At Nonna’s Ristorante, Chef Tim Creehan’s past is not preserved behind glass—it is served, shared and reimagined. Family photographs, Italian traditions and warmth in the dining room connect guests to a story that began long before this restaurant opened. After four decades in the kitchen, Creehan is not looking backward. He is using what he has learned to create something meaningful, purposeful and alive, proving that honoring where you come from can be the beginning of what comes next.
When you arrived in Destin, what did you see, and did you imagine still shaping its dining culture decades later?
When I arrived, everything culinary felt new and fresh. Fine dining had not really developed, so I had the chance to introduce guests to ingredients, techniques and experiences they had not seen before. I loved educating people, and it was good for me and for the community as Destin grew. I never looked ten or twenty years ahead and imagined I would still be shaping anything. You simply hope your craft remains relevant and people still want to dine with you. That is the biggest compliment I could receive.
Why has Nonna’s become such a personal restaurant for you?
Initially, Nonna’s was a tough one. We considered plenty of cute coastal Italian names before landing on something completely normal to us. In an Italian family, you had a nonna. Once we understood that the restaurant would bring back dishes I learned growing up, the name made perfect sense.
Then Jennifer transformed the idea. She filled the room with family photographs, history and details from our life together. I honestly think her design led what Nonna’s became. The story in the room made me want the food to carry the same depth and heritage. It became a true collaboration between her eye for atmosphere and my memories of Italian cooking. Nonna’s lets us share our family with guests in a way that feels intimate, generous and real.
What is the philosophy behind the food at Nonna’s?
People who understand Italian food will understand this: it is 90 percent ingredients and 10 percent technique. Technique matters, and you must know how to execute it, but the quality of the ingredients is what separates one dish from another. We work very hard to find the best products, because once you have them, you can prepare them very simply and let them shine. That idea has guided me forever. I wrote about it in Simple Cuisine: find the best and freshest ingredients possible and prepare them simply. Italian cooking leaves nowhere to hide, but that simplicity is exactly what makes it beautiful to me.
After more than four decades as a chef, why does Nonna’s feel like something new?
Italian cuisine is something I have always loved, but I had never built an entire restaurant around it. Nonna’s lets me take everything I have learned throughout my career and express it through Italian food. In that sense, I am starting over, starting new, starting fresh. That is what makes it so exciting to me. It feels almost like a culinary rebirth.
What have decades in restaurants taught you about hospitality and today’s guest?
There has been a complete shift. Early in my career, restaurateurs believed guests would overlook flaws in service or atmosphere if the food was great. Today, good food is expected. Guests are more educated about wine, steaks, ingredients, origins and value. They can buy products that once felt exclusive or prepare excellent meals at home. You cannot fool them. A restaurant has to exceed what they can purchase, cook or order for themselves. That means delivering food, service and atmosphere as one complete experience. How you care for people is what brings them back.
How has working with Jennifer changed the way you create restaurants?
It began almost by accident when I asked, “Hey, Jen, do you want to design this restaurant?” At Nonna’s, I quickly saw her exceptional talent. She brings design, atmosphere and the front of house; I bring culinary vision, concept and operations. But the most interesting part is that the lines began to cross. The more involved she became in the restaurant, the more passionate she became about operations. She understands the world I live in and the challenges that come with it. We are a stronger team because our talents are different, but our final concern is exactly the same: giving every guest a great experience.
After so much success, how do you measure your own work now?
I stopped thinking about food in terms of awards a long time ago. Food is subjective. What matters to me is whether what I put on the plate represents my craft and whether my passion shows through. I want to make the absolute best meal I can, whether it is a cheeseburger or foie gras. To me, there is no difference in the effort they deserve. Why should either one receive less attention?
What keeps you excited, and what do you still hope to accomplish?
I have always said that if I wake up one morning and do not want to go to work, that is the day I am done. After more than forty years, I still have not felt that way. No two days are the same. There is always another challenge, another service, another chance to get it right. If I could do one more thing, I would teach more people to share that passion for food and hospitality. This craft is becoming harder to find, and I want to help carry it forward. That matters to me now more than ever in this business.
“It’s not about awards or medals.It’s about preparing something that represents your craft and allows your true passion to show through in your cuisine.”
“IT FEELS ALMOST LIKE
A CULINARY REBIRTH.”
Nonna’s Ristorante may be Tim Creehan’s newest expression,but its roots reach deepest into his own story. Family photographs, inherited memories and the flavors of his Italian upbringing shape a restaurant that feels intimate rather than nostalgic. The experience also reflects the creative partnership he shares with Jennifer, whose design helped guide the food itself. Cuvée 30A and Pandora’s Steakhouse remain part of the broader Creehan restaurant family, but at Nonna’s, the focus is personal: heritage translated into a living, evolving restaurant for today’s guests.