Archive for August, 2007
Breakfast Surprise – Don Pedro’s in Santa Rosa Beach
August 28th, 2007 Categories: Restaurant Reviews, South Walton Living
You wouldn’t naturally think of Don Pedros on Highway 98 in Santa Rosa Beach for breakfast, but it is one of our favorite places for breakfast in South Walton County.
They serve a good lunch and dinner, but on a recent Saturday morning Vicki and I enjoyed another excellent breakfast -another in a long line at Don Pedros.
Many years ago Pedro Alvarez worked in the kitchen at a restaurant that was located not far from the current Don Pedros location – Nena’s. After leaving Nena’s, Pedro moved on to the Donut Hole II. The opportunity arose to open his own place seven years ago, and the rest is a Mexican restaurant success story. Don Pedros is a no frills kind of establishment, but the food and service is what has made this restaurant a success. The future is in good hands with Pedro Alvarez, Jr., a very personable and knowledgeable young man, who helped us on this Saturday morning.
Although they have Sopapillas and all kinds of pancakes, we went with a more traditional Mexican breakfast. My guest had the classic Huevos Rancheros – a Tortilla Topped with Two Eggs, Salsa, Cheese & Sour Cream. The salsa there isn’t our favorite thing (no kick), but with the salsa and cheese grits on the side – she gave it two thumbs up. (Click on the Picture above to Enlarge).
I went with the Mexican Omelet – Tomato, Onion, Peppers, Topped with Salsa (on the side for me), Cheese, Sour Cream & Jalapeno. I also opted for Home Fries and an order of their excellent (and unique for breakfast) Chilaquiles. Chilaquiles are kind of like Doritos with melted Sour Cream. I highly recommend this dish and throw in a side of bacon if you are inclined I was. (Click ^ to Enlarge).
This is one of the top restaurants in South Walton for breakfast. Don Pedros serves breakfast seven days a week starting at 7:00 a.m. They can be reached at 850-267-0009, and be aware that they do not take credit cards.
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Diverse Dining Options – The Marlin Grill in Baytowne Wharf Sandestin
August 28th, 2007 Categories: Restaurant Reviews, Sandestin Living
One of our favorite venues for dining, entertainment and people watching is The Marlin Grill in Sandestin’s Baytowne Wharf.
When weather permits one of the great dining pleasures of our area is to sit outside and listen to the sounds of a live band in the Events Plaza directly in front of you, have a nice leisurely meal with a good bottle of wine from their extensive wine list and people watch to your hearts content. It can be a very romantic setting with white tablecoths, candles, etc, or it’s a great place to take the kids as they can run freely in the Events Plaza. (Click on the picture above to Enlarge).
In the past few weeks we met my guest’s clients – Rick, Wendell and Pam – on two occasions at the Marlin Grill. One was around dusk on a beautiful Wednesday evening with beautiful weather, and a blues band performing in the plaza in front of a full and bustling crowd. Vicki and I ordered their grilled vegetable salad and one of our favorite appetizers on the Emerald Coast – the Duck Spring Rolls.
The delicious spring roll appetizer works really well with pinot noir. Because the guys had steaks it made sense to go with that wine selection, so we paired it all with La Crema Pinot Noir from Sonoma County.
The guys also had one of the larger side dishes in South Walton – a side of Marlin Grill’s humungous hash browns.
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Homes Sold and Homes For Sale in Alys Beach – July
August 23rd, 2007 Categories: Real Estate News, Rosemary Beach Living
Alys Beach near the east end of CR-30A is in the early stages of its development, but this will most assuredly eventually become a great little community to rival Rosemary Beach and Seaside – it’s neighbors just east and west. There is 1500 feet of beach, 20 acres of wetlands and on build out there will be 600 residential units both on the north and south side of CR-30A. They have a way to go as currently there are only 12 homes for sale in Alys Beach and about 15 fully constructed.
