Hilton Sandestin

July 23, 2023

Seagar’s Prime Steaks & Seafood: 25 years of pushing the envelope

By Michelle Farnham
July 23, 2023

SANDESTIN – It’s been a quarter century since Seagar’s Prime Steaks & Seafood opened its doors, prompting a look back and a look ahead at Sandestin’s AAA Four-Diamond steakhouse.

A retrospective

First, the name. Pronounced “cigars,” the moniker was a play on words, referencing the classic era of New York-style steakhouses and the restaurant’s former cigar-only smoking policy. In fact, a cigar list was offered as well as an on-site humidor room.

“Seagar’s lounge area was equipped with a special ventilation system to ensure diners could enjoy their dinner without the interference of cigar smoke affecting their palate,” explained Executive Chef Fleetwood Covington. “When the state of Florida banned smoking inside, we turned Seagar’s humidor room into a wine room, and the rest is history.”

That history includes a menu full of Prime USDA beef, the freshest seafood, international imports that spare no expense, an inspired beverage program, and the most exclusive of wine lists.

To celebrate its 25th anniversary, Seagar’s debuted a “new” logo with a nod to the original branding, which featured a bull.

“We’re beyond thrilled to be celebrating 25 years of service this year,” Covington said. “Seagar’s is proud to be recognized as a staple in the area, having been the Emerald Coast’s only AAA Four-Diamond steakhouse for over 20 years, and we look forward to the next 25 years of serving our loyal customers.”

Pork belly — Chef’s pork belly is served atop a 13-layer potato mille-feuille that is both buttery and crisp.

A look ahead

Covington admits he has lofty goals for that future. The chef approaches food from a multi-sensory, artistic angle, focusing on more than just good taste.

“As we drill down into curating the dining experience, my goal is to take apart the model of how we experience food. From eating it, to the aromas, the textures, and the plating,” he explained.

The summer menu will feature a new seared grouper dish with caviar and champagne beurre blanc, roasted summer succotash, and sorrel.

“It’s not good enough for a plate to taste delicious. At Seagar’s, we want to prioritize the ingredients to create an experience that not only tastes like a four-diamond dish, but also looks like a work of art,” Covington said.

In addition to its classic steak offerings, the kitchen will debut several seasonal dishes to the summer menu – some even tapping into the innovative world of molecular gastronomy.

Chef plans to include a “Table Dessert,” which combines the creative elements of art and culinary, and the ingredients featured will change from time to time.

Senses — Seagar’s dishes are a treat for all the senses.

Past menu highlights have included such avant-garde offerings as house-made floral-laminated pasta, clear key lime pie, and a Jackson Pollock-inspired dessert using liquid nitrogen to paint sauces directly on the table. He brings in truly top-shelf ingredients, like Japanese A5 Wagyu and $5,000 a pound Italian Alba truffles.

Having been part of the Seagar’s team for seven years now, Covington has seen the menu’s creativity take off with the recent expansion of the kitchen staff.

“When I was coming up in the kitchen, we only had four guys; now we have nine. It’s allowed us to make the plates more intricate. It takes four hands, minimum, to do those plates consistently. It makes us better to constantly push,” he admitted.

Seagar’s Prime Steaks & Seafood is located at 4000 Sandestin Blvd. South, Miramar Beach, within the Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa. Open for dinner Tuesday to Saturday, visit them online at www.seagars.com for menu and reservation information, or call 850-622-1500.

January 26, 2023

Seagar’s: Warmed from the inside out

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Sandestin steakhouse debuts winter menu

By Michelle Farnham
Jan. 26, 2023

SANDESTIN – As a AAA Four-Diamond steakhouse, Seagar’s Prime Prime Steaks and Seafood is certainly known for its beef, but Executive Chef Fleetwood Covington III and his crew debut new creations four times a year to capitalize on each season’s freshest ingredients.

At a special winter menu preview Jan. 25, Covington unveiled a crab cake that took full advantage of the re-opening of the Alaskan king crab market. Featuring a velvety smooth velouté and edible flowers, this crab cake is topped with the most perfectly crisp confit leeks, sliced impossibly thin.

