Decking the Halls for 75 Years!

Wonderful party, wonderful historic hotel! Last night the halls were decked with ribbons and bows as Fort Lauderdale's historic Riverside Hotel celebrated it's 75th year. The Riverside, the oldest hotel in Ft. Lauderdale, has done a wonderful job of preserving it's historic charm while balancing it with modern luxury and amenities. It belongs to the Wells brother's family who in the 1930's envisioned this area as a destination and launched their dream. Originally a thoroughfare to the beach Las Olas Boulevard soon became known for its upscale shopping. The hotel sits proudly on this iconic American street and is the only hotel directly on it. Just step out the front doors and your on the boulevard alongside upscale boutiques, art galleries and restaurants or step in and you'll likely meet the neighbors of Las Olas at Prestin's Lounge.
A favorite hang of both locals and tourists today this trendy area is the perfect blend of old and new with places like The Floridian diner, Flora Ottimer's children's boutique and trendy hotspots like Rocco's Tacos. But wait there's more! Just minutes away from the Riverside Hotel by foot is Riverwalk where you can stroll along the water, eat more, explore more of Fort Laudedale's history or catch a Water Taxi. The Riverside Hotel is the perfect location!

Happy Anniversary!

View of The Riverside Hotel from the New River

Las Olas Boulevard

The Lure of Our Past

I have always found it fascinating that one whiff of a certain scent can send us time traveling in an instant. Helen Keller said it well, "Smell is a potent wizard that transports us across thousands of miles and all the years we have lived." The scent of lemon grass will always remind me of this home and the smell of fresh sliced mangos rockets me back to my grandpa's yard or my mom's kitchen in Pompano Beach. Even though it took me a long time to like mangos and although they're still not my favorite food I find the smell intoxicating. It's the sweet perfume of our memories. Perhaps nothing is more memorable than a smell, but whatever the sense that tugs and pulls us toward our past the longing to reconnect is irresistible. Absent the memory pensieve of a clever wizard our senses do a remarkable job of calling forth the past and although we can't always put a finger on the specific event the bond still exists. 

Fort Lauderdale Beach, FL

Like almost everyone, I could sit for hours listening to the sound of waves lapping the shore, but unlike everyone else that sound for me means home. Lucky, I know. Growing up in Southeast Florida with a father that was a lifeguard on its shore it is no surprise that most of my childhood memories are water related. Even in my adult life I could never go far from the shore. My parent's claim I drank nearly half the ocean dancing and singing in the waves as a kid so maybe I'm not 2/3 water, but rather 2/3 salt water. I am most definitely a water girl.

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Hillsboro Inlet Lighthouse 

My mom's favorite lighthouse. She met my dad on this beach.

If you are lucky enough your connection to a place begins with the stories passed down from generation to generation, builds on your own experiences and passes through to your children. Southeast Florida is such a place for me. Even though I no longer desire to live there, like an addiction I cannot go without it for too long. 

Florida Keys

The smell of Mangroves and suntan oil mixed with salt air sets me on the shores of Marathon in the Florida Keys and the smell of spiced rum or the taste of oyster crackers puts me in Key West or on a sailboat in the Atlantic Ocean. Cherished memories, occasionally exaggerations and, in some cases, borderline fictional events can make us laugh and cry and reconnect with our core. But it is the untold stories of adventures yet to come that stir my mind with infinite possibilities.  

Sharing fond memories and the beauty of my birthplace with others is irresistible for me whether in words or pictures. I hope it inspires you to revisit some of your own cherished memories or stirs your pot of possibilities.

GOT MILK?
Definitely not your
typical photo from the
Half Shell Raw Bar in Key West,
but it is my favorite.

Other than by boat this is the best way to get around Key West.

Pompano Beach, Jan. 2, 1958
The lifeguard and the nurse on their wedding day
Love you Mom and Dad

Fort Lauderdale's Birthday Bash!

No this is not the I Spy game it's the Briny Irish Pub on Riverwalk

Riverwalk

A perfect day in south Florida - festivals, food, fun and even a little history - something for everyone. 

