Discovering Emeril’s Florida
How did you and Emeril meet?
What was the inspiration for the
show?
Emeril was
captured by
the relaxed,
carefree
style that
Florida is
known for.
Loews Don
CeSar Hotel in
St. Pete Beach
What is it about this state that
made Emeril decide to make
Florida his home?
Emeril’s wife is from Mississippi and
her family used to always vacation
down on the beaches of South Walton,
so she’s the one that introduced him
to the area. After visiting, Emeril was
captured by the relaxed, carefree style
that Florida is known for. He loved
that the kids could go to school and
ride bikes and play at the beach and
just be happy, normal kids. He’s also
thrilled to hop on his boat and go fishing any chance he gets; it’s his retreat
and escape from work.
What did Emeril learn about
Florida foods?
I think Emeril was really amazed at
the variety available and the quality
of the chefs we have here in Florida.
From casual fare to exceptional fine
dining, we tried it all. We went to
four distinguished historic resorts
throughout the state: the Don Cesar
in St. Pete Beach , the Biltmore Hotel
in Coral Gables, the Breakers in West
Palm Beach , and the Grand Floridian
in Orlando. All had really impressive
world-class restaurants.
There were also some pretty unusual places that surprised him. In
10 FOOD TRAVELER | SUMMER 2013
FLORIDA PHOTOS: VISIT FLORIDA
Emeril with
Chris Ponte at
Cafe Ponte
I’ve been fishing buddies with Emeril
for the past 6 years. We actually met
out on the dock in Sandestin since our
boats were only two slips from each
other. My son went fishing with him
one day and soon after our families
just became good friends. Now we
fish every summer and winter and
work together to support his charity,
The Emeril Lagasse Foundation.
As you can imagine, wine, food,
and ideas flow freely when hanging
out with Emeril. I guess that’s where
the inspiration came to showcase the
food and culinary experiences we
have here in Florida.