ALYS Beach Poolside Restaurant Open to the Public

Date: 5/19/2008

Dining Feature

Alys Beach invites guests to enjoy a unique new poolside dining experience at “Caliza.”

May 19, 2008

New Poolside Dining Experience at Alys Beach

Special to Florida Freedom Newspapers

ALYS BEACH – Beginning this Thursday, Alys Beach invites guests to enjoy a unique new poolside dining experience at “Caliza.”

“Eventually, we’ll be able to offer locals and out-of-town guests a bustling Town Center full of unique shops, restaurants and other amenities to enjoy,” said Jason Comer, Alys Beach’s Town Founder. “But in the meantime, we want our friends and neighbors to become a true part of our community. That’s why we hope everyone will come and enjoy the Caliza dining experience.”

Now open for its first full season, Caliza’s architecture is punctuated with arched colonnades, fountains, cabanas, tropical gardens, three pools and a restaurant, which will now be open to the public for dinner every Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m.

“Caliza is a dream of a place,” said Andrés Duany, well-known designer of hundreds of new towns around the globe, including the local communities of Seaside, Rosemary Beach and Alys Beach.

“30A is blessed with a diverse selection of excellent restaurants, and we think Caliza will add something very unique to this mix,” said Comer. “I hope it demonstrates to first-time visitors just how fully committed we all are to South Walton’s exciting future.”

“Our goals at Caliza are to use only the highest quality ingredients and to provide the highest possible levels of service,” said Chef Olivier Gaupin, Alys Beach’s Director of Food and Beverage. “The setting is already exceptionally beautiful, and we want the dining experience to be just as extraordinary.”

Before joining Alys Beach, Chef Gaupin was Executive Chef for WaterColor and WaterSound resorts, at a time during which the world-class resort was awarded a coveted 4-Star rating by AAA. Prior to moving to Florida, Gaupin was Executive Chef for numerous other award-winning restaurants, including Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Atlanta, where his restaurant was awarded 5-Stars by AAA and named “Top Restaurant in Atlanta” by Gourmet Magazine.

Gaupin said that Caliza’s dinner menu will generally emphasize fresh local seafood, including items such as Apalachicola oysters, and local snapper and shrimp, but will also feature the highest quality steaks and other selections, often with a French or Southern twist.

Reservations are strongly recommended. To make dinner reservations, or for more information about Caliza, please call (850) 213-5700.

New Restaurants at Pier Park in Panama City Beach

Date: 4/16/2008

More restaurants coming to Pier Park

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4/16/2008
By Daniel Carson Florida Freedom Newspapers

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PANAMA CITY BEACH - It’s not hard to find a place to eat at Pier Park, with new restaurants like Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville, Hofbrau Beer Garden, and Bootleg Barbeque opening this spring at the Panama City Beach development.

Indianapolis-based developer Simon Property Group on Tuesday announced four more new eateries coming to Pier Park this year, including the Olive Garden Italian Restaurant. Also coming are Tootsies Orchid Lounge, Baja Café and Guy Harvey’s Island Grill.

Simon also announced beach and resort-wear shop Paradise Found would be opening its doors this spring in Pier Park’s Boardwalk section.

Of the newly announced restaurants, the Olive Garden is scheduled to open in the fall and will be located off Back Beach Road. Owned by Darden Restaurants, the Italian restaurant chain operates 628 location in the United States and Canada, including a State 77 location in Panama City.

Baja Café, with its mix of Cajun, Caribbean, Southwestern and American cuisine, will be located in the Town Center area with a planned summer opening.

Morris said Tootsies was scheduled for a July opening in the Boardwalk section. The restaurant is known as a Nashville, Tenn., mecca for country music artists, and Tootsies’ Web site says early customers included Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson, Patsy Cline and Mel Tillis.

Guy Harvey’s also will open in the Boardwalk section this fall and will be a combination of restaurant, outdoor boat bar and retail store. It will serve a variety of American foods, with a percentage of all its proceeds going to the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation, which is dedicated to ocean preservation.

There are now more than 40 stores open at Pier Park.

Simon Property Group spokesman Les Morris said Payless Shoes and Zales opened earlier this month. Old Navy, Solace Day Spa & Salon and A.M. Café and Accessories on the Boardwalk were scheduled to open this week.

There may be more restaurant opening announcements in the future, Morris said. Restaurant leasing is important to a property, particularly an outdoor center such as Pier Park, he said.

“I think we’ve seen it with Hofbrau, Margaritaville and Five Guys Burgers & Fries,” Morris said.

He pointed out that Simon’s restaurant leasing department is the only one companywide dedicated to a specific leasing area.

“So we’re talking to restaurants often,” Morris said.