The Beach Vacation Blog » Restaurants

Where 2 Bars Are Better Than 1

Garrett Realty Services — Sun, 11 Mar 2012 18:24:53 +0000

Everyone is applauding South Walton’s latest restaurant, 723 Whiskey Bravo! Conveniently located on the site of the old Wheelhouse Restaurant in Seagrove Beach, Highway 30-A. Just a short walk, bike ride, or drive for South Walton’s residents and Garrett Realty Services vacation renters to enjoy great food and spirits from a 40-seat indoor bar or open air rooftop bar!

723 Whiskey Bravo was opened by Skip and Victoria Moore from Atlanta who, like many, fell in love with 30-A and the lifestyle the community promotes. A unique story behind the name can be found on their website as well as a menu of all the delicious dishes and signature drinks Whiskey Bravo is serving up! You will find a diverse and reasonable menu for lunch and dinner, including a weekend Bloody Mary bar and Sunday brunch.

This restaurant really does have everything! It’s the perfect place for the sports fanatic with beers on tap and a game on the screen. There is a private dining area that can be reserved for guests who prefer a more intimate setting. Of course there’s nothing like sipping your favorite drink on their rooftop bar taking in an amazing view of the Gulf.

Visit 30-A’s new “place to be”, 723 Whiskey Bravo!

723whiskeybravo.com

3031 Scenic Highway 30A

Seagrove Beach Florida 32459

Valentine’s Day on 30A

Garrett Realty Services — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 16:43:54 +0000

Valentine’s Day is full of excitement, romance, and love… if you’re a woman or a man! Much like a work day, good decisions must be made and mind-reading skills must be sharpened. This day can determine the future or at least get brought up in the future over and over again! So here’s a list of some of South Walton’s Valentine’s Day favorites you won’t go wrong with!

The Naked Grape at Gulfplace is a great place to start! With an extensive wine and beer selection as well as gourmet tapas, this intimate wine bar is the perfect place to begin an evening of romance. Just six miles east and you’ve arrived at the best spot in town to watch the sunset. Bud & Alley’s is famous for their outside, upstairs bar overlooking the green gulf waters.

Next on the list is V in Seagrove Beach for a special Valentine’s Day dinner. This sleek, South Beach style venue is serving a three course meal with a sweet heart theme. Enjoy delicacies such as: Lobster Gnocchi, Strawberry Sweetheart Salad, Pink Rose Pepper Seared Shrimp, and Triple Chocolate Molten Cake. The perfect ending is found at The Red Bar in Grayton Beach where you can dance into the next day to live music in a cozy atmosphere.

Make this the perfect Valentine’s Day and bring your date to 30A!

Of course, for a vacation rental call Garrett Realty Services @ 1-800-537-5387

30-A Wine Festival

Garrett Realty Services — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 21:12:05 +0000

The 30-A Wine Festival is an exclusive 2-day wine event debuting in March. Location: Alys Beach Amphitheater.

This weekend celebration is limited to only 150 ticket holders. All proceeds will go to the Children’s Volunteer Health Network (CVHN).

The 30-A Wine Festival will deliver a weekend of wine and recreation! On Saturday you can meet the Wine Makers as you nibble on food perfectly paired with wine and enjoy live music playing in the back ground. The Grand Tasting is held in the late afternoon along with food prepared by your favorite 30A restaurants such as: Café Thirty-A, Caliza Restaurant at Alys Beach and Borago, just to name a few. The festivities continue on Sunday with a champagne brunch!

Be the first to peruse this plush event! Spend the weekend on 30-A, March 3-4, and give your support to an important cause.

For a vacation rental, call Garrett Realty Serivces @ 1-800-537-5387.

Sunsets from our Back Yards!!

Garrett Realty Services — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 15:25:01 +0000

Our sunsets aren’t the only reason to visit our wonderful Paradise!!!

Come Rent & Relax along Scenic 30-A with Garrett Realty Services, Inc.

Summer at the Gulf

Garrett Realty Services — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 15:00:07 +0000

Escape to Florida’s Panhandle, where the water sparkles clearer, the sand shines whiter, and the fun never stops. Our Editor reveals his favorite haunts.

(Post from Southern Living Magazine )

by John Alex Floyd, Jr.

I have vacationed here as a child, as a teenager, as a newlywed, and as a father. My wife and I plan to vacation here when we become empty nesters. That’s not uncommon for those who call this 95-mile stretch of Florida’s Panhandle, simply, The Beach. The lure of the place, once experienced, tugs for a lifetime.

From Destin east to Mexico Beach and Port St. Joe, you’ll find a curious mix of old and new Florida. Posh resorts vie with tiny bungalows. Bustling cities glitter in stark contrast with quaint fishing villages. Fabulous or rustic, tacky or elegant, vibrant or laid-back, the area has something for everyone. The common thread that runs through it all remains the emerald green waters and finest powder-white sand in the world.

Lodging–Family Fun on the Emerald Coast
To newcomers, the discovery is Destin–the sleepy fishing village-turned-mega-destination. Many families or couples spend an entire week here and never have to get into a car. Condos are the lodging of choice. Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort is the area’s largest resort complex and features fine hotel rooms, condominiums, four great golf courses, upscale shopping, and a variety of eateries.