Good Food!

Good Fun!

Happy 100th Birthday, Fort Lauderdale!

Fort Lauderdale, my birthplace, is celebrating its 100th year and throughout the next few posts I'll tell you about great places to stay, great places to eat and things to do while there. I'll even give you a glimpse of what it must have been like to be there 100 years ago. No place I've ever been feels as much like home as Fort Lauderdale and although I no longer live there I love to visit.

A modern city with a major shipping port (home to many cruise lines) Fort Lauderdale is a hugely popular destination and has even been the backdrop for several films. 'Where the Boys Are' the film that spurred decades of spring break fever, 'Caddy Shack' and 'Cape Fear' are the most memorable. Fort Lauderdale is part of the urban sprawl that supports nearly 5 1/2 million people and its growth has been veracious. Fortunately, in this native's opinion, in spite of the need to accommodate enormous development it has not lost its character. Fort Lauderdale has done remarkably well in blending old and new.

It all started with new world exploration and a new river. Discovered by Spanish explorers in the 1600s Rio Nuevo, the New River, was one of the first rivers in the new world to appear on world maps (pretty cool), but being first wasn't enough to jump start settlement. Harsh conditions and lack of transportation made it mostly inhospitable. It wasn't until Henry Flagler's railway came through town that Fort Lauderdale began to develop. Prior to its arrival transportation had been mostly by waterway or over rugged terrain by stagecoach. With Frank Stranahan's arrival (1892) establishing a ferry crossing, camp and trading post (a downtown landmark today) and Flagler's railway arrival (1895) things began to move. Still in 1900 record's report only 52 residence, but over the next 11 years a hotel, a school, a bank, an electric ice plant and two newspapers were also established. Named for the forts built along the New River during the Seminole War the city of Fort Lauderdale was born.

Earliest photo's -  Las Olas Blvd.

Oldest hotel (1936) - The Riverside 

In just one hundred years it went from a town of 52 people to one of the most popular destinations in the world. Visited by nearly 10 million people a year and offering every conceivable cuisine from the all American hotdog (best served by Hot Dog Heaven on Sunrise Blvd.) to the finest international cuisine. There are somewhere in the neighborhood of 4000 restaurants to choose from, shopping galore (Las Olas Blvd. one of America's iconic shopping districts), numerous wonderful hotels (the historic Riverside Hotel - the perfect location) and multitude of activities and attractions. There is well preserved history displayed in its museums and mixed in with the modern art and architecture of its streets. There are parks and gardens aplenty but its most memorable natural paradise is the ocean. Dive trips and fishing trips abound but the easiest way to explore its splendor is right off the beach with a mask and a snorkel. There are miles of inland and surrounding waterway here that led to its claimed title “Venice of America”. Home to waterfront dining, marinas and mega yachts, Fort Lauderdale can also be viewed by an all day pass on the Water Taxi. The water taxis stops at almost every waterfront restaurant and bar and the pass gets you access all day for $20 per adult, $12 per child and $16 per senior.

Fort Lauderdale - Home, sweet home and then some!

Centennial Beachfest - Saturday, March 26 
(8:00 p.m. – midnight) 
Centennial Riverfest - Sunday, March 27 
(noon – 8:00 p.m.) 

Both Free Events will Feature Live Music and Fireworks

Bamboo Noahs

Passionate about freshly cut, trimmed and cleaned produce
and meats, prepped daily to ensure the highest quality.

I'll have the Grilled Angus Skirt Steak, Crispy Asian Slaw and Jasmine Rice w/Cranberry and Cashews sounds so much better than McRib me, doesn't it? Oh, but were this possible with what little time we have? Well . . . , it is. I can sense your mouth watering. For those of you who live in the area Bamboo Noahs in Plantation, FL is the healthy alternative to "fast food". It's a REAL value meal. Open from 11 a.m. until 8:30 p.m. it's a great place to grab a quick lunch or dinner on the way to your kid's game.

"It's about 

making fine fast

 food for those

 that prefer 

fresh and 

innovative eats."

