February 12, 2007
Bogey’s Will Treat Your Sweetheart Right
DEFUNIAK SPRINGS — If you haven’t eaten at Hotel DeFuniak recently, it’s time
to go back. With a change in ownership of the hotel, the restaurant has been
transformed.
Bogey’s Bar & Restaurant is casual, but offers white tablecloth dining in a
comfortable and attractive dining room. Dark walls are decorated with old photos
of celebrities. Chairs are substantial and comfortable. Bogey’s has an
understated but elegant feel that fits its historic location.
Service was outstanding. We were greeted warmly, and our server didn’t miss a
beat, remembering fine details and constantly checking back with us (without
being intrusive).
Good service helped make our meal enjoyable, but the star of the show was
chef/owner Brad Harding’s food. Classic cuisine influenced by Harding’s
experience in the Florida Keys are combined to create a menu that goes from
casual to elegant without overreaching.
The menu is seafood intense. Catch of the Day starts with a sautéed filet of the
fish of the day in a wine and lemon butter sauce, and then offers one of four
toppings.
A favorite at our table was the Normandie (mushrooms, tomatoes, shallots, hearts
of palm, almonds and crab meat). Picatta is classic with capers and lemon, while
Lorenzo, topped with blue crab stuffing and Bearnaise is rich.
Seafood goes more casual with Crunchy Catch of the Day. It is perfect with panko
bread crumbs providing a lovely golden crust around a moist interior. Crunchy
fried shrimp are another good casual option, and respectable Fish and Chips are
also on the menu.
We also enjoyed seafood in appetizers of a jumbo crab cake and a sautéed soft
shell crab. The cake was large enough to be an entrée if paired with a salad. It
was filled with crab, and got richness and flavor from a subtle Bearnaise sauce.
The soft shell was nicely crisp and was accented with a garlic and wine sauce.
Other starters include baked brie, spinach and artichoke dip, and grilled shrimp
glazed with honey, garlic and soy sauce.
While seafood is abundant on the menu, there are plenty of non-seafood items
that are just as delicious. Filet mignon au poivre is a good option, as is veal
or chicken picatta.
Veal Restaurateur was a nice choice. Breaded veal was topped with ham, tomato
slices and provolone. The dish was brought together with a brown demi-glaze.
Dinner can be a light affair with an entrée salad. One option is the Montego Bay
Salad topped with fried grouper tossed in a delicious honey-garlic-cilantro
dressing.
Salads are also offered on the lunch menu, which is decidedly more casual than
the dinner menu. Starters include excellent fried green tomatoes and hot wings
that make good use of the honey-garlic-cilantro dressing.
Sandwiches make up the majority of the menu. Cold sandwiches include chicken and
tuna salads. Burgers are offered plain or dressed up with toppings including
caramelized onions and Swiss cheese.
The hot sandwiches include the irresistibly good Crunchy Key Largo Fish Sandwich
with a crisp grouper filet fried with a panko crust. The chicken melt with
caramelized onions and bacon on sourdough is another good hot sandwich.
Desserts are offered at Bogey’s with house-made selections being the best. We
enjoyed a Key lime pie, and a crème brulee cheesecake.
Desserts are displayed in a case in the coffee shop area of the hotel (where the
main dining room used to be). The coffee shop is open during the day except for
Sunday.
Bogey’s is a wonderful addition to DeFuniak Springs. With excellent food and
service, and outstanding value Bogey’s is likely to become a popular destination
even for those who don’t live in DeFuniak Springs.
Bogey’s Bar and Restaurant
400 Highway 90 East
DeFuniak Springs, FL
(850) 951-CAFÉ (2233)
www.HotelDefuniak.com
Hours
Breakfast: Tues-Sat from 6:30am - 10am
Lunch: Tues-Fri from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Dinner: Tues-Sat starting at 5pm.
Price range
Appetizers: $5.95 to $9.95
Salads: $4.95 to $8.95
Entrees: $14.95 to $24.95
Lunch: $3.50 to $9.95
Additional information
* Reservations accepted
* Handicap accessibility
* Children’s menu
* Accepts all major credit cards
Colleen Coffield Sachs is restaurant reviewer for the Daily News. She dines
unannounced at area restaurants for this column. You may write to her in care of
the newspaper at P.O. Box 2949, Fort Walton Beach, FL 32549.