by Karen Harrell
Originally posted January 2009

Just one block off busy Hwy. 98 in downtown Fort Walton Beach, Fla., is a place many longtime Snowbirds proudly call “home” – The Magnolia Grill.
“We have many Snowbirds who bring their friends and family in to ‘their’ restaurant,” said owner Tom Rice. “They go through and tell them all about the history and introduce me to them. It’s great.”
The remodeled and rambling 90-year old Craftsman-style two story house has a prime waterfront location that history buffs will remember as the former site of the 98 Court Motel. The walls are covered with memorabilia of Fort Walton’s long and sometimes racy history which included gambling well into the 1950s. The restaurant was named after the Magnolia Club, a landmark downtown business from that era.
The restaurant is open for lunch during the week and dinner nightly. The menu features Italian, seafood, steak and homemade desserts.
Lunch entrees range between $8 to $10 and include many of the Magnolia Grill’s signature dishes that come complete with soup or salad.
“Snowbirds know when they come here they will get value for their money,” said Rice who kept his prices steady during the recent boom years. “Most of the time we send them home with a ‘go’ box so they have a meal for the next day too.”
We visited for lunch and my strapping 6’3, 24-year-old nephew ordered the salad with prime rib accompanied by a cup of Fagoli soup and toasted garlic toast. I had the Crabcake with Fettucine and Shrimp Alfredo sauce and took half home for my 16-year-old daughter’s dinner. She proclaimed it as “the best she’s ever had.”
Both of us left stuffed but still ordered a sampling of desserts for later. The restaurant
offers a variety of home-made desserts contributed by various staff members from Tiramasu, cheesecakes, pies and good, oldfashioned apple pie.
Visitors are urged to visit the museum upstairs where military, media and local landmark memorabilia will make you go “wow.”
Each year the famed World War II heroes “Doolittle Raiders” hold a reunion at the restaurant.
Rice caters to a local crowd year-round part-time locals. Each year he gives a warm welcome at the Fort Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce’s Senior Snowbird Expo – set for Jan. 9 at the Emerald Coast Conference Center – with a grand gesture – a free bottle of wine for the first 1000 people.
Rice’s free bottle of wine gives the expo a huge boost. “This is my opportunity to say ‘thank you,”Rice said.

45A Via de Luna, Pensacola Beach, Fla. Open: 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday through Monday. Best known dish: Fish Tacos Details: 850-934-4848

Local, local, local.
In today’s world of never-ending chain stores and restaurants, it’s always a challenge finding quality local businesses, but especially restaurants.
Opened last spring in a

nondescript shopping center on Pensacola Beach, the Native Café is a true local’s (although tourists are encouraged) restaurant.
The restaurant serves only fresh food found from the area and eschews
the cost-saving steps taken by many chain restaurants.
What does this mean? Seafood pulled out of the Gulf of Mexico, vegetables purchased from local farmer’s markets, biscuits and desserts made fresh each day using unbleached flour, homegrown herbs and recipes that are all “native.”
Owner Joyce Brown starts her day at 5 a.m. getting the restaurant’s baked goods in the oven and prepping food. “Chef Tater” creates tasty sauces and recipes that have become popular among many repeat diners.
Brown’s entire family was involved in forming the restaurant including her two grown children who helped name menu items and create a strategy. But the restaurant came about by chance.
“One of my friends owned the building and he said there was a need for a breakfast place on Pensacola Dining at the Beach,” said Brown who has worked in the restaurant business for many years. “I decided to go for it.’
One of the most popular breakfast items is one your doctor may have ordered for you – the Apple & Raisin Oatmeal. Brown adds tasty ingredients such as cinnamon and real butter to the chopped apples and raisins.
The hottest seller on the menu is the Fish Tacos. Sorry, Brown won’t give away her recipe for this tasty dish but will tell you the secret is the fish is pan seared with an infusion of olive oil, home-grown herbs and Pinot Grigio. A generous serving of three soft tacos filled with the tasty fish, cabbage, red and green peppers with pico sauce or chipotle mayonnaise makes a meal. But, be sure to order at least a cup of gumbo. Brown adapted her mother’s home recipe and added generous helpings of vegetables to the traditional shrimp and chicken and tasty roux. Along with gumbo, fresh soups such as Lentil and Five Beach are served daily.
The décor in the restaurant is also local – the walls are filled with paintings, photos and other artwork produced by area artists. The artwork is also for sale.

