DINING
Firefly’s New Chef Brings the Best to the Gulf Coast STORY COURTESY OF RESORT COLLECTION PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF FIREFLY
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atrons would be hard-pressed to find another restaurant in Panama City Beach with the same ambiance and dining experience of Firefly. Its motto is “casual fine dining,” but Firefly really is more than that. With the addition of the sushi bar and multiple private dining rooms, the restaurant brings something for everyone to the table. An evening in the main dining room underneath a beautiful, sprawling tree — complete with glistening lights and twinkling “fire-flies” in its branches — will make you fall in love with more than the delicious cuisine. Whether you’re looking for the perfect romantic date destination, a fun night out with friends or family, or a private space to hold your next meeting or event, Firefly has something for everyone. It’s no wonder that Firefly is an eighttime Florida Trend Golden Spoon Award winner, has won the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence 12 years running, and has been included in OpenTable.com’s “100 Most Romantic Restaurants” and Urbanspoon.com’s “Top 250 High-End Restaurants in the World.” In November of 2019, Firefly welcomed executive chef Rob Burgess to its kitchen. Having studied
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G O I N ’ TO T H E B E AC H 2021
and graduated from Le Cordon Bleu culinary school, his credentials and background speak for themselves. Being at a neighboring restaurant in Panama City Beach for seven years, joining the team at Firefly was a seamless transition. “I’ve always had tremendous respect for Dave and Firefly,” Burgess stated. “So when the stars finally aligned, I couldn’t pass up the chance to jump on board.” When asked about the decision to hire Chef Rob, Firefly owner Dave Trepanier said he was the obvious choice. “I’ve been wanting to work with Rob for a long time,” he shared. “I’ve known what
a great chef he is, and he has the best work ethic — always the first guy in in the morning and the last to leave at night. Rob is an outstanding chef, plus he’s a neat freak and particularly into cleanliness. He’s just one of those guys that if you get an opportunity to work with, you’ve just got to do it.” From South Carolina, Burgess grew up on a small farm with his parents. “We raised horses, chickens, ducks — you name it we had it,” he shared. “Growing up, my mom was always in the kitchen. We always had a home-cooked meal every night. After high school when I wasn’t sure what I wanted