Also from the first course menu, Chef’s pork belly is served atop a 13-layer potato mille-feuille that is simultaneously buttery and crisp – hitting all the highlights of what a potato can be. In addition to an apple puree, sweet creme fraiche, and blood orange demi glace reduction, Covington takes it to that Seagar’s status by adding gold leaf.

“We went with the Japanese Kurobuta pork belly,” Covington explained. “The fat-to-protein content – it’s like Wagyu – it’s evenly distributed so you’re not biting into really big fat pockets, making it too hard to chew.”

Pork belly with potato mille-feuille

Gulf grouper with marbled beurre blanc

Under the Mistletoe, Explosion of Flavors, Fit For A Queen

Alaskan king crab cake with confit leeks

Diver scallop with house-pressed linguini

Chef Fleetwood Covington creates a quenelle of gelato

Moving onto entrees, Chef wanted to hint at spring with his seared Gulf grouper dish, using light, bright citrus flavors in the artfully marbled basil and white wine beurre blanc, alongside roasted winter vegetables.

“I’ve been wanting to do this marbled beurre blanc for two or three menus now,” he said. “We do a basil puree but to keep it from oxidizing and turning brown, we use a lemon juice base laced with dehydrated lemon powder.” Dots of the puree are carefully dragged with a needle through the beurre blanc to create the marble effect.

Seagar’s has been setting the bar for its diver scallops for years, but Covington brought out their natural sweetness pairing them with confit sweet potato and carrot ribbons. The plate includes house-pressed linguini, finished with tarragon and brown butter emulsion and king crab velouté – and a bit of sleight-of-hand.

“We like to hide the vegetables. We pick vegetables that are the same color so you can’t tell which is which. You’ve got confited sweet potatoes and carrots, and I can look at that plate and even I can’t tell which is which. That’s kind of what I want: to hide some of the supporting ingredients,” he admitted with a smile.

Aiming to take the gaminess out of game, the red stag venison entree is served with a black currant demi glace reduction, and takes the word “tender” to a whole new level.

“Venison I’ve tried for years to get in the restaurant, and if I was going to bring it in, I was going to get it from New Zealand,” Covington said. “Red stag is the less gamier option, in my opinion. This is the leg filet, so it will probably eat like Prime filet.”

The meal was finished on a sweet note with a bruleed apple spice cake with buttercream – a nod to Covington’s mom’s carrot cake. A quenelle of house-made bourbon and Madagascar vanilla bean gelato completes the dessert.

Seagar’s beverage program was on full display as well, as mixologist Angelina served up a trio of cocktails, capitalizing on the warming flavors of winter. A gin drink, Fit For A Queen, is topped with champagne and includes an edible hibiscus blossom floated in the coupes glass. For those who enjoy a little heat in their drink, the Explosion of Flavors starts with a smoky Mezcal tequila, chipotle pineapple, lime, and a rim of Tajin. Perhaps the most wintery of sips though was the Under the Mistletoe, a snifter of ginger beer, organic apple vodka, pomegranate liquor and lime, sprinkled with pomegranate seeds.

Seagar’s Prime Seafood & Steakhouse is located at 4000 Sandestin Blvd. South, within the Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa. Visit them online at seagars.com for more information, including reservation details.

Photos by Michelle Farnham

November 23, 2022

Covington appointed new executive chef at Seagar’s

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SANDESTIN – Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa has named Fleetwood Covington as the new executive chef at the onsite Seagar’s Prime Steaks & Seafood. In his new role, Fleetwood will oversee all aspects of the AAA Four-Diamond steakhouse’s culinary initiatives to ensure consistency in presentation and quality of all dishes.

“Our team has built a strong reputation for providing excellence in the overall dining experience,” said Frank Flautt, co-founder of Sandcastle Resorts, the management team behind Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa. “Fleetwood’s ability to maintain the steakhouse’s classic standards while pushing the envelope with unique seasonal menus and new dish developments make him the ideal fit to further enhance Seagar’s Prime Steaks & Seafood.”