by Karen Harrell
Originally posted March 2008

200 East 25th Avenue Gulf Shores, AL

She has had no trouble finding distribution outlets for her new cookbook. It is marketed through major online outlets such as Amazon.com, but also in selected major bookstores. She will be the guest of honor at a book signing event during the Fairhope, Ala., “First Friday Artwalk” from 6-8 p.m. March 7 at Page and Palette bookstore.
The popularity of her first book signing during the restaurant’s recent Mardi Gras anniversary party caught her by surprise. Some people – including many Snowbirds – waited an hour or more to have her sign a copy.
“People would say thank you for autographing the book,” she said. “I said that I’m actually glad people want to buy the book.”
The cookbook includes recipes from many of the restaurant’s most popular dishes along with family stories told in Buffett’s inimitable style.
The Snowbirds have become a part of Lulu’s winter regulars. Several local clubs host regular breakfast meetings there and the open-air atmosphere lures many back for an additional meal.
“The Snowbird business has helped our business not feel so seasonal,” Buffett said.
The process of writing a book is something many people don’t expect. It’s tough.
“It was so torturous that I said I’m never writing another book. But I’m already starting my second one.”

Vinnie R’s Italian Restaurant Harvest Village, 7552 Navarre Parkway, Suite 14 (3 miles west of Navarre Beach bridge) 11 a.m. until, every day Phone: 850-936-4811

by Joe Culpepper
Originally posted February 2008

In his book “Playing For Pizza,”
best-selling author John Grisham vividly describes Italians’ unabashed appreciation of fine food and wine.
Dining in romantic Italian locales such as Rome, Venice, Sicily or Florence –
or Parma, per Grisham’s novel – is typically reason for celebration; meals often last for hours.
Vinnie R’s, a family-owned New York-style Italian restaurant in Navarre, Fla., strives to make dining a similarly enjoyable experience.
Daniel and Paulette Rollant, along with general manager Michael Giachetti, opened Vinnie R’s three years ago with one goal: To serve the finest, freshest Italian food at affordable prices and with an attitude.
“There are a lot of Italian restaurants around,” Daniel Rollant said recently, “but we offer something that’s different, unique. All of our food is fresh, made from scratch. We only use top-of-the-line ingredients, like Grändé Wisconsin Mozzarella cheese.
This philosophy carries through to the other ingredients that we use.”
Not only does Vinnie R’s serve only the finest and freshest ingredients, it also prepares its sauces from scratch.
The cooks mix, weigh and roll their own dough daily. Many ingredients such as olive oil, ziti and linguini noodles are imported directly from Italy. Vinnie R’s homemade lasagna is its most popular fare. It’s a combination of layers of pasta, Ricotta and Parmesan cheeses, homemade meat sauce and smothered in Mozzarella cheese and baked to perfection.
Another favorite is the Tour of Italy, featuring a two-cheese or meat Ravioli with Manicotti and a choice of spinach or cheese shell, covered in Vinnie R’s signature Marinara sauce, with an extra-large meatball and toasted garlic bread.

Croaking frog greets visitors with a smile!

Mama-mia!
Seafood is popular in Navarre, and Vinnie R’s offers several mouthwatering pasta specials.
One best-seller is the Lobster and Shrimp A La Trattoria – succulent butterfly shrimp topped with fresh lobster, dusted with cracked black pepper and sea salt, baked in Vinnie’s original white wine/garlic butter sauce over linguini in a homemade Alfredo sauce.
Another fave is the traditional Shrimp Scampi, featuring eight fresh Gulf shrimp roasted in garlic and Parmesan butter sauce with a side of Angel Hair pasta.
Vinnie’s also specializes in spaghetti, strombolis and calzones, subs and salads. But you don’t want to leave without experiencing the New York-style thin-crust pizza. The Vinnie R’s Special features eight gourmet ingredients – pepperoni, sausage, hamburger, onions, green peppers, mushrooms, black and green olives.
Vegetarians will love the Bada-Boom topped with artichoke hearts, spinach, feta, mushrooms, tomatoes and minced garlic.
Vinnie’s offers a variety of wines that complement every entrée. In addition to domestic brands, several Italian beers are available: Peroni, Nastro, Azzurro, Moretti La Rossa and Birra Moretti.
“We try to stay away from wines you can buy most anywhere,” Rollants said. “Most of the prices on our wine list are in the moderate price range,
between $17 and $22 a bottle. We have two that sell for $39 a bottle for special occasions.”
Snowbirds are among Vinnie R’s most valued customers.
“Several Snowbirds have remarked that our food is very similar to what they are used to back home,” Rollant said. “Many of them appreciate premium cheese, which we go to great lengths to acquire and serve.”
A brief wait can be expected on weekend nights. That’s a good time to check out Vinnie’s paperback book exchange. You might even discover a copy of Grisham’s “Playing For Pizza” to further whet your appetite.

