Compass I S L A N D
Gourmet Getaway OMNI AMELIA ISLAND PLANTATION RESORT IS AN UNEXPECTED FOODIE PARADISE. B Y K AT E N E L S O N
PHOTOGRAPHY PROVIDED BY OMNI AMELIA ISLAND PLANTATION RESORT
When it comes to food-driven destinations, a few key spots come to mind: New York City, Chicago, San Francisco. Amelia Island doesn’t typically make the list — though it should. The isle situated just off the coast of northeast Florida is one of the country’s best-kept culinary secrets. Executive Chef Daven Wardynski factors heavily into the equation. Having cutting his teeth at Chicago’s legendary Tru, he joined the Omni Amelia Island Plantation Resort team in 2012 after a long tenure at Omni Chicago Hotel’s 676 Restaurant & Bar. And his zeal is evident in each dish he serves and every project he leads. The Michigan native admits he was hesitant to move to the island. But once he saw the limitless possibilities, he knew it was the right choice for both his career and his family. You see, he has long dreamed that his two girls would grow up understanding where real food comes from and knowing what it looks like. That stems not only from his upbringing in a small farming community but also from the passion instilled in him by his grandmother. To this day, she remains one of his greatest influences; he recalls that shortly before her passing she asked that her family “keep her kitchen alive.”
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Artful Living
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Magazine of the North