Having joined the Seagar’s team in 2017, Fleetwood worked his way from the kitchen’s sauce station to his new executive chef position. He was able to train under the leadership of renowned chefs and absorb every aspect of the culinary behind the scenes to create a vision for a new level of expertise in service and dishes. Drawing on inspiration from the surrounding coastal setting to his previous time spent in Europe as a professional concert pianist, Fleetwood combines local and internationally celebrated flavors into each carefully crafted plate.

Most recently, Fleetwood served as chef de cuisine, where he directed food preparation and collaborated with the team to produce dishes that displayed a high caliber of taste and design. In this role, Fleetwood was tasked with growing the steakhouse’s kitchen staff and has played a pivotal role in developing the team into the successful operation it is today. Fleetwood and team continue to craft menu items that speak to seasonal and locally inspired products.

“His range of responsibilities since starting at the resort’s steakhouse has paved the way for him to hold this leadership position and create an even higher level of excellence at Seagar’s,” continued Flautt.

For more information on Seagar’s Prime Steaks & Seafood or to make a reservation visit www.seagars.com or call 1-850-622-1500.

September 22, 2022

Seagar’s: Sneaking a peek at fall

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Food and beverage offerings turn to warmer seasonal flavors

By Michelle Farnham
Sept. 22, 2022

SANDESTIN – While the weather might not suggest a change of seasons yet, fall is indeed here, and so is the new seasonal menu at Seagar’s Prime Steaks & Seafood.

The staff rolled out their newest offerings at a special tasting event, with Chef de Cuisine Fleetwood Covington aiming to dazzle diners with not just flavor, but also technique, presentation and quality.

“Moving into the fall, I really wanted to hone in on the best possible ingredients,” Covington said, including center-cut A5 Wagyu beef fresh from Japan and the latest shipment of $5,000 a pound Alba truffles from Italy. “That’s something I’ve not seen at another steakhouse.”

Seagar's scallops — Seared Chesapeake diver scallop over saffron risotto

A savory start

Covington began the meal with a seared Chesapeake diver scallop over saffron risotto, served in a scallop shell. Garnishing the plate is a shard of carrot glass, a morsel made by twisting the root vegetable until it is transparent and easily shattered with your fork.

Childhood memories of quail hunting in South Carolina inspired Chef’s seared Argentinian duck breast starter, plated atop a “nest” of confit leeks, with roasted butternut squash and beets.

“As our restaurant has been hitting on all cylinders, it gives the culinary staff the confidence to become a little more vulnerable with what we make,” he explained. “Spring and summer were very well received, and we’re continuing with that philosophy.”

Also on the first course menu is that holy grail of beef, the A5 Wagyu, this time served tartare-style. In addition to the 4-ounce portion, Covington has done a molecular play on pommes gaufrette with flash-fried rice paper.

The main event

Moving onto entrees, Chef’s Southern roots show in his devotion to gumbo perfection. He serves his seared snapper atop a smooth gumbo, which he blends and strains, then adds more fall vegetables to preserve the freshness.

Seagar’s new lobster pasta is presented tail-on, poached in white wine and champagne, and topped with house-made pasta, lobster velouté, and onion blossom.

“Every garnish we use, whether it’s onion blossom, garlic flower, it serves a purpose for the actual dish,” Covington said. “We’re really conscious that the garnish lends itself to the flavor and adds depth, rather than just looks pretty.”

Seagar's dessert — Night at the Fair dessert

Sweet memories

Chef took a stroll down memory lane with two desserts made with nostalgic flavors but high-end technique. His Night at the Fair treat incorporates pumpkin pie served with smoked cotton candy, kissed with edible luster dust.

When crafting his play on s’mores, Covington reached not for that familiar brown-wrappered candy bar, but Tanzanian chocolate mousse, butterscotch and armagnac graham cracker crumble, Swiss meringue, edible 24 carat gold leaf, and a special autumnal table-side surprise.

Sips to savor

In harmony with the food offerings, Seagar’s Beverage Director Catherine Lien has shaken up a dozen new cocktails for the cooler months, and presented a trio for consideration.

