Nestled in the neighborhood Blue Mountain Beach, Marie’s Bistro is a quaint little restaurant known for their eclectic mix of dishes, including everything from Mediterranean to Southern-infused cuisine.
Husband-and-wife owners, Hanie and Marie Nasri, originally from Egypt, relocated to the Emerald Coast in 1989 looking for a safe place to raise a family. They settled in South Walton for the beautiful location, but even more so for the friendly people.
When I asked Hanie why he enjoyed owning a business here, he responded quickly with “the clientele.”
“We have some amazing guests and a lot of repeat customers who come back very often,” he said. “We see their kids growing up and their grandkids growing up. It’s a lot of fun.”
For years, Hanie and Marie have run Marie’s Bistro as an extension of their family, serving loyal locals and first-time visitors as if they were relatives.
Following a bad accident in early 2016, Marie Nasri had to step away from Marie’s Bistro’s kitchen to focus on her recovery.
The couple needed to find a new chef.
After an extensive search and countless interviews, Hanie Nasri has found the perfect fit the fill his kitchen: Chef Denise Harris.
One especially popular item on Marie’s menu is their sushi. Photo from Marie’s Bistro on Facebook.
Raised in Wauconda, Illinois, Chef Harris is a graduate from L’École Culinaire, where she served as a student ambassador, in St. Louis, Missouri, in 2010.
Chef Harris’s favorite flavor combinations include Asian and Thai. She has already begun introducing inventive dishes to Marie’s Bistro menu including braised pork belly served atop stone-ground grits and a seared sesame tuna and shrimp with Udon noodles tossed in sweet chili soy sauce.
Marie’s Bistro has also started hosting Wine Club Wednesdays every week from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Along with the week’s assorted wines, guests are invited to enjoy appetizers and unlimited tastes for $20 plus $5 off select wines.
30A intern Jordyn Knott contributed to this article.
