Buzz Valadao adds his own dishes to old Point favorites

Buzz Valadao adds his own dishes to old Point favorites

Buzz Valadao’s culinary style reflects his background in Portuguese & Italian dishes that were weaned in restaurants in his native New England.
But his local roots run deep as well. And he earned his well deserved chops building businesses at The Outrigger in Orange Beach and Ryan’s Catch on Grande Lagoon that also included finessing a loyal and local happy hour crowd at those pre-Ivan bistros.
Buzz, who was also at Trigger’s for 10 years before recently taking over at The Point Restaurant on Innerarity, also has Rusty’s Fish Camp on a local resume that now stretches 28 years.
He said he won’t mess with The Point’s staples. Just as The Ivys did back when they opened in 1955, The Point will serve fried mullet. The gumbo recipe is also well tested and remains. But Buzz will add his renowned cajun & creole influenced sauces, his popular fried cheesecake and his own take on fresh fish specials. His regulars insist that he still put his mac & cheese on the menu.
Going into month four at The Point, Buzz says he is having fun, especially with the restaurant’s new emphasis on music. In addition to the good old bluegrass tradition that is Bubba & Them on weekends, Smokin’ Elvis has been playing Sunday afternoons and Sam Glass leads a jam Sunday evenings at 7 p.m. The Ole River String Band plays on Thursday nights, and Sandy Roots produces a monthly concert series in the courtyard.
“We want the place to be an asset to the community like it’s always been,’’ Buzz said. “Both the management and the owners think it’s important to give back to the community as much as it has given us.
“Hopefully, we will continue to make great food, have a lot of fun and make some money while we’re doing it,’’ he added.
The Point is located at 14340 In