A crowd favorite, Apples For My Mule is a mix of apple-infused vodka, apple spice, allspice dram, lemon and ginger beer. Winter Paradise combines dark rum, allspice dram, apple cider and lemon, finished with star anise; while A Study of Taste takes Blanco Tequila in a more autumnal direction with help from pomegranate syrup and habañero tincture.

“I’m using more fall-inspired flavors, darker spirits. I totally believe in using seasonal ingredients,” Lien explained as she pointed toward the mule, which is garnished with a house-dehydrated apple slice and mint sprig. “We’re using an organic apple-infused vodka out of Texas and there’s cloves, nutmeg, and the ginger as well.”

Seagar’s Prime Steaks & Seafood is located at 4000 Sandestin Blvd. South in Miramar Beach,, within the Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa. Dinner is served Tuesday to Sunday from 5:30 to 9 p.m., staying open until 10 on Friday and Saturday. Visit them online at www.seagars.com for more information or to make a reservation.

Photos by Michelle Farnham

June 11, 2022

Seagar’s: Delivering that ah-ha moment

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Chef emphasizes visual effects in new summer menu

By Michelle Farnham

SANDESTIN – As Fleetwood Covington is settling into his role as the new chef de cuisine at Seagar’s Prime Steakhouse & Seafood, he has made it his mission to heighten each diner’s experience.

During a special debut of his new seasonal menu, which he called “a gentle approach to summer,” Covington explained his team’s relentless pursuit of the most delicate ingredients with an avant-garde approach.

First course

For example, he elevates the standard jumbo lump crab cake with a lobster velouté, all made from scratch, served with an herb cream salad.

Also from the first course menu was Chef’s ceviche, which is summer on a plate.

“I want to get into sensory food: aromatics, visuals, slight of hand,” Covington said. “We want to make people coming into Seagar’s feel like they’re experiencing something new again, kind of that ah-ha moment.”

For this dish, he selected a blue fin tuna that matches the color of heirloom tomatoes and watermelon, so the diner can’t tell which bite is which, all plated atop an avocado mousse.

To add to the visual effects, Covington has brought in specialty porcelain plates by Crucial Detail which feature a warped, waving surface.

Anyone who sampled Chef’s spring menu knows he loves pasta and edible flowers, and his diver scallop starter marries the two ingredients in a most unique way.

“We’ve got pasta with actual poached and pickled roses that are rolled into the pasta,” he said. “We have to be really selective about which flowers we use or it just turns the pasta brown.”

Entrees

Moving on to the entrees, Covington’s hickory smoked red snapper tops rock shrimp étoufée, risotto and a citrus beurre blanc.

“I’m originally from South Carolina, and we smoke everything. It’s a heavy dish,” he admitted with a smile.

His black grouper is accompanied by veggies – tri-color carrots and Brussels sprouts – roasted in bacon fat, plated with parsnip puree and a champagne beurre blanc.

The U10 seared diver scallops main comes by popular demand from diners, who were looking for a pasta de Nero.

“Squid ink is very fishy and off-putting to me, it doesn’t sit right with the acid, so we use cuddle fish ink,” he admitted. “It’s a little more gentle, it’s not so pungent.”

He mixes the very unusual-looking cordyceps mushrooms – all the rage in the health and wellness community – in with the pasta. The bright orange color stands in stark contrast to the black noodles.

“They have a mango aftertaste,” Covington said. “The way it eats, the texture, they blend well with the spaghetti.”

Dessert

Ending on a sweet note, Covington has re-imagined two classic desserts: banana pudding and key lime pie.

His deconstructed pudding eats more like that classic steakhouse treat, cheesecake, served with a side of nostalgia for his grandmother’s recipe.

“We do this one served tableside,” he explained. “The traditional vanilla wafers are on the plate, poached at negative 350 degrees, and the whole plate will smoke.”

Perhaps the star of the show, however, was chef’s key lime pie which is actually clear thanks to its combination of stabilizers – pectins, agar agar and isomalt sugar.

