DINING OUT The Citizen restaurant seeks to become an integral part of the Alys Beach community while offering specialties including charred Spanish octopus.

→ The Citizen restaurant in Alys Beach features an 18-seat bar, 12-seat raw bar and a spacious 120-seat dining room and patio.

DINING OUT Comfortable and Refined

The Citizen takes up residence in Alys Beach

by LIESEL SCHMIDT

When Jeremy Walton opened The Citizen in Alys Beach in January, the 25-year veteran of the hospitality industry had confidence that the reward would be worth the risk.

His conviction has paid off.

“Having spent the last five years working with Alys Beach on the development of the town as the vice president of resort operations, I was very excited about the future and growth of the community,” said Walton, who earned his chops working with Auberge Resorts, Montage International and Sea Island before joining the Alys Beach team in 2014. He has also served as a consulting partner for James Beard Award-winning chef Chris Hastings since 2005.

“Seeing the growth of Walton County and 30A overall, I came very easily to the decision to do a project like The Citizen,” Walton said. “Because of COVID, the influx of people moving here and the amount of new people discovering 30A was an unexpected bonus. Reception in the

CHARRED AVOCADO

SIX DAYS A WEEK

The Citizen is located at 20 Mark Twain Lane #101, Alys Beach. Open Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m.–3 p.m. for lunch and 5–9 p.m. for dinner. Bar opens at 3:30 p.m. For more information, call (850) 909-0702 or visit citizenalys.com.

↑ The BLACKENED GULF FISH SANDWICH, top, is stuffed with cabbage slaw, slathered with kimchi aioli and served on a brioche bun. MURDER POINT OYSTERS, above, are good when unadorned, or doctor them up as you please.

community has been positive since the beginning, and despite the pandemic, the community welcomed The Citizen with open arms.”

Walton intends that his business reflect “a love for the community and a commitment to defining what it means to be a good citizen.” The restaurant, located across Highway 30A from the Gulf of Mexico, features coastal cuisine born of international inspirations and resulting in global flavor with a serious nod to Southern fare. Driven by locally sourced, seasonal ingredients, the food and beverage menus are indicative of a desire to provide the highest flavor with quality that speaks to a dedication to excellence.

Featuring seating at an 18-seat bar, 12-seat raw bar, and a spacious 120-seat dining room and patio, The Citizen was designed by local architecture and design firm Khoury-Vogt Architects — the architects for the town of Alys Beach. Naturally, the tavern follows Alys Beach’s cleanly minimalist aesthetic, with an interior influenced by Scandinavian modern design and a focus on simple and refined elements: coffered ceilings, marble and gold accents and a vibrant splash of peacock blue that makes a bold statement in an otherwise white space.

Reflecting the fresh and vibrant vibe of the restaurant itself, the menu of The Citizen includes a selection of freshly caught seafood as well as dishes sourced from the “land” and “garden.” Having created what he terms “more of a tavern,” Walton offers dishes consistent with the casual atmosphere of such an enterprise. Entrees, sandwiches, salads and appetizers, while expertly prepared and conceived with a flair for flavor pairings, seem to blur the line between the comfortable and the refined. In homage to coastal Southern fare, many of the dishes are cooked over a wood fire.

There are, of course, a few dishes that rise above the rest.

“Some of our best sellers are the Calabrian Shrimp, Whipped Feta, Roasted Avocado Salad and the Wood Fired Carrot Hummus Platter,” Walton noted his most popular appetizers. “For

FRESH SEAFOOD FROM OUR FAMILY TO YOURS

↑ BURRATA TOAST is loaded with English peas, radishes, heirloom tomatoes and Georgia olive oil.

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main courses, the Roasted Grouper and the Charred Broccoli have been very well-received; and Murder Point Oysters with the selection of four sauces and hot-buttered saltines is always a star offering that everyone enjoys.”

Walton assembled a team of masters to man the kitchen — and it shows.