The architects (same group as Seaside and Rosemary Beach) were inspired by the vernacular styles of Antigua, Bermuda and Guatemala. There are white stucco walls and white ridged roofs everywhere in the community. The mix of shops, restaurants, etc will ultimately play an important role in the community. If there one existing store, The Fonville Press, is any indication – then all that will be top notch too. (Click Above to Enlarge –courtesy of http://www.flickr.com/photos/panhandler/).
There was one home that sold in Alys Beach in July. It was a four bedroom, three and a half bath, 2954 square foot home that sold for $2.125 million. Like many of the homes in Alys Beach, there is a real cool courtyard with a fountain big enough to be used for a dipping pool. Nice house!
There are currently twelve homes for sale in Alys Beach ranging from a three bedroom, four bathroom, 2180 square foot home for $1.995 million to a five bedroom, six bathroom, 3060 square foot home for $2.998 million. The former home is designed by town architects Erik Vogt and Marieanne Koury Vogt and really brings out the feel of Alys Beach – nicely decorated too!
Homes for Sale in Alys Beach – Beginning of August
Total # of Listings 12
Lowest Price Listing $1,995,000
Highest Price Listing $2,998,000
Average Price $2,522,750
Avg. Price/SqFt $953
Avg. Days on Mkt 254
(Click above to Enlarge)
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Homes Sold & Homes for Sale in Kelly Plantation – July
August 23rd, 2007 Categories: Destin Living, Real Estate News
Kelly Plantation in Destin had a good month (comparatively speaking) in July with three homes sold. They included a four bedroom, three bath, 2911 square foot home for $654K, and a four bedroom, four bath, 3354 square foot home for $1.375 million. The former sold for $224 per square foot, which is very low for Kelly Plantation. The Selling agent did note that the Seller needed to relocate (apparently quickly) out of state, needed to sell and conceded a $10K flooring allowance to replace carpet that only a mother could love.
Homes Sold in Kelly Plantation – July
Total # of Listings 3
Lowest Price Listing $654,000
Highest Price Listing $1,375,000
Average Price $1,076,333
Avg. Price/SqFt $308
Avg. Days on Mkt 157
(Click Below to Enlarge)
At the beginning of August there were 59 homes for sale in Kelly Plantation. They ranged from a four bedroom, three bath, 2414 square foot home listed at $600K to an eight bedroom, seven full bath, two half bath, 16K square foot bay front home listed for a casual $11.25 million. This home is on 1.5 acres and 410 feet on the bay. The square footage does not include a 1082 square foot carriage house.
Homes for Sale in Kelly Plantation – Beginning of August
Total # of Listings 53
Lowest Price Listing $600,000
Highest Price Listing $2,450,000
Average Price $1,239,156
Avg. Price/SqFt $367
Avg. Days on Mkt 178
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What’s That Smell – Good Food & Good Times at Stinky’s Fish Camp
August 21st, 2007 Categories: Restaurant Reviews, South Walton Living
Chef/Owner Jim Richard has bounced back from the tragic fire and closing of The Lake Place in Santa Rosa Beach with the opening of the adjoining property and now wildly popular Stinky’s Fish Camp. Richard had physically moved in to the kitchen at Zampieri’s on the Destin Harbor (formerly Harry T’s) after the fire and is still involved with that operation, but the folks on CR-30A are very happy that he has returned to our neighborhood with Stinky’s. Â
There are several rooms to dine in, but I like the bar area. Be forewarned that on Thursday through Sunday nights it can be hard to hear more than the person next to you with the live music playing, the happy and talkative mood that seems to engulf everyone upon entry and delighted diners cleaning their plates and toasting to the vibe of Stinky’s.Â
Stinky’s does all kinds of oysters that are shucked right at the bar. There are four raw offerings (different toppings) and five preparations to choose from for their baked oysters. I like the Ceviche topping for the raw and the Smoked Cheese, Bacon and Horseradish on the baked. But my guest and I opted for their most popular appetizer – the Jumbo Lump Stuffed Squash Gratin. The half fried squash was jammed with the sweet lump crabmeat in a wonderful creamy sauce. Stinky’s has a very, very good wine list, and it’s fairly priced.  We chose a bottle of Erath Pinot Gris from Oregon, and it worked beautifully with the squash appetizer and our upcoming fish dishes.Â
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Goodness Gracious Great Balls of Fire – Restaurant Grayton Beach
August 17th, 2007 Categories: Restaurant Reviews, South Walton Living
New Orleans loss is South Walton’s gain as Fire Restaurant has transplanted from the Big Easy to Grayton Beach. This outstanding little restaurant excels at both lunch and dinner.
