— About —
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A tapas & chocolate shop, La Crema is a place to linger with friends.
La Crema Tapas and Chocolate was inspired by the incredibly popular tapas and chocolate shops of Madrid and Barcelona as well as the flavors, the way of life and overall passion the Spaniards display. Rosemary Beach and Barcelona share a similar climate and strategic location next to the sea for fresh food. Our beautiful courtyard on Main Street in Rosemary Beach provides the perfect spot to emulate this culture and cuisine. We provide such a dynamic experience to each visitor that they can’t help but revere Rosemary Beach with the same passionate feelings one would have for Spain. Dining is supposed to be a relaxing experience that’s casual, tasty, and unique and that’s exactly what you’ll have at La Crema.
our staff
Andrew Preble ~
General Manager
Andrew Preble is a passionate young man who is devoted to his family and to being involved with thoughtful food, craft beer and fine wine. Andrew grew up in Fort Walton Beach and graduated from Choctawhatchee High School in 2006. He attended North West Florida State University, but found the most impactful learning was "on the job". Andrew taught himself the restaurant and hospitality business while learning from others and making the most of his culinary experiences. He was a manager of Bud and Alleys Pizza Bar for five years, learning first-hand the beauty of great food and fine wine.
Currently, Andrew and his fiancé, Chrissy, their two children, Rowan and Stella, and golden retriever, Dude, live in Santa Rosa Beach. Being close to his father, enjoying his family and making time to cook, fish, enjoy the outdoors, and practice guitar are all important to Andrew and keep him grounded in his love of home and community.
DAVID CARSON ~ assistant general manager
David Carson joined the La Crema team in 2019 as a server. With a decade of industry experience under his belt, he quickly worked his way up to become assistant general manager. In his role, David handles shift scheduling, clerical duties and ordering of the wine and spirits we serve here at the restaurant.
A Brooklyn, New York, native, David moved to the Sunshine State to pursue a degree in professional communication from Florida State University. Aside from his role at the restaurant, David also serves as host of Pop Icon Radio on 90.7 FM and Pop Icon: The Podcast.
Alex Juventino ~ Chef
Chef Alex brings his culinary talents all the way from San Marcos, Guatemala. A member of the team since 2015, Alex has risen through the ranks to his current position as kitchen manager and chef at La Crema. His main duty is to ensure the kitchen is well-prepped and ready to serve high-quality dishes to those who venture into one of 30A’s most popular establishments.
Alex’s passion for food is driven by his desire to make people happy through delicious, unique dishes. With the help of the talented kitchen team, Alex makes every La Crema visitor feel like they’ve been transported to the streets of Spain through a wide variety of tapas and chocolate dishes.
If he had to choose, Alex would pick the Seafood Paella as his favorite La Crema dish. When he’s not maintaining European excellence at La Crema, he enjoys spending time with his family, hanging out at the beach and watching professional soccer.
Learn more about our culinary
La Crema serves tapas. Can you explain what tapas are and where they originated?
Tapas originated in Spain in the 19th century. Tapa means "to cover" in Spanish, and there are numerous stories as to how the word became associated with food. The most popular story is that restaurants and bars would serve a small tapa, such as toasted bread with charcuterie and a glass of sherry, to a customer and would place the bread over the glass to keep the fruit flies out. Tapas can be served hot or cold. Popular cold tapas include small plates featuring olives, cured meats, cheeses, tomatoes and bacalao, which is salted cod served with bread. Albondigas, patatas bravas and empanadas are popular hot tapas. Spaniards usually enjoy their dinner very late in the evening, so after the workday they frequent tapas restaurants and bars to tide themselves over.
Tell us how Spain’s cuisine and culture influences La Crema’s menu.
At La Crema, we offer our guests traditional tapas, as well as chef-inspired small plates. I draw a lot of my inspiration from the Andalusia and Basque regions of Spain. Some of our more popular and traditional offerings are Patatas Bravas, Piquillo Peppers, Paella, Albondigas and Serrano Wrapped Figs. Some of our most popular non-traditional small plates are our Brussels Sprouts, Ceviche, Crab Cakes, Lobster Mac, Lamb Asada and Blue Crab Rangoons.
What’s the secret to La Crema’s wildly popular desserts?
Chef Alex and his team spend a lot of time preparing these items. The execution, consistency and specialty chocolate is the secret that makes all our desserts so unbelievably good and sought after.
Guests wait hours to dine at La Crema. What makes it so popular?
Rosemary Beach is always bustling with people enjoying the scenery, and coming to or from the beach. What makes La Crema so great is that its menu presents the opportunity to visit at any time of day. Whether guests visit for lunch, wine and tapas, or want to try some of our larger shared plates for dinner, La Crema always satisfies. Guests now have the option to dine inside or to dine al fresco, as well, which I think takes the atmosphere up a notch.
La Crema’s menu features a lot of seafood. Tell us where the proteins are sourced.
La Crema utilizes all wild- and Gulf-caught seafood. We order our fresh fish from Inland Seafood in New Orleans, Louisiana, and Water Street Seafood in Apalachicola, Florida.