Originally posted February 2008

Jim Shirley is well-known in the Pensacola culinary scene as executive chef and part-owner of two thriving downtown eateries – The Fish House and Atlas.
The waterfront restaurants are popular among Pensacola’s business community and draw a loyal customer base.

Great Southern Café, Seaside, Fla Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner Special Winter Menu! Phone: 850-231-7327

But today he divides his time with a new venture, Great Southern Café, the restaurant he started last year in Seaside.
The idyllic community is located along Florida’s Scenic 30-A and was featured in the movie “The Truman Show,” starring Jim Carrey.
Although his market at Seaside is different, Shirley uses the same formula for success.
“I am actually using the same philosophy that I used in Pensacola,”
said Shirley, who contributes a regular column to the Pensacola News Journal and is publisher of a popular cookbook.
“Great food and good service have earned us loyal customers in Seaside as well. The difference is they are only in town two weeks a year.”
The restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner to accommodate Seaside’s overnight guests. As the name implies, menu items include Southern fare, such as biscuits and gravy, collard greens and fried okra.
Seaside’s winter market includes many day visitors who spend several months in nearby communities. Always looking for a chance to be creative in his menus, Shirley has adapted his winter fare to serve Snowbirds.
“I have some great seafood and salads and at least six fresh soups every day that will fit right in with the drive in Snowbirds,” Shirley said.
Among the winter specials: Mondays – 1/2 price wine by the bottle or glass and 25 cent oysters till March on Mondays; Tuesdays – complimentary beignets until noon, fried chicken and $3 dollar mojitos all day and Wednesdays – Couples lunch, which includes a soup sampler, salad, fish, shrimp and today’s veggy for $14.
The regular menu features several of his signature dishes from The Fish House, including Grits A Ya Ya. The tasty dish features smoked Gouda cheese grits, topped with cream gravy laced with bacon, spinach and mushroom with seasoned shrimp.
Shirley recommends winter visitors leave enough time to not only dine with him, but also stroll and shop in Seaside’s unique community.

25311 Perdido Beach Blvd. Orange Beach, Ala. Phone: 251-981-4628 Prices: Reasonable

Originally posted January 2008

Many new restaurants have opened along the Alabama Gulf Coast in the past few years, but Hazel’s Seafood Restaurant in Orange Beach maintains its status as a Snowbird favorite.
Each year, a variety of Alabama Snowbird clubs and small groups of winter visitors gather at the venerable restaurant to reconnect, chat and visit with their favorite wait staff.
“Both employees and the Snowbirds look forward to seeing each other,” said Wick Goldsmith, who has owned the 21-year-old restaurant for about seven years. “The servers love seeing the Snowbirds come back.”
Snowbirds are offered free VIP cards, which gives them a 10 percent discount off every meal, making the already affordable restaurant a popular choice.
The unpretentious building features a seaside décor and casual atmosphere. Three meals per day are served either buffet-style or off the menu.
“One reason the Snowbirds really like us is everything is made from scratch,” Goldsmith said.
“A lot of the Snowbirds eat one meal out a day and usually it is a late lunch or early dinner. They want to eat a good wholesome meal, which is what we do.
“We serve real food.”
The breakfast buffet includes an omelet station that is especially popular. The lunch buffet features 10-15 fresh vegetables, fried chicken and other items, such as smoked ribs that are as “good as any place you might go.”
On weekends the restaurant serves a 17-entrée seafood buffet.
The restaurant suffered about a half million dollars in damage from Hurricane Ivan, but Goldsmith didn’t wait to haggle with the insurance company and began repairs right away.
The restaurant reopened just a month later and began serving many reconstruction workers.
The former executive with the Piccadilly Restaurant chain decided although he wanted to retire at the beach, he wasn’t ready to quit working entirely.
Today, he leaves much of the daily management of the business to trusted employees, many who have been at the restaurant for 15 years or more.
He said putting his employees first pays off and shows when customers like the Snowbirds return year after year.