There is a lot of restaurant competition in the little hamlet of Grayton Beach. At last count there are about a dozen restaurants in this tiny commmunity, and many of them are very good. I’m hoping that the people who have homes in Seaside, homes in Watercolor and homes in The Lake Place in Grayton and others will support this unique little restaurant as often as possible.
Fire opened in New Orleans a few months before Katrina and then reopened fairly quickly after the storm, but the unsteadiness of the market took its toll.
So the owners, who vacationed here, took nine of their employees and came to Grayton Beach. And boy are we glad they did.
There’s a great little bar area with flat panel televisions for sporting events and enough tables/seats for about 30 or so people. There are several small dining areas if you want things a little more private.
The upbeat attitude of the waitstaff is a real positive, but the food is the real star of the show. The unique Dip Trio is an excellent starter. You have the choice of six dips in which to choose your trio. On a recent lunch excursion my guest and I were with our clients and friends, Laura Blumberg and Ruth Horn, and we started with the Apricot-Habanero, Spicy Roasted Red Pepper Peanut Cilantro and Sun Dried Tomato dips. The really fresh chips and grilled pita bread are excellent accompinaments. (Click Above ^ to Enlarge Picture).
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Condos Sold & Condos for Sale Grand Dunes – July
August 14th, 2007 Categories: Real Estate News, South Walton Living
Four condos sold in July in Grand Dunes. They ranged from a three bedroom, three bath unit on the 19th floor of the North Tower for $1,050,000 to a four bedroom, four bath, 3150 square foot unit on the seventh floor in the South Tower for $2.5 million.
Condos Sold in Grand Dunes – July
Total # of Listings 4
Lowest Price Listing $1,050,000
Highest Price Listing $2,300,000
Average Price $1,497,500
Avg. Price/SqFt $540
Avg. Days on Mkt 228
(Click on the graph below to enlarge)
At the beginning of August there were 50 condos for sale in Grand Dunes in Miramar Beach. At the low end is a second floor unit in the North Tower with three bedrooms, three baths for $1,049,000 and at the high end are two units priced at $2.2 million – one on the third floor of the South Tower and the other on the 23rd floor of the North Tower. Both have four bedrooms and four baths.
Condos for Sale in Grand Dunes – Beginning of August
Total # of Listings 50
Lowest Price Listing $1,049,000
Highest Price Listing $2,200,000
Average Price $1,535,550
Avg. Price/SqFt $577
Avg. Days on Mkt 269
(Click on the graph above to enlarge)
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Homes Sold & Homes for Sale in Sandestin – July
August 14th, 2007 Categories: Real Estate News, Sandestin Living
There were eight single family homes sold during July in Sandestin. They ranged from an older home in Sandestin (built in 1982) with three bedrooms, three bathrooms and 1,896 square foot for $365,000 to a 4,000 square foot home with five bedrooms and four baths for $1.9 million. The latter home overlooks a lake and the 13th tee of the Burnt Pine Golf Course.
Homes Sold in Sandestin – July
Total # of Listings 8
Lowest Price Listing $365,000
Highest Price Listing $1,900,000
Average Price $970,063
Avg. Price/SqFt $326
Avg. Days on Market 244
(Click on the graph below to enlarge)
At the beginning of August there were 196 homes for sale in Sandestin. They range from one of the older homes in Sandestin (built in 1976) that is 1121 square feet with two bedrooms and two bathrooms for $299,000 to a bay front home with four bedrooms, six baths and 5,800 square feet for $5.4 million. This home, as pointed out in last month’s post, is on the lot of the original developer of Sandestin Bay Estates and has 112 feet on the bay.
