Key TV's Margit Bisztray with a Key West Dining Tip. Latitudes restaurant at Sunset Key Guest Cottages offers an upscale, yet casual, setting with indoor and alfresco beachfront dining overlooking the Gulf of Mexico.
Readers and professional Meeting Planners were asked to vote for their favorite locations to conduct business and The Westin Key West Resort & Marina won top honors for 2009 for the South! The resort was presented a plaque honoring its selection as the 'Best Meetings Planner Venue in the South'. Congratulations to the entire Key West Westin Team!
Hollywood Beach Marriott Executive Chef Ron Duprat is sharpening his knives, saying good-bye to Hollywood’s sandy shores – temporarily – and heading to the city of neon lights to prove his culinary talent on Bravo’s “Top Chef: Las Vegas,” which premieres August 19, 2009 at 9 p.m.
This fall, Duprat will compete against 16 contestants in Bravo’s sixth season of the number one food show on cable television. The “cheftestants” will battle in a series of elimination challenges to test their basic culinary abilities, innovativeness, and, most of all, their ability to outperform the competition and take home the impressive title of “Top Chef.”
“We are not surprised with Chef Duprat’s selection for Top Chef,” stated Hollywood Beach Marriott General Manager Josh Morris. “His incredible culinary technique and outstanding personality will undoubtedly make him a favorite on the show.”
A native of Haiti, Duprat began cooking alongside his grandmother as a means of survival on the island – fishing the waters and gathering fresh produce from their garden. Following his passion for cooking, Duprat studied at some of the most innovative culinary schools in the world, including the College Aimee Cesaire and La Varenne Ecole de Cuisine. He has also collaborated with such greats as Emeril Lagasse, Adam Savage, Ingrid Hoffman, and Pierre Doussan, to name just a few.
Absorbing the flavors and culture from his worldly travels, Duprat has combined these tastes with his own Haitian-Creole influences to create unique, flavorful menus for Heads of State, various dignitaries and world-class resort guests. A few of his signature dishes include, fresh ahi tuna served with a sweet orange mint dipping sauce; jumbo scallops with sweet chili tahini sauce and a watermelon and avocado slaw; rasta pasta with Caribbean jerk chicken; and his signature flourless chocolate cake.
After an extensive period with The Montauk Yacht Club in Long Island, NY, Chef Duprat joined the executive team at Ocean Properties, where he is currently. Located along the sandy shores of Florida’s east coast, the warm atmosphere is the perfect location for Duprat’s ever-changing menu of fresh seafood, steaks, and other entrees, all created with a touch of island flair.
Chef Duprat resides in Hollywood Beach, Fla., and is a member of the Black Culinarians Association, The American Culinary Federation, Real Men Charities, Flipany non-profit organization, and the College of Culinary Arts in Miami, Fla.
With Summer just days away 'SaveOnFloridaTravel' has launched it's new promotional website www.SummerInFlorida.com featuring exclusive offers to great destinations throughout Florida. To kick off the new campaign is a focus on the Florida Keys, with a series of 30 second videos.First featured is Key Largo in the feature below.
& Her Islands (www.sarasotafl.org) are scoring high on national rankings this summer with Lido Beach being named one of America's best restored beaches and the Ritz-Carlton,
Sarasota
ranked as the number one domestic hotel and number three hotel world-wide by Expedia.com's Insider Select List.
Lido Beach has been raising eyebrows since the
April 2009
completion of a federal-grant supported re-nourishment project. The beach on Lido Key was expanded 150 - 200 feet and has more than 600,000 tones of new white sand. It has been restored to its condition prior to the damaging 2004 and 2005 hurricane seasons. The restoration was recognized by the American Shore & Beach Preservation Association in May as one of America's best restored beaches.
"Guests to Lido Beach will delight in the beauty of the beach," said Sarasota Convention and Visitors Bureau President
Virginia Haley
. "We locals are amazed with the transformation and are so happy to be able to share it at its best, with the world."
Lido Beach is located just beyond St. Armand's Circle, which is commonly referred to
Sarasota's
Rodeo Drive offering dining, shopping and entertainment. With Lido Beach being conveniently located near St. Armand's Circle as well as the rest of the destination's miles of white sand beaches, accommodations, attractions, culture, shopping and dining, the refreshed appearance of the beach is estimated to inject a potential of
$21 - $37 million
in economic impact into
Sarasota
, according to city officials.
The Lido Beach Resort, (www.lidobeachresort.com) is offering five exceptional packages to meet any budget or expectation. The packages are:
"HONEY WE'RE STUCK WITH THE KIDS"
Make your next family getaway fun for the kids and the adults alike. This family fun package includes:
A complimentary beach tote stuffed with beach toys, a souvenir beach towel, and snacks to keep the little ones occupied.
