fi sh; and they sell their seafood to one of the 
local Gulf to table vendors, which then supply 
restaurants in our area.”

It’s a circle of support, a purity that benefi ts 

everyone involved—feeding the local economy, 
respecting the environment, eating in a way that 
venerates the body. It’s a difference you can taste…
and boy, does it taste good.

May 2017   |   27  

from that is phenomenal.”

Such sentiments are shared and evidenced in 

the cuisine at Harbor Docks, as well. “We’re very 
much involved with the Gulf to table movement 
and the focus it brings to the people and places that 
supply fresh seafood from the Gulf of Mexico,” 
says owner Eddie Morgan. “It’s a question of 
purity and health and maintaining a standard, 
so we’re passionate and dedicated to supplying 
excellent products to our guests and offering them 
nothing but the freshest, highest quality seafood 
from the Gulf of Mexico in each dish we serve.”

“All of the seafood that we use in our restaurant 

is caught locally everyday and brought in right 
away for us to clean and portion, and that provides 
a quality that you can taste in the food,” adds 
Dewey Destin executive chef Jim Shirah. “We 
want everything as fresh as we can possibly get 
it, from our seafood to our produce, that creates 
cuisine that’s clean, safe, and really just excellent 
in fl avor,” he continues. “This whole movement 
of farm to table food is important for people who 

are looking for ways to 
eat healthier and cleaner, 
but it’s also a great way to 
create a system of strength 
within the local business 
community because we’re supporting local farmers 
and fi sherman.” 

Supporting the local guy is an important theme, 

whether that means a local produce farm, a local 
cattle ranch, or local fi shermen; and that’s a point 
of pride for area businesses—trickling all the 
way down to the marinas. “In developing the 
property along the marina, it was important to us 
to have a Gulf to table seafood restaurant, so we 
screened our tenants carefully to ensure that the 
restaurateur to whom we leased our restaurant 
space would provide the freshest fi sh available,” 
says Mary Anne Windes, managing partner of the 
Destin Fishing Fleet Marina. “The fi shing fl eet 
that goes out from the marina everyday is also a 
huge contributor to the movement—many of the 
boats not only charter fi sh, but also commercial 

From seed to spoon. 
From farm to fork. 
From dirt to dish.  

26-27 CoastalCuisine.indd   2

4/24/17   11:02 AM