by Bailey White
Staff Writer
In the restaurant business, staying one step ahead of the competition is crucial to a successful establishment.
Southern Paradise Restaurant on West Forsyth Street recently changed its menu and hired a new chef, and the owners are hoping the changes, along with a few other minor improvements, will add new life to the downtown business.
“There is a lot of competition out there. We’re surrounded by it. You have to stay on your toes and keep trying new things,” said owner Carolyn Herre. She and her husband Hubert have owned the restaurant for almost two years. Carolyn Herre is there on a daily basis, along with partner Susan Lamolinara, who has been with the restaurant for eight months.
“We wanted to introduce some different things — more salads, lighter fare,” said Herre, pointing out that deli sandwiches are another new
addition.
The most noticeable addition is Melisa Rivers, the new executive chef who joined the team about two weeks ago.
“Melisa is an answer to our prayers,” said Herre. “What sealed the deal is that she had her own knives. Every good chef has their own knives. She has great qualifications and is very organized.”
Rivers is a Jacksonville native who has worked in restaurants all over the city. At River City Brewing Company she was a banquet chef; at the now-closed Crawdaddy’s she was a sous chef; and at the Sea Turtle Inn she was a grill cook. This is her first executive chef position.
“I started cooking when I was seven; cooking at home for my family,” said Rivers.
Though she hasn’t had formal training, Rivers knows her experience more than compensates. It isn’t that she undermines culinary training, but she knows it doesn’t guarantee someone will be a great chef.
“I had someone working under me who said his parents had spent $50,000 to send him to culinary school in New York City,” she said. “I asked him to go around the corner, pick up a spear of broccoli and cook it for me. He asked, ‘How long, about 45 minutes?’ It would have been mush.”
On the job experience is what Rivers values most from her years as a chef.
“You’re constantly learning from other people. It’s basically how everyone in this field learns,” she said.
While they might not make it to the menu at Southern Paradise, Rivers likes preparing dishes with flare.
“I like chateau brion, cherries jubilee — anything with fire,” said Rivers, as she describes the flamboyant dishes. “It [cherries jubilee] sparkles like Christmas tree lights when you throw a dash of cinnamon on it.”
Though a little less startling than flaming dishes, cooking Southern-style favorites suits Rivers. “I’m a true southerner. I’ve taken to this like a duck takes to water,” she said.
Rivers is at the restaurant by 5:30 a.m., preparing for breakfast and looking toward the lunch rush. Unlike daily specials, the daily soup is often conceived that morning. By the time her day at Southern Paradise ends, she’s often done eating, too.
“I taste all day long, so I tend not to eat when I go home,” she said. “Tasting, even it is just a little spoonful, is the only way to make sure what I’m making is good.”
She will watch the occasional cooking show, though.
“Emeril is a favorite. I like anyone who is energetic and entertaining,” said Rivers. “We all tend to talk when we’re cooking and there is no telling what will come out of our mouths.”
Rivers said other changes may happen, but they will come in small steps. Southern Paradise will now host office parties and deliver meals in the downtown area. And Rivers said that night catering would be an ideal service for the restaurant to offer soon. One thing that won’t change is the restaurant’s forte for Southern-style cooking.
“We’re not planning to totally revamp it. The restaurant has been around a long time and people like it as it is,” said Herre.
She is hoping the minor tweaking will bring new, loyal customers and please regulars.
“We’re hoping it grows,” said Herre. “We want to broaden the base of regulars and to let people know we’re here. There are a lot of people downtown and they have to eat somewhere.”
Adds Rivers: “People are used to this restaurant. From what I understand, it’s like a hometown corner. But people like variety. Things change, people change and tastes change.”