“I’ll admit, it’s a process!” he said.

Featuring a ginger streusel and brown sugar meringue, the transparent inner layer tricks the eye, but the tastebuds are quick to remind you, it’s key lime pie!

While Chef admitted he’s still “the new kid on the block,” he has big plans for the direction he wants to take the Seagar’s menu in the coming months.

“The spring menu got a ton of great reception and now I can see where I want to go,” Covington said. “I can’t really jump completely out the door with it yet, but come fall, hang on!

Seagar’s Prime Steaks & Seafood is located at 4000 Sandestin Blvd. South, Miramar Beach, within the Hilton Sandestin. Service runs Tuesday to Sunday, 5:30 to 9 p.m., and stays open until 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. For reservations or more information, visit www.seagars.com or call 850-622-1500.

February 25, 2022

Fresh perspectives on the menu at Seagar’s

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Classic steakhouse names new chef, beverage manager

By Michelle Farnham
Feb. 25, 2022

SANDESTIN – Since opening in 1998, Seagar’s Prime Steaks & Seafood has maintained its classic New York steakhouse vibe. Each chef passing through the kitchen has left their mark on the cuisine, incorporating new technique and flavors, but diners should expect a little something extra this spring. The fine dining eatery has welcomed both a new chef de cuisine, Fleetwood Covington, and a new beverage director, Catherine Lien.

Smokin' Mango Symphony — Smokin’ Mango Symphony

Distinctive drinks

Shaking things up behind the bar, Lien comes to Seagar’s after 20 years at Las Vegas’s Delminco Steakhouse.

“I was ready for a change,” Lien admitted. “That’s the desert, where everything is flown in from California. I’m looking forward to working with a lot more local, fresh products.”

When creating her new cocktail lineup, she took many things into consideration, including the season, the location and the restaurant theme.

“I also like to use new kinds of spirits that may not be well known out here,” she said, pointing to her Smokin’ Mango Symphony, which features Mezcal, tamarind syrup, mango puree and lime juice in a Tajin-rimmed glass.

As we approach the summer season, she’s inspired by fruits like in her Sparkling Berries (berry-infused vodka, Créme de Cassis, lemon, syrup and sparkling wine) or the Citrus Paradisi (grapefruit-infused vodka, lime, pink grapefruit soda). Fall may see a shift into apples, maple, cranberries, and the like.

She’s also careful to remember the steakhouse theme, like her spin on a classic Manhattan called the Evening Joe: bourbon, coffee-infused vermouth, and cherry bark vanilla bitters.

Dessert drinks are not forgotten, either, with Lien’s 21st Century Grasshopper, and the Bluegrass Ending: bourbon, bourbon cream, coffee liqueur, cold brew, and chocolate bitters.

Contemporary cuisine

Situated in the chef’s kitchen, Covington has been with Seagar’s for six years, working his way up from the kid who just wanted to learn to roll pasta one summer, to chef de cuisine.

In his inaugural menu tasting, he started with a crab cake featuring smooth étouffée and a white wine butter-poached spot prawn.

“The spot prawns are a little sweeter than your gulf prawn, and I needed something to balance out the super savory étouffée,” Covington said.

The chef was very pleased to unveil his new wagyu beef product, working with the Japanese farm twice ranked best wagyu in the world. His Miyazaki Wagyu Tartare comes from the 4- and 6-ounce portions on the new menu, and is plated with herb cream, morel duxelles, confit gaufrette potato and capers.

Rounding out his first course options, Covington served a Tuna Tartare with bluefin toro, citrus, pineapple mignonette, and avocado mousse.

Moving on to entrees, he offered Pan-Roasted Diver Scallops with blistered heirloom tomatoes, and spring vegetables.

The Gulf Grouper is plated atop a textured heirloom tomato bisque – heavy on the smoke – with braised rainbow Swiss chard and crispy leeks.

Covington drew inspiration from his predecessor, Chef Lee Guidry, and his love for Asian flavors in putting together the new Red Snapper entree.

