WaterColor Inn & Resort: Foraging the Forgotten Coast Culinary Tour

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June 2007 – The St. Joe Company’s WaterColor Inn & Resort has cooked up a four-day culinary package that will treat foodies to the freshest meals they’ve ever had as they savor hands-on experiences harvesting food. They’ll learn new skills – from oyster tonging and crabbing to harvesting Tupelo honey and flounder gigging (optional) – then dine on what they foraged in the company of Northwest Florida’s culinary experts.

Chef Chris Hastings, culinary advisor to JOE and owner of Birmingham’s Hot and Hot Fish Club, leads each trip and provides informed commentary during activities. Among other participants will be Chef Wayne Alcaide, JOE’s chef for Northwest Florida, who will prepare delicious meals using the catch of the day. Additional meals will introduce guests to favorite local fish shacks and fine-dining restaurants either on or a stone’s throw from the sparkling waters of the Gulf Coast, including the acclaimed Fish Out of Water restaurant at the WaterColor Inn & Resort.

“My hope for the guests that join these culinary tours is that they experience the thrill of foraging for indigenous food, taste their unique flavors and are inspired by the food culture that exists in Northwest Florida,” said Chef Hastings, who has been foraging for the freshest local fare since childhood. “Our mission on these tours is to forage directly at the source, then enjoy such distinctive local fare as Apalachicola oysters, Alligator Point clams, blue crabs, Tupelo honey and more. We’re foraging in the modern sense, gathering rare experiences with the local people and foods that make Northwest Florida a treasure of the culinary south.”

Called “the forgotten coast,” as it is generally less visited than other parts of the Sunshine State, the Northwest Florida region is also known as “the Emerald Coast” because of its outstanding natural beauty and resources, including some of the best beaches in the nation.

The “Foraging the Forgotten Coast” package is priced at $1,750* per person (single occupancy) and $1,500* per person (double occupancy) and will be offered on the following dates: October 18-21, 2007; March 6-9, 2008; May 1-4, 2008; July 17-20, 2008; October 16-19, 2008.

Package highlights include:

Accommodations for three nights: one night at Coombs House (Apalachicola’s historic, renovated Bed & Breakfast property with true Southern charm), and two nights at the WaterColor Inn (Northwest Florida’s only AAA Four Diamond Resort)
Nighttime flounder gigging excursions (optional, space limited to six participants)
Visit to the Apalachicola Marine Estuarine Research Center, plus a nearby field trip to learn the secrets of making Tupelo honey, followed by a mead tasting with George Watkins, a naturalist and beekeeper who was technical advisor for the film “Ulee’s Gold,” which starred Peter Fonda as a beekeeper in Weewahitchka, FL
Oyster roast at Buddy Ward’s 13 Mile Oyster Company; optional tonging for oysters
Crabbing for blue crab at WaterSound Beach on one of the region’s top dune beaches; that evening enjoy an elegantly prepared dinner on the beach
Dinner at Fish Out of Water (at the WaterColor Inn & Resort), prepared by Chef Alcaide and Chef Hastings, using ingredients foraged from the area that day
Additional planned meals and activities in and around Apalachicola

* Pricing includes activities, lodging, planned meals, and gratuity. This package is subject to availability. Space is limited. To reserve this package, contact Liz Lang of Brownell Travel. Tel: 205-414-1659. Email: Lizl@brownelltravel.com. Website: www.brownelltravel.com.

For more information about the WaterColor Inn and Resort, visit www.watercolorinn.com.

SOURCE WaterColor