KEY WEST, FL — December 2017 — The Perry Hotel Key West at Stock Island Marina has announced the appointment of a new culinary team for their on-site restaurants Matt’s Stock Island Kitchen & Bar and The Salty Oyster Dockside Bar & Grill. The team will oversee all food & beverage operations of the new waterfront hotel that opened its doors this summer on the private, 220-slip Stock Island Marina.
Food & Beverage Manager Stephen Belie brings in-depth knowledge and training in all aspects of food and beverage operations to The Perry’s executive team. Over the past 15 years, he’s honed his skills in innovative recipe and menu development, food quality and consistency management, profit and loss analysis, and guest satisfaction, working in various positions at world-class resorts, hotels and independent restaurants across the United States including, Portofino Hotel & Yacht Club in Newport, California; Grove Isle Resort in Miami, Florida; and Riviera Resort in Palm Springs, California.
Most recently, Belie was executive chef at Little Palm Island Resort & Spa in Little Torch Key, Florida. In his new role, he will oversee the management of daily F&B operations and will be responsible for managing and developing culinary events and private dining experiences.
“I couldn’t be more thrilled to lead The Perry’s culinary team,” said Belie. “I’ve always had a strong passion for food and love how creative our restaurants are. The menus at Matt’s and Salty Oyster offer a fun twist on classic American comfort food and the atmosphere of each restaurant expertly captures the local vibe of Stock Island. I’m looking forward to creating new interactive dining experiences and events that will give our guests an authentic taste of Key West.”
Executive Chef Kalen Fortuna grew up on a small island off the coast of Charleston, South Carolina. The avid fisherman and water enthusiast developed a passion for southern coastal cuisine as a child, learning how to fish and prepare all types of seafood. Fortuna began his culinary career at the young age of 15 under the tutelage of critically acclaimed chefs at Relais & Châteaux Properties. At the age of 19, after training under chefs Robert Carter and Graham Daily at Charleston’s renowned Peninsula Grill, he got his first sous chef position and helped open Crave Kitchen in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. After furthering his skills in kitchens at top South Carolina restaurants, Heirloom Eats and Hucks Lowcountry Table, Fortuna worked with Belie as chef de cuisine at Little Palm Island Resort & Spa.
As executive chef of the 100-room, boutique hotel, Fortuna will be responsible for overseeing daily F&B operations, menu conceptualization, managing back-of-house operations, and implementing new culinary programming and seafood-driven F&B concepts.
“I’m excited to bring my love of coastal American food to The Perry,” said Fortuna. “I grew up fishing so the resources we have here when it comes to fresh seafood inspire so many ideas for me. I’m looking forward to developing new menu items that complement the Stock Island experience so our guests can eat like a local whether they live down the street or thousands of miles away.”
Hailing from South Carolina with more than nine years of culinary experience, Sous Chef Caleb Hulsey has extensive kitchen experience, having worked at a number of restaurants in the Carolinas. At both Bamboo and Atlanticville restaurants in Charleston, he worked his way up the ranks from line cook to sous chef and was responsible for training and managing the kitchen team, creating schedules, overseeing inventory, and ordering.
Most recently, Hulsey worked with Belie and Fortuna as sous chef at Little Palm Island Resort & Spa, where he was responsible for menu development as well as employee training, monthly inventory and daily ordering to ensure overall food quality and customer satisfaction. At The Perry, Hulsey will be responsible for assisting the executive chef, creating schedules, overseeing menu execution and overall kitchen management.
