BoomerGirl Diary

Food is important. For some folks, the quality of the food can make or break a vacation. For others, not so important. So if you don’t care about food, skip down to fishing and sailing, or chocolate (which is a food group in itself), or shopping … or turtles. But if you like food, take notes.

Sometimes the best restaurants are tucked away in hard-to-find corners. Like La Crepe en Haut. It was on the second floor above a fountain courtyard with boutiques. Very quiet, select, reserved. No big signs for this one.

La Crepe en Haute has been open since 1979, although I’m not sure how long Jeffrey, our server, has been with them. He was blonde, mature, funny, engaging, expert about his wine and food. In other words, “like butter.” Good service can make an ordinary meal better, but in this case it made an exceptional meal even more memorable.

It also helped to know I was sitting at John Travolta’s favorite table.

Photo Gallery

On the town in Daytona

We stared with a crab cake appetizer, lump crab with just enough spice and something to make it stick together, at least until the fork made contact. Then it melted apart. The salad was unusual, a stack-salad of fresh, blood-red tomato slices, layered with aged Stilton cheese on a bed of baby greens, with a balsamic vinaigrette, and, the secret: a touch of port. Broiled grouper with a crab topping was fine, but I should have had the exquisite ahi tuna with roasted fresh veggies that my friend chose. Last, of course, Crepe Pralinee and Crepe aux fraises. This is a restaurant that elicits “food envy” … you want to taste every plate you see being carried past, start to second-guess your choices, feel an urgent need to return and taste everything on the menu. (I had to restrain myself from plunging my fork into a scallop at the next table over.) Now, I couldn’t afford to eat here every night, but vacations are for splurges.

We offset the splurge by more restrained choices the next day. The Dancing Avocado Kitchen is a downtown staple. Cheerful, informal décor (brightly painted furniture invites lingering), fresh ingredients, yummy omelettes, guacamole that makes you realize what it should taste like. Their green cactus salsa is a must-try, and the habanero will pick-you-and-pucker-you right up. Good choice for breakfast or lunch and an excellent value for home-made, quality food.

Inlet Harbor Marina and Restaurant is a casual, waterfront, family place, with live music and dancing. Grab a spot on the deck and have a brew. (www.inletharbor.com) This isn’t a place to come for the food but for the ambiance and to get happy.

But what made me even happier was dinner our last night at Chops. Start with a drink in the patio bar, then move inside to dine. The sushi grade tuna cocktail was divine, as was the Red Oak Salad Greens, followed by osso bucco (a bit much for one … could have shared.) Steaks and seafood all looked scrumptious. I didn’t have room for the banana bread Napoleon with vanilla bean ice cream but I did manage to swallow a bit (OK, the whole thing) of crème brulee. Then I waddled back to the hotel.

Daytona Beach has oodles of cafes, small ethnic restaurants, pizza… but they also have some very fine upscale options. Check with the CVB for recommendations or guidance.

Fishing and Sailing:

Daytona has it all. Rent a charter with a captain and everything you could need, or a little boat and some equipment. Kayak the inter-coastal. Head for the deep sea. Book a morning or afternoon for the whole family on a sailboat and learn sailing basics from a crusty chock-full-of-stories sailor. The best start is to get the Visitor’s Guide from the CVB and make a few calls for specifics. Often requires reservations so don’t leave it until the last minute. www.daytonabeach.com.

Chocolate:

Schedule a visit to the Angell & Phelps Chocolate Factory in downtown Daytona Beach to time with a free mini-tour (and not just for the free samples.) I learned a lot, like how 88 degrees is the perfect temperature for making candy: melted but not too hot. They make their candy here the old-fashioned way, in copper kettles with wooden paddles. Some of the original machinery from 1925 is still working. It’s a limited operation, with quality products. And if you’ve ever wanted to try a chocolate-coated potato chip, this is your chance. (www.angellandphelps.com.)

Shopping:

Since you’re in Daytona, you can expect to find an impressive Harley Davidson dealership, with cycles themselves and everything a biker could crave to go with it. Plus a 1950s style diner. www.daytonahd.com

Drive down to New Smyrna Beach for the Flagler Avenue shops and Canal Street Merchants (art galleries, gifts, boutiques, consignment, and more. This is what I call “vacation shopping” … nothing you need but you’ll get something anyway.

Take a few minutes after eating at the Dancing Avocado or visiting the Chocolate Factory to stroll the antique, boutique, jewelry and gift shops downtown.

The Shoppes at Ocean Walk Village feature specialty shops, a movie theater, restaurants and bars.

There are several smaller malls and shopping centers. One of my personal favorites is Bealls (think Kohl’s but more Florida feel.) I could go down with an empty suitcase and come back with a summer wardrobe … great prices, sales and quality.

Turtles:

Daytona area beaches are where giant loggerhead turtles often lay their eggs in season. They come op on the beach in the middle of the night, dig deep holes, lay quantities of eggs, cover the nests and go back to the sea. The eggs hatch weeks later, also in the night, and the hatchlings make a mad scramble for the sea. There are restrictions on lights shining by the ocean during nesting season as the hatchlings are drawn to the brightness of the white-caps and can get turned around if there are other lights. Volunteers walk the beaches every morning looking for the signs of a new nest, which is then protected with a posting or fence.

The Marine Science Center of Volusia County is a rehabilitation center (from Intensive Care to health) for sea turtles and sea birds. There’s a bird sanctuary, turtle rehab unit, aquariums, exhibits… a living classroom with hand-on opportunities for kids and parents. I really enjoyed it, especially with a guided tour packed with info. It’s down towards the Lighthouse (last week’s column), so combining these two stops with lunch at a waterfront café makes for a good family day.

This wraps up the series on Daytona beach. Next week is … well, I’m not sure yet. But upcoming July columns will be about Montreal (I’m there July 3-8) and then … who knows?