In the heart of Historic Downtown DeFuniak Springs, Iron & Grape is redefining small-town dining with a mix of old-school charm and modern culinary expertise. The new Italian restaurant, opened by Chef Todd Misener and his wife Kelli under their Big Love Restaurant Group, is quickly becoming a cornerstone of Authentic Walton’s growing food scene.
For the Miseners, moving north of the Choctawhatchee Bay felt like a natural next step. Once their youngest graduated high school, they found a new rhythm in the slower pace of DeFuniak Springs — with space to try new hobbies, plant fruit trees and dream up their future farm. When the opportunity came for them to open a new restaurant, the couple jumped in wholeheartedly.
“I really wanted to do what I’ve always done — chef-driven and scratch cooking — and bringing that freshness to DeFuniak was a great opportunity,” Misener said. “Walton County over the years… the tourism and the growth of the people that have moved here has really allowed the culinary world to expand.”
“Todd’s in the kitchen, cooking with iron. I’m up here, working with the grapes. It’s both of us, coming together.”
Misener’s culinary footprint across the Southeast is well known, with successful restaurants in Louisiana, Alabama and Florida. As former managing partner and chef with the Word of Mouth restaurant group, he helped shape 30A staples like Stinky’s Fish Camp, Red Fish Taco and Stinky’s Bait Shack — all now under new ownership as of January.
The opening of Iron & Grape in March was highly anticipated by both locals and visitors because of Misener’s presence in South Walton. Demand allowed the restaurant to expand to lunch. “He’s so talented in the kitchen with the food, and everything’s made, you know, with passion, and you can tell,” Kelli Misener said. “It makes everyone really excited to have great food.”
Even before opening their doors, the Miseners immersed themselves in the Authentic Walton surroundings. Kelli serves on the board of Main Street DeFuniak and is a familiar face at the local farmer’s market.
That involvement influences the Iron & Grape menu, which features locally sourced ingredients from farms like Breathe Easy (for mushrooms and onions) and Dragonfly Field (for arugula and tomatoes). Misener said they hope to partner with more local farmers in the future.
“The sense of community is similar to what we’re used to in South Walton,” Misener said. “It’s a little bit slower and more casual… so you have an opportunity to get to know the locals, and they come in more than once a week. It’s been rewarding.”
The name Iron & Grape is itself a tribute to the town’s legacy and the couple’s shared vision. Located just steps from the railway on the corner of Sixth Street and Baldwin Avenue, the restaurant nods to DeFuniak Springs’ industrial past with intentional decor.
“It’s pretty cool to be right here, where this was the hub of everything in the early 1900s,” Misener said. “Everything that went to the beach, or any kind of growth anywhere, came through here.”
The “grape” side of the name comes from their thoughtfully curated wine program — a centerpiece of the guest experience.
“We think of it as the front of house and back of house,” Kelli Misener said. “Todd’s in the kitchen, cooking with iron. I’m up here, working with the grapes. It’s both of us, coming together.”
Misener brings more than skill to the kitchen — he brings curiosity. A student of Master Chef Jack Shoop for 17 years, he’s still driven by a belief in lifelong learning. When he’s not mentoring his staff, he teaches classes at a culinary program nearby.
“We’ve gotten to educate our staff, which has always been important in my life: to be an educator and a student,” Misener said. “We’re always pushing ourselves to learn, learn, learn different ethnic techniques and ingredients, and it’s just amazing. You could never learn it all in a lifetime.”
From their roots in South Walton to their new chapter in Authentic Walton, the Miseners are blending experience with heart — and shaping a restaurant where food, wine and community all come together under one roof.
For more information, dining menus and operating hours, visit ironandgrape.com or call (850) 951-2233.