Plenty of fresh seafood plus other local ingredients, an abundance of seasonings and a bit of Texas swagger can now be found in the executive kitchen at the Grand Hotel Marriott Resort, Golf Club & Spa in Alabama. The Grand Hotel has named Cory Garrison Executive Chef at the historic Gulf Coast resort. Garrison, a Texas native with more than 24 years of culinary experience, came to the Grand Hotel from the Omni Hotel Downtown in Dallas, Texas.
“This is a beautiful property with a great history and some of the nicest people I have ever met,” said Garrison. As equally fond of seafood as steaks, Garrison will keep many Grand culinary traditions but will influence the menu of the Grand Steakhouse and the Saltwater Grill. “My favorite foods tend to be very fresh and clean tasting,” said Garrison. “I tend to cook more with olive oil than clarified butter and add a combination of spices to complete a dish.”
The Grand Steakhouse is a Four Diamond Award winning restaurant in Fairhope, AL, and something very comfortable to Chef Garrison. He has worked at three Four-Diamond restaurants previously and looks forward to building on the Gulf Coast hotel’s reputation of culinary excellence. “Don’t worry, the bread pudding will remain on the menu,” said Garrison. “However, we will consult with local farmers, ranchers and fishermen to see what additional options may be available to enhance the Grand’s menus.”
After helping his grandmothers cook holiday meals at age 10, Garrison formally joined the culinary industry when he turned 15. From busboy to dishwasher to fry cook in just six months, his career has skyrocketed throughout Texas and Garrison has landed at the Queen of Southern Resorts in Alabama as Executive Chef. Professionally, Garrison has also worked at La Torretta Lake Resort and Spa in Montgomery, Texas; The Gooses Acre in The Woodlands, Texas; Ruffinos Italian Restaurant in Fort Worth, Escargot in Fort Worth; Lola the Restaurant in Dallas and the Melrose Hotel in Dallas.
Garrison graduated from the Scottsdale Culinary Institute in Arizona. His love for cooking goes full circle with his hobbies of hunting and fishing. “Basically I live in the kitchen and have found an industry that I love.”