Homes for Sale in Sandestin – Beginning of August
Total # of Listings 192
Lowest Price Listing $299,000
Highest Price Listing $5,400,000
Average Price $1,170,032
Avg. Price/SqFt $412
Avg. Days on Mkt 200
(Click on the graph below to enlarge)
The above indicates slightly over a two year supply of inventory – 196 homes for sale in Sandestin divided by eight homes sold) and does not take in to account the huge volume (581) of condos for sale in Sandestin at the beginning of August.
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Homes Sold & Homes for Sale in Watercolor – July
August 14th, 2007 Categories: Real Estate News, Watercolor Living
Watercolor had a good month of sales in July with six homes sold. They ranged from a four bedroom, four bath, 2376 square foot home for $1.25 million to a six bedroom, seven bath, 5100 square foot home that sold for $3.5 million. The latter home is nearing completion of construction and has views of Western Lake and to the gulf in the distance.
Homes Sold in Watercolor – July
Total # of Listings 6
Lowest Price Listing $1,125,000
Highest Price Listing $3,500,000
Average Price $1,695,833
Avg. Price/SqFt $546
Avg. Days on Mkt 296
(Click on the graph above to enlarge)
At the beginning of August there were 156 homes for sale in Watercolor. They range in price from $569,000 for a three bedroom, four bath, 1796 square foot home to $4.995 million for a four bedroom, five bath, 2538 square foot home that fronts the gulf. The homes that front the gulf in Watercolor still have a good deal of foliage between the house and the water, but there are board walks to lead you to the sand and water.
Homes for Sale in Watercolor – Beginning of August
Total # of Listings 156
Lowest Price Listing $569,000
Highest Price Listing $4,995,000
Average Price $1,808,305
Avg. Price/SqFt $673
Avg. Days on Market 212
(Click on graph below to enlarge)
The bad news for Sellers is all this translates to 26 months of inventory on hand (the 156 homes for sale in Watercolor divided by the six homes sold in Watercolor). On the positive side, the six homes sold in July mark the most homes sold in any given month (except for seven homes sold this March) in the past 27 months.
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Homes Sold & Homes for Sale in Rosemary Beach – July
August 13th, 2007 Categories: Panama City Beach Living, Real Estate News, Rosemary Beach Living
There were three single family homes sold in Rosemary Beach in July. It was an interesting mix that produced the least expensive sale of a full size home (cottage in this case) in Rosemary Beach in 2007, a short sale and a unique home featured in “Romantic Home Magazine”.
The smallest of the three – 1500 square feet – sold for $925,000, and while another home did sell for slightly less in March – it was a Carriage House with less than 1000 square feet.
The “Romantic” home (blue shutters) is 2686 square feet, three bedrooms, four baths, a beautiful gulf view and went for $3,350,000. Not only is this home one lot back from the gulf front lots, it also has a great view of the Western Green and on to the gulf. It also includes a private elevator, two fireplaces, a private courtyard with fountain and more. Nice…
Homes Sold in Rosemary Beach – July
Total # of Listings 3
Lowest Price Listing $925,000
Highest Price Listing $3,350,000
Average Price $2,091,667
Avg. Price/SqFt $737
Avg. Days on Market 558
At the beginning of August there were 85 homes for sale in Rosemary Beach. They range in price from a two bedroom, one bath, 710 square foot carriage house that is under construction for $809,000 to a 4356 sf home with six bedroom, six and a half baths for $5.495 million.
While this is the most expensive of the homes for sale in Rosemary Beach, it does have great gulf views and the square footage includes a 484 square foot carriage house. It was featured in Decor Magazine and in South Accents Magazine twice including once when the kitchen (red cabinets and stainless steel appliances) was featured on the front cover in March, 2004.
Graph of Homes for Sale in Rosemary Beach – Early August
(Click on graph above to enlarge)
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