Idyll Hound Proper

September 14, 2023

Idyll Hounds announces Houndfest9 to benefit Westonwood Ranch

Sept. 14, 2023
Special to 30A Food & Wine

SANTA ROSA BEACH – Idyll Hounds Brewing Company’s signature event, Houndfest9 presented by Rosemary Beach Realty & Cottage Rental Company, will take place Friday and Saturday, Sept. 29 and 30, with proceeds benefiting Westonwood Ranch.

To kick off the event weekend, IHBC has added a new VIP dining experience, presented by The Henry Haus, in partnership with Idyll Hound Proper, on Friday, September 29 from 6 to 9 p.m. VIP guests will partake in an elegant dinner under the stars on the lawn at 30Avenue. Attendees will be delighted with live music and have the exclusive opportunity to mix and mingle with the brew masters who will be featured during the main event. The five-course meal will feature local cuisine and custom beer pairings based upon the essence and flavors of each dish. There are a limited number of tickets available for $115 per seat. Those planning to attend both the Friday-night dinner and the main event on Saturday are encouraged to purchase “The Hound Pass” for $215 which includes exclusive VIP access and perks. All ticket information is available here.

Houndfest9 “We wanted to create a unique experience for our guests to meet with these beer experts one-on-one,” said Idyll Hounds owner and brewer, Frasier Hansen. “Each has a story to tell, and this is the perfect setting.”

On Saturday, Sept. 30, guests are invited to the brewery, located at 845 Serenoa Rd., for the main event from noon to 5 p.m. featuring craft brews poured by an array of regional and local breweries, including Alga Brewing Company, Emerald Republic, Grayton Beer Company, Odd Pelican Brewing Company, and Tampa Bay Brewing.

Idyll Hounds will be debuting new, packaged beer releases during the event along with various options on draft, including several specialty barrel-aged beers as well as brand-new stouts, sours, and hard seltzers. They will also be serving one-off specialty releases of some of their flagship beers, including Divide and Conchr, Boosh, Man O Wit, and more. Both VIP and general admission ticket holders will have full access to all breweries and enjoy unlimited samples of the various beers being poured throughout the afternoon.

There will be a plethora of food options for purchase by 3 Sons Barbecue, Aja 30A, and Idyll Hound Proper along with non-alcoholic beverages available from Amavida Coffee, Noli South Kombucha, and water provided by ADT Solar.

Guests will enjoy live music by Dirty Bird and the Flu followed by main act, The Zydeco Gents. There will also be a photobooth courtesy of Driftwood Wine & Spirits, and various shopping opportunities from local vendors. Those interested will have the opportunity to participate in a steinholding competition, sponsored by Action Audio Visual, where competitors hold a full one-liter beer stein out in front of their bodies with a straight arm parallel to the ground as long as they can.

General admission tickets are available for $60 in advance and $75 at the door and include a commemorative bag courtesy of Visit South Walton, koozies courtesy of Buddy’s Seafood, a t-shirt, sticker, and glass to sample unlimited beers throughout the event. Guests can elevate their experience with a VIP ticket for $119, which includes all the same perks as general admission plus early entry at 11 a.m. to enjoy an extra hour of the festival, a reserved area provided by Emerald Coast Magazine with complimentary food by Idyll Hound Proper, and a limited-release bottle of craft beer to take home. There will also be designated driver tickets available for $30 for those not drinking during the event.

Proceeds from the annual event will benefit Westonwood Ranch, a Walton County non-profit offering a unique learning curriculum to improve skills of young adults with developmental differences.

July 30, 2023

30Avenue: Vacation relaxation destination!

Blog, Home Page Blog

By Michelle Farnham
July 30, 2023

INLET BEACH – Oh, the tyranny of choice. A trip down Scenic Highway 30A – whether as a tourist or a local – offers so many opportunities. Dining, entertainment, shopping: it has it all! There is one complex on the far East side of 30A, however, that offers all these amenities in one convenient location: 30Avenue.

Known as the place “Where shopping, food and fun meet, work and play,” 30Avenue is an outdoor lifestyle center offering everything from salons to retail spaces, healthcare facilities to professional offices and fitness centers. Make a day out of your time there enjoying the Summer Concert Series, with live music Tuesday to Saturday from 6 to 9 p.m.

Nestled among these destinations are more than half a dozen dining opportunities, making 30Avenue a park-once-and-enjoy-your-day kind of place.

