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| Sun, Surf, and Shopping |
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Old-fashioned candy may earn new converts at The Sugar Shak in Rosemary Beach.
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The Red Bar in Grayton Beach, a longtime favorite of beachgoers, serves gourmet food in a funky environment.
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A new building in Seagrove, east of Seaside, houses Design on the Gulf,
where Atlantan Dale Trice sells thick wool rugs, Juliska glassware, and Bruno
Biondi pottery. Next door, another pair of Atlantans, Adam and Stephanie Caperton,
operate a fine-food store, The Larder, which offers prime meats and cheeses.
Just a few doors down, Rachel Oxford, yet another Atlanta transplant, owns a
charming flower-and-orchid shop, Casa Blanca, which also sells choice
stationery, Galbraith & Paul lighting and textiles, and Simon Pearce glass.
The shops at Seaside offer great shopping, including Pizitz Home &
Cottage, which a few years ago was renovated and updated with chic merchandise.
The best swimsuits on the beach can be found at F.A.B.S., where buyer
Dana Jusselin chooses suits from lines such as Dolce & Gabbana and Jean
Paul Gaultier. For a pair of designer jeans or a sporty Lacoste shirt, stop
by Venus for its mix of sportswear, sandals, and party frocks. Sundog
Books stocks architecture and design books, including several on the area,
and also has quirkily arranged stacks of fiction. At Grayton Beach, west of Seaside, Alabamian Claire Bain has gathered hard-to-find
bath and body products at Bain & Co. Apothecary. For your beach bag,
South Beach Bronze is the sunscreen favored by the models Bain met while living
in Miami.
| IF YOU GO |
| WHERE TO EAT: |
| To get sushi in Seaside without having to change out of your swimsuit,
go to Akatonbo (850/231-2703), which serves udon, oshia, sushi,
draft Guinness, and premium sake. |
| At Santa Rosa Beach, Basmati's (850/267-3028)
has fabulous Asian cuisine, from crab cakes in a spicy wasabi cream to sublime
sushi. |
| Bud & Alley's (850/231-5900) in Seaside
is a perennial favorite for its seriously good food and laid-back atmosphere.
The pasta and seafood dishes are consistently good. |
| We love Café Thirty-A (850/231-2166)
in Seagrove for its festive atmosphere and fabulous lamb. |
| Fish Out of Water (850/534-5050), in the WaterColor
Inn, has dependably delicious food in a more formal atmosphere. Dress for
dinner, and request a table outside to watch the sunset. Save room for dessert
if peach cobbler is on the menu. |
| The Red Bar (850/231-1008) has long been a
fixture in Grayton Beach. Gourmet fare, rich in flavor, is served hot --
and quickly. Funky art and dinner music give way to a lively bar scene at
night. |
| At Rosemary Beach, try the homemade limeade at The
Sugar Shak (850/231-3655), an old-fashioned candy store. |
| WHERE TO STAY: |
| Several agencies rent houses and flats along the highway, many with pools.
These houses are an ideal home base from which to explore the area on
foot or by bike. Bicycles abound, and a bike path linking all the villages
of 30-A was implemented a few years ago. |
| If you rent a cottage at Seaside (888/ 732-7433),
you give up being beachfront, but you enjoy a small-town atmosphere that
has great community pools. |
| Rosemary Beach (888/855-1551), is quieter,
but just as well-thought-out, with gorgeous pools and the best beach setup:
hammocks in teak frames in addition to the usual chaise longues and umbrellas. |
| West of Seaside, the WaterColor Inn (888/775-2545)
fills the void for luxury hotel accommodations with its ocean-view rooms.
Denim and striped linen set a casual-chic tone, and you can order room service
from Fish Out of Water and dine on your own balcony. A spa opening this
summer adds to the allure. |
RESOURCES: Tracery, 72 Main St., Rosemary Beach, FL 32461, 850/231-6755;
The Gourd Garden Courtyard Shop, 66 Main St., Rosemary Beach, FL 32461,
850/534-0070; Medusa Rouge Wine Shoppe, 66 Main St., Rosemary Beach, FL
32461, 850/231-1219; Shabby Slips (R), 58 Main St., Rosemary Beach, FL
32413, 850/231-4164; Flavours of France, 54 Main St., Rosemary Beach, FL
32461, 850/231-9016; Phillip & Co. (R), 5399 County Hwy. 30-A, Santa
Rosa Beach, FL 32459, 850/267-1987; Bohlert-Massey, 10343 County Hwy. 30-A,
The Charleston Bldg., Unit 102, Seacrest Beach, FL 32413, 850/231-3940; The
Gourd Garden and Curiosity Shop, 4808 County Hwy. 30-A, Santa Rosa Beach,
FL 32459, 850/231-2007; Design on the Gulf (R), 4281 County Hwy. 30-A,
Seagrove Beach, FL 32459, 850/231-4844; The Larder, 4281 County Hwy. 30-A,
Seagrove Beach, FL 32459, 850/231-2031; Casa Blanca, 4281 County Hwy. 30-A,
Ste. 101, Santa Rosa Beach, FL 32459, 850/231-6840; Pizitz Home & Cottage
(R), 121 Central Square, Seaside, FL 32459, 850/231-2240; F.A.B.S., 2236
County Hwy. 30-A, Ste. 7, Seaside, FL 32459, 850/231-5636; Venus, 25 Central
Square, Seaside, FL 32459, 850/231-0300; Sundog Books, 89 Central Square,
Seaside, FL 32459, 850/231-5481; Bain & Co. Apothecary, Uptown Grayton,
Grayton Beach, FL 32459, 850/231-4202; Akatonbo, 2255 County Hwy. 30-A,
Seaside, FL 32459, 850/231-2703; Basmati's, 3295 County Hwy. 30-A, Santa
Rosa Beach, FL 32459, 850/267-3028; Bud & Alley's, 2236 County Hwy.
30-A, Seaside, FL 32459, 850/231-5900; Café Thirty-A, 3899 County
Hwy. 30-A, Seagrove Beach, FL 32459, 850/231-2166; Fish Out of Water, 34
Goldenrod Cir., WaterColor Inn, Seagrove Beach, FL 32459, 850/534-5050; The
Red Bar, 70 Hotz Ave., Grayton Beach, FL 32459, 850/231-1008; The Sugar
Shak, 5A Main St., Rosemary Beach, FL 32413, 850/231-3655; Seaside Cottage
Rentals, P.O. Box 4730, County Hwy. 30-A, Seaside, FL 32459, 888/732-7433;
Rosemary Beach Cottage Rental Company, P.O. Box 611040, Rosemary Beach,
FL 32461, 888/855-1551; WaterColor Inn, 34 Goldenrod Cir., Seagrove Beach,
FL 32459, 888/775-2545.
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