Seaside, the Panhandle’s first planned community, sets a look and style that still gives Scenic Highway 30A, the 19-mile loop off of U.S. 98, a fantasy feel. Next door to Seaside sits the WaterColor Inn and Resort, a swank new spot that opened last year. Nearby you’ll find upscale restaurants, shopping, condos, and private homes. Lodging in the Seaside area costs anywhere from $100 up to any price you want to pay. Rosemary Beach is also a favorite destination in this area.

Panama City Beach is a family beach, a teenage hangout, and a splash of old Florida all rolled into one. Classic family-owned motels have dotted this stretch of sand for decades, though remodeled chain hotels, high-rise condominiums, and private rental homes are common today. Marriott’s Bay Point Resort Village, which is on St. Andrews Bay, sports fine golfing and big-league resort accommodations. But beware: Traffic on Front Beach Road is a tangle on summer nights.

While the coastal towns of Mexico Beach and Port St. Joe are different, they feel the same. They echo the unspoiled scenes from the postcard days of travel. It’s not an area that time forgot, just one devoid of today’s crowds. Your best lodging bets here are beach cottages, bed-and-breakfasts, family-run motels, and beach campgrounds and cabins at St. Joseph Peninsula State Park. (RV campgrounds are in the area too.) The easiest way to find a bunk is to check the cities’ Web sites.

20th Annual Seeing Red Wine Festival

Garrett Realty Services — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 20:34:31 +0000

DATE: 11/04/2010

TOWN: Seaside

Set during one of the prettiest seasons on the Emerald Coast, the 20th Annual Seeing Red Wine Festival will feature hundreds of wines from around the world November 4-7, 2010.

In conjunction with Taste of The Beach, the main tasting on Saturday is often described as the perfect afternoon. Wine enthusiasts stroll through tasting areas, sampling a wonderful selection of wines.

Each setting also features world-class music. Intimate lectures and tastings with featured guest winemakers, dinners, and reserve wine tastings are all part of the festivities. Special packages are available in the award-winning town of Seaside for accommodations during the festival.

Thursday, Nov. 4: Winemaker Dinner
Bud & Alley’s 7PM

Friday, Nov. 5: Al Fresco Wine Walkabout
Ruskin Place 6-8PM
$145/person (866) 976-7990

Saturday, Nov. 6: Seeing Red Grand Tasting
Seaside 1-5PM
$120/person (866) 976-7990

Sunday, Nov. 7: Champagne Brunch
Great Southern Cafe 11AM

Garrett Realty Services, Seagrove Plaza, 30A & The Beaches of South Walton!!

Garrett Realty Services — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 15:56:15 +0000

Red Bar

Garrett Realty Services — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 19:53:59 +0000

A funny thing I heard on my way to The Red Bar,

“What do you call a lawyer who hangs out in restaurants?

An ambiance chaser” ; }

Which nicely seques into our comments on one of our favorite local restaurants:

Garrett Realty Services Invites You to Experience:

Good Friends Good Food and Good Times at The Red Bar

My BFF since I was twelve years old is visiting from Germany and wanted authentic local atmosphere not to mention, food. I immediately thought of The Red Bar.

The first impression one has is that the vine covered restaurant has been there for a long time and deeply ensconced in the historical little town of Grayton Beach. The Red Bar’s eclectic Bohemian decor is artsy and creative and BOY are they ready for the Holidays. There is something interesting to look at in every square inch down to the international posters on the ceiling which patrons have contributed.

Needless to say, we LOVED the food. There were five of us so we ordered several different dishes for sampling. The Red Bar is famous for their Chicken Panne and Gulf-fresh seafood (especially the crab cakes). There is quite a selection of side orders: ranging from sweet potatoes, delightfully varied salads and freshly battered onion rings… YUM. The specials change daily and are quaintly hand-written on a large chalk board presented by the waitress.

My friends, Laura and and hubby Jerry, said their Shrimp PoBoywas the best they have had (and they are seasoned travelers). Laura also added that the bread was as good as she gets in Europe. That is quite the compliment.

The two important things Laura and I have in common are our tastes in food and laughing (We haggled over a few beaus but that is fodder for another blog!).

We had so much fun (of course we always do… that is why we are still friends after —?! zillion years) reminiscing about slumber parties and debating the best techniques for tormenting our little brothers. Some stories never get old…

A little Red Bar History 101:

The Red Bar is venerable. Belgian brothers, Olly and Phillipe Petit, have built The Red Bar from a former Grayton Grocery into one of the area’s most famous eateries. The restaurant is actually called Picolo’s, but the whole place is best known by the bar’s name, The Red Bar.

The Red Bar Jazz Band plays almost nightly and is the best in NW Florida featuring the great Jabbo Starke, formerly James Brown’s drummer who played in Sex Machine and Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag. When Starke is not at The Red Bar, he still performs all over the world.

The Red Bar has always been known for featuring the best in South Walton County music, first and foremost with the Great Red Bar Jazz Band but also with regular appearances from area favorites like Dread Clampitt, The Waco Ramblers and Hubba Hubba.

Don’t be surprised to spot celebrities here late at night. “…But please, everybody just wants to chill at The Red Bar.”

Located in the old part of Downtown Grayton Beach, Florida on Scenic 30-A, (Just down the road and west of Garrett Realty Services) The Red Bar is also a short drive from Destin & Panama City Beach.

Phone: 850-231-1008

Check out their website: http://www.theredbar.com/ for more information.