SpringHill Suites by Marriott Navarre Beach has officially announced the appointment of Kara Mardell as Executive Chef of Beach House Bar & Grille. Mardell joined the Beach House team as sous-chef in 2021 and when the time came for a new Executive Chef, General Manager, Taylor Hall knew the perfect person for the role.
“Kara continuously evolves within her respected profession, staying abreast of culinary trends. She believes in creating a unique dining experience for everyone’s enjoyment,” said Hall. “Truly, her goal is to take guests on a journey. We are excited for her well-deserved promotion.”
Mardell brings a wide variety of experience to the Executive Chef role. Having been raised on a large farm in Kentucky, she learned from a young age how to live sustainably and make her food with items available in her family’s garden. It was that experience that sparked her passion and fondness for cooking. From testing her culinary skills at home to working as a line cook, Mardell climbed her way to the top, having learned from many chefs and valued role models along the way.
After beginning her professional culinary career at the age of 20, Mardell dreamed of becoming an Executive Chef by the age of 30. With this promotion, Mardell has accomplished that dream and plans to celebrate by offering only the best from the kitchen at Beach House Bar & Grille.
“Being a chef, I want to dive deep into an experience. To present our guests with the beauty of the ingredients that surround us, and provide a new take on food to be enjoyed with good company,” said Mardell. “I want to continue to strive for perfection in every dish we create.”
Mardell, who moved to the area in 2019, wishes to bring the local area something they have desired for a long time: elevated cuisine to share with great company. As the new Executive Chef, she strives to bring the beauty and profile of fine dining to an approachable level. Guests who dine at Beach House Bar and Grille can expect fresh and local ingredients with rotating flavor profiles to enjoy with each visit. Through her food, Mardell plans to represent where she came from while merging the gulf coast atmosphere into her creations. She hopes to connect with the guests dining at Beach House Bar & Grille by pouring her heart and soul into the food.
“When guests dine at Beach House, I want them to have an experience to remember. To forget everything else and only focus on the people they are with and the food they are enjoying,” said Mardell.
Mardell is excited to be the new Executive Chef and is looking forward to the future of the restaurant. With talented sous-chef Brad Johnson, and the rest of the hardworking kitchen staff, Mardell is confident the team will keep moving forward in a positive direction, striving to be better with every dish and guest experience.
In addition to enjoying the modernist cuisine, coast to course at Beach House Bar & Grille, guests are also invited to enjoy Chef’s Table, an intimate dining experience where guests will dine through a four-course tasting menu and hear from Mardell about the food and the vision behind the meal. Chef’s Table is $82 a person with the opportunity to add on wine pairings for each dish. To enjoy a high-quality culinary experience crafted by Mardell and her skillful team, reserve a table at opentable.com or call 850-684-6036.
