Anna Maria Island Real Estate Sales Blog

We love to see our local folks have success. Now, as part of the Sean Murphy original restaurant business, we note that Jeff "Gator" Thomas has become chef at Eat Here, a great new restaurant.

Here's the story from the Maddux Report:

Jeffrey Thomas was an Island kid who used to pull redfish out of the canals near Pete Reynard’s and sell bait to the tourists on Pete’s dock. Thirty years later, he’s preparing fantastic fare a stone’s throw away from his old Pete Reynard’s stomping ground. Chef Thomas is the head chef at Eat Here; Sean Murphy’s new restaurant in Holmes Beach on Anna Maria Island.

Chef Thomas attended Anna Maria Elementary School and Manatee High School before heading to the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. The “CIA” was becoming acknowledged as the best chef school in the world, and Jeffrey was there at the perfect time to learn and train as well as make great culinary contacts.

Jeffrey also became “Gator” – a nickname by the other culinary students. After graduation, Gator went on to work in New York City with famed television chef Bobby Flay before venturing home to hook up with Sean Murphy at the Beach Bistro, Bistro at Island’s End, and the Bistro at The Concession before becoming the culinary guiding light at Eat Here.

Chef Gator’s main support and Sean’s right hand is Beach Bistro chef Matt Deason. Murphy says, “Gator is talented and dedicated and has done an exceptional job with the Eat Here opening. Everyone loves the food. Chef Matt of the Bistro has also done a wonderful job supporting Chef Gator while maintaining the Bistro’s high standards.

The Eat Here staff has already ramped up to open seven days a week. “We will be opening Sundays starting February 13th and to reduce wait times for tables, we will also open a little earlier at 5 p.m.” Sean describes Eat Here as Beach Bistro’s “sidekick.”

“The Beach Bistro focuses on presenting the best food product in the world – domestic lamb, Prime beef and the best fresh catches from the Gulf and America – red snapper and black grouper. Eat Here will take advantage of Beach Bistro’s training and flavor techniques to present more casual offerings using less expensive proteins.

“The Beach Bistro serves the world’s best rack of lamb and bouillabaisse, Eat Here has fabulous lobster tacos, seafood stew and pot roast.” Sean describes the food at Eat Here as “chef-driven Gulf Coast Cookery.”

The name? Sean maintains “it strips away pretension. It is simple and to the point. It is a good idea to Eat Here. Even if some people don’t think they would have picked it as a name, it has gotten their attention, and they are still thinking about it.”

Eat Here is open seven days a week from 5 p.m. until 10 p.m. Eat Here is located at 5315 Gulf Drive in the Holmes Beach shopping district on Anna Maria Island. Phone 941-778-0411.

Sean Murphy and his wife, Susan Timmins, are the owners of the Beach Bistro at 6600 Gulf Drive on Anna Maria Island. Beach Bistro has been awarded the highest food rankings in the state of Florida by Zagat and is a member of Florida Trends Golden Spoon Hall of Fame.

Contact Sean Murphy at 941-730-3365 or mail@beachbistro.com

Copyright 2010 Maddux Report LC