Last month, I sat down with Chef Penny Austin to learn about her vision for Sabal Springs’ Eagles Landing Restaurant and from where she draws her culinary inspiration. If you haven’t had a chance yet to meet our new chef, I encourage you to stop and say hello.
Penny has 12 years of experience as a head chef under her apron and has been involved in the restaurant industry for more than three decades. She joked that when she first started cooking all those years ago, her cat wouldn’t even eat her food — and she made tuna casserole. She worked her way up from being a food runner to a line cook to chef and has done every job in between. “I told the staff when I first came here, I wouldn’t ask them to anything that I wouldn’t do myself.”
Today, she is relying on all of her knowledge and know-how to bring her vision for our community restaurant to life by providing “good quality food for a good price.”
As with many aspects of life, a simple off-hand conversation can lead to new opportunities. She learned about the opening here in Sabal Springs from a vendor at her last restaurant. After several years at her last post, Penny was looking to spice things up and a new opportunity to flex her culinary chops was just the ticket. She says she loves what she does and is well-versed in a number of different cuisines, while admitting she does have a bias toward Italian because of her family heritage. Speaking of her family, when not cooking for us, Chef Penny prepares meals daily for her husband, son, and sister.
“The favorite part of my job is when I prepare something and my customer is happy,” she says. “It makes me so proud and so happy that I made somebody feel good by the food that I made. This extends to my family and friends as well.”
She is undaunted by long hours and standing on her feet for extended stretches of time. The chef says she is probably in better shape because of this.
Her approach to menu planning Is driven in part by seasonal ingredients, but she also understands that variety is important. “Because this is a community restaurant, I try to change up the menu every four to five months. The same people come up to eat and I don’t want them to get bored by what’s on the menu.”
During our conversation, I asked her if she had a favorite piece of equipment. I fully expected her to say her knives were her treasures, but she surprised me by saying she loves a steamer. And she can’t wait until one arrives in the kitchen. “For example, I love a steamer for fresh vegetables. I like to steam off potatoes before they go in the oven for roasting. Yes, my steamer is my favorite kitchen tool.”
For those who frequent the restaurant, we have already begun to see Chef Penny’s impact by the menu additions of dinner entrees, steak, pork chops, seafood, etc. And she says the culinary staff are eager to learn new recipes and dishes. “I couldn’t do any of this without the people who I work with. These might be my ideas, but they have to execute them. You are only as strong as the team.”
And proof that even an “old” chef can learn new things, Penny says she is inspired by some celebrity chefs as well as chefs who demo their offerings and plating techniques on TikTok.
“I like to make my plates look as pretty as they can be,” she says. “People eat with their eyes first so if it looks nice that provides a better overall experience.”
Three fun facts about Penny…
- She’s lived in Florida since 1994.
- She has one son, Eric, who she has worked with over her career; he interned with her during culinary school.
- She lives about 10 minutes from Sabal Springs with her husband, who coincidentally is also in the restaurant business, and her 80-year-old sister who she cares for.
