SoWal Scene - South Walton County, Florida Blog

Breaking South Walton News - Stranded Mother Whale and Baby on Beach at Beachfront Condos in Seagrove

Just in from JD Johnson of Beach to Bayou Property Inspection - a stranded whale was discovered this morning by a member of the South Walton Turtle Watch who was making their daily early morning walk looking for sea turtle nests.  The whale is located in front of Beachfront condos in Lakewood neighborhood in Seagrove Beach.

It appears this is the mother, and there is a stranded calf further west on the beach.  Volunteers were keeping the whale wet, at the instruction of Fish and Wildlife, and awaiting their arrival, as well as that of a representative from Gulf World Marine Park in Panama City Beach.   Stay tuned for more information.

UPDATE...................................
source: Pauline Sutcliffe-Walton Sun | July 5, 2008

Mother whale and calf beach themselves after shark attack
Beach walkers at Lakewood beach entrance found two pygmy sperm whales, a female and her calf, beached Friday morning. Here's a personal accounty of the drama from Seacrest resident Pauline Sutcliffe.

"Mom whale and young calf were picked up by Gulf World shortly after I took these photos and it was established the calf was about a year old.  MORE...

Panko Shrimp Caesar Salad at Smiling Fish Café in Santa Rosa Beach

I stopped in at one of my fav lunch spots recently - Smiling Fish Café at Gulf Place in Santa Rosa Beach - for a quick bite.  My Smiling Fish Café standard is one of their wraps, which I always order with a side of their baked potato salad, but decided this time to be a good girl and go with the Panko-Shrimp Caesar Salad ($11.50) instead.  I'm glad I got out of my comfort zone!

I wish I had a picture (sigh...my camera was not with me on this day)  to share - a generous portion of hand cut romaine was dressed with a lemony-garlic Caesar dressing (which, if I had to guess, I would say was homemade), grated parm, and croûtons.  On top, and the best part of the dish, sat at least 1/2 dozen perfectly sautéed panko-crusted fresh shrimp (FYI - panko is a Japanese breadcrumb that makes THE best bread crumb coating on just about everything that can be coated!)  In all honesty, I could've eaten a bucket full of these things with a few lemon wedges and a chilled glass of rose.  The dish was excellent and definitely worthy of SoWal Scene's stamp of approval as a "Quick Bite" to try!

Smiling Fish Café at Gulf Place specializes in Casual Coastal Cuisine and  is located at 37 Town Center Loop Suite C-8.  Their phone is 850.622.3071.  No website but Chef/Owner George Barnes can be reached via email at gumbo@mchsi.com.  They are open Monday-Saturday, from 11:30a-3pm.  They offer daily lunch specials priced from $12-$14.  Tuesday is "Local's Night" - dinner is available from 5:30-9pm.

UPDATE -

Read the Walton Sun's July 10, 2008 review of Smiling Fish Café.

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Seaside Jazz Festival - Weekend One. A Marketing Snafu or First Year Growing Pains?

The local gossip of the weekend centered on the painfully low turnout at weekend one (of two) of Seaside's 1st annual Seaside Jazz Fest. 

I heard from Madra McDonald of Table Five Chef and M Public Relations that she and her husband had attended the Rebirth Brass Band Concert on Friday evening and by the 7pm show time, there were only about 6 people - yes (gasp), folks, 6 people -  in attendance.  For marketing people and event organizers, this is the stuff of bad dreams, like showing up to school with no pants on.  Word on the street (but not verified) was that complimentary tickets were being handed out and anyone who wanted to enter could for the rest of weekend.

So what gives?  Is this a marketing snafu?  First year growing pains?  Or - even maybe - a symptom of our national and local economic crisis? 

I personally think it's a perfect storm created by all three influences happening at the same time.

I must be honest - if I hear or read one more person b**** and moan about such trivial things as how there were too many tents blocking out the event from passerby and that the tents limited parking - like these somehow are an indication of Seaside's unfriendliness to outsiders and actually discouraged participation - I may not be able to keep up the blank-stare-and-quickly-change-the-subject bit.  Folks, this is nonsensical dialogue from those who like to take every opportunity to bash the integrity and reputation of Seaside, and South Walton, in general.  Parking in Seaside is always limited - just like it is in all areas on 30A.  Satellite parking is available at the Seaside Jazz Fest, just like it is available at other similar events around town.  And the Seabreeze Jazz Fest organizers put up tents, block access into the town center with barricades AND a force of police officers.

Let's focus on the realities.  It took several years for the Seabreeze Jazz Festival to take root and blossom into the acclaimed event it is today.  That festival has been going on now for - what - 10 years?  In fact, it now draws so many jazz lovers (4000+ attendees per day throughout the event), it has outgrown it's home at Gulf Place and is moving to a larger venue in Bay County next year.  But it took 10 years for it to become this!  It is silly for anyone to think that the Seaside Jazz Fest would have parallel success in year one. 

