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| DJ Zachry |
DJ Zachry grew up on the dock of the bay. Really. Or rather,
the dock of the Jekyll River, a few steps away from the former homes of the
nation’s wealthiest families at the turn of the 20th century. His
mother owned the seafood market on Jekyll Island, the winter playground of the
Rockefellers and their closest friends from the 1880s until World War II.
DJ’s
mom came later, of course. She opened the market in 1974 to sell the splendors
of the sea in Coastal Georgia, which, of course, meant wild Georgia shrimp,
oysters and fish so fresh it might still be wiggling if you looked closely. A
very handy arrangement since DJ’s dad was a shrimper. To DJ, food means family,
and seafood means his family.
When
we caught up with DJ, he was rushing from one task to another, staying ahead of
the upcoming dinner crowd, rapidly multitasking but still as hospitable as you
expect a nice Southern gentleman to be. Three weeks ahead of A Taste of Glynn,
DJ and his staff at Zachry’s Seafood & Steak are still doing trial runs to
decide what dishes to enter in their chosen categories, Appetizers and Locally
Inspired. When you have this much expertise in preparing seafood, this can be a
problem. The conundrum: all of it is absolutely delicious. How can you possibly
choose?
Maybe
if the whole family didn’t care so much, it would be an easier decision. But-
sorry, that wouldn’t be the Zachry family. They opened their restaurant in 1987
on Jekyll Island then moved to their current location in Brunswick in 2010. His
parents are still involved, and his sister runs “ the front of the house.” When
you bring almost four decades of food, family and tradition to the table, there
might be way too many options. That’s a lot of expertise.
To
put it plainly, these folks know seafood. They know how to select the best of
the day’s current catch. This is an important skill because the only seafood
they serve is fresh-caught. They know how to cook fresh fish to that exact light,
buttery, flaky point where you can’t get the next bite in your mouth fast
enough. Oysters on the half-shell? Don’t ask an inlander to do these for you.
Better leave it to DJ and family. And how about the wild Georgia shrimp? Come hungry and
leave room for it because it would be a great disappointment to leave any of the
shrimp on your plate.
So,
all things considered, anything the Zachry family decides to bring to A Taste
of Glynn is going to be worth the price of admission all on its own. Add it to
the offerings of other local chefs and you have the opportunity to enjoy some
of the best food on the planet. All for a great cause– to benefit the Glynn Community
Crisis Center, which operates Amity House, Hope House and Outreach programs to
support those who seek to create a new life free from domestic violence.
A
Taste of Glynn, presented by Stambaugh Aviation, will take place on March 24, 2013, from 5-8 PM at the King and
Prince Beach & Golf Resort. A complimentary shuttle service from Massengale
Park makes parking easy. Enjoy live entertainment by Michael Hulett and The Not
Brothers, and be sure to shop the famous Silent Auction. Tickets are $50 in
advance, $60 at the door. Purchase them in Brunswick at Baby Mack’s BBQ, Hattie’s
Books, McGarvey’s Wee Pub, Zachry’s Seafood & Steak and the Glynn Community
Crisis Center offices. On St Simons, tickets are on sale at both SunTrust Bank
locations, the King and Prince Beach & Golf Resort and Nacho’s Mexican Restaurant
& Cantina.
Photo courtesy of Golden Isles Photography.
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