Meet The Grand Marlin's new head chef and learn what he's adding to the award-winning menu

Since opening in 2010, The Grand Marlin has been affirming its place in Pensacola’s growing dining scene with its refined seafood plates, coastal influence and local flavors.

Now, new Executive Chef Arturo Paz is hoping to enhance the restaurant’s footprint on Pensacola Beach and beyond.

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Paz will be working alongside Grand Marlin Corporate Executive Chef and partner Gregg McCarthy to build on the menu with dishes rooted in a shared love for a fresh catch. The new additions will be gradual, so it's likely your favorite dish isn’t going anywhere.

“Arturo and I immediately connected over our love of Caribbean-inspired cuisine and a shared belief that spotlighting fresh, local ingredients is paramount to creating really good food,” McCarthy said in a statement. “It’s a simple concept that has served us very well over the last 13 years on Pensacola Beach, so I’m excited for Arturo to bring his flavor profile and culinary expertise here.”

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The fresh seafood shines at The Grand Marlin, whether it’s dressed up in the restaurant’s signature grouper picatta, with a parmesan crust, sauteed spinach, whipped potatoes, crispy bacon and brown butter, or served simply over ice, like the select Gulf oysters served with cocktail sauce and red wine Mignonette.

The award-winning Grand Marlin is far from Paz’s first rodeo, as he has spent over 30 years crafting cuisine around the globe.

Over the last decade, Paz has refined his focus to contemporary Mediterranean cuisine. But growing up on a little island east of Puerto Rico called Culebra, coastal cooking was always organic to him.

When he was growing up, not even 1,000 locals lived on the island he called home, and the ocean was his playground. His 11th birthday merited the keys to his first boat, a Boston whaler. As a young boy, he would command the 9-foot vessel with a six horsepower engine. He soaked in his grandfather’s knowledge of where to fish and how to prepare your catch, sometimes even tasting it fresh out of the water.

“From when I was really young, my grandfather and I would just go out on our missions to the island … we basically spent all our time there. Fishing, going snorkeling to catch conch and sea urchins and all kinds of things,” he said. “We had a dock in front of the house and we had a cut table. So basically, when other fish came in, I would clean all the fish and gut it out. We just sometimes filet the fish and put a little lime and some salt in it, and just eat right there off the dock.”

His grandparent’s cherished index card recipes are still with him today, inspiring recipes of his own that span decades.

His initial interest in cooking was refined along the way through rich culinary education, as he went on to earn a degree at Johnson & Wales University, then worked in kitchens all around the world, including New Orleans’ prestigious Commander’s Palace. He eventually opened a restaurant of his own in San Juan called Arturo’s that naturally specialized in haute Caribbean cuisine.

“I have been lucky enough to get to experiment with so many unique culinary markets and cultures, which has taken me all across this country over the years. I treasure each experience because it’s allowed me to grow personally and professionally,” said Paz.

When Paz began listening to The Grand Marlin’s founders’ origin story, which started with friends fishing off the North Drop in the Virgin Islands, he heard his own story being told back to him. He knew the exact route they would take on their fishing trips and the different varieties of fish they would encounter throughout the journey. Choosing to be a part of the Grand Marlin felt like joining a project that was part of his own mission.

“There’s definitely a serious connection,” he said. “We have the maps of where they used to go fishing. I can tell you exactly where the reefs are, you know, ‘Avoid this on the left-hand side because there’s a big reef there.’ I still have some of my fishing charts that I used with my grandfather from the ‘80s with the spots we used to mark. You know, "If you want to go get snapper — this is where you go.”

Now he and McCarthy are working together to bring the same Caribbean spirit and influence to The Grand Marlin, while honoring the flavors and culture of the Panhandle.

New items have already made their way to the menu as a result of the collaboration. The Blackened Mahi Anegada being one, made with a tasso fingerling hash, broccolini, lobster and shrimp sauce for $39. Another being the Swordfish Organata, with lemon and oregano panko crust, parmesan risotto, asparagus and roasted tomato sauce for $38.

Paz said he is looking forward to continuing to build on and complement the award-winning menu.

More details and information on The Grand Marlin Pensacola Beach can be found on The Grand Marlin website.

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Grand Marlin of Pensacola Beach welcomes Arturo Paz as head chef