“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.

THE VIDEO CORNER Special:  Rent 2 New Releases for $8.00 plus tax!

Did you know that Seagrove Beach has its very own video store?  The Video Corner is located in Seagrove Plaza on Scenic 30-A and has been open since March of 2008.

NEW RELEASES every Tuesday!

The Video Corner is the ONLY video store in the area and YES!  We are open to the public and have the latest greatest video releases for everyone as well as our customers!

Don’t forget that the memorable film The Truman Show starring Jim Carrey was filmed just down the road at Seaside!  We always keep plenty in stock for rent (Buy it for just $9.99!).  Take the Truman Show home for a souvenir  of  your vacation on beautiful Scenic 30-A. 

Fall Hours are 8:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. (Times of operation are seasonal so please call for current hours) Located inside Garrett Realty Services and is OPEN to the Public.

Kayaking in South Walton

Although vacations are meant to be relaxing, no one said it has to be inactive.  Some of the most relaxing activities on the coast including family oriented recreational sports that are different from the day to day workouts at the gym.  The Beaches of South Walton have a plethora of outdoor activities, but there are a few sports that have really grown in popularity over the last year or two including Kayaking and YOLO boarding.

Kayaks come in several different models including sit in and sit atop.  We highly recommend that ameteurs start out utilizing sit atop kayaks.  These kayaks require very little instruction and are simple to manuever.  Single and Double kayaks are available throughout 30A and South Walton.  Most rental agencies will also require that you wear a helmet and personal flotation device for precautionary measures.  Kayaking in the Gulf is possible on very calm days, but otherwise kayaking can be very serene in any of the area lakes or the bay.

YOLO boarding, is also known as paddle boarding, but the enthusiasts would only refer to it as a YOLO board since it is an acronym for You Only Live Once.  A hybrid sport that resembles both surfing and rafting – YOLO boarding requires the participant to balance standing straight up and then control the direction and speed with a paddle, much like rafting.  This sport takes more balance and skill than Kayaking, but can be absolutely exhilarating when conquered!  Click to check out  more on local YOLO.

Other area family activities include bike rentals, sail boat rentals, waverunner rentals parasailing and go kart rentals.  There are several agencies to contact in the area, but Garrett Realty services highly recommends Big Daddys in Blue Mountain Beach, centrally located to all of the prestigious Beaches of South Walton communities.