What: Aloha Grill, Hawaiian cuisine Where: 3499 Gulf Breeze Parkway, Gulf Breeze, Fla. Hours: Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Phone: 850-932-4837 Prices: Reasonable

by Joe Culpepper
Originally posted December 2007

You choose to spend your winters on the Gulf Coast. Hawaii, thousands of miles away in the Pacific Ocean, just isn’t a viable alternative.
But Snowbirds visiting Northwest Florida need not book a transcontinental flight or Pacific cruise for the opportunity to experience a taste of native Hawaiian cuisine.
Paul and Deborah Palpallatoc (pronounced papa-lotto) have brought Hawaii to the South in the form of Aloha Grill in Gulf Breeze. Snowbirds have discovered the eclectically and authentically decorated restaurant located in a small strip shopping center near Tiger Point.
“We are a Hawaiian flavors restaurant,” explains Deborah Palpallatoc, whose in-laws once lived on the islands. “The foods we have here are foods
we have been cooking for many years with family. This is the food we cook when we get together with friends. We decided we’d like to share it with everybody.”
Aloha Grill’s menu appeals to locals and curious Snowbirds alike who enjoy trying something unique. Each dish is meticulously prepared with all the love and attention native Hawaiians put into the art of cooking.
“We’ve had a number of Snowbirds who have stopped in on the way to Destin or Panama City,” Deborah said. “One couple parked their RV right in our parking lot. Lots of people who come in have either been to Hawaii or know somebody who’s from Hawaii. But you don’t have to know anything about Hawaii to enjoy Aloha Grill.”
Locals have quickly found the restaurant and already made repeat visits.
“Aloha Grill is a destination rather than your average restaurant,” said Andrea Story who originally is from Lee’s Summit, Mo., but now lives in Gulf Breeze. “The food is better than your regular Florida Panhandle fare. It’s really quite a different taste than you’ll find around here. The teriyaki and pineapple sauces are the stars of the show!”
On a regular weekday, you’ll be pleased to hear some 1950s music in the background with Elvis serenading “Blue Hawaii,” or you might find a little live luau music entertainment on some Friday evenings.
“I was hooked by the Aloha Platter, which included wings, Asian dumplings, Mauna Kea shrimp and Aloha Stix,” Story said. “The sampler is the highlight of the menu. The flavors and preparation are excellent, and portions are large enough to provide four people with a taste of each offering. I plan to order this and not share with anyone else the next time I visit, however, the Dad’s “da Kine” Sushi will be a big hit with everyone also. It’s got an island appeal but no raw fish for the squeamish.”
For main course dishes, Story suggested the Pipeline Wrap with a little steak and chicken or the Hala Kahiki hapa Rib Plate with signature pineapple ribs that are fall-off-the-bone tender. Entrees may be ordered in a bowl or plate, and all come with brown or white rice and fresh veggies. The plates also are served with a little extra macaroni salad and broccoli.
“Don’t overlook the appetizers! They are the true find that will keep you coming back.”
‘Goodbye’ in Hawaiian is ‘Aloha.’ But you’ll be saying hello again to the Aloha Grill, and it’s easy to remember. That greeting, too, is ‘Aloha!’

