Food, glorious food is Anthony’s passion.

“Food is an amazing thing; the textures, the smells, the feel of it. Everything on the plate has to be an experience. It should be filled with passion and feeling.” Only a man who loves his job could exude such genuine enthusiasm — and Anthony Santucci is ideally suited to his role as food & beverage director at the lovely 201-room Grotto Bay Beach Resort, one of the largest hotels at the east end of the island. Anthony knows that a successful dining experience is about much more than the food on your plate. The 48-year-old is constantly on the go, personally greeting diners with effortless charm.

Anthony’s charismatic approach has not gone unnoticed. Every week, local foodies rub shoulders with visitors to sample a delectable Sunday brunch, providing the perfect opportunity for Anthony to interact with customers.
“I learned early on in my career that what the guest is not saying is just as important as what they do say. If they tell me about an amazing dessert I want to know what they had for dinner.”

This curiosity stretches back a long way. Anthony’s grandmother was a waitress at the Waterlot Inn in Southampton Parish and his mother washed the linens. Anthony transported loads of laundry up and down the hill at the age of 10. “Then I would go right into the kitchen,” he smiles. At 16, his grandmother steered him in the right direction. “I wanted to be a mechanic but my grandmother said ‘no.’ I was sent up the hill to the [Fairmont] Southampton Princess” (Bermuda’s largest hotel).

A knack for numbers and a talent for fixing things helped Anthony ascend the career ladder. He studied at Bermuda College, the University of New Haven, Connecticut and Cornell University, New York. Starting out as restaurant supervisor at the Southampton Princess, he’s worked at Bermuda’s Cambridge Beaches resort and the (now defunct) Sonesta Beach Hotel and also in Boston, Key Biscayne and Sanibel Harbour, Florida, and Curacao.

In his free time Anthony enjoys cycling and gardening: he recently began to transform one acre at Grotto Bay into a fruit and vegetable garden. He’s also active in his community as chairman of the Council for Alcohol and Drug Abuse and deputy chairman of the Tourism Board. You’ll remember him, however, for his consummate professionalism and palpable desire to please. 

Anthony’s top tips:

• Best place to eat: (Other than the Grotto Bay Beach Resort, of course…) Henry VIII (try their prime rib and onion soup), Blu, Rustico and the Wharf Tavern in St. George’s (for their great food and al fresco dining)
• Best outdoor excursion: Take a pedal bike along the Railway Trail from Paget to Dockyard. Stop for lunch, pop into the craft market and enjoy a fast ferry ride back to Hamilton
• Best cocktail: See Lee Tucker at the Fairmont Hamilton Princess (Heritage Court bar) – he’s THE drinks guy
• Best attraction: Bermuda Aquarium Museum & Zoo
• Best night spot: Try LVs Piano Bar on Bermudiana Road or the Jasmine Lounge at the Fairmont Southampton Resort for a comfortable yet refined atmosphere
• Best tour: St. George’s luminary E. Michael Jones takes you on a tour of his favourite haunts in the former capital, with a unique spin on the town’s historical landmarks

As reported in Bermuda.com Guide June-July 2009 edition.

If you’re fortunate enough to be laying your head at the sumptuous Elbow Beach Hotel, the authentic Bermuda travel experience starts with a handshake and smile from the irrepressible Raymond Ming. He’s the quintessential island ambassador: friendly, attentive, immaculately turned out and a fountain of knowledge on all things Bermuda. And as a doorman at one of the island’s premier resorts, he takes seriously his broader, discretionary role as gatekeeper of the island’s unique charms. “I am the first person to greet you when you get here,” he smiles. “I have 20 seconds to impress you. I can say the wrong thing or the right thing — it’s so important how we treat visitors.” Raymond has been treating visitors the right way for years — and the right people have noticed.

In December 2008, he eclipsed 300 colleagues to be named Elbow Beach Employee of the Year. Also last year he was runner up at the national Visitor Industry Partnership (V.I.P.) Awards and is in the mix again this year. He’s even been nominated for Employee of the Year for the entire Caribbean region.
So what’s his secret? Well, for starters, Raymond looks the part: crisp, navy blue uniform, shiny nametag, pith helmet and smart shoes. Of average height and build, he engages you with kind eyes and a winning smile. “I want to be better tomorrow than I am today” is his personal motto.

His ‘been-there, done-that’ resumé also helps explain his success. One of 10 children, he left school at 13 to work after his father died. Raymond was a department store messenger boy and then salesman who later worked at the airport before switching gears to become a captain at the fabled 40 Thieves Club, which in the 1960s and ‘70s brought in red hot acts like Tom Jones and Aretha Franklin.

‘Bermuda Ambassador’ has been a great gig for Raymond. At 61, he’s still fit enough to run marathons, he has a loving wife of 12 years, Sandra, a son Deon (a top high jumper) and a daughter Deandra. It comes as little surprise that Raymond used his $500 prize money for ‘employee of the year’ to feed the homeless on Christmas Eve. If it’s true that generosity is a short cut to immortality, Raymond Ming will be fondly remembered long after he’s gone. “If I had to do it over, I wouldn’t change a thing,” he says.

“Take care, and God bless” is his customary farewell. God bless you too, Raymond.

As reported in Bermuda.com Guide April-May 2009 edition.