Andi Bell, head chef at Boshamps Seafood and Oyster House in Destin, has loved to cook his entire life, and he’s really, really good at it.
Born in Mountain Brook, Ala., Bell split time growing up between Mountain Brook and Destin. So after he graduated from the Florida Culinary Institute with top honors, and an entire year early, he quickly headed back to the home of his childhood summers.
Bell has worked for the Phillips family here on the Emerald Coast since 1996,. Starting with the beloved Flamingo Café and now at Boshamps. In 2001, the James Beard Foundation named Bell a Rising Star of American Cuisine, one of the nation’s top culinary honors.
Coastal Angler Magazine sat down with Bell for a Q&A about life in the kitchen here on the Gulf coast.
What do you love most about being a chef?
The creativity. There is no limit. And constantly learning about stuff.
What is your all-time favorite dish to cook?
I don’t know if I have one.
How about a most memorable dish or someone that you’ve cooked for?
No. I’ve cooked for a lot of different people. I cooked at the Beard House up in Manhattan. Probably the most memorable would be up at the Beard House.
What did you make?
I don’t even remember. They selected me as a Rising Star of American Cuisine back in 2001, and I went up there and cooked. I don’t remember what all I did. It was about seven courses. It was fun.
Why have you chosen Destin has your home and place of work?
I just love it here. The beaches, I like the water. I’m a pisces. My family is here. I dig the South. I’d chosen to go out to California, but my mom kind of kept me here.
You own and operate Cupcake Beach?
Yes.
Why did you choose cupcakes for your business?
It’s something different. Nobody was doing it here. So I did it. I had a shop at the commons for a while. I got out of that. Now I just run it on the internet.
What do people do if they want to order cupcakes?
They email me. I do it all through the internet Chef Andi Bell Wows Diners at Boshamps and email, and then phone conversations. I do a lot of weddings and stuff out at Seaside and Sandestin. You don’t see a lot of people that do cupcakes or baking and are head chef at a seafood restaurant. I can both. I took pastry as well when I was in school, so I can do it all.
When customers come here to Boshamps, what is your No. 1 recommendation?
Anything with bacon marmalade on it is good. That is something unique that we do. Catch of the Day with the maque choux and the grits is a pretty good thing. I’m doing a lot of features. In fact, I’m getting ready to pickle some pigs feet today. I’ve got some pork shanks that came in and I’m going to run that as a feature this weekend. I’m trying to get a little more creative in here, like I’m used to doing. We’re trying to get this thing under control so I can do that. We’ll be doing a lot more of that.
Where do you find the inspiration for your specials?
In the back of my head. I’ve got a pretty weird imagination. I’m constantly thinking about food. I wake up in the middle of the night and write stuff down.
How does food, as the universal thing that brings everyone together, play a role for you as a chef?
It’s great. I love making people happy with food. It’s cool to hear when people really dig food. I’m going to see what the public is going to say about pickled pig’s feet in a restaurant. Normally you see it in a gas station. I’m going to be pickling them totally different, (and) almost using them as a garnish for this pork shank that I’m going to do. I like seeing how people react to different things that they’ve never tried before. I’ve been getting into pickling all this stuff that’s coming out of the farms, like pickling radishes and weird stuff like that. People seem to go after it pretty well.
So what is different about the way you pickle it?
Traditionally, it’s done with just a red dye and white vinegar. I’m going to be using some different spices that are indigenous to the South, and make it less gas-station-like and more user-friendly.