Brian Hughes: Bon local appetit!

We received a pair of letters last week in which the writers, completely independently of each other, coincidentally took opposite sides of the topic — local dining opportunities.

It’s a matter close to my heart and even closer to my stomach.

One gentleman lauded the various local establishments he’s been discovering. The other pined for “BIG” (his word and capitals) chain restaurants.

I must side with the former.

More than six years ago I started paying regular visits to friends in Crestview from my home in New Orleans. Something that struck me was the exceptional diversity of the cuisine I found in Crestview.

Back in New Orleans we were spoiled. We had an extraordinary selection of places to choose from when we’d go out to eat. The best ones, naturally, were all homegrown. The chains, consequently, are where we’d wind up when the line was too long at the place where we would rather have eaten.

Consequently, and inevitably, if you wound up at a chain, you’d be disappointed, because you knew you missed much better food at the place you had hoped to visit.

I had long since learned it’s a principle of eating out that is applicable the world over.

A Ruby Tuesday’s salad bar is exactly the same in Niceville as it is in Rockwall, Texas. The fajitas at Chevy’s in New Orleans taste no different than the ones at the Chevy’s in Morris Plains, N.J. The loaded potato skins at TGIFriday’s in Covington, La., will be just as dried out and indifferently served at any other TGIFriday’s.

But I’ve yet to find one chain restaurant that gives you a choice of awesome hot wings, some of Crestview’s tastiest chicken fried steak, and addictive cinnamon pizza sticks all on the same buffet on the same day like Uncle Bill’s.

Name a chain restaurant where you can buy a Filipino ceramic wind chime after a meal of crisp, scrumptious lumpias served by a jovial chef and her family at Nellie’s.

Name me one national chain that’s anything like Guglielmo’s, where the Italian cuisine is so freshly prepared that the head chef takes pride in not having a walk-in freezer.

No, I didn’t think you could. That’s because no chain can match a menu selection tailor made to the local palette.

There is simply no way a corporate marketing wonk in California or New York or St. Louis, in his quest for uniform blandness across his dominion, would even consider adding Gulf grouper fresh from a Destin fisherman’s catch to regionalize a menu created by out-of-state taste-tests.

But walk into the Fish Net or Earl’s Seafood, and your mouth just can’t help but watering from seafood so fresh it was swimming in local waters the day before.

We’ve heard those tired complaints about Crestview’s lack of BIG restaurant chains before. Mostly they’re from folks who haven’t bothered to head out and discover the dozens of diverse dining opportunities with which our area is blessed.

Others, sadly, are from folks who slept in civics class and somehow think that it’s the city or county governments’ job to coax specific businesses to town, rather than their actual role, which is creating an environment in which businesses can flourish.

Red Lobster and Olive Garden aren’t going to obligingly trot to Crestview because Mayor Cadle or county Commissioner Harris rang up their respective CEOs.

Out-of-town restaurant and shopping chains are attracted to places that prove they can sustain a new business. A key element is census data. You want an IHOP? Make sure you return your census report so its scouts know you’re here.

But beware: you might get more than you bargain for. You’ll find even more great, local establishments might spring up. But that’s OK.

When you can’t get into one because it’s crowded, there will probably be a Sbarro’s popping up here, too.

See you at Song’s Café. Or maybe the Wild Olive. Or perhaps the Coach ‘n’ Four. Or Azteca or Possum Ridge. Or Bamboo Sushi, Taco Town, Chappy’s, the Tropical Palm, Asia Garden...

Brian Hughes is the News Bulletin’s Report and Arts and Entertainment Editor. Contract him at 682-6524, or e-mail brianh@crestviewbulletin.com.