That said, what I think is stumping most - event organizers I'm sure as well - is this isn't about low turnout - this is about NO turnout.  Six attendees pretty much equals no attendees when you have seating for a few hundred.  Some outside forces that weren't identified and exploited must be at work here - and it's incredibly difficult to guess what they would be (hindsight IS 20/20)  - especially considering the caliber of talent playing at the event.

South Walton Caper Solved!!

OMG ... I just love this!  The Pizza By the Sea gumball machine, which was stolen last December (see original story below), has been found and returned!  From the Pizza By the Sea blog:

"Prodigal gumball machine returns home
Some of you may remember that our gumball machine mysteriously disappeared at Christmastime. We are happy to report that it has returned home, albeit with a couple of bruises that must heal, but it should be back in business soon. Shame on the ex-employee who stole it when no one was around, but huge thanks to the stellar South Walton Police Department for finding it!"

Congratulations Stacy and Bryan on finding it!  Unbelievable!
_____________________________________

Originally posted here on January 8, 2008 ...

Who stole the Pizza By The Sea gumball machine?

I found out yesterday that the large gumball machine that used to sit in front of Pizza by The Sea was stolen over the Christmas holiday.  Help Stacy and Bryan solve the caper and get free pizza for a month!

I will make an assumption here - my guess is that this was the work of teens.  Well, I hope it was teens as an adult stealing a gumball machine is just pathetic!  They probably had a car (so had to be at least 16) as trying to carry it away from the scene would signal trouble to passerby. 

Parents, did your son or daughter bring home a gumball machine over the holidays?  If they did and they told you "a friend bought it for me" you may want to question them again. 

What I don't understand is how someone could just show up at home with a large, commercial-grade gumball machine and not be questioned about it?  Where did this thing end up? 

Just In - St. Joe's CEO Stepping Down In May '08

By MARK BASCH
The Times-Union

The St. Joe Co. announced late on Monday that company President and Chief Operating Officer Wm. Britton “Britt” Greene will be promoted to chief executive officer, effective May 13.

CEO Peter Rummell, who has run the company for 11 years, will continue as chairman of the Jacksonville-based real estate development company.

Greene, who has more than 25 years of experience in real estate, has been with St. Joe since 1998.

Ripped from the Headlines : Feb 4

NatureWalk only one part of Olson holdings for sale
February 01, 2008 Joyce Owen | Walton Sun Online

It’s official, NatureWalk at Seagrove is for sale.

Not as in one lot at a time as part of the NatureWalk community, but the entire project has been put on the market.

On Jan. 26, a sign in front of the Seagrove Villas motel, was replaced with a for sale sign.

On Monday, the sign was removed, but the property had not sold. Instead, H2O Properties Realtor Hunter Roquemore, the listing agent, said there was indecision about how the sign at that location looked, but after discussions with the owner, the original sign was going back up.

“We have that property (listed) for $21 million,” Roquemore said.

Seagrove Villas and Motel Back on the Market?

Is it true?  Seagrove Villas and Motel is back on the market (see related stories below)?

Seagrove Villas and Motel has been around since the '50s and is one of the last remnants of "Old Seagrove" -  reason enough for most locals to excuse it's dated and kitschy appearance.  The developers of NatureWalk at Seagrove, located just north of WaterColor Crossings on Hwy 395, had purchased the property for tear down a while back and were going to shuttle homeowners from NatureWalk - which is about 1-1/2 miles away - to a new beach club to be built on the property.  This raised all sorts of questions from a few dozen local residents about congestion on an already congested roadway during our tourist season.

I am surprised to hear that the property is now for sale!  I never thought the plan to shuttle people to the beach club was very logical in the first place and maybe, with the market slow down and lackluster sales in the development, they finally realized that it wasn't a great financial investment for them?  Who knows.  (January 29 - update at bottom of this post)

Changes coming to Criolla's?

About a month ago, I began to hear gossip that there were big changes coming to Criolla's, one of SoWal's most famous and revered restaurants located on 30A in Grayton Beach. 

Rumors began circulating that Criolla's the Restaurant was shutting it's doors and that they will be opening this spring as an entirely new business.  The question is - what is the new business?  I tried to contact Chef/Owner Johnny Earles but didn't receive a response and the website hasn't been updated in a while and offers no new information.  I've heard that the new venture will be a Culinary Concierge service offering catering and private dining services.  I have also heard that it will also be the new location for Johnny's real estate brokerage, Johnny Earles and Company, LLC, as well.

Criolla's has been open since February 1989 and maybe it's just time for a change?  Johnny is a busy man - here is blurb from the About Page on his website, "Now, Johnny travels as guest chef at special event such as the James Beard Foundation, Viking Range Corporation, the Napa Valley and Sonoma Valley wine auctions and many more. But most nights you can find him at Criolla's creating the most innovative, exciting cuisine on Florida's Emerald Coast." 

Throw in trying to run a real estate brokerage AND restaurant on top of this and, well, it may be very well time for Johnny to make a change to streamline things for himself. Whatever Criolla's opens as, I'm sure it will be a great addition to community.  I will give an update when I receive on.

I wish Mr. Earles continued success!

