Chef Dean Donnell, food and beverage director at Marriott Shoals Hotel and Spa, garnishes a caviar course with microgreens grown locally to his specifications. / Photo by Anne BralyDean Donnell, food and beverage director at Marriott Shoals Hotel and Spa, begins his workday around 9 a.m., visiting all of his chefs and managers. After that, he takes a look at what's on for the day - what conventions and other events are happening at the resort and meeting with clients, if necessary.
When that's done, he moves on to the purchasing area to make sure all the food that has been ordered is set to arrive and is being delivered at the agreed-upon cost. This is one of the most important aspects of running food service at the resort, where huge amounts of money can be lost if the deliveries are over or under weight or if the produce or other products have spoiled.
"We have local, sustained produce that comes in daily that we need to inspect as it's coming in to be able to send out to the correct operation daily," he says.
Donnell's schedule continues with daily budget meetings; checking purchasing orders for all the food and beverage needs of the hotel's two restaurants (Swampers Bar and 360 Grille) and any special events. All revenues and cover counts must be in line as business picks up as the day wears on.
Swampers, which goes by the nickname given to the legendary house band at FAME Studios, has live music every evening, and 360 Grille, named for its panoramic views, is Alabama's only revolving restaurant. Located 300 feet atop a structure that looks something like a golf tee, the 360 Grille overlooks the Tennessee River, the Quad-Cities of Florence, Sheffield, Muscle Shoals and Tuscumbia, and the Tennessee Valley beyond. With all that both restaurants offer, the parking lot fills up with locals and hotel guests when the sun goes down.
Before Donnell wraps up his day, he gets the evening's protein counts to see what's been sold and accounted for, before checking to see if there are any complaints or compliments shared by guests on their satisfaction surveys. After a quick stop by Human Resources to make sure there are no pressing issues to address, he checks all the food outlets one last time to make sure everything's running smoothly. Then he heads home, he hopes by 7:30 so he can spend some time with his family.
It's a busy schedule, but he says it's nothing compared to owning his own restaurant, something he's done twice while living in his home city of Tampa, Florida.
"Owning my own restaurant, I would go in at 6 a.m. and leave around midnight seven days a week," he says. Working as a corporate chef, he adds, allows him to have a life outside the restaurant.
Donnell didn't learn the trade at a culinary school. "I came up through the school of hard knocks," he says.
He signed on as an apprentice in a program offered by Hyatt Corp. in Miami back in the 1990s, then went to work as the executive sous chef for Joe's Stone Crab, a chain of eateries based in Miami, before beginning a career with Marriott Corp. in 1999. He came to Marriott Shoals in May 2020. Since then, he has hired three new chefs to work under him and added new dishes to the menu at 360 Grille. More so than Swampers, 360 gives Donnell the opportunity to try new things.
"360 is a specialty restaurant," he says. "We can do pretty much whatever we want to do."
One of the latest additions to the dining experience is a course of American caviar from Idaho served with potato blini and all the toppings one might expect - chopped egg white and egg yolk; creme fraiche; red onion. And, of course, premium vodka, in this case: American-made Tito vodka.
Swampers offers a casual atmosphere with a burger-sandwich menu. 360 Grille is a little more refined. It's still casual, but more upscale and offering many made-from-scratch dishes.
"I think that's something many people don't expect when they dine at a hotel restaurant," Donnell notes.
In keeping with the farm-to-fork trend, Donnell has developed a solid relationship with local farmers who grow produce, much of it to his specifications. For example, he requests microgreens to be grown larger for him so that fewer are needed.
"For me, less is more," he says. "I'm a very detailed and passionate person. I know that I'm going to do the right thing for the business, and I'm going to do the right thing for the guests. I'm going to produce the most unbelievable meal you've ever had. So it's just my passion. I'm not better than anybody else; I just know what I love to do."
This is a recipe that chef Dean Donnell loves to prepare after a day of deep-water spearfishing along the Gulf. "Enjoy the sweetness and freshness of the combination of flavors in this dish," he says.
Grilled Fish With Parsnip Puree
Parsnip puree:
3 pounds parsnips, tips removed, peeled and cut into 2-inch sections
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup chardonnay wine
Grilled fish:
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
One bulb fresh fennel, diced very fine
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
6 fillets cobia, halibut, grouper or salmon
Salt and pepper
Frisee topping:
2 heads frisee (curly endive), washed
For parsnip puree: Place parsnips in a saucepan with heavy cream and chardonnay; simmer slowly until fork-tender and mashable. Mash until smooth with immersion blender or by hand. It should have the consistency of pancake batter. Keep warm.
For fish: Place olive oil in saucepan on low heat. Add fennel, and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, and add lemon juice slowly as it may start to boil over. Remove from heat, and allow to come to room temperature.
Season fish fillets with salt and pepper and some of the lemon-fennel mixture. Place on heated grill, and grill until it reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees, turning fish to make X marks as it cooks. Remove fish from grill, and allow fish to rest for several minutes, then baste again with lemon-fennel mixture, saving enough to dress frisee.
For frisee: Trim the core off, and shake excess water off. Place the cleaned frisee in a bowl, and toss with more of the olive oil-fennel-lemon juice mixture until lightly coated. Place in refrigerator until ready to plate.
To plate: Spoon a little warm parsnip puree on a plate, and top with fish. Drizzle with more lemon-fennel sauce. Place a nice bunch of the frisee on top of the fish and reseason with the lemon-fennel sauce before serving.
Email Anne Braly at abraly@timesfreepress.com.