Dave Rauschkolb made his silver-screen cameo as an extra when The Truman Show filming came to town in the late 1990s, but in real life he plays an outsize role as a restaurateur, surf-scene fixture, and community leader in his beloved home of South Walton, Florida, an area comprised of sixteen beachfront neighborhoods along the Emerald Coast.
Rauschkolb opened Bud & Alley’s Waterfront Restaurant—his first of several popular eateries—in Seaside in 1986, paving the way for the region’s evolving culinary scene. He’s been a passionate advocate for South Walton’s constellation of beach communities ever since, helping small businesses thrive against the Gulf Coast’s paradisiacal backdrop.
“From the very beginning, all the restaurateurs were friends,” Rauschkolb says. “Anytime a new restaurant would open, I would send flowers and go meet the owners and say, ‘Hey, if you need some tomatoes, we’re here for you.’”
For his efforts, he has watched the area grow from a sleepy coastal community into a bona fide dining destination. As vacationers continue to flock to the Florida Panhandle’s white sands and emerald waters, Rauschkolb shares his favorite spots for enjoying the area like a local.
Come Hungry
Rauschkolb easily rattles off a list of a dozen don’t-miss restaurants, not including his own. “There’s the new Asian-inspired O-Ku restaurant in Alys Beach, the old standby Café Thirty-A in Seagrove Beach, the family-owned amici 30A Italian Kitchen in Inlet Beach,” he begins.
“The surf and turf at Restaurant Paradis in Rosemary Beach is the best: an eight-ounce cast-iron filet cooked in duck fat and topped with black truffle demi, with a grilled lobster tail with garlic mash and broccolini,” he says. “Also in Rosemary Beach is Pescado for rooftop bliss, date night, or a wonderful brunch.”
Rauschkolb’s own Black Bear Bread Co. has outposts in Grayton Beach, Seaside, and Grand Boulevard, and offers an elevated breakfast or coffee break—think seasonal focaccia, cinnamon rolls, and sourdough bread. In 2019, former head baker Debbie Swenerton was named a James Beard Awards semifinalist for her confections.
More culinary destinations include The Bay restaurant, where he drops anchor with his family to enjoy expansive views of the Choctawhatchee Bay, and The Red Bar in Grayton Beach, beloved for its European kitsch. Rauschkolb advises getting a seat in the front room for live music.
Staycation Land
How would he spend his ideal day on the Emerald Coast? “It depends on the winds and waves,” he says, “but if I could surf, golf, and play in a poker tournament on the same day, that would be perfect.” In general, when Rauschkolb goes on vacation, he stays local. “I like not having to get on a plane,” he says. “It’s fun to be a tourist in town.”
Favorite haunts to visit with his wife and daughters include the Pearl Hotel in Rosemary Beach, Hotel Effie Sandestin in Miramar Beach, and the region’s latest addition, Camp Creek Inn, which opened in Inlet Beach in 2023.
If he’s not surfing—Rauschkolb won the Gulf Coast Men’s Championship in 1981—he’s likely playing golf at Camp Creek or Panama City Beach’s Shark’s Tooth or golf pro Davis Love III’s The Third Golf Course.
“We’ve also made it a tradition to do a staycation in Seaside for New Year’s Eve for four days,” Rauschkolb says. “Carol and I were married in Alys Beach, so we rent a house there for vacations or anniversaries.”
