In-Depth Insights

Family and Growing Up

Summary: Family traditions and childhood memories play a crucial role in shaping personal identities, especially at The Nauti Lobstah. The owners' upbringings have influenced the atmosphere they create, emphasizing the warmth and bonding that family meals foster.

Cara Rumplik: "Sunday dinners with macaroni and meatballs were a very warm family affair. Everybody hugs." This quote highlights the tradition of Sunday dinners, showing how food fosters a sense of warmth and togetherness in the family. Cara’s memories of Sunday dinners with her Italian family emphasize the warmth and bonding that family meals create. These traditions are more than just about the food; they are about the connections and memories built around the dinner table.

Christina Gonzalez: "Family Sundays were sacred. On Sundays, we weren’t allowed to go out of the house. It was family day, and we all spent the day together. It was all about cooking supper, and we all sat at the table together." This quote shows the importance of family time centered around food, reinforcing family bonds and traditions. Christina’s sacred family Sundays highlight how food rituals can reinforce family bonds and cultural identity. These meals serve as a medium through which cultural values and traditions are passed down.

Connection to Food and Culture

Summary: Food connects individuals to their cultural roots and serves as a medium for preserving heritage. Traditional dishes at The Nauti Lobstah symbolize cultural identities and familial love.

Christina Gonzalez: "For me, it was paella. That was one of the big things that we ate, rice with any kind of seafood or rice with any kind of protein like chicken." This dish symbolizes her Spanish roots, connecting her to her cultural heritage. Christina’s description of paella illustrates how specific dishes are tied to cultural identities and memories.

Cara Rumplik: "Sunday was macaroni and meatballs... I remember my grandmother making lasagna with little meatballs in it." These dishes embody familial love and cultural identity, preserving history through culinary practices. Cara’s memories of her grandmother’s lasagna show how traditional dishes keep family history alive.

Food as a Means of Connection

Summary: Food acts as a universal language that fosters understanding and empathy. At The Nauti Lobstah, food is a powerful connector that brings people together, creating a sense of community and belonging.

Cara Rumplik: "Food is memories. It’s like when I go to my mom’s for dinner. I was at my mom’s house last night for dinner, and she made chicken cutlets. To me, that’s memories, growing up. Food is memories." This emphasizes how food evokes personal and familial memories, creating lasting connections. Cara’s statement captures the universal nature of food as a connector, reflecting how sharing food fosters understanding and empathy among diverse groups.

Christina Gonzalez: "By creating a welcoming environment and engaging with the community, The Nauti Lobstah has become more than just a place to eat; it has become a gathering place for the community." This highlights the role of the restaurant as a community center where people connect over food. The emphasis on creating a welcoming environment at The Nauti Lobstah shows how food establishments can act as bridges, bringing together people from different backgrounds.

Community Building

Summary: The Nauti Lobstah serves as a hub for community building, creating meaningful connections through food. The restaurant actively participates in local events and fosters deep relationships with patrons.

Cara Rumplik: "We want people to feel like they’re in our home. It’s amazing what people share with us about their lives. It’s incredible, the experiences we’ve had meeting people, and people come back because of that." Here, food acts as a medium for building community and fostering personal connections. The personal connections formed with patrons highlight how food can transform casual encounters into meaningful relationships.

Christina Gonzalez: "We participate in a community farmers market every Friday. It’s great to be a part of the community." This highlights the active role the restaurant plays in community events, reinforcing its connection to the local area. The Nauti Lobstah’s participation in community events like farmers markets demonstrates how food businesses can serve as community hubs, bringing people together and supporting local initiatives.

Christina Gonzalez: "I mean, every interaction for me is different with customers. And we have those customers that come so often that we have an ongoing story with them, so to speak. We have patrons that visit us sometimes once, twice, three times a week, really. And, you know, there are relationships that are built. We have one gentleman that comes in that many times a week. The servers here are like daughters to him; they take care of him. So he's like Papa Richard, right? They celebrated his birthday and they got him a gift and cake. Yeah. So it's so much more than just somebody being a patron of the restaurant, you know, they're truly family. Like this one particular gentleman, there are many that visit us, and our relationships with our customers are super important and very special to us. Many stand out for us because they frequent the restaurant so often that, you know, when they walk in the door, there's always a hug. When they leave, there's always a hug. If you go to any other commercial type restaurant, you don't get that experience. Like Cara said earlier, this is our very large kitchen, and everybody's sitting at our kitchen table."

Importance of Food in Personal Identity

Summary: Food shapes personal and collective identities. The culinary practices and traditions embraced by the owners of The Nauti Lobstah reflect their upbringing and regional culture, highlighting how food memories are integral to their sense of self.

Mike Rumplik: "Growing up in New England, I grew up in Rhode Island, a small little town. Five minute walk to the beach. We were always hanging out on the beach, skiing, clamming, crabbing, and all that stuff." This reflects how food-related activities are intertwined with childhood memories and regional culture. Mike’s reflection on growing up in Rhode Island, engaging in activities like clamming and crabbing, connects his personal history to his culinary practices.

Christina Gonzalez: "Food brings people together." A simple yet powerful statement that captures the essence of how food can unite individuals and communities. Christina’s and Cara’s anecdotes about family meals and cooking traditions emphasize how food memories are integral to their sense of self and familial relationships.

Why The Savory Stories Project?

Real Stories from Real People. The Savory Stories Project is dedicated to documenting the rich and diverse cultural groups in Central Florida to forge cohesion, educate communities, and preserve intangible heritage. These oral histories contextualize the shared but different struggles, triumphs, and journeys of our community members through food.

Connecting Communities Through Food