Southern Breeze 2007 Fall Issue

story by MARK A. NEWMAN photography by FRANKLIN VIOLA Josh Daugherty (opposite), executive chef at the Santa Rosa Beach & Golf Club (above), delights diners with his tantalizing twists on familiar fare, such as his Apalachicola oysters with kim chee (right). The Kid Inside After spending half his 30 years in the kitchen, Josh Daugherty has taught Emerald Coast diners to expect the unexpected. I f it wasn’t for a black eye, Josh Daugherty would not be where he is today—the executive chef of the Santa Rosa Beach & Golf Club in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida. When he was 15 and worked as a bus boy at Criolla’s in Grayton Beach, he got into a schoolboy fight that left his face pretty banged up. Fearing his mug would upset patrons, he was put on dish washing duty. Once healed, Josh opted to stay behind the scenes. “I fell in love with the pulse and energy of what was going on behind that wall,” he explains. “That’s where I wanted to be.” While still in high school, Criolla’s chef/owner Johnny Earles let Josh do some real cooking, but what really appealed to the apprentice chef was the eatery’s cuisine style. While most restaurants were serving up typical seafood fare, Josh says Criolla’s was pushing the culinary envelope. “It wasn’t ‘Here’s your piece of fish, your vegetable, and your starch,’” he says. “It’s more of a conceptual package where all these flavors are coming together. It’s not just three piles on a plate.” In lieu of cooking school or other formal training, Josh learned at the elbows of the region’s top chefs including Earles, Jeff MacDonald, and Tim Creehan, who was particularly grateful to have Josh in his kitchen when he opened Beach Walk Crystal Beach in Destin in 1998. “Having to open my first solo restaurant concept alone and being able to have Josh at my side at such a young age with so much enthusiasm and creativity made it comforting and fun,” Tim says. “He has a unique style of cuisine which blended perfectly with the Beach Walk concept.” After stints at Borago in Grayton Beach, Beach Walk and Marina Café in Destin, and Café 30-A in Seagrove Beach, Josh became the executive chef at the Santa Rosa Beach & Golf Club in 2006 where he is known for his tantalizing twists on familiar fare. For example, he might take a Southern staple like grilled pork chops and collard greens, but serve it with a ham hock demigloss. “It’s not something new,” he says, “but it is unexpected.” East meets West when Josh pairs Apalachicola oysters with kim chee (aka Korean coleslaw). “By combining this beautiful succulent oyster with the clean flavor of cabbage, cilantro, and rice wine vinegar, the flavors don’t compete in as much as they elevate each other,” he says. “It’s a complement of both taste and texture.” Not surprisingly, Josh hopes to open his own eatery on Scenic Hwy. 30-A in the future. “Anyone who truly loves cooking professionally always aspires to have a venue where the restrictions are lifted,” he says. “That’s the ultimate proving ground. If you can produce something from your own vision that people want to eat, that makes you realize that, yes, this is truly what I am meant to do.” Fall 2007 67

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Southern Breeze 2007 Fall Issue

Editor's Letter Contributor Gumbo Words & Notes Accessories Coastal Calendar Storefronts: French Flair in Fairhope Sweet Dreams: Smooth Sailing Art of Living: The Colors of Hope Fixtures: Shake It Up! Live Here: Filled to the Brim Our Backyard: Just Add Water Make Yourself at Home: Open Invitation Pierless Pleasures Always Biloxi Spirited Away Reef Madness Louisiana Love Cheers: Fall Freeze Dish: Java Servers Reader Services Chef's Table: The Kid Inside Let's Eat: Cornbread, Catheads, and Calas Last Bite

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