Fisher said the first year of the series just kind of fell together when talking amongst friends in the restaurant business.
“It all started with Donald Link,” Fisher said. “Our chef Bill Briand worked with Donald for 10 years. Shortly after we opened, we asked Donald to come do a dinner with us. He was so gracious and said ‘I’d love to.’ That was a big deal to us to have Donald Link come cook in our restaurant.
“Shortly thereafter Ti Martin, the owner of the Commander’s Palace in New Orleans, was celebrating her birthday here. I mentioned to her we’d love to have Commander’s chef Tory McPhail come host a dinner here. And she said, "say when, I’m in, let’s do it.”
From there, Fisher says, the series evolved as Briand called up buddies from New Orleans restaurants and the series was born. The first year also saw Sue Zemanick, Justin Devillier and John Besh
The Southern Grace Dinners have now become a favorite among the chefs and is giving Orange Beach and the Gulf Coast quite the reputation in the culinary world.
“It was such a hit and these chefs had such a great time here - it was one of the highlight of their year,” Fisher said. “It’s just so good for our area to have these high-profile chefs here. A lot of people around the country are looking at us and going ‘wow. Why are all those chefs going to Orange Beach? What’s going on down there?’”
All of the dinners are on a Thursday night and the next day Fisher makes sure the visitors get a real taste of coastal culture.
“Not only did they enjoy the experience here at Fisher’s the next day, we take ‘em out on a cruise on Friday,” he said. “We’ll either go fishing or on a boat cruise. We hit Pirate’s Cove, the Flora-Bama Yacht Club and hang out on Robinson Island."
“They really get to experience the Gulf Coast and most of them are like ‘I didn’t know this was here.’ It is really promoting our coast in a great way to some very influential taste makers of the South.”
Others included will be Nina Compton from Compère Lapin in New Orleans on May 12 to open the series followed by Alon Shaya on June 9 from Shaya, Domenica and its more casual sister restaurant, Pizza Domenica, also in New Orleans.
On June 16 Isaac Toups from Toups Meatery in New Orleans will be in house, the soldout Stitt dinner is on June 30 followed on July 12 by two award-winning chefs in the kitchen at once, Adam Evans and Justin Devillier. Devillier has La Petite Grocery in New Orleans and Evans recently joined Brezza Cucina as chef-partner at celebrity chef Jonathan Waxman’s new restaurant in Atlanta.
On July 21 by Ryan Prewitt from Peche Seafood Grill in New Orleans and Blackberry Farm Brewery will be center stage. Brewmaster Roy Milner from the prestigious Blackberry Farm Brewery will also join Chef Prewitt to present a beer pairing dinner.
Bill Smith of Crook’s Corner Café and Bar in Chapel Hill, N.C., will close out the 2016 series on Aug. 11.