(2) Complimentary cocktail coupons for parents to enjoy at the poolside
Tiki Bar
.
Children may participate in daily poolside activities.
Also enjoy complimentary beach chairs and cabana.
Transportation to and from St. Armand's Circle, complimentary parking, and no resort fees.
Call 1-800-441-2113 and request the "FAMILY BEACH" package.
"STOCK THE FRIDGE AND SAVE!" Worried that endless days dining out on the town might put a damper on your vacation budget? No worries; stock your fridge full of all your favorites and save $50.00! Each guestroom at the Lido Beach Resort features:
Full refrigerator
Microwave oven
Dual stovetop
Dishwasher
Dinette, dishes, and silverware
Just present a valid grocery receipt of
$50.00
or more from your favorite local supermarket showing the items you purchased for your stay, and the Lido Beach Resort will give you an instant credit of
$50.00
. So stock up and enjoy! The first
$50.00
is on us! Call 1-800-441-2113 and request the "STOCK MY FRIDGE" package - Based on a two-night minimum.
"OVER THE TOP"
Why not go VIP all the way? Treat yourself to all that is fabulous at Lido Beach Resort with this OVER-THE-TOP package.
Guaranteed South Tower ... it's the only way to go.
Guaranteed 10th floor or higher ... stunning views will take your breath away.
Guaranteed Gulf View in the resort's finest accommodations ... the finest in the land.
An in-room amenity waiting for you upon arrival with chilled champagne ... indulge.
Your own window-side table in the Lido Beach Grille, reserved especially for you for the duration of your stay ... it will even have your name on it.
Daily Breakfast for two at your table and dinner for two one night in the Lido Beach Grille ... mouthwatering.
Evening turn-down service ... a truffle on your pillow ensures sweet dreams.
Complimentary beach chairs and cabana pre-reserved just for you ... sun and beach.
Transportation to and from St. Armand's Circle, and complimentary parking ... explore your surroundings.
Call 1-800-441-2113 and request the "OVER THE TOP" Package - based on a three-night minimum
"HONEYMOON PACKAGE"
You don't have to be on your honeymoon to reserve this romantic getaway. Package includes:
King size, Gulf View room in South Tower
Chilled Champagne upon arrival
Chef's homemade Chocolate Truffles
And a romantic dinner for two in the Lido Beach Grille.
Call 1-800-441-2113 and request the "HONEYMOON" Package - Based on a 3 night minimum.
"SUNCOAST OFF-SHORE BOAT RACE"
Get a bird's eye view of the action for the 2009 Sun Coast Offshore Grand Prix Boat Races. Taking place over the
Fourth of July
Weekend and encompassing the excitement of the beach, the boats, the bands, and the best time of the summer! This package includes:
Gulf Front room in the South Tower with large, private balcony ... feel the roar of the engines!
Complimentary Sunday Brunch for two ... a mouthwatering feast with a view of the race course.
Complimentary parking ... hard to come by on race day.
The beach party of a lifetime ... Nobody does the races better than the Lido Beach Resort.
Sarasota
and her string of eight islands are located along Southwest Florida's Gulf Coast between
Tampa
and Ft. Myers.
Sarasota
and Her Islands is comprised of
Sarasota
,
Longboat Key
, Lido Key, St. Armands Key, Manasota Key,
Siesta Key
,
Casey Key
,
Englewood
,
Nokomis
,
North Port
,
Osprey
and
Venice
. In addition to sandy beaches,
Sarasota
and Her Islands also offer numerous cultural and ecological attractions. For more information on discovering
Sarasota
& Her Islands, call the Sarasota Convention & Visitors Bureau at (800) 522-9799 or visit www.sarasotafl.org.
Indian weddings: Lavish event becomes booming business in South Florida
Georgia East |South Florida Sun-Sentinel
4:11 PM EDT, May 29, 2009
Rakesh and Madhu Anand of Anand Photo & Video specialize in Indian weddings. Their full service company also includes wedding planning and decorating with such traditional items as these Welcoming Lady and Lord Ganesh statues. (Susan Stocker, Sun Sentinel / May 27, 2009)
How do you get a groom riding an elephant to his wedding in South Florida traffic?
Or, transform a parking lot into a colorful, yet regal, setting fit for a Hindu bride and her 500 guests?
Think planning a traditional Western wedding is difficult? In South Florida, where the Indian and Indo-Caribbean communities are booming, the demand for Indian wedding planners has also spiked.
Lavish by design, a typical Hindu wedding revolves around festivities that typically last about three days, but can span up to 10.
These wedding planners often have to make sure the proper statues are in place, the fire rituals have the necessary clearance, and authentic Indian foods are prepared.
For years the Indian wedding market was untapped in this area, said Raj Shah, editor of the Indian magazine Desh-Videsh. For the first time, he will host a South Florida Indian bridal expo on Sunday at the Hilton Deerfield Beach/Boca Raton.