Related Posts:

• Johnny Earles Does It Again - 30A Resorts

Related Articles:

Down dogging it in SoWal

LIke it so typically happens in small towns around the country, by the time we catch on to something new - be it a new fashion trend, new diet fad, new exercise trend, new hair style, new type of cuisine - it is regarded as last year's news or a passing (or passed?) fad in the big cities.  Yoga falls into the former category in South Walton - but insert like 5 years for the 1 year.

I found yoga (or did it find me?) a few years ago when a friend and yoga instructor, Lori Klinger, organized a small class in someone's home.  A Type A personality, the more I practiced yoga and meditation, the more concentration and focus I gained and my stress level plummeted - I was hooked.

Seeking to deepen my practice, I began studying at Dragonfly Yoga in Fort Walton Beach and still study there when I can.  It was the nearest yoga studio to South Walton at the time, but I soon realized the drive was way too impractical.  So what did I do?  I opened a yoga studio of course!  Full of optimism and convinced this is what the community was ready for, OneYoga Boutique Studio - South Walton was opened in '06 to fill the void I felt - a space devoted exclusively to the practice of yoga and meditation.  A tiny space, my plan was to grow organically and expand with the yogi community I sought to create.

Changes at the Tourist Development Council

I wonder if this is just coincidence or if Ms. Titus' departure's is tied to the hoopla over the new signage on 30A?  Regardless, it's always a pivotal moment in one's career to take a leap of faith into small business ownership.  I wish her the best of luck in her new venture!

Walton TDC executive director stepping down
NW Florida Daily News

After nine years at the helm of the Walton County Tourist Development Council, Executive Director Kriss Titus is stepping down.

Titus is planning on starting her own tourism consulting company, said Tracy Louthain, spokeswoman for the TDC.

Titus will make a formal announcement at a special meeting on Tuesday at 8 a.m. at the TDC office on U.S. 98. The TDC will then decide on how to replace Titus, Louthain said.

The resignation will take effect on Feb. 15, said Walton County Commissioner Cindy Meadows.

Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler!

19th Annual Great Southern Gumbo Cookoff

How did I miss the press on this cookoff this year?  I don't even remember seeing an ad in the Sun for it?  Anyhow, tomorrow, Saturday, January 12 is the 19th Annual Great Southern Gumbo Cookoff at the Markets of Sandestin from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Those participating this year are:

• 98-Bar-b-Que
• American Air Specialist, Inc.
• Another Broken Egg
• Buster's Oyster Bar and Grill
• Goatfeathers Restaurant & Seafood Markets
• Hurricane Oyster Bar & Grill
• Mangos Paradise Grill
• Pompano Joe's
• ResortQuest
• Rum Runners
• Sandestin Real Estate
• Seering’s Piano Café
• Sunset Charlie's
• The Soundside Club at Hurlburt Field.

Bring your appetitie - taste everyone's recipe

Scenic 30A will really be Scenic 30A soon!

I think many of us do it - we call 30A - "Scenic 30A" or "Scenic Highway 30A".  Do a search on Google and 2,660 hits come up for it.  There is even a website called Scenic30A-RealEstate.com.  The description is fitting and I can see how it has become part of the SoWal vernacular.

But calling it "Scenic 30A" is a misnomer as technically it is State Road 30A according to the FDOTs website.  Well, unless it was previously designated as "Scenic" by the Florida Legislature but I don't believe that is the case.  For several years I assumed it was a designated scenic corridor but was corrected in conversation by a local real estate agent in the know.  Thanks to a dedicated group of locals, aptly named Friends of Scenic 30A, State Road 30A is slated to receive the FDOT's coveted scenic designation at the end of February!  Scenic 30A will really be Scenic 30A soon!

South Walton Caper

Who stole the Pizza By The Sea gumball machine?

I found out yesterday that the large gumball machine that used to sit in front of Pizza by The Sea was stolen over the Christmas holiday.  Help Stacy and Bryan solve the caper and get free pizza for a month!

I will make an assumption here - my guess is that this was the work of teens.  Well, I hope it was teens as an adult stealing a gumball machine is just pathetic!  They probably had a car (so had to be at least 16) as trying to carry it away from the scene would signal trouble to passerby. 

Parents, did your son or daughter bring home a gumball machine over the holidays?  If they did and they told you "a friend bought it for me" you may want to question them again. 

What I don't understand is how someone could just show up at home with a large, commercial-grade gumball machine and not be questioned about it?  Where did this thing end up?

UPDATE May 14, 2008_____________

OMG ... I just love this!  The Pizza By the Sea gumball machine, which was stolen last December has been found and returned!  From the Pizza By the Sea blog:

"Prodigal gumball machine returns home
Some of you may remember that our gumball machine mysteriously disappeared at Christmastime. We are happy to report that it has returned home, albeit with a couple of bruises that must heal, but it should be back in business soon. Shame on the ex-employee who stole it when no one was around, but huge thanks to the stellar South Walton Police Department for finding it!"

Congratulations Stacy and Bryan on finding it!  Unbelievable!