Blog Posts from Our Just-Concluded Destin Trip

[Here4Good]

As always, thanks for your reviews - anyone who reads your entire blog knows that you are fair and know what you're talking about.

 

[Wubba]

Thanks for the posts. They are very fair and you are knowlegable.

I feel that an area like ours that lacks a compedent culinary program will have difficulties acheiving consistant standards. Growing the level of good available food & beverage personnel and not just people who show up most often and are promoted to service director/manager or line cooks that can order the produce at the end of their shift as chefs these inconsistanceys will no doubt continue.
People who are trained know and understand the value of traing and are usually able to train. I believe that the lack of an always ongoing in house training program by professionals is self evident by the number of so-so operations that get by on a lack of competion in some cases, a killer view, discounts or some other scheme or fate that keeps them in business and of course leads to the huge numbers of restraunt failures in the area.
Until the area develops a real professional ACF like, assoc. degeed program that turns out a corps of trained individuals over a long period time the situation is likely to continue.

 

[Matt J]

Thanks for the posts. They are very fair and you are knowlegable.

I feel that an area like ours that lacks a compedent culinary program will have difficulties acheiving consistant standards. Growing the level of good available food & beverage personnel and not just people who show up most often and are promoted to service director/manager or line cooks that can order the produce at the end of their shift as chefs these inconsistanceys will no doubt continue.
People who are trained know and understand the value of traing and are usually able to train. I believe that the lack of an always ongoing in house training program by professionals is self evident by the number of so-so operations that get by on a lack of competion in some cases, a killer view, discounts or some other scheme or fate that keeps them in business and of course leads to the huge numbers of restraunt failures in the area.
Until the area develops a real professional ACF like, assoc. degeed program that turns out a corps of trained individuals over a long period time the situation is likely to continue.

I think the folks over at Gulf Coast Community College would greatly disagree with you.

 

[bluecat]

I know and have experienced bad food, good food,bad service, good service in that area , but , as a mother of someone who works there in a very well known restaurant, his keeping that job depends on the quality of his work. Certainly not every good chef has had the opportunity to have been schooled at the Culinary Institute.Iagree with SWGB , in that there are community colleges that can and do send educated chefs into the work place.

 

[Wubba]

I think the folks over at Gulf Coast Community College would greatly disagree with you.

Sorry, I've only lived here three years and have never heard of GCCC.

 

[Desso]

Hats off to GCCC Culinary Management program. Paul, Billy, and Sandor (yes, the same chef of Sandor's at Seagrove years back) are doing a great job. Plays With Foods writes a damn good review. Unfortunately many of us have already had these same experiences at the same restaurants, but didn't have the (insert word) to actually say it out loud. People get really touchy about their favorite haunts. And I whole-heartedly agree with Bob when "he exclaimed his pleasure" over the oyster chowder or was it the gumbo?

 

[Plays With Food]

Hats off to GCCC Culinary Management program. Paul, Billy, and Sandor (yes, the same chef of Sandor's at Seagrove years back) are doing a great job. Plays With Foods writes a damn good review. Unfortunately many of us have already had these same experiences at the same restaurants, but didn't have the (insert word) to actually say it out loud. People get really touchy about their favorite haunts. And I whole-heartedly agree with Bob when "he exclaimed his pleasure" over the oyster chowder or was it the gumbo?

I have never forgiven myself for missing out on Sandor's - I read about him in Steven Shaw's book [ame="http://www.amazon.com/Turning-Tables-Insiders-Guide-Eating/dp/B002YNS1S4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1268189071&sr=8-1"]Turning the Tables[/ame] just a few weeks before he closed. I then also managed to miss him at Cafe Provence.

Desso - thank you for the kind thoughts - it was the Oyster Chowder that brought my husband such joy.

 

[Allifunn]

Sandor is a legend! I had the pleasure of meeting him a few weeks ago.

 

[AndrewG]

Great info. Thnx for posting.

 

[Franny]

wow, the food pix on your blog are gorgeous! I've never been to Boathouse Oyster Bar - where is it? the oysters look gorgeous.

can't wait to finish reading the other parts!

yes, I am in agreement with you: travel is all about the food.

Tootsie you have to experience the Boathouse. Must put it on the lunch agenda.....