“I wanted to take all the flavors I remembered from our time in the restaurant and replicate them in one dish,” he explained. “This is my homage to my mentor who gave me most of my culinary technique.”

Here he served the protein with chanterelle mushrooms, jumbo lump crab salad and herb beurre blanc, alongside a purple cabbage, carrot and ginger puree.

Red Snapper — Red snapper with crab salad, chanterelles and carrot-ginger puree

The new menu debuts in March and dinner is served Tuesday to Saturday. Diners can find Seagar’s at 4000 Sandestin Blvd. South, Miramar Beach. Learn more or make a reservation at www.seagars.com or 850-622-1500.

Photos by Michelle Farnham

September 5, 2021

Seagar’s, Hilton Sandestin shuffle chefs

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Resort appoints Tederous executive sous chef, adds to culinary staff

Special to 30A Food and Wine
Sept. 5, 2021

SANDESTIN – Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa announced changes to the resort’s culinary team following the announcement of Dan Vargo’s departure. Ending a tenure spanning over a decade, Executive Chef Dan Vargo will be leaving to fulfill a lifelong dream of creating his own company.

“From the top down, the culinary team we’ve assembled at Hilton Sandestin is truly exceptional,” said Gary Brielmayer, general manager of Hilton Sandestin. “It’s gratifying to see our family grow and provide an even greater depth and energy to our guests.”

Dan Tederous was selected as Hilton Sandestin’s new executive sous chef. Tederous will be responsible for all kitchen operations to ensure guest satisfaction. With more than 20 years of culinary experience, Tederous was most recently chef de cuisine at Delmonico Steakhouse out of Las Vegas. Tederous also held positions as executive sous chef at Mauna Kea Resort in Waimea, Hawaii and banquet chef at Four Seasons Hualalai in Kona, Hawaii.

Hilton Sandestin’s newest banquet chef, Lee Guidry, has been with Seagar’s Prime Steaks & Seafood for 4.5 years. Guidry will work under the supervision of the banquet culinary team lead, Robert Kent, who has been with the resort for 15 years, spending eight years as sous chef at Seagar’s and seven years leading the Sandcastles culinary team. Kent will oversee the property’s catering team. Guidry, known for his passion for cooking, will be able to display his signature style and international techniques in his new role.

With almost two decades of culinary management experience, most recently as the executive chef of Iron Hill Brewery, Thomas Mikesell attended Johnson and Wales Culinary School where he graduated first in his class and was hand picked by Marco Pierre White to train under a Michelin Star chef in the UK for two years. Spending nearly a decade fine-tuning his skills at eateries in the Atlanta area, Mikesell is excited to lead the team at Seagar’s.

Fleetwood Covington has been appointed sous chef at Seagar’s. Covington started at Hilton Sandestin in 2017 at Seagar’s. His new role allows him to direct food preparation while collaborating and studying under Mikesell; together they will emphasize high quality plates, and showcase design and taste.

Overseeing the renovation of Sandcastles Restaurant’s open-air concept kitchen is new culinary team lead Steve Withall. During his 18-year career, Withall has held many impressive culinary titles, including private beach club chef, restaurant head chef, executive chef and chef de cuisine. He most recently served as the instructional coordinator of culinary and hospitality at Gulf Coast State College in Panama City.

For more information about Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa, visit HiltonSandestinBeach.com or call 850-267-9500. For more information about Seagar’s Prime Steaks & Seafood, call 850-622-1500 or visit Seagars.com.

Photo by Michelle Farnham

August 26, 2021

Seagar’s Prime Steaks and Seafood

Uncategorized

Seagar’s Prime Steaks and Seafood
4000 Sandestin Blvd. South
Miramar Beach, FL 32550
850-622-1500

https://www.seagars.com/

Bringing elegance back to fine dining

By Laura Holloway

SANDESTIN – It’s rare to find a restaurant in a hotel or resort that can stand alone in experience and style, but Seagar’s Prime Steaks and Seafood, a AAA Four-Diamond Restaurant at Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa, achieves just that. Its award-winning menu and drink lineup create a memorable dining experience that makes every meal feel like a special occasion.

