Old Hickory Steakhouse
Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center
Kissimmee, Florida

A Steakhouse from the Heart of France
Part 3

by Martha Hollis and Anthony Scaggs

Chef Reinbolt instills his desire for culinary excellence by training his folks telling them,

"You have to love what you do. If you don't love it--don't waste your time."

Contrasting his early training in France, where, at times, the chef's could become abusive, Guy claimed "I treat my people fairly and insist on high standards. They graduate from school wanting to be an executive chef. They have the training but lack the experience and skill. I want to help them develop their own style, their flair and like a fine sauce, their unique flavors. I want them to learn that in order to love what you do you need to embrace it and not force it." An experienced, well-trained chef has so many opportunities in this country. This is such a great country for chefs. In the United States, I can buy a house and with hard work will go somewhere. I love this country, especially the freedom.

While the Old Hickory Steakhouse does not have the same level of entertainment as "Sunset Sam's Fish Camp," this is not to suggest that the restaurant lacks a sense of amusement. After all, there is tenderloin of alligator lasagna with basil tomato sauce on the menu for those needing a bit of "Everglade vittles."

Even Reinbolt's grandmother's pear white liquor is even on the menu. It gave quite a jolt (must be why they call it lightening), but Reinbolt showed how to first chill the glass then add the liquor to radically change the taste. One can change the effect of the basic and return right to the fancy by popping into your mouth a petite gougere from the bread basket. What an imaginative addition to their wonderful breads!

Many items on the menu reflect the names of items on many an upper echelon steak house, but there is precisely where the similarity ends. Take the Old Hickory's Oysters Rockefeller. With this one, Executive Chef Guy Reinbolt presents a plump oyster with tender baby spinach in a sauce that almost becomes a rich soufflé stunned with a splash of Pernod. Inspired by Reinbolt's origins in Alsace, paper-thin filo dough becomes the base for a warm pear, walnut, gorgonzola tarte served with a port wine sauce. Other starters are tiger shrimp cocktail with garlic aioli and the purest jumbo lump crab cakes with grainy mustard sauce.