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Camellia Street Barbecue and Seafood Grill

202 Camellia Street, Everglades City, Phone: 695-2003

Began working at present restaurant:

The day we opened, May 12, 2007

Who or what inspired you to become a chef/cook?

Well, my mother was a creative cook, and having lived in Europe 20 years — the importance of food there inspired me to create dishes on my own.

What was your first restaurant job?

Working for my mother in Joanie’s Blue Crab Restaurant on East Tamiami Trail.

How long have you been cooking professionally?

When I returned from the Basque country where I moved to in 1976. I lived there 20 years and raised my children there — it’s where my love of cooking flourished and all about the family and gathering together for meals — the kind of feeling people tell me they experience when they eat here.

How would you describe your cooking style?

I raise a lot of my own vegetables and most of my herbs and several kinds of peppers. The Mediterranean and my Southern side combine and I impart that Southern collards heritage into my Mediterranean cooking style.

What is your most popular dish?

I’m fortunate to say that everything I offer is a favorite — I go by what the people order. Everything is fresh and seasonal — for instance, fresh soft shell crabs are on my menu again because they were in season this week. Everything is fresh from the boats and they deliver right to my dock on the Barron River. What I can’t produce in my garden, like herbs and collards, I get fresh from the fields in Immokalee.

Where do you like to eat out?

Let’s see — Monday through Saturday I serve and cook lunch and dinner, and we have live music and dancing on Friday and Saturday. If I have time I tend my garden on Sundays.

What is your favorite snack?

By far, it’s my herb salad and Indian flat bread I make here on the premises.

Do you cook at home? If so, what would we always find in your freezer?

The only thing you’ll find is ice and a big block of Parmigiano reggiano because it’s easier to grate when it’s frozen.

What is your specialty? Why?

The incredible grilled fish here. I just got pompano off the boat and I’ll probably sell 100 pounds of it tonight.

What annoys you most in the kitchen?

I’m constantly sweeping up when anything drops on the floor — I can’t function when in a messy kitchen!

What do you enjoy most about your profession?

Every single thing — the long hours, the creative aspect, and the smile on everyone’s face when they’re leaving is worth its weight in gold.