“30Avenue is a gastronaut’s dream! The array of restaurants available here is unmatched,” explained Stephanie Madden of 30Avenue. “Whether you’re in the mood for fine dining, fresh-off-the-hook seafood, a fun brunch with friends or authentic Italian cuisine, we’ve got you covered.”

Aja

Aja Elevated Asian Kitchen

One of the newer kids on the block, Aja Elevated Asian Kitchen comes from the mind of Master Chef Tom Catherall. Pronounced {ay}+{zhuh}, here you’ll find authentic Asian cuisine ranging from stir-fry to noodle dishes, to sushi and sashimi.

Start with the shrimp and chicken dumplings, a tuna carpaccio roll, some char siu pork belly ramen, and finish with the tempura fried banana topped with sea salt caramel.

Enjoy an adult beverage from the full bar, as well as the Party on the Patio happy hour from 4 to 6 p.m. daily, including drink and appetizer specials.

Open daily for dinner, Aja is located at Suite T-101. Call 850-493-6437 or visit www.aja30a.com.

amici 30A

amici 30A Italian Kitchen

Among the more veteran anchors of 30Avenue is amici 30A Italian Kitchen, one of the Corchis Hospitality Group restaurants.

Tempt yourself with a fresh caprese salad, the limited quantity burrata and sea salt with crostini, arancini rice balls, a salsiccia pizza, and round out your feast with a slice of flourless chocolate cake.

Happy Hour runs from 3 to 6 p.m. seven days a week and includes special buys on pizzas, select pastas and drinks.

Visit amici 30A daily for lunch or dinner at Suite R101, online at amici30a.com or call 850-909-0555.

amigos 30A

amigos 30A Mexican Kitchen

Right next door is sister restaurant amigos 30A Mexican Kitchen (do you see the name trend?), serving cooked-to-order cuisine from south of the border.

This is the place for fresh-made guacamole and chips, a brisket burnt ends quesadilla, the crispy black grouper burrito bowl or pork pastor taco, finished with tres leches cake. The bar shakes up a wide selection of margaritas, beer, wine and seltzers as well.

Take part in the daily Happy Hour from 3 to 6 p.m. for discounted drinks, white queso and tacos.

Find amigos 30A in Suite Q101, online at amigos30a.com, and by phone at 850-909-0444.

Canopy Road Cafe

If breakfast, brunch or lunch is part of your day’s plans, there’s Canopy Road Cafe. Here you’ll find traditional diner favorites, but with a twist!

Split an order of fried green tomatoes, try the Italian avocado toast, choose from five Benedicts, six handhelds, 10 pancakes, four French toasts, a trio of omelets, seven breakfast skillets, salads, sandwiches, or burgers. Seasonal specials add even more variety.

Find Canopy Road Cafe in Suite B100, open for breakfast and lunch seven days a week. Reach them at 850-909-0104 or online at www.canopyroadcafe.com. Both indoor and outdoor seating is available.

Cuvee 30A

Another mainstay of 30Avenue is Cuvee 30A, from Chef Tim Creehan. A Wine Spectator Award-winner, you’ll find celebrity specialities like Amy Grant’s Seared Tuna Rare and Vince Gill’s Pecan Crusted Grouper.

From the appetizers menu you might start with escargot with ciabatta, a Kurobuta pork chop or bone-in filet entree, and round out the meal with Jerry White’s chocolate banana cream pie with caramel sauce.

Sample beer, wine and cocktails during Happy Hour from 4:30 to 6:30, as well as discounts on bar menu bites from 4:30 to 6 p.m.

Cuvee 30A is found at Suite D101 and open for dinner six nights a week, closed Sundays. Make a reservation or peruse the menu at cuvee30a.com.

Goatfeathers

Goatfeathers Seafood Market & Cafe

If it’s fresh seafood you’re after, step into Goatfeathers for a seafood restaurant, fish market and specialty store all in one. Food is available dine-in or get your freshly steamed meal to-go.

Here you’ll find all the classics: shrimp, local fish, oysters, scallops, soft and hard shell crab, as well as a few “turf” options. Even the kiddos have their own menu.

Early Bird specials and happy hour run 3 to 5 p.m. excluding holidays and Raw Oyster Mania goes from 3 to 4 p.m.

Open for lunch or dinner seven days a week, Goatfeathers is in Suite O101. See the selection at www.goatfeathersseafood.com, or call 850-909-0090.

