Sea Oaks is known for its lush landscaping, for tennis, and, of course, for the beach. However, it should also be known for the talented Vero Beach native who is the executive chef.
Steve Long is quick to describe himself as “a Vero native, first of all,” noting that from the time he was 15 years old, he worked at “old-school restaurants” in the area, including Ocean Grill, which is still a landmark, and two that belong to the past: Tango’s and the Black Pearl.
After high school, Long earned a culinary degree at Johnson & Wales University in Charleston, South Carolina. He also worked at the Charleston Grill, the premier restaurant in the Charleston Place Hotel. Living in an iconic city of the Old South, he grew to love Southern cuisine. “You learn the real way to cook stone-ground grits,” he says, “and you get shrimp right off the boat.”…