 For creative chef Michael McMillan, St. Augustine’s Opus 39 is his palate
St.
Augustine, Fla. – A distinguished alumnus of the renowned Culinary
Institute of America, Michael McMillan selected the appropriate name in
Opus 39, the restaurant he operates with his wife, Christine.
Opus
is Latin for a creative work that defines the artist. Creativity is
essential for the Opus 39 concept, which features a five-course tasting
menu that changes daily. McMillan, who has earned multiple awards in
his culinary career – including a repeat honor of the St. Augustine
Record’s Chef of the Year – perfects culinary masterpieces each day at
what has become St. Augustine’s premiere destination for fine
dining.
The McMillans have created an innovative
restaurant and food gallery in the heart of the ancient city's historic
district. In one of the nation’s most visually captivating cities, it
is fitting that Opus 39’s concept is centered on artful cuisine and
presentation.
From the fresh ingredients that compose McMillan’s
creative cuisine, and the rare selections from small production
boutique wineries available in the wine room, to the market that sells
ingredients from items on the menu and the locally produced works that
adorn the walls, Opus 39 is a sanctuary of imaginative art, wine and
cuisine.
The menu is determined by the best ingredients that
are available. McMillan selects produce from an organic farm in Ocala
and a stand in Hastings, and buys the freshest seafood, beef and game
possible on a daily basis. Then he creates the menu for that night by 3
p.m. Culinary creations at Opus 39 allow the ingredients to speak for
themselves.
“The five-course menu gives us the flexibility of
working with the finest ingredients that are available that day rather
than being locked into buying the same ingredients over and over
again,” said McMillan, who opened Opus 39 with Christine in 2003 after
serving as executive chef and general manager of the esteemed La
Parisienne in St. Augustine. “The ingredients are carefully selected,
and then the menu is set after we know what we have to create with that
day.”
McMillan is so committed to providing a cutting edge
dining experience for first-time guests and regular customers alike
that he does not serve the same recipe twice. Though the main element
of the dish may be repeated – such as the foie gras – the accompanying
ingredients and the manner in which they are prepared are always different.
A
graduate of the prestigious Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park,
N.Y., McMillan has worked at an assortment of highly regarded
restaurants with acclaimed chefs, like Trois Jean in New York City
under Master Chef of France, Jean Louis Dumonnet; and with Dean Fearing
in Dallas at The Mansion on Turtle Creek in Dallas, a Mobil 5 Star/AAA 5
Diamond restaurant and hotel.
The Jacksonville native longed for
a return to his hometown and eventually applied his culinary philosophy
at La Parisienne before refurbishing and designing a space at 39
Cordova Street in St. Augustine with his wife Christine. The moment the
McMillans introduced Opus 39, guests discovered a unique dining
experience.
After the menu is presented, and orders are placed,
guests who prefer wine with their dinner are invited to the adjacent
wine room that is stocked with an ample collection of small production
selections from boutique wineries around the world. More than 400
choices are available by the bottle and the glass at rates that are
more reflective of retail prices than typical restaurant markups.
Christine often suggests wine pairings to accompany each course, and
guests can taste the selections before ordering them.
Most of the wines are chosen by the McMillans during their annual wine exploration tours of boutique wineries in California.
“In
many cases, people are very comfortable and more familiar with mass
production wines, but they are open to try something different,”
Christine McMillan said. “So we find out the mass production wine they
prefer and then recommend a small production wine that is similar. It
introduces them to a new experience.”
Just as Opus 39 has a
wine gallery with rare selections and a food gallery where guests can
buy flavorful ingredients such as the McMillans’ freshly baked breads,
the destination is also home to an art gallery. The McMillans hired
former gallery owner Sally Ann Freeman to arrange shows from local and
regional artists every three months. Their works are showcased on the
walls of the wine gallery and main dining room. St. Augustine
glassblower Thomas Long has created vases for the shelves and
candleholders for the tables.
"Restaurants and galleries
naturally complement each other," McMillan said. "We strive to present
cutting-edge dining and cutting-edge art," he said. "It’s all part of a
culinary experience"
Photos:
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