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Out & About
Biggest Loser RunWalk
Event Hosted in PCB
Tweet it! – Start 2013 off on the right foot in @
PCBeach with the Biggest Loser RunWalk; visitpanamanacitybeach.com.
On December 30, visitors and locals can hit
the ground running at the inaugural The Biggest
Loser Half Marathon and 5K Run-
Walk. Panama City Beach has partnered
with Dan and Jackie Evans, season five
contestants on NBC’s hit show “The Biggest
Loser,” to offer the RunWalk as a non-intimidating
environment for all participants, with
longer course time limits to allow walkers to
complete the race at their own pace.
“We are very excited to welcome Dan and
Jackie Evans and The Biggest Loser Run-
Walk event,” said Dan Rowe, President and
CEO of the Panama City Beach Convention
& Visitors Bureau. “Our community wholeheartedly
supports healthy living, and we
hope this event will inspire visitors to remain
active during their travels and throughout the
year ahead.”
Participants can celebrate the completion of
this fun and challenging RunWalk at Panama
City Beach’s Fifth Annual Beach Ball Drop
on New Year’s Eve at Pier Park, during
which an 800-pound glowing beach ball descends
to signify the New Year. Earlier in the
evening a family ball drop is held, consisting
of 10,000 inflatable beach balls dropped from
the sky, as well as a fireworks display.
For more information on The Biggest Loser
RunWalk visit visitpanamacitybeach.com.
Chef Paul from Firefly Feeds
Team USA at Olympics
Preparing a luncheon for 200 or a dinner for
800 takes a seasoned chef. When it’s done
for the closing ceremony dinner of the 2012
Summer Olympic Games, this year held in
London, England, it takes culinary brilliance.
Chef Paul Stellato, Executive Chef at Firefly
restaurant in Panama City Beach, was chosen
among thousands of regional chefs to
participate in this special affair.
Originally from New Haven, Connecticut,
Chef Paul moved to South Florida at 13 where
he started his restaurant career as a dishwasher.
He later moved to Northwest Florida and
worked his way up, eventually becoming Executive
Chef at Canopies in Panama City. In
2007, he opened Firefly, infusing his unique
French Floridian style of cuisine.
Two groups of chefs, four in each group, prepared
dinner for the athletes and crew of Team
USA on August 12. Paul’s group included chefs
from Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and
Florida. Each chef was responsible for a different
category; Chef Paul’s was “Fin Fish.” For
that he chose a signature Firefly dish: Sautéed
Gulf Grouper with shallots, fresh corn, grape tomatoes,
sherry cream and lump crab sauce.
“We couldn’t be more proud of Paul for being
a part of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,”
said Firefly owner Dave Trepanier.
“We’ve always known Chef Paul is a oneof-a-kind
chef, and are thrilled he can use his
talents for the nation’s best athletes.”
Photo courtesy of Linda Lucas Photography
Paradise Bar & Grill Opens
Panama City Beach’s newest restaurant, the
Paradise Bar & Grille, is located directly opposite
the Sandpiper Beacon Beach Resort
on Front Beach Road. This great location,
just steps away from the famous sugar white
sand of Panama City Beach, makes it extremely
convenient for all guests of the hotel
plus anyone with an appetite who isn’t currently
staying at the Sandpiper.
Daryl Miller, owner of the Paradise Bar &
Grille, moved to Panama City Beach from
Colquitt, Georgia, a small town that is big
in the arts. There he owned and operated
Daryl’s Place, an eatery famous for its pizza,
subs and appetizers. His business partner
knew the Hundley family in Panama City
Beach, and knew they were looking for the
right person to reopen the restaurant on their
property. In the early fall of 2011, Daryl
came down and met with the family; they
mutually decided it was the right fit.
“Everyone told me this was a great opportunity
in a great location,” says Daryl. Within
weeks Daryl began assembling his top-notch
team. His kitchen manager, Joey Martinez,
studied at the American Culinary Federation
Continued on Page 82
Dan and Jackie Evans are best known as the
popular mother-son team featured on season five
of NBC’s hit reality show, where they lost a combined
225 pounds. Since then, Dan and Jackie
have honored their commitment to keep the weight
off by living a healthy lifestyle, and together completed
over 20 half marathons in 2011 alone. For
more info visit BiggestLoser.com/RunWalk.
THE CIRCUIT September/October 2012 77