Located in The Pearl at Rosemary Beach, Havana Beach Bar & Grill is set to open this month.The culinary program — led by Executive Chef Michael Guerra — explores an ingredient-driven cuisine that is said to redefine what it means to live and cook on the southern gulf, featuring a fusion of the flavors and ingredients of the Creole back country, Mexican fishing villages, and the soul of Cuba.
Chef Guerra joins The Pearl from the Montage Deer Valley in Utah, where he served as Executive Banquet Chef and Restaurant Chef. The lifelong self-proclaimed “culinarian” brings a passion for Gulf Coast cuisine to The Pearl’s food and beverage program, focusing on the development of key relationships with local purveyors. Chef Guerra crafts his menu around the freshest products from artisans in the region including Sexton’s Seafood Market, Ocheesee Creamery, and Camp Flowers Honey, among others, in order to offer an unparalleled destination venue for guests to discover and celebrate ingredients and flavors indigenous to the southern coastal region.
“Along the coastline that follows the Gulf of Mexico, you find regionally-inspired cuisine reflecting the local growers, purveyors, and fishermen available in the region,” said Executive Chef Michael Guerra. “Highlighting the individuality found along this coastline inspires the menu for Havana Beach.”
For example, Havana Beach’s menu features a classic corn chowder that’s accented with blue crab, house-cured bacon, and Creole vegetables, while Shrimp N’ Grits features local Florida shrimp, crisp spicy ham, and Adluh South Carolina Stone Ground Grits. A riff on a classic, Mama’s Chicken Biscuits are made with farm-raised fried chicken served alongside housemade buttermilk biscuits and The Pearl’s own artisan honey. For a taste of the best seafood along the gulf, guests will enjoy an assortment of fresh local chilled seafood including Apalachicola oysters on the half shell, boiled fresh Florida shrimp, Florida little neck clams, and crab claws.
The dessert menu also highlights favorite southern flavors, including peaches and pecans in the Peach Buckle with Chantilly cream and candied pecans, and an update on the classic Ice Box Lemon Pie with sweet lemon filling served in a meringue cup and graham cracker crust. An assortment of handcrafted ice creams and sorbets from local, family-owned Southern Craft Creamery are featured as well.
Complementing the coastal fare is a beverage menu carefully crafted by The Pearl’s Director of Restaurants and industry veteran, Sara Reese. Featuring a selection of classic cocktails served from a hand-carved mahogany bar reminiscent of Ernest Hemingway’s Havana home, the menu honors the spirits traditional to the southern coastal region. Fittingly, the Hemingway Daiquiri with Havana Club Rum, Maraschino Liquor, grapefruit juice, and lime is a signature, while the Limoncello Collins with housemade Troy & Son’s White Whiskey Limoncello, Right Gin, and club soda will prove to be a local favorite.
“By highlighting traditional Southern cocktails that effortlessly embrace the cuisine, the Havana Beach Bar evokes a certain classic quality,” said Sara Reese. “The bar feels familiar and inviting—like it has always been there.”
The Pearl
The focal point of Havana Beach’s vibrant and welcoming atmosphere is The Veranda, an open dining area featuring the backdrop of Rosemary Beach’s charming Main Street and the stunning scenery of the Gulf of Mexico. The Veranda’s traditional dining room offers views of sprawling greens, while a more casual cocktail area features plush couches and armchairs catering to the relaxed vibe. “Table 63” — a roundtable named for the hotel’s Main Street address — is perfectly situated on The Veranda, offering six guests an unparalleled view of the picturesque Emerald Coast.
Havana Beach Bar & Grill will be open Monday through Friday for breakfast from 7:00 am to 11:00 am; for lunch from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm; and for dinner, from 5:00 pm to 10:00 pm. On Saturday and Sunday, brunch is also available 7:00 am to 3:00 pm, and dinner from 5:00 pm to 10:00 pm. The Havana Beach Bar is open until midnight, nightly.