Simply Delicious Another Broken Egg

Originally posted March 2007

A search for a good, quality breakfast restaurant some 10 years ago led engineer Ron Green down a path he never imagined.
When Green couldn’t find the Californiastyle restaurant experience he was used to in 1992 when he returned to his roots in Louisiana, he started looking into what it would take to open his own place.
He conducted research into five franchises, took his findings and combined the knowledge he had gained with his own gut instincts and opened his own restaurant, The Broken Egg Café, in Mandeville, La., in 1996.
Keen attention to detail in food quality, décor and service paid off for Green and his family. The restaurant was a success from the moment its doors opened.
Fond memories of childhood vacations in Destin, Fla., convinced Green and his family to open a second restaurant two years later named “Another Broken Egg Café.”
Today, there are three Destin locations, including one in the heart of Destin off Hwy. 98, in the Village of Baytowne Wharf and most recently in the Linkside Conference Center complex at Sandestin. A fourth restaurant is just down the road in quaint Grayton Beach and a fifth opens later this spring in Panama City Beach.
The restaurant is open only for breakfast and lunch from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily. But the menu goes beyond bacon and eggs and grilled cheese sandwiches. More than 140 menu items are available, including a variety of soups, sandwiches, omelets, smothered croissants and more.
“We use a variety of styles, including dishes that have a Southwest flavor, Italian, Creole and Southern cooking to name a few,” Green said.
Décor and atmosphere are the hallmarks of each Another Broken Egg café, but the experience doesn’t stop there.
“Our presentation is high end,” Green said. “It’s all about the experience.”
On my second visit, I asked what dish the restaurant is known for and the waitress and manager both responded, “The Floridian omelet.” It is one of a dozen varieties offered.
This omelet features cream cheese, crabmeat, garlic and green onion with melted jack cheese.
It didn’t disappoint.
Coupled with fresh coffee served in one of the restaurant’s signature coffee mugs, the omelet was teamed with diced potatoes and an English muffin.
On another visit, I chose a lunch item, a sandwich called “Nellie’s Delight” which featured ham, baked bacon, melted Swiss cheese, lettuce and tomato on grilled sourdough. Yum!
The Linkside restaurant features the most picturesque location, in my opinion, with an open floor plan and large windows overlooking a resort swimming pool and the water.

If You Go

What: Another Broken Egg Café.
Two restaurants within Sandestin complex
including The Village at Baytowne Wharf
and the Linkside Conference Center; the original restaurant off Hwy. 98 in
Destin and at Grayton Beach.
Full menu at www.anotherbrokenegg.com.

Restaurateur loves to feed the (snow) birds

Originally posted January 2007

The Breakers 12627 Front Beach Road, Panama City Beach

The white sands and mild winters of Panama City Beach lured restaurateur Jack Bishop from his home state of Michigan and family when he was just 27 years old.
Today at age 63, Bishop still runs the Gulf-front restaurant, The Breakers, and its next door neighbor, Harpoon Harry’s, and two others: Captain Jack’s and Bishop’s Family Buffet.
Hailing from the upper peninsula of Michigan, Bishop took a bold step in 1971 when he first bought The Breakers. A stint in the military brought him to the region, but escaping harsh winters was his primary motivation for relocating.
“I lived in Houghton, Michigan near Lake Superior,” Bishop said.
“Each year we shoveled 200 to 300 inches of snow.”
He attended Northern Michigan University, but the enterprising student earned his keep working in nearby Wisconsin at the Paul Bunyan Logging Camp Cook Shanty.
“The restaurant is still there today,” Bishop said. “The lady that hired me was my English teacher. Her husband owned the restaurant.”
Bishop’s northern roots still run deep – the Snowbird season is one of his favorite times of the year.
“I’ve always connected very well with the Snowbirds,” Bishop said. “And we try to be of service to them. The senior customer is different from the Southern (summer) customer in that they like to dress up!”
Bishop said patrons appreciate the menu deals and the live music in the dining room.
He (as did most Panama City Beach businesses) closed his restaurant in the winter during his early years in the business. He started opening in the winter in 1989 when he saw that the Snowbird business could sustain the operations.
He started doing Snowbird “state” days in 1990, starting with Wisconsin. That first year he drew 70-80 people “who wanted to connect with others” from home.
Today, the Wisconsin state day can draw as many as 600. He also hosts state days for Minnesota, Michigan and Illinois residents.
Through the years Bishop has picked up the pieces from several hurricanes and had to completely rebuild The Breakers when a fire destroyed the building in 1992.
Bishop said he will continue working for probably two more years until his son finishes graduate school at Florida State University.
But he’s not going anywhere. He’s home.