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NORTHWEST FLORIDA – COLA 2 COLA®
THE
FOOD &
FASHION
ISSUE
CUISINE MEETS COUTURE
The Table
A Recipe for Good Food and Conversation
By Jordan Staggs
Photography by Carlo Pieroni
Illustrations by Justin Lyons
The rustic antique tables were lined with simple yet elegant
settings as the band set up nearby. Dread Clampitt, local musical
talent best known for performing at the famous funky hot spot,
the Red Bar, tuned up the guitars for an evening of fun and
food at Arnett’s Gulfside Stables in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida.
The inspiration for VIE’s 2013 March/April cover shoot was drawn
from several places: the classic equestrian fashions by designers
such as Ralph Lauren and Tory Burch, the rustic charm of the
stables and surrounding grounds, and the camaraderie that
blooms from a group of people while breaking bread together.
The Sea+Farm+Table Harvest Dinner – Friday, February 15, 2013
V IE Z INE .C OM | 43
When it came to selecting a chef who possessed
both the firsthand experience with executing large
family-style dinners and the mastery of cuisine that
was needed for our farm-to-table event, there was
one obvious choice. Seven years ago, while holding the
executive chef position at Onano Neighborhood Café
in Rosemary Beach, Florida, Chef Phillip McDonald
channeled his culinary enthusiasm into conceiving
and launching his own labor of love. “Customers
at Onano would sometimes ask me to cater private
events at their beach houses,” he explains. “This
was back before the market crashed and it got slow
down here for a while. But then one customer asked
for more of a family-style dinner, and it just clicked.”
This became the driving force behind his launching
Table Five Private Chef + Catering—the perfect
outlet to pour his passion into preparing culinary
creations to be shared with and savored by those
with an elevated appreciation for food.
McDonald began marketing his services to renters
and second-home owners with sizable groups or
families vacationing at the beach in the larger homes.
He and his small staff would prepare classic Southern
comfort foods, such as fried chicken with buttermilk biscuits, served buffet style so guests could
help themselves as they pleased. “You sometimes
have two or three families staying in one home—
maybe up to eighteen or twenty people. Our service
is about quality and convenience. They can have
dinner as they come in right from the beach—with
shoes off and sand between their toes.”
The only thing better than not having to shower,
primp, and then argue about where to go out for a
meal? The food itself. A firm believer in the farmto-table movement, McDonald strives to use the
freshest locally grown and harvested ingredients
when preparing these family feasts or catering
special events for local businesses and out-of-town
guests. “It’s great because we’ll all lead better lives
from it,” he says of the movement. “I think of it as
health care; everything you put into your body is
going to affect you.”
Thanks to the higher demand for healthy and organic
options, farmers are earning the attention, respect,
and profits they deserve. It takes a lot of dedication
Left: Cover model Darby Kellum and Kyle Lage
Right: Chef Phil McDonald and Emeril Lagasse
with Apalachicola oysters as the main attraction
to raise the finest produce, and most farm owners
do it because they are passionate about building a
healthier community. Farmers’ markets have become
an outlet for people to discover their local growers
and build relationships with them. The same goes for
local chefs and area retailers, such as For the Health of
It located in Blue Mountain Beach, Florida.
“But the main objective is getting the freshest produce
into the hands of the person who is going to prepare
and eat it,” McDonald says. “If the consumer has a
relationship with those growing the food, they’re
more likely to use the produce to the fullest potential
instead of tossing half of it. I like to use the example
of catching fish: you’re more likely to eat it because
of the effort you put into catching and cleaning it—
and you know where it came from.”
Any advocate of healthy eating habits will tell you that
when it comes to taste, there is no substitute for fresh,
wholesome ingredients. Arugula straight from the
patch needs no heavy salad dressing, and red snapper
caught from the Gulf of Mexico that morning is even
better if it is not drowned in a heavy butter sauce. This
was the philosophy behind McDonald’s menu for the
Sea+Farm+Table dinner party.
