Up the Creek Raw Bar

Up the Creek has a lovely view and tasty food, yet the service is not traditional. You order at the bar and your food (oysters preferably) are brought to your table. You must retrieve the necessary items (crackers, horseradish, hot sauce, cocktail sauce, lemons) and self serve beverages. Needless to say, it's waterfront and the seafood is fresh and delicious, but it is an interactive meal.

313 Water St
Apalachicola, FL 32320

Review: Miccosukee Root Cellar

This small bar is off the beaten path and packed with character. The theme is eat local, but I wasn't particularly impressed with the food. I enjoyed the atmosphere, live music, dim lights, and the wine :)

http://miccosukeerootcellar.com/

Christmas Activities I Partook In

Since I've suggested so many activities before the holidays, I want to recap and state what I actually went to and what I enjoyed.

1. Christmas in Narnia - Quincy, FL
I really enjoyed this performance, there were a few really talented ladies in this group. The companies performs the same play every year so if you didn't catch it this time, you can try again next Christmas. I would have liked to scope out Quincy more too, maybe grab a bite or a coffee before/after the performance.

2. Victorian Christmas - Thomasville, GA
I went, but we were a little late. We ate at my new favorite Thomasville restaurant George and Louie's and then went around the corner downtown to check out the activities. They had the streets closed off and it was flooded with people. The stores were still open which was nice, but I wouldn't have shopped if I wasn't serious about buying something. We browsed a few stores as we made our way to Sweetgrass Dairy for some wine and cheese (beer for the boys). That was the highlight of the night. There were a few people in costume, some performances but I think we missed a majority of the festivities since we were late to the party. I may try to get there earlier next year or may just skip the party and head to my favorite Thomasville spots a different night.

3. Downtown Christmas - Tallahassee, FL
I wish I had signed up for the Jingle Bell Run, but instead we walked along the streets of downtown listening to the performances and headed to Po Boys to watch the SEC championship game. There were a few groups that I was glad I got to see including a couple of the dances from the TCC company and a classic rock band jamming out. It was something to do, but wasn't much to see.

Travel: Sandestin - An Escape

I was lucky enough to have a strapping young man accompany me to Sandestin for the Veterans Day Weekend. We called last minute and got reservations at the boutique hotel of Sandestin, the LeCiel hotel. I learned that Sandestin is a large development stretching from the bay to the beach with residential and commercial properties within its borders. There is a small downtown area with great nightlife and restaurants, a beach area with amenities and rentals, and recreational opportunities. Included in your stay is 4 hours of bike rental, one hour kayaking, and free trolley throughout the property.

Once we arrive we went straight to the beach for lunch and ate outside on the porch at Finz, which had good food and a great view. Although we were ferociously attacked by seagulls, we enjoyed our meal. We walked down to the beach and I was surprised at how powdered white the sugar sand was. I never wanted to admit that any beaches were better than the one I grew up by, but the sand in Sandestin was much finer. We finished lunch and headed to the outlet mall to shop till we dropped! To finish the day up I was treated to a delicious dinner at the Marlin Grill. The portions were huge and we could have shared an entree of the fresh fish that was perfectly prepared. We ended the night with a cocktail at the Village Door Nightclub.


http://www.sandestin.com/ExploreSandestin/Accommodations/Bayside/LeCiel.aspx?itc=rstmap
http://www.marlingrill.com/

The Front Porch Preview Party

The much anticipated Front Porch is now open! I went to the grand opening but didn't get a really good idea of what their food was like with the small appetizers they were passing around. I will say that the desserts were awesome! The key lime pie and flourless chocolate torte alone gave me enough reason to revisit and reorder. The other appetizers were somewhat forgettable, the lamb was a little chewy, the melon and prosciutto disinteresting, yet the Vidalia onion tarts with toasted pecans were pretty awesome. I didn't get enough to form a valid opinion yet I have heard from other fine diners that this place cooks up some AMAZING food; I would credit this all to Joe Rego (head chef).  There are still some kinks to work out in terms of service, but I will be back to report when I get a chance to order a full meal. The atmosphere and the renovations were well done and add a lot to this space. The outdoor patio is by favorite with a massive wrap around bar in the middle next to an outdoor dining area. There is a great diagonal accent wall against the massive oak that grows right up through the patio area.


Check it out before you go:
http://frontporchtallahassee.com/