Seagar’s is consistently recognized as one of the top steakhouses in Florida and top restaurants in Destin, named to the Diner’s Choice, Top 100 Most Romantic Restaurants in America, and Top 100 Steakhouses in America.

And it’s no wonder; the restaurant brings traditional elegance back to the fine-dining experience, providing guests with the option of private dining and offering every diner captain and sommelier service and special tableside preparation of such sumptuous items as steak Diane, Dover sole, and Seagar’s signature dessert, bananas foster.

The restaurant is also loved and revered by wine lovers around the country, with a private-reserve wine list of more than 600 labels. An intimate lounge and live piano entertainment round out the classic, elegant feel, providing a unique and unforgettable dining occasion for everyone who finds a seat at a Seagar’s table.

What makes Seagar’s a must-visit for area guests and a favorite of seasoned locals?

“In my personal experience, the main difference is our shared commitment to excellence,” said Executive Chef Lee Guidry. “Being a AAA Four-Diamond Restaurant, we are deeply committed to consistently delivering exceptional service and premium dining. I find this adds another level of attentiveness to the kitchen atmosphere and how we execute our dishes.”

Ingredients make the meal

Where does he draw inspiration for the beautiful dishes that come out of the Seagar’s kitchen?

“The regionality of the Gulf and local farms that provide our produce are very inspiring. With roughly 99% of our items coming in from nearby farms and fishing boats, each day I walk into the kitchen, I’m inspired to learn, create and teach those around me, creating dishes with the freshest, most beautiful ingredients,” Guidry said.

General Manager Gary Brielmayer, who has been with Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa for almost 20 years, described the reason for the restaurant’s longevity.

“We focus on the best quality ingredients that money can buy,” Brielmayer said. “From the moment guests walk in the door, we want them to have a unique and unforgettable experience. Chef Guidry creates several new flavorful dishes each season to showcase the highest quality ingredients available and also to give guests the opportunity to try something new every visit.”

Seagar’s impressive menu includes a selection of appetizing starters, including Crisp Calamari (with buttermilk, seasoned flour, house-made pickle, and grain mustard rouille); Berkwood’s Farm Pork Bell Cassoulet en Croute (with cannellini bean, tomato, fine herb, pork jus, mirepoix, and puff pastry); and a decadent French Onion Soup, a blend of five onions simmered in a hearty beef stock and finished with crouton and melted Jarlsberg and Gruyere cheeses).

Specialties found elsewhere in the area rarely include a Raines Farm Wagyu Beef Tataki (with cucumber, foie gras emulsion, fried garlic, yuzu, ginger, and cilantro); Crisp Bobwhite Quail (with butternut squash and foie gras ravioli, brown butter, sage, consume, buttermilk, oolong, and walnut); and Osetra Caviar (served with toast points, egg yolks, egg whites, sour cream, chives, and chilled vodka). A Caesar Salad for Two is prepared tableside and is a treat not to be missed, and a Custom Seafood Tower will be the delight of the party, created from large Gulf shrimp, Maine Lobster, live oysters, and Alaskan King Crab legs, three-tiered and served with cocktail sauce and drawn butter.

Steakhouse with style

A true New York steakhouse in style and offerings, the appetite is satisfied with Seagar’s main selections, USDA Prime Steaks and Lamb Chops that are certified 100% USDA Prime and available in a variety of cuts such as the Steak Diane, NY Strip, Bone-In Ribeye, Porterhouse, Bone-In Filet, Lamb Chop, Rôtisseur’s Special, and the Chateaubriand, a 22-ounce steak for two.

Custom cuts of the filet mignon are offered, and a wonderful assortment of entrée additions can customize the diner’s choice, including Maitre D’ Butter, Au Poivre, Maytag/Bacon, Mushroom & Madeira, Foie Gras Butter, Oscar, Grilled Shrimp, Pork Belly, Foie Gras, pan seared diver scallops, fried South African lobster tail, or a half pound of King Crab Legs.