Guests mingled over French 75 cocktails and hors
d’oeuvres—Apalachicola oysters, sweet potato purée
on toast, and Alligator Point clams—until time for
the main event. Starting off the meal: a salad of fresh
arugula from nearby Dragonfly Fields topped with
fried carrots, spicy pecans, Belle Chevre goat cheese,
and country sorghum vinaigrette, all paired with a
crisp Martinelli Road Chardonnay donated by
Krutz Family Cellars. The main course featured
delectable wood-grilled red snapper, buttermilk
cornbread muffins, and a succotash of Dragonfly
Fields sweet potatoes, pink-eyed peas, sweet peppers,
broccoli, spinach, Allan Benton’s bacon, citrus butter,
and chervil. The wines served were Akins Family
Vineyard Pinot Noir and Stagecoach Vineyard Syrah.
After such a healthy meal, guests didn’t have to feel
guilty about eating dessert—which was good, because
McDonald prepared a mouthwatering final course
of homemade buttermilk biscuits topped with
Plant City strawberries, vanilla cream, and toasted
pecans. Yum!
Of course, there are some challenges when it comes to
prepping meals from seasonally available ingredients,
as McDonald clearly expresses. “It teaches you to
V IE Z INE .C OM | 45
“It has definitely shaped me
and how I run my business.
For example, tomatoes are a
summer thing, and as far as
seafood goes, you’ll never
see salmon or anything
like that on my menu. If it
doesn’t swim locally, we
don’t serve it.”
The sounds of Dread Clampitt
be a better cook and to improvise,” he says. “It has
definitely shaped me and how I run my business. For
example, tomatoes are a summer thing, and as far
as seafood goes, you’ll never see salmon or anything
like that on my menu. If it doesn’t swim locally, we
don’t serve it.”
What it all boils down to, according to McDonald,
is being passionate about living a healthy lifestyle
and experiencing meals that are not only good for
you but are just plain good. “I’ve been cooking in
this area for fourteen years. I’ve traveled around
to some of the best restaurants in the country and
worked in the kitchens for free, just to see what
46 | M A R C H /A P R I L 2 013
Dennis Peters
The chef
“I feel like I’m living the
best of both worlds ...
I can afford myself a
double lifestyle of the
outdoors and cooking.”
other chefs were doing and to learn from them. Back
when I worked as part of a kitchen staff (before
becoming a chef ), it wasn’t uncommon for me to
work thirteen-hour days, and then come home to
look through a cookbook.”
The Insider’s Guide to South Walton Beaches & Scenic 30A
www.SoWal.com
Contact us for advertising opportunities - info@SoWal.com, 850-231-0102
48 | M A R C H /A P R I L 2 013
Dinners and catering events keep McDonald and
the Table Five staff busy six to seven days a week
during the peak season, but that hasn’t stopped him
from taking full advantage of beach living. When he
isn’t in the kitchen, he spends his days surfing, fishing
and paddleboarding. “I feel like I’m living the best
of both worlds,” he says with a grin. “I can afford
myself a double lifestyle of the outdoors and cooking.
Sure, there were several sacrifices in the early days of
Table Five, but it’s definitely evolved since then. If
I’ve learned anything, it’s that you have to be able to
take a leap of faith. I’ve grown to appreciate the fun
days and even the stressful ones.”
From farm to table, or from beach to kitchen,
healthy is back in a big way. With farmers’ markets
and an abundance of healthier options appearing in
restaurants and supermarkets, it’s never been easier
to say good-bye to those frozen or packaged dinners
and take a leap of faith to a healthier life!
For a behind-the-scenes video of Sea+Farm+Table:
An Intimate Gathering, visit viezine.com/vietv
Top: Strike a pose. Above: Team VIE
Photo courtesy of Madra Medina McDonald
Photo courtesy of
Madra Medina M
cDonald
Photo courtesy of Madra Medina McDonald
Good food. Good company.
Revelry was enjoyed by all.
Photo courtesy
50 | M A R C H /A P R I L 2 013
of Madra Med
ina McDonald
Cover Model: Darby Kellum • Model and Wardrobe Stylist: Carol Wilson
Videography: Ben Rosenau • Creative Direction: Lisa Burwell, Tracey Thomas
Set Styling: Cari DeGregorio • Makeup Artist: Natasha Vaughan
Hair Stylist: Brooke Miller