Monty and Bell White

A Family Love Story and a New Restaurant

story by KATE HAMILTON PARDEE            photos by SUSAN DELOACH

The community of Beaufort was beyond excited for the Seaside Restaurant and Bar to open on St. Helena. Word on the street? A talented restaurateur, Monty Tyrone White, and his lovely wife, Bellinda Heyward White, were opening the new eatery, and the community reception has been more than palatable. It all began early in the food world for Monty, growing up in Land’s End on St. Helena, where he got his first taste of discovering food, cooking, and realizing his talents.

“I was locally born and raised in Land’s End in a tight-knit community where the cooking of delicious food was part of the culture. Everyone felt our grandmas cooked the best, but mine was the best,” he says with a smile. Monty lost his father at a young age but loved growing up here, especially during the summers when he anticipated the visits from his many aunts and uncles who lived in New York. Monty felt like he was an ambassador for the area and loved to tell them how the food and beaches were so much more beautiful in the Lowcountry. There were lots of joyous family picnics, and between bites of the tomatoes and watermelons grown behind his house, he says, “I benefited as a person from all these times immensely.” He also worked in the fields, which he says, “Wasn’t an option.”

Monty learned to cook mostly through trial and error, and always with some help from grandma, the kitchen ruler at his home. He remembers cooking for his visiting relatives, aunts, and uncles one morning and getting a great response. He laughs, “It wasn’t. Bless his little heart. My family liked it. I felt great, and it hooked me even more.”

After a short stint at Food Lion, Monty began working at Broad River Grill Seafood and “fell in love with the creation and organization of the restaurant process.” He says, “I also felt that even though I was working with many with the same experience, I could move and process orders quickly, like a machine.” Monty has fond memories of his family hosting many members of the Peace Corps, who stayed with the Whites and introduced Monty to the people and food from many different cultures.

Bellinda (Bell), Monty’s wife, grew up in nearby Port Royal, where she lived with her father. Fun days were filled with clamming, fishing, and helping her father with his tools when he worked on his cars. She also learned she had a natural aptitude for organization and a warm personality that engaged people.

One fateful day in 1996, Bell went to the Broad River Grill restaurant with her best friend, Shelley Robinson, who was applying for a job. Unbeknownst to her, there was a very young line cook who noticed her when he peeked out the kitchen door. Monty was immediately in awe of her beauty and mesmerized by her warm smile. Even though he didn’t know she wasn’t even applying for a job, “I told my manager he had to hire her,” says Monty, and soon they were working together.
Monty knew Bell was the woman for him, and soon she found handwritten notes from this poetic line cook attached to some of the plates she had left alone in the clearing process at the restaurant. They dated for four years, and when asked when he proposed to Bell, Monty said with a twinkle, “Which time?”

They married in 2000 at the Beaufort County Courthouse. Bell worked in the US Army as a topographer, and Monty continued his pursuit of restaurant work.

Monty was learning that he was not only good at cooking but also at expediting the food from the kitchen. He was fast and knew how to process orders quickly. He also built a reputation for doing it well and felt “it was very gratifying.”
Although Monty does not feel he had any specific mentors in the restaurant world, he does attribute his business skills to his excellent mentor Aunt Tilda. “She is my youngest aunt, a successful attorney in New York, and she taught me so much about good business practices.” Her contact name on his cell phone is glue because he knows she keeps us together. “It is and always will be her priority.”

Monty and Bell began a family, and their brood is now at six. Daquan and Dashaun are their oldest boys who live nearby and didn’t catch the restaurant bug. Following them is Travon, a South Carolina State University graduate, who lives in Columbia and has picked up some bartending shifts there after serving in the US Army for five years. Bre-Anna, their eldest daughter, relocated back to Beaufort to help their business. Bell says proudly, “Bre-Anna made history in 2015 for being the first female of color to become a Combat Engineer and a 4-time state track champion.” Monty Jr. is known as the “Seaside Restaurant and Bar Taste Tester,” and, finally, Laila, the youngest, is a gifted athlete, runs track for Riverview Charter School and Beaufort High School, and plays basketball for Riverview too.

Bell continued her career in Human Resources and became a Case Manager for Children’s Services. Monty worked at Lady’s Island Country Club, then Ollies and Steamers. “At Steamers, that is where I developed my reputation as a chef. I also wanted to create more specials, but they didn’t want to veer from the traditional menu at that time. I knew the food landscape was changing, so I moved back to Lady’s Island Country Club to be the Head Chef and had more freedom to become a creative cook.“

Also, Monty and Bell started creating a food truck business during this time, but, alarmingly, a person working with them stole their money and their vehicle. Thankfully, a new opportunity soon presented itself. Monty knew the Pizzos, who owned a former restaurant building on Seaside Road, and he also knew their daughter, Jamie, who he went to school with. Monty says, “Jamie approached me about possibly leasing the building for a restaurant. Belle and Monty expressed how much they respected this family, and a deal was soon reached. Bell stated, “Monty then asked me to join him working at the restaurant, and I started in March.”

The restaurant is now open, and their daughter Bre-Anna is helping alongside their Manager Tyrone Black and fellow workers Tamecka (Nikki) Petty Francis and Uta Carter. Monty feels there is a pleasant happenstance with his name being Monty White and his new manager being Tyrone Black. He says with a smile how much he enjoys “these fun, quirky details of opening a new restaurant.” After dealing with the current challenges of depleting staff at food establishments, he credits and knows the importance of all his employees, including family and friends as the people he counts on to make it all work.
Monty explains that the restaurant serves lunch and dinner with lots of seafood and specials. He says, “I did not want it to be too extensive, but always fresh seafood that the tourists love and the locals never get tired of.” Bell says, “Her role is firmly the back of the house” and she keeps the business side all in line. Monty enjoys working with Bell as a team and feels, “She dots my i’s and crosses my t’s.” Bell says, “Being part of this restaurant, I love meeting old and new friends and especially the entertainment nights because I love to see them dance and enjoy each other.”

They both wanted to create a comfortable, diversified place for people to come, eat, and visit. “The vibe in Beaufort is organic and authentic, and the hugs and handshakes in the room are real,” he shares. Bell worked on the beautiful decor inside, and with Lisa Rivers, the owner of Legacy Gallery, on the outdoor sign. With its pastel colors, the sign warmly welcomes you inside to the clean, casual surroundings with a bar and four TVs to watch sports. Monty and Bell even named one of the dining rooms in honor of Aunt Tilda to always keep her close. Outside, there are cornholes to play, a Jenga game to take turns, and outdoor fire pits to stay warm if there is a chill in the air.

Bell and Monty, together now for 22 years, want this restaurant to become a community staple for everyone. They continue their original idea of “Wednesday Shrimp Nights” from the tavern Monty owned for a brief period and offer Christmas gift cards to purchase for the holiday season.

Monty’s philosophy is simple and especially about the food. “Our food epitomizes the spirit of the Lowcountry, creating brotherhoods over suppers hoping to invoke the nostalgia that keeps us all grounded.” He continues, “We will only prepare what you want to be served, and a priority is an incredibly comfortable atmosphere. It feels great to have this restaurant, and we know something special is brewing here.” He sees opportunities for everyone involved, and says, “I feel honored to be part of it.”

You can see it all in the warm smiles of Bell and Monty, who are a wonderful and talented team. Monty then reminds us with a smile of another reason to come, not that there aren’t many already. “Don’t try to make it all at home. Come to the Seaside Bar and Restaurant. We will cook for you.” Save us a seat, Bell and Monty — we all will.