"Non-Indians are finding out that the market is huge,'' said Shah, who expects at least 50 vendors peddling everything from wedding-planning services to traditional Indian wedding wares and jewelry.
The Asian-Indian community in South Florida is made up of about 40,000 people, according to recent census surveys, but community leaders say those numbers are low and don't take into account the growing number of people from the Caribbean who are of Indian descent.
One sign that more local banquet facilities are trying to cash in on the market is their well-placed ads in ethnic newspapers and magazines. Some boast of having authentic Indian caterers on call, and Indian-American planning consultants on site.
Over at their Plantation office and warehouse, Rakesh Anand and his wife Madhu, owners of Anand Photo & Video, are getting ready for the expo.
The Anands have been in the Indian wedding-planning business locally for about two decades. In the beginning they would transform Western wares into Indian-looking wedding objects. Now they fill their showroom with imported Indian statues, fabrics and pillars.
Their 6,800-square-foot showroom has tall columns with intricate carvings, used to set up a wedding mandap, a canopy under which traditional Hindu weddings take place.
Life-sized turban-wearing female statues, known as greeters, meet visitors at the showroom's entrance. In almost every row are a variety of bronze elephants, known as Ganesh, a widely worshiped deity almost always present at a Hindu wedding.
The weddings they plan and shoot range from $5,000 to $50,000, the couple said.
"Traditionally, as soon as a girl is born the parents start saving for this event,'' said Madhu Anand.
Rakesh Anand said he's had to get an elephant transported from Ocala to Miami for a groom who didn't want to use the traditional white horse.
"It took a lot of coordination,'' said Anand. The groom--and the elephant--made it to the wedding site, a convention center, on time.
Getting every detail down is also a priority for Jilna Patel Jasani, who parlayed her experience planning her own traditional Hindu wedding into a full-time business.
Jasani was born in Kenya, but since her parents were North Indian, she grew up rooted in her culture. Her wedding in 2007 was held at her family's motel in Homestead, where the parking lot was transformed into an authentic Indian setting with a stage and a tent. The festivities lasted four days.
Jasani was dressed in red and blue, fabric she purchased in India. Her uncles wheeled her to the wedding in a kind of carriage; her groom rode in on a white horse.
Through her business, Suhaag Garden Inc., several times a month she transforms nondescript sites into the setting her clients have dreamed of.
"It's such a big celebration,'' said Jasani. "The wedding for any Indian person or their parents comes before any other milestone.''
Georgia East can be reached at geast@sun-sentinel.com or 954-356-4629.
This is the TV coverage from FoxTV Orlando on the Jupiter Beach Resort
& Spa and it's sister property the Lido Beach Resort. Here is also
the link for the blog coverage on VisitFlorida.com
http://www.visitflorida.com/experts/dining/action.blog/id.1600
Gold Coast Resort Re-Opens After Multi-Million Dollar Makeover
Residence Inn by Marriott St. Petersburg / Treasure Island Beach Unveiled All-New Look February 1st 2008
TREASURE ISLAND, Fla., March 7 /PRNewswire/ -- After being closed for 28 months from hurricane damage, the former Holiday Inn Treasure Island has re- opened as the brand new and expanded Residence Inn St. Petersburg / Treasure Island Beach, with a completely new look. The gulf front hotel was shut down in 2004 after Hurricane Jeanne and was essentially stripped to its shell to make way for this transformation. The multi-million dollar renovation included the entire property from its guestrooms and suites to its public space and pool areas.
"We are thrilled to re-open as the Residence Inn by Marriott and unveil this great new product for travelers to the Gold Coast and Treasure Island," said Rick Wilson, general manager of the hotel. "The enhancements to the hotel are outstanding, from a phenomenal room package including luxury bedding, fully equipped kitchens, separate working, living, sleeping areas and flat panel televisions to a great beachfront pool area. We look forward to welcoming back past guests and an all new set of customers to our wonderful beachfront hotel."
In addition to the aforementioned enhancements, the hotel also added luxury, one and two bedroom suites with dramatic 11 foot ceilings and sweeping views of the Gulf of Mexico. The relaxed beachfront town of Treasure Island adjacent to both St. Petersburg Beach to it's south and Madeira Beach to it's north harkens back to the days of Old Florida -- quaint shops, uncrowded beaches and always a friendly hello. Located on Florida's Gulf Coast adjacent to world famous John's Pass, the Residence Inn by Marriott St. Petersburg / Treasure Island Beach is situated oceanfront on Treasure Island -- the Sunset Capital of the Florida. The nine-story hotel offers 110 rooms and suites with a range of amenities and services including free high speed internet, grocery shopping service and laundry valet. The property is convenient to all the area attractions including professional sporting events, eco-adventures, championship golf and acclaimed fishing and water sports.
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