Palm Beach Wedding Festivities Part 1

Please excuse my absence! I was gallivanting Southern Florida last Thursday through Monday where I spent time in the gorgeous cities/towns of Boca Raton, Palm Beach and Manalapan. This trip to The Sunshine State was to attend my cousin Carly and her fiancée Cutler's wedding!! But it was so much more than just "attending" a wedding. I was honored to be a bridesmaid along with Carly's two sisters, Cassie and Cayla, and my sister, Leah. The entire weekend saw festivities in abundance. Here is a look at the beginning.

Leah and I departed from Logan Airport early Thursday morning with a quick layover in DC where we sipped Swedish Marys.

Not to be confused with a Russian Mary (Stoli), a Dutch Mary (Kettle One) or a French Mary (Grey Goose). Yes, they really distinguished all the different types on the menu. Once we boarded the flight to Fort Lauderdale we ordered Margaritas! (We heard the people behind us following suit. "Ooo yea a margarita sounds good".) What can I say, we're trendsetters. US Airways even provided us with fresh limes. And how great is the mini Stirrings mixer?! Upon arrival we tooled over to the Boca Raton Resort & Club on Carly's golf cart.I sipped a Kiwi Colada which blends kiwi with pineapple and coconut and is topped with a float of Captain Morgan Spiced Rum. Along with tropical frozen drinks, the Gazebo Poolside Bar & Grille serves up salads, burgers and sandwiches. My Mediterranean Greek Flatbread Salad containing romaine, hummus, imported olives, dolmas, tabbouleh, roasted peppers, and feta cheese in a lemon vinaigrette was a generous portion of fresh ingredients. Golf cart adventures ensued, including a trip to Boca Nails for mani/pedis. That night we ordered Mexican takeout, but the highlight by far was eating dinner with baby Jett.

Daddy is feeding him brown rice.

Those cheeks!! That face! I miss him!

Check in the next day at The Ritz Carlton, Palm Beach in Manalapan began with drinks at Stir, where I sipped Coronas and enjoyed taking photographs of the luxurious lobby. Tastefully decorated with exotic ocean paraphernalia, sophisticated furniture and grand chandeliers; the refined and graceful spaces makes you feel content to linger. Eventually we retreated to our suite to prepare for the rehearsal dinner. Some nice folks provided us with a bottle of Cakebread Cellars wine to sip and a fancy cheese and cracker platter to munch on. Brie, blue and goat cheeses along with grapes, cashews, marcona almonds and pecans; these are a few of my favorite things!

And these are a few of my favorite ladies.

For the rehearsal dinner we made our way to Carly's Step-Aunts house on the water.

The backyard party scene was set with cocktail tables in blue and white striped linens topped with flickering candles.

A Calypso band awaited and dancing most definitely ensued after dinner.

The bartender poured us some strong drinks.

The raw bar was incredible.

Cassie and her Grandmom having a drink.

I started with a crisp Pinot Grigio.

Here is a look at the grand dinner buffet:

Roasted Veggies.

Conch fritters and crab cakes.

Red onion salad.

Steamed clams.

Chicken wings and thick cut steak fries. And Roast Beef.

All the food was delicious. As was the dessert bar, the company, and our gracious hosts.

Pretty sure I ate one of each.

Carly, Jett and Leah.

Cayla and I.

We woke up the next morning to a little rain.

But a gorgeous view all the same.

Wedding Day up next!

Lazy Flamingo

Last Sunday afternoon we ventured out to watch the Patriots game at the Lazy Flamingo. Casual seafood dining at this nautical themed restaurant and bar gives you a true taste of local island eats and atmosphere. The Lazy Flamingo Inc. owns three restaurants, two of them on Sanibel island, one just down the street located at 1036 Periwinkle Way.Surrounded by large green shrubs and trees, the establishment is set back from the street but you can't miss the bright pastel pink exterior with ocean blue trim. Walkways lined with plastic flamingos and nautical ropes guide you inside to a space reminiscent of the lower decks of a ship. Inside, large porthole windows are surrounded by dark wooden walls and ceilings flanked with metal clapboards, heavy nautical rope, tropical themed beer advertisements and marine life accents. Tricia, Dave and myself shared a couple pitchers of beer. We started off with locally brewed Key West Ale and later moved onto our beloved Yuengling. Pitchers ran about $9 on average, which is not a bad deal.While we watched Football and cheered on our boys I snacked on Conch Fritters ($6.99) (pronounced KONK!) just like hush puppies but they're full or queen conch, diced vegetables and serve with a side of hot sauce. A very generous portion, these bad boys were served warm with a golden brown crispy fried shell, inside a bite of sofy chewy bread laced with tangy conch, carrots and celery. The table shared 3 baskets of wings, all $8.99 a pop. We ordered your standard Buffalo Wings, as well as Chinese style sweet and tart Teriyaki Wings, and my favorite the Teri-Hots. All wings were served with celery and blue cheese, of course. That's a master carving job if I ever saw one! The service here was prompt, waitresses were friendly and the Halloween decor was plentiful.
I'd definitely recommend hitting up the Lazy Flamingo if you're spending time on Sanibel. While I didn't get to sample much of the menu, the atmosphere, pitchers of beer and conch fritters are reason enough for me.