Executive Chef Drew Dzejak first developed his skills as a professional chef at the age of 15, then went on to graduate from Johnson & Wales with a degree in culinary arts. He worked at Belmond Charleston Place Hotel, Windsor Court Hotel and Palmetto Bluff, where fate seemed to put him in Walton’s path. Much like Dzejak, Chef de Cuisine Coleman Jernigan began his culinary journey at an early age. The New Orleans native has several areas of expertise, including bread baking, pastry arts, fine dining, casual dining and wholesale production.

The beverage side of the menu demonstrates a careful exploration of mixology that is both innovative and unique to The Citizen, created in collaboration with Christine Tarpey of Better Together Beverage.

“The cocktail menu offers a selection of creative libations organized by flavor profile — Bright & Fresh, Bold & Boozy and Classically Trained — that changes seasonally,” Walton said.

The menu also includes a “Zero Proof” section for elevated mocktail creations utilizing distilled, nonalcoholic spirits. A curated wine and beer list is also available and features local craft beers. EC

A BOUNTIFUL HARVEST

Destin Charity Wine Auction Foundation’s Harvest Food & Wine Festival will be more plentiful than ever

Throughout time, wine has been a great unifier. It has long gathered together individuals and communities who join to sip and savor it in social settings. The Destin Charity Wine Auction Foundation (DCWAF) values and recognizes the communal nature of wine, happily presenting the Harvest Wine & Food Festival, now in its fifth year.

As one of the premier wine and food festivals of the Southeast, epicureans looking to tantalize their palates with the finest local food offerings and national and international award-winning wines, gather in South Walton during the region’s most beautiful time of the year. From Thursday, Nov. 4 through Sunday, Nov. 7, attendees can take part in wine dinners, the Grand Tasting, auctions and more at scenic Cerulean Park and surrounding restaurants.

“On a nice sunny day, the festival feels like a Hollywood movie set,” said John Russell, president of DCWAF. “We look forward to once again welcoming wine lovers from around the region to a weekend of excellent food and wine while promoting the area and the industries that so greatly support the foundation.”

The anticipation is high for this year’s event as the 2020 event only featured intimate dinners and an online auction. From the 2020 event, some valuable aspects arose that will be present in 2021, such as more wine dinners and a Sunday brunch.

The weekend will begin with four signature dinners on Thursday night — Purlieu Wines at Seagar’s Prime Steaks & Seafood presented by Stephen and Joan Carter, Roy Estate at Cuvee 30A presented by Chuck and Glenda Palmore, Cast Wines at Café Thirty-A presented by Emerald Coast Association of Realtors, and Stonestreet Estate with celebrity chef Adam Evans of Automatic Seafood presented by 360 Blue and Good Grit. Friday will continue with four more dinners featuring Corazon del Sol at Vin’tij Food + Wine presented by Cory and Hillary Fosdyck, and Black Sheep Tequila with celebrity chef Maricela Vega in a private WaterColor residence presented by 360 Blue and Setco Services. These meals grant attendees access to wine pairings customized to the chef’s culinary creations and one-on-one interactions with the winemakers.

The main event, the Grand Tasting, occurs on Saturday, where you can fill your cup from hundreds of wine options and sample provisional stations cooked up by the finest Gulf Coast chefs. Sunday concludes with the Better Together Brunch by 360 Blue and Good Grit with scrumptious brunch fare by Kristen Hall and Victor King of Essential Birmingham and craft cocktails mixed by Better Together Beverage and Distillery 98.

Whether attending or not, the silent auction is available for virtual bidding all weekend long. Money raised from tickets and the silent auction goes directly to 16 local children’s charities, addressing issues such as homelessness, hunger, abuse, mental health, after school funding and more.

DCWAF hopes that each attendee enjoys the beauty of eating and drinking their way through South Walton — all while making a special connection with the organizations and charities involved.

“It will be a wonderful weekend of food with celebrated chefs, wine from notable vintners and philanthropy support, which is the reason behind why we all gather and make lasting memories,” said Karah Fridley-Young, director of DCWAF.

5th Annual Harvest Wine & Food Festival

NOVEMBER 4–7, 2021

Boasting a series of epicurean events throughout South Walton, Harvest Wine & Food Festival offers something for every wine, spirit and food lover to enjoy.

Visit HarvestWineandFood.com for the most up to date schedule of events. Tickets on sale now.