Great American Cookies/Marble Slab Creamery

To sweeten up your trip to 30Avenue, veteran sweets shop Great American Cookies/Marble Slab Creamery will be returning this summer! After seven years in Suite R102, the combo store relocated to WaterColor Crossings in November 2022, but Madden announced they will be re-opening a second location back at their old stomping grounds.

“They will be situated near Canopy Road in a larger and newly renovated suite. Exciting times ahead!” Madden shared.

Idyll Hound Proper

Adopting the mantra “Great Food. Better Beer. Proper People,” 30Avenue’s first gastropub, Idyll Hound Proper, is slated to open this summer, offering lunch and dinner seven days a week. An offshoot of Santa Rosa Beach-based Idyll Hounds Brewing Company, expect to see local brews expertly paired with cuisine from Chef Nick Walton.

For more information, visit them in Suite E101, online at www.idyllhoundproper.com, or call 850-909-9041.

The entire 30Avenue complex is located at 12805 U.S. Hwy 98 East, in Inlet Beach, and is open year-round.

Photos by 30Avenue

May 21, 2023

Digital Graffiti: A night of lights and bites

Blog, Home Page Blog, Uncategorized

Projection art exhibition pairs nicely with local cuisine

By Michelle Farnham
May 20, 2023

ALYS BEACH – The stark white architecture of Alys Beach is a stunning sight during the daylight hours, but at night, it transitions into a blank artist’s canvas unlike anything you’ve seen before. The site of the 16th annual Digital Graffiti Festival May 19 and 20, guests strolled the streets of this idyllic beach town, viewing projection artwork while enjoying locally sourced food and drinks.

Friday night was an all-inclusive experience, offering small plates like prime steak from Seagar’s; herb cavatelli with lamb shoulder and a cucumber yogurt soup from Roux 30A; and fried rice with green apple kimchi and carrot gazpacho by The Citizen.

Bites among the lights

Smoked bay scallops with sea urchin espuma by RC Weddings + Events.

Idyll Hound Proper served Divide N’ Conch fritters.

Oxtail marmalade and grit by Marrow Private Chefs.

Pink Coyote Dessert Co. offered strawberry lemonade sorbet and ice cream sandwiches.

Even the seating areas got their glow on!

Marrow Private Chefs was an early stop along the exhibition path.

“Tonight we’re serving oxtail marmalade and grits. It only took us three days to cook the oxtail for you,” laughed Marrow Executive Chef Richard McCord.

Idyll Hound Proper, the gastropub expected to open at 30Avenue this July, got a jumpstart on festival season, deep frying Bahamian-style Divide N’ Conch Fritters on-demand, by the light of a headlamp.

“These fritters are from our chef, Nick Walton – he’s an island guy – and are infused with our double IPA Divide and Conch’r and served with spiced mango chutney,” said Dan Tinghitella, CEO of No Reservations Restaurant Group.

There was plenty to sip on as well, from such purveyors as Good Clean Wine, Castle & Key Distillery, Lugo’s Craft Spirits and Herradura Tequila. Santa Rosa Beach-based Distillery 98 shook up “Lights, Camera, Action,” featuring their Dune Laker Vodka, lemon, blackberry and bay leaf syrup.

Glow on!

Among the 50 digital artists represented from around the world, Seaside Neighborhood School and Seacoast Collegiate High School got in on the action, presenting compilation works titled “Who Are We, Digitally?” and “Our Personal Digital Brand.” Each student and their parents were given a ticket to Saturday evening’s exhibit. Robyn Wallace, the school’s art teacher, spoke about the young artists’ process.

“A lot of this was a self-reflective piece,” explained Wallace. “Our fifth- and sixth-graders really dug into logos and then they had to think about themselves and how they would represent themselves digitally. They used primarily Google Drawing.

“For the seventh- through 10th-graders, we did a self portrait and the back images are photographs they’ve taken either off their social media or that represent themselves, and then they had to recreate themselves using Google Drawing as well. This was their first experience with anything digital. It was an opportunity to dig in and determine how they could change shapes and manipulate them to represent themselves.”

Ticketholders wrapped up the evening with an after-party at Caliza Restaurant, featuring a light show across the iconic pool.

Catch video of the inaugural Digital Graffiti livestream here.

Photos by Michelle Farnham

Caliza Restaurant hosted the after-party.