For those wanting to stick closer to the coast with their selections, seafood entrees include Seared Snapper (with new potato galette, wilted spinach, Alaskan King Crab, lemongrass, and fume), Crisp Potato Wrapped Gulf Shrimp (with Yukon gold potato threads, artichoke fondue, cherry tomato, artichoke heart, and pea tendril), and South African Cold-Water Lobster Tails, lightly battered and fried and served with honey mustard.

Put a cherry on top of a perfect meal with something sweet, such as Cherries Jubilee or Bananas (or Peaches) Foster for Two, both prepared tableside and served over vanilla ice cream. A Double Irish Coffee or Mocha Espresso Martini can complete the evening or move the party to Seagar’s intimate lounge area for conversation and storytelling, or live piano music on select nights.

For guests new to the Seagar’s experience, Brielmayer says, “Expect the best quality food, expertly and simply prepared, and served with authentic, attentive service.”

Seagar’s Prime Steaks and Seafood is located at 4000 Sandestin Boulevard South in Miramar Beach, and a full menu and more information can be found by visiting seagars.com or calling 850-622-1500. Dinner reservations can be made online or by calling, and a dress code is required.

March 11, 2021

Spring flavors sing at Seagar’s

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Chef Lee Guidry debuts his newest seasonal menu

By Michelle Farnham
March 10, 2021

SANDESTIN – As the weather warms and the days get longer, visitors and locals alike welcome not just the spring season, but the spring menu at Seagar’s Prime Steaks & Seafood.

Executive Chef Lee Guidry always looks forward to the debut of mushroom season, as is evident in his newest seasonal menu.

At a special luncheon held March 10 at the AAA Four Diamond steakhouse, Guidry started with an off-menu special featuring wagyu, caviar, shaved winter truffle and the first morels of the season.

Next he brought out the prime filet tartar with grilled bone marrow, served right in the bone. Quail egg adds richness while the diced fennel and apple add a brightness that match the season. The house-made focaccia reminds diners that everything served at Seagar’s is made in-house by Guidry and his team.

“It’s a 2- to 3-month process to come up with each menu,” Guidry admitted. “There’s a lot of love that goes in each dish.”

His Heureux Farms pork belly first course incorporates kimchi-style Napa cabbage with sweet soy, ginger, carrot and scallion, and topped with crisp pork skin for added texture. The kitchen cures the pork belly for three days, then braises it for six hours to ensure the texture is wonderfully melty.

Guidry’s crisp bobwhite quail with foie gras and gruyere ravioli is rich in the best way possible, accented with truffled honey butter, Swiss chard and foie gras “snow” which Chef deep freezes and grates as the finishing touch.

Getting into the entrees menu, the skin-on seared snapper is served atop a Yukon gold potato cake cooked in duck fat with zucchini, artichoke mousse, trout roe, and of course, beech mushrooms.

“We have Gulf snapper – American red when it’s in season. It’s been good this year, they keep extending the season a little bit so we’ve been fortunate to keep getting it,” Guidry explained.

Chef’s pan-roasted diver scallops are legendary, and for the spring season he pairs them with a lump blue crab cannelloni and grilled king trumpet mushroom, served with pureed “smooth” gumbo.

“These are U-10 diver scallops that are hand-picked, so there’s no byproduct,” he said, noting that he only buys dry-packed scallops to ensure the best taste and texture.

His blackened Gulf grouper comes with a roasted corn and tasso, which he serves risotto-style, finished with Asiago and rock shrimp.

For dessert, he’s serving a celebration of the classic French opera cake, incorporating delicate layers of chocolate mousse, hazelnut dacquoise, espresso syrup, and ganache, aside a latte gelato and cocoa nibs.

Seagar’s will also host at least one more wine dinner before the season really gets underway, always held the first Sunday of the month. He hinted his next evening might include a caviar and vodka tasting.

Seagar’s Prime Steaks & Seafood is located 4000 Sandestin Blvd. South, Miramar Beach, within the Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa. Reservations can be made online at seagars.com or by calling 850-622-1500.

Photos by Michelle Farnham