Art Walk and Wine Festival This Weekend In Apalachicola

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Posted by: Jon B. Carroll
Date: Mar 19 2015 10:49 AM

For anyone in the Wiregrass area looking for a great way to spend the weekend I highly suggest you consider driving an extra thirty minutes it takes to go to the beach and visit Apalachicola and St George Island instead. This weekend especially.

On Saturday from 11 am to 6 pm they will be having a art walk and wine festival. I just spoke to John Solomon the new director of the chamber of commerce and he reminded me of just how special this place is ( I had a business there for several years). He told me Saturday they will have a large number of artists and musicians on the street downtown exhibiting and demonstrating their talent and then at 3 pm the city will sponsor a big wine tasting and opportunity to socialize with the artists to get the evening started.

For those interested in theatre this will be followed by a great stand up comedian that the area is lucky to have perform,  Earl David Reed, a frequent performer on the Comedy Zone.

For those of you not familiar with Apalachicola just drive south to Port St Joe and then cut over across the Apalachicola National forest to Apalachicola Bay. Its one of the last authentic places where someone can see what Florida used to be like as well as what many biologists consider the richest marine ecosystem in North America. I have two photographer friends that work in this are and their work is published internationally. If you have never been to Apalachicola you can view some of their exhibits and get a good feel for just how beautiful this town and bay is. Mr Clyde uses a huge handmade camera that looks like one of those you see in old west movies and makes large panoramic shots. Mr Bickel uses this wide angle lens and focuses more often than not on the people of the place, both their work is phenomenal and capture the spirit of the bay.

Richard Bickel's site   and Clyde Butchers site

Its very different from what Panama City has become, which is essentially in my opinion is a large amusement park on the coast. In downtown Apalachicola there are several nationally recognized restaurants and awesome selection of laid back Jimmy Buffet type bars with great music. Kayaks as well as boats can be rented to explore the bay and the rivers that feed into it. There are literally hundreds of rivers and navigable waterways that feed it one could spend weeks exploring.

Here is my favorite routine below, but trust me there are many great options.

FRIDAY:GIBSON INN: At 4 pm you need to be at the Gibson Inn’s historic bar and sitting on the front porch. Even if this mean leaving work early or taking Friday off. This bar, even for those that don’t drink, is the place to be. Its literally a piece of history that dates back over a hundred years. Historically the town’s citizens gather here on Friday afternoons. Tradition has it this is when the boats came in and everyone got paid, so you see a off mix of seafood workers, fisherman, lawyers, politicians and tourists. Heres a eye-opener in the culture of Apalachicola, regardless of ones wealth or position in society,  the bar at the Gibson is where is they all come together to discuss fishing and politics. There used to be a judge here I knew named Ben Watkins that has sadly passed away (the courthouse is across the street) for those he sentenced or beat in a trial, the winner picked up the bar tabs for opposing attorneys and those convicted alike. That should give you idea of the old southern culture of this place.  Do not be surprised at who you will meet here. Hank Williams Jr has a place nearby and is often present, as is Kid Rock, I have met them both in this bar. Several country music videos by well known artists have been filmed here and a certain former governor from the state counts it as one of his favorite places. No photos, no celebrity stuff, do not ask for a autograph, when you walk in that bar, everyone is treated the same, thats the tradition. The real jewel at the bar is long time bartender Betsy James who is a excellent musician in her own right. Betsy knows where all the bones are buried in Apalachicola and can educate you on the history of the bar, the bay’s people and place better than any guidebook.

Tamara’s Cafe Floridita: 8 PM

I next walk over to market street (the whole town is walkable you can park your car for the whole weekend) and go see my long time friend Danny Iskovitz, an excellent chef and his much better half, his  beautiful wife Marisa Getter. They have one of the finest little restaurants in the state of Florida, a must visit. Fresh fish, amazing local grown produce, and a menu that changes weekly. Here you sit relax and just suck in the atmosphere and enjoy great food in a very cozy, off the beaten path, but sophisticated place. The towns offcial dress code, flip flops, shorts and a fly fishing shirt. Ive spent many many hours in this place and not once over the years has the food been anything but excellent. I always order what Danny thinks is special that night. No menu required. Homemade Sangria is fabulous and potent.

Wander Around wak off dinner and pick the music:   10 PM

When you leave Danny and Marisa’s you have multiple choices of great music and atmosphere. Next door of course is Tamara Suarez’s Tapas Cafe. A favorite, but within just a few steps are several beautiful old bars that have adult oriented, Jimmy Buffet type bands and blues artists every weekend. I pick the bar by the sound from the street. There are no bad choices.

Saturday Breakfast: Cafe Con Leche

A small little coffee shop that my friend Tamara Suarez owns. Its a magnet for locals and artists and here you can plan your day with and learn anything you want to know about the beaches or river or bay. With over a dozen miles of undeveloped beach with huge sand dunes on St George Island just a few minutes away, this is where you can plan where to go for a few hours and see what Florida beaches used to look like. Everything there is homemade and the coffee…….hehehehe all I will say is your about to learn what coffee really is.

Saturday Lunch: Boss Oyster

No doubt about this. BOSS OYSTER. Its in a old place on the water with fishing and oyster boats tied up to it right downtown. Read carefully, the bar gets its own oysters from the bay. Be there at the right time you will see their boat pull up. Freshest oysters imaginable and one of the famous places on the coast. Again don’t be surprised to see people you recognize from TV or VH1 drinking beer and eating raw oysters. Its a icon of a place and the food is terrific. Eat outside at a table on the dock, dont feed the birds, and if your lucky you will see a manatee or dolphins swim by. Place wise, its as good as it gets in the southern US.

Sunday Brunch: Carolines on the river

The traditional haunt for locals and those in the know though is Caroline’s River Restaurant next door to Boss Oyster overlooking the river and bay. My favorite, 3 thick French bread slices dipped in a mixture of egg, cream and maple syrup, served with sautéed baby shrimp with grits. Again sit outside and listen to the water, watch the fisherman’s boats go by and count your blessings.

Then make your girlfriend or wife drive back home. Its that good.

 

For more information about this weekend or info on places to stay, contact John Solomon or visit the towns website here.

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