I first met Rich Sullivan when he was a student at the University of Alabama. Rich is one of the brightest people I’ve ever known, and we seem to hit it off. A native Mobilian, Rich entered his senior year of college with the intention of attending medical school after graduation. 

If you head up to Diana Rell Dean’s art show, Threads, this weekend, you might want to stop by the Stagecoach Café in Stockton, especially if you are hungry. The Stagecoach Café has been a staple in the area for years and serves a meat and three-style country buffet seven days a week.

The Ice Box in Mobile has just celebrated its third birthday by growing a little larger, a little wiser, and even more fun, if that’s possible. The brainchild of Taylor Atchison and Stoney Boatman, this local watering hole has been a surprise waiting to happen ever since it opened its doors in February 2020. And it’s not over yet! More surprises are cooking as we speak.

Since I never had children of my own, which was likely a good thing considering what a problem child I was, I have adopted my grand nieces and nephews to fill that grandchildren position. They were one of the deciding factors that landed me in Fairhope. I have four grandchildren in Mobile and three grandchildren in Pensacola whose parents are more than willing to share with me anytime. 

No doubt, this job has its benefits. Through a mutual friend, I was introduced to Maria V. Goldberg over lunch at the Fish House Restaurant located on Pensacola’s waterfront. Maria is the Director of Marketing, Public Relations, and Events for Great Southern Restaurants which owns the Fish House.

I’ve driven by it often over the years. Sandwiched on Pensacola Bay between Blue Wahoos Stadium and Joe Patti’s Seafood, the restaurant is almost out of sight behind a larger office building. Shivering on motorcycles in 50-degree weather created the perfect opportunity for a couple of us to seek warmth and nourishment overlooking the Inner Harbor.

Lily Hall Lodging House and Brother Fox Restaurant are the latest in Pensacola’s chic boutique hotel/restaurant scene. Located at 415 N. Alcaniz Street, the property has been beautifully and painstakingly renovated to offer a unique combination of lodging, dining, and entertaining in a historic part of Pensacola. It is truly another feather in the cap for Pensacola’s vibrant revitalization.

Five years ago, Jack and Bevelyn Wallace teamed up with Frank Trainor to create Frank & Company Jewelers in Orange Beach. They recently opened a second store at The Wharf. Their story is one of hard work, customer service, and a loyal following of clients from all over the Southeast.

I love farmer's markets. They read like a seasonal calendar, which they are in a fresh food kind of way. A good farmer’s market begins to burst with color this time of year. I caught up with Darrell Lundy, who with his wife, Sandra, and his 24-year-old twin boys, Ethan and Isaac, and their two sisters, Emma, 20, and Clair, 18 own and operate the family business, Hazel’s Market in Daphne.

Ahhh, good food, music, and history; all in one unique historic Pensacola area recognized on the Mississippi Blues Trail. Last Thursday, Linda and I headed to Five Sisters Blues Café in an area known as “The Blocks” in downtown Pensacola. For decades, the intersection of Belmont and DeVillies was the epicenter of African American business and social life.

Every now and then, you get to meet a friend of a friend that turns out to be an awesome experience. Someone whose life and talents are so energizing; you find yourself giddy that you were so fortunate to make their acquaintance. Diana Rell Dean is one of those people.

MJ Ferraro and her husband, Chef Dominic, moved to the Scenic 98 Coastal area from Rhode Island about six months ago. I had the pleasure of attending their new business venture “Pasta and Paint” which was held at the fabulous Jubilee Suites on Mobile Bay. Pasta and Paint seem to be an unlikely pair, but the couple's intention is to create a feast for the eyes and the palate.

Frances McGowin, a regular contributor to Scenic 98 Coastal (Adventures in Retirement), is also an artist. Hard to imagine she has time for painting since she is out exploring all her post-retirement options. However, “creating art is a daily necessity for living in my post-retirement world.” she says.

We visited friends in Orange Beach Thursday afternoon and found ourselves hungry for something outstanding. There were many choices and many people out on Thursday night, but we hit it just right, and a table was waiting for us at Big Fish Restaurant and Bar.

Now that I have your attention, let me tell you about one of the nicest guys I have met that happens to be a really good golf instructor to boot, Bobby Hall. I kept hearing my golfing friends, both men, and women, rave about Bobby. It was more than just the lessons but the person himself. I scheduled a sit down to learn his secret; it was so much more.

Growing up in Mobile, a big little city where everybody knows a guy who knows a guy who it turns out is your cousin, it’s easy to think you know it all, have seen it all, and have done it all. To be sure, that’s at least what local travel writer and small business owner Amy Delcambre thought. It wasn’t until 2015 when Compass Media contracted Amy to write copy for the annual Visit Mobile visitor’s guide that Amy realized how little she knew about the city she was born and raised in.

One of Linda's and my favorite places to eat in Fairhope is Master Joe’s. Named for the owner and original chef, Joe Ou, the small restaurant on Section Street is always inviting and friendly. Joe has combined his Japanese training with a few American ingredients to create a wonderful array of palate-pleasing dishes.

By now, most people know or have heard of Ben Raines. He’s made the news a lot, written books, and discovered things like the last slave ship, the Clotilda, and an underwater forest offshore of Gulf Shores.

Not Senior in high school or college. Senior means, we get discounts at stores, Medicare, and our own parking spaces. Makes us sound so feeble and needy, but we absolutely are not. I mean senior as in after 65, wiser, and better.

Winter is a season of extremes. Technically, one more month to go. My mind looks at seasons as activities. There is an order to it. The build-up to Winter comes after Thanksgiving. Mid-December gives us an extreme number of social activities culminating with Christmas Day, then a mindless lull as we close a year and begin anew with New Year's Eve celebrations. Lots of football. Get it while you can. And hunting, a Southern tradition is in full swing.

Bucky’s Birdcage Lounge at the Grand Hotel is the perfect setting to capture the essence of a sunset on Mobile Bay. Surrounded by beautiful ancient live oak trees, warm fire pits, and comfortable outside seating areas, when the sun sets to the west, it feels special every time.

Gabriel Hargett is a native Mobilian but spent most of his growing-up days on Mobile Bay at Point Clear. An avid mountain biker, fisherman, and all-around good guy, Gabriel’s tale has lots of twists and turns but is always forward. It’s an impressive story that just gets better and better every day.

‍On rare occasions, neighbors peer into shallow waters along our Bayfront with shouts of “Jubilee!” Like an Eastern Shore alarm, the excitement from the sight of fresh fish coming ashore spreads word of mouth, prompting Baldwin Countians to “Come, now!” and gather as much wiggly shrimp, fresh crabs or flounder as their coolers can hold. The phenomenon of a free, bountiful catch is one of legend. When I raise the subject with artist Katherine Taylor of Jubilee Flowers, Jubilee Flowers Fairhope – Wedding & Events Florist in Fairhope Alabama Eastern Shore, she laughs.

One of Scenic 98 Coastal’s missions is to raise awareness for the conservation groups that are working hard to preserve and protect our coastal lands and waters. South Alabama Land Trust (SALT) is one of those important organizations. I sat down with Katherine Kuhn, Outreach and Communications Manager for SALT to learn more about what they do.