Everything from scratch dressings, sauces, marinades, soups, and chili.

We're always in such a hurry and unfortunately we often cave to the drive through. Now I have to admit that I, occasionally, love McDonald's just like I love Coca-Cola (it's a nostalgia thing, I think) but it doesn't love me and more important it doesn't love our children. Happy?, Extra Value? and now Mighty Kids? are not the ways to balance our busy lives. We cave because we're short on alternatives. Well, if you live in Plantation, FL or are visiting the area you're in luck. Bamboo Noahs is the answer, "The way fast food ought to be". The food is fresh, delicious and fast! 

We all know we're in a crisis of overweight, ADHD, allergic and generally unhealthy people. Scientific studies greatly attribute this epidemic to what we eat so here is a better choice. When we're constantly on the go eating out makes sense but eating things that aren't healthy doesn't. I'm hoping we're on the road to more alternatives like this one. I'm hoping Bamboo Noahs will start a chain so we can all have one. Until then I'm grateful I now have a new healthy alternative to replace one of my junk food cravings.

Chillin' at The Whale's Rib

This place brings back memories! When I was 22 (a long, long time ago) I helped open this raw bar and it was quite the youthful experience! The owners at the time, Ben, Dale and Jennifer, were great and the fun never stopped. For the next little while I learned how to shuck oysters like a pro, steam seafood to perfection, make "Whale Juice", purple coleslaw and lobster bisque. After that experience you'd think I'd be a better cook! Oh well! Anyway, it was a crazy, wild time in my life so this place holds some fond memories for me.

Nostalgia has drawn me back here to this beachside comfort food over the years but I admit to having been less than thrilled with their food the last two times I stopped in. Not that the tourists would notice because the food is still good, it just wasn't what it once was. This trip however I was more than thrilled to see that they've had a revival of sorts. Everything from the Whale Fries to the Key West sandwich to the steamers was just like it use to be - GREAT!  

It has tripled in size since I worked there and has been featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives on the Food Network but it still has an intimate charm with its interior of rustic barn wood and nautical references. The usual array of local bar photos and license plates from travelers adorn the walls.  Rumor has it that Dale (one of the original owners) is still there and perhaps is the reason its back on track.
The Whale's Rib menu still has most of the same great simple fresh recipes and many of the same clientele still frequent.  So it's not surprising that I ran into my 87 year old cousin Molly and her son Roger just coming out as we were going in.  It is mighty popular with the natives!
The hardest part about being there is deciding which of my favorites to order on this visit; Ipswich clams, the Key West or The Whale sandwich, lobster bisque or rock shrimp.  Usually I just start with one of their awesome Bloody Mary's until I can make up my mind.  I have to admit it's much better being on this side of the bar.  So the next time you're on the southeast coast of Florida and in the mood for comfort food do it Florida style have comfort seafood at The Whale's Rib.



  

Best Burger Ever!

No trip to southeast Florida would be complete without a trip to Le Tub!  This hidden Hollywood landmark, saloon shack like structure has been serving up the best burgers in the US since long before GQ magazine and Oprah's Gayle discovered it. Their fish sandwich and chowder are mighty tasty as well.

Le Tub is a quirky little restaurant. In fact it was originally a Sunoco gas station, but in 1974 the current owner purchased and renovated the odd little place with found objects (plumbing fixture discards).
On the intracoastal waterway just a block or two from the ocean Le Tub offers casual rustic outdoor dining. I've been eating here since... well, for many years. I can honestly say the place is exactly the same. Patience pays here, Le Tub's kitchen is a small tiny section of the bar and the wait can be long.  Just relax – remember it's practically island time here. The food is always good and I could swear the burgers got bigger (14oz), but don't expect to be impressed by the decor because it's more likely to amuse you.  Don't bring your credit cards to Le Tub either, they're a cash only establishment.
From its quirky pottery (toilets and tubs) to its rustic open air dining Le Tub is a local's favorite. It's just the right place to kick back and know you've truly arrived in Florida.