If there is one thing Angela is more passionate about than creating beautiful countertops, it’s her sons; Vinny and Felipe. Both are now living in California, following their own passions into their careers, and Angela said she couldn’t be prouder.

“I have two beautiful boys, they are my pride,” she said. “One thing that makes me happy is seeing that my boys grew to become good human beings. My oldest is working in T.V. production, and my younger son is a musician. Even though they are adults now, they know if they need me, I will be on the next flight I can get.”

Now an empty nester, Angela said she puts her time and energy into her business. Her dedication to quality workmanship and customer service shows, as her clients refer her to their friends time and again.

At Phoenix Surfaces, the customers are like family, and some of the employees are quite literally family. Angela is so proud of her team. Each one of them play an important role.

“Everyone on our team is incredibly passionate and knowledgeable about what we do and will be happy to guide you in selecting the right stone for your countertops," Anglea said. "Choosing countertops is something very personal. We sell all countertops that we can make from slabs, but I always want to be true to myself and my customers. I want to make sure you make a selection based on what you love and what you can afford. I love what I do, it’s really my passion.”

“I always want to be true to myself and my customers. I want to make sure you make a selection based on what you love and what you can afford,” said Angela Rissi.

Oyster SPORTS BAR

They may still be new to the Destin restaurant scene, but Auston’s on 98 has already begun to make a name for themselves. Since opening their doors three years ago, Auston’s has won local awards for both their oyster and sports bar components.

Auston’s late owner Doug Crow had dreamed of opening a restaurant in Destin for more than 20 years. A successful restauranter in Nashville, Crow had his eye on his favorite Destin restaurant, Buster’s Oyster Bar and Grill.

“Doug had been coming to Destin for years with his family and they would always go to Buster’s, which was a staple in Destin, he said that if Buster’s ever closed, he wanted to buy it,” said Auston’s on 98 Co-Owner Jessica Evans. “He wanted to do an oyster bar because that’s what Buster’s was, but his nine restaurants in Nashville were all sports bars so he wanted to try to incorporate the two.”

Auston’s on 98 is named for Doug’s youngest son, who now is part owner and works in the Destin restaurant.

"Doug’s first restaurant he owned was named after his oldest son, Dalton, and he wanted to name this restaurant in Destin after his younger son, Auston. When Doug passed away last year the boys took over his part of the ownership.”

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Auston’s on 98 offers a new way to do seafood

Located in a strip mall across from the Silver Sands Outlet Mall, Auston’s is an unassuming location; one that often gets overlooked. However, Jessica said customers and passersby are always pleasantly surprised to find a state-of the-art oyster bar, clean bright beachy theme, impressive seafood menu and 37 flat screen televisions awaiting them inside.

“A lot of people think from the outside that we are a dive bar but when they walk in, they often say, ‘This is not at all what we thought it would look like!’” said Jessica. “We have a 102-foot bright aqua bar, painted in aquas and greys, it’s very clean and inside."

When it comes to the food, Jessica said everything is fresh and as local as she can get it. A seafood menu with a Nashville flair, Auston’s has begun to make a name for itself among vacationers and locals alike.

“We sell more raw oysters than anything else, and we have an oyster shucker that will shuck oysters right in front of you; that’s the most popular thing we have,” Jessica said. “We use local oysters, fresh scallops, domestic shrimp and we serve a local fish of the day. I think our seafood speaks for itself.”

Still being relatively new in town, Jessica said the restaurant gets its name in the community by being part of the community.

"We do a little bit of advertising, but really it's mostly through sponsorships to local sports teams, school athletic programs and charity golf tournaments, where we go and cater and let people try our food," Jessica said. "There are a lot more charity events than you can imagine in this town."

Auston's is a bustling place during football season, between college football and professional games, Jessica said the restaurant is always busting at the seams in the fall.

"Saturdays and Sundays in the fall are a mad house, but it’s a fun mad house," Jessica laughed. "We may not have the water-side view but we have a fun, local atmosphere for both locals and vacationers to enjoy."

@austonon98

Home of the 102 foot bar including 32 beers on draft and 37 TVs. Some of our specialties include little neck clams, freshly shucked raw oysters, New England style clam chowder and jumbo shrimp cocktail! Check back soon to see our specials, and full menu. Auston’s on 98, of Nashville roots, also features its very own “Real Deal Nashville Hot Sauce”! HOURS

Home of the 102 foot bar including 32 beers on draft and 37 TVs. Some of our specialties include little neck clams, freshly shucked raw oysters, New England style clam chowder and jumbo shrimp cocktail! Check back soon to see our specials, and full menu. Auston’s on 98, of Nashville roots, also features its very own “Real Deal Nashville Hot Sauce”! HOURS

/austonon98

Open 7 Days A Week! 11am-10pm

Open 7 Days A Week!