Chef Clayton Parrett: A Student for Life

*]:pointer-events-auto R6Vx5W_threadScrollVars scroll-mb-[calc(var(--scroll-root-safe-area-inset-bottom,0px)+var(--thread-response-height))] scroll-mt-[calc(var(--header-height)+min(200px,max(70px,20svh)))]" dir="auto" data-turn-id= "request-6951710a-0184-832c-9d32-bda2c450a8ea-1" data-turn-id-container= "request-6951710a-0184-832c-9d32-bda2c450a8ea-1" data-testid= "conversation-turn-14" data-turn="assistant"> Chef Clayton Parrett has spent more than two decades in kitchens, but he still considers himself a student. Growing up in rural South Louisiana, Clayton's earliest education came from the land. Hunting, fishing, livestock, agriculture and eventually working around a slaughterhouse taught him where food came from long before he understood that cooking would become his life. That path eventually took him offshore, cooking on drilling operations in the Gulf for weeks at a time. The isolation and relentless routine taught him patience, discipline and responsibility, lessons that would follow him through restaurants, universities, convention centers and hotels before ultimately bringing him to the historic Fenway Hotel in Dunedin, Florida. But Clayton says one of the biggest turning points in his career came when he learned something entirely different: How to fail. Accepting failure gave him permission to experiment, take chances and become more curious about food. It also helped shape a philosophy he still carries today. Clayton doesn't particularly believe in mastery. There are too many cultures, ingredients, techniques and traditions he hasn't experienced yet. "I prefer to say I'm a student for life." That curiosity is now helping drive the culinary direction at Fenway, where Clayton and his team are exploring global beef, ingredient provenance and the kind of luxury dining experience capable of competing on a much larger stage. One of their long-term ambitions is earning consideration among the world's leading steakhouses. And Clayton brought that same curiosity into the Walk-In Talk studio. Using wild boar tenderloin from studio partner Shogun Farms , Clayton created a dish rooted deeply in memories of Louisiana, incorporating field peas, persimmon, satsuma, sumac and produce from Cahaba Club . It's a plate built around the landscape and flavors that helped shape him as a chef. He followed it with an entirely different exploration: an antelope croquette with smoked Gouda and three vibrant sauces, combining classical French technique with an ingredient many diners rarely encounter. And then came the beef. Japanese A5 Wagyu rated BMS 12, representing the level of sourcing, education and product knowledge Clayton and his team are working to bring to Fenway. What's Hot Tampa Bay Leah Wilson of Creative Loafing Tampa Bay also returns to the studio for her recurring What's Hot Tampa Bay segment, and this time the conversation is all about Best of the Bay . Leah breaks down how the long-running Tampa Bay competition works, from public nominations and voting to the annual Best of the Bay celebration, and why the recognition means so much to the restaurants, chefs, businesses and personalities selected by the community. There's an added connection this year: Chef Clayton Parrett and Fenway are participating in the Best of the Bay celebration , putting Clayton directly into one of the biggest hospitality and culture events on Creative Loafing Tampa Bay's calendar. It makes for an episode that moves naturally between where a chef comes from, what keeps him learning, the food he is building today and the Tampa Bay community he is now helping shape. Chef Clayton Parrett Fenway Hotel | Dunedin, Florida Featuring Leah Wilson Creative Loafing Tampa Bay | What's Hot Tampa Bay Featuring ingredients from Walk-In Talk Media studio partners Shogun Farms and Cahaba Club . A Walk-In Talk Media production. From the industry. For the industry. _:empty]:hidden">     Key Takeaways His culinary education began with the land. Growing up in South