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and gulf shrimp. And the sauce is perfect for dipping the toasted bread. Tell us about the “wall of citrus” at Grey Salt. Preserved lemons are commonly used in Mediterranean cuisine and I wanted the room and especially the wall to really pop to people when they walked into the space. I think we accomplished that. What is the one thing you want your customers to know about Grey Salt? I always try to strive for a total, overall experience. We try to curate the whole experience from top to bottom. I’ve had people tell me that they feel like they are on vacation when they come into Grey Salt because it is so comfortable and relaxing. From the color palate to the way the restaurant is set up, we really tried hard to give it a comfortable feel with good food. Do you enjoy cooking at home? Oh, I absolutely love it. It’s my happy place; it’s how I relax. I am always experimenting. It’s when I get to play with food and do what I want to do. If you had to list your essential ingredients, what would they be? Extra virgin olive oil, capers, dijon mustard, lemons, Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper. What was your most memorable meal? I was in Istanbul last year and tried their traditional street food called “kokorec,” which is flame roasted lamb intestine wrapped in fresh soft bread, drizzled in olive oil and Turkish spices. The combination is mouthwatering and I really loved it. When creating dishes for a new restaurant, how do you ���������������������������������������������������������� ���������������������������������������������������������� ultimately create the dish? First of all, you have to stay within the parameters of that restaurant. Second, you have to look at ingredients and what you can get locally; it’s not just about getting it once, you have to get it consistently. Then you obviously have to worry about costs—you can’t be throwing truffles and caviar everywhere! Composition-wise, you have to look at the menu and make sure that it has something for everybody. You have to look at your customer. And then you start working in flavors and keeping them within the concept, price point and local market of getting the ingredients. Finally, you have the inspiration of the moment, which I usually do collaboratively with my chefs and sous chefs. We read that you don't think any meal can be truly enjoyed without good wine and good �������������������������������������������������������������� wine to enjoy with a meal? Depends on what I’m eating, geographically where I am, and time of year and weather. It also depends on who I’m with. I am totally open to it all. I usually don’t want any flowery California wines, but that’s about it. Are there any new Food Network shows in your future? No, but I have recently been chosen by the Food Network and HSN to sell all of the "Chopped" products on HSN. It works out well for me because I can come in and check on the restaurant in Tampa and then head to HSN in St. Petersburg. I’ve done two stints there so far and it’s going great. After so many years of being a chef and restaurant owner, ������������������������������������������������������ your cookbook, "Season with �������������������������������������������������� Cooking", last year? I’ve always wanted to have a cookbook and the timing was just right last year. I finally felt like I had all the recipes in my repertoire and the vision had come to life on what my first book would be. It’s almost too hard to pick a favorite recipe, but my Beer Can Chicken is an easy one and delicious. Local grouper SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2016 localsDISH 17


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