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SILVER & GOLD: LOCAL EATERY LISTED AMONG STATE'S BEST
Gerald Ensley
Tallahassee Democrat
Published: January 23, 1997
FLORIDA TREND MAGAZINE CHOOSES THE SILVER SLIPPER AS ONE OF ITS TOP 20 FLORIDA RESTAURANTS
The 30th anniversary of the Golden Spoon Awards turned out to be a welcome-back party for the grand dame of Tallahassee restaurants, The Silver Slipper.
At a banquet in Sarasota on Tuesday, The Silver Slipper was named one of Florida's Top 20 restaurants of 1997. The Golden Spoon awards are sponsored by Florida Trend magazine. They honor the Top 20 and Top 200 restaurants in Florida, as well as the state's Top 20 new eateries.
It was the first Golden Spoon award since 1982 for The Silver Slipper, a longtime favorite with Tallahassee's political crowd. The Silver Slipper, owned by Chris Kalfas and his sons Bill and Jimmy, will celebrate its 60th anniversary in April. Started on South Monroe Stree, the restaurant is now on Scotty's Lane, near the Tallahassee Mall.
"We were awfully excited, especially after so long out (of the list)," said Bill Kalfas, the restaurant's general manager. "To us, it's the biggest award you could win. There are 37,000 restaurants in Florida. So to be in the Top 20 is pretty spiffy."
The Slipper -- as it is known to longtime customers -- is one of several Tallahassee restaurants that have won Golden Spoon awards, which originally honored only Florida's Top 100 restaurants. Andrew's Second Act, which is closed for remodeling, has won 17 Spoons. Awards also have gone to Chez Pierre and two now-closed restaurants: Jacques' Upper Crust and the Golden Pheasant.
The Slipper, Chez Pierre and Andrew's (scheduled to reopen in March) were joined by The Wharf as Tallahassee's entries on Florida Trend's list of the state's Top 200 restaurants for 1997.
Other Panhandle restaurants popular with Tallahassee residents also made the Top 200: Magnolia Grill (Apalachicola), Roberto's (Apalachicola), Nicholson Farmhouse (Havana), Red Canyon Grill (Marianna), Angelo's (Panacea) and Captain Anderson's (Panama City).
In addition to The Silver Slipper, two other North Florida restaurants won Top 20 designation: Criolla's (Grayton Beach) and McGuire's Irish Pub (Pensacola).
The awards, presented since 1967, are determined by a vote of Florida Trend readers and food critic Robert Tolf. Florida Trend editor John Berry said the magazine invests a lot of time fact-checking Tolf's selections, and receives "a lot of feedback" from readers who use the list as their guide to Florida restaurants.
THE SILVER SLIPPER 'RECEIVED SO MANY VOTES IT COULD NOT BE DENIED'
"Robert Tolf is a very smart man and he has a very good palate," Berry said. "He knows what's good, what's overblown and what's just a fad."
In the February issue announcing the winners, Tolf admits The Silver Slipper's Top 20 selection was by acclamation:
"Tallahassee's Silver Slipper, beloved by legislators and lobbyists alike, received so many votes it could not be denied," Tolf wrote. "This is really an Old Shoe of a place, so familiar to generations ... who still gather in droves."
Bill Kalfas said the support reflects the improvements his restaurant has made in recent years. The restaurant has been remodeled and its menu updated. The Slipper's traditional offerings of steaks and seafood have been joined by pasta dishes and an extensive wine cellar. Kalfas said The Slipper also is embracing many of the "high-end meat dishes" popular in big-city restaurants.
"You have to be aggressive and stay in tune with what's happening around the country," Kalfas said. "We think people are going back to fine dining. If they're going to spend $50, they want a place they can have a conversation and a good meal.
"(The Golden Spoon) says it all. It means we were recognized by the people who dine out all over the state. If they picked us, we must be doing something right."
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