I’m currently writing this post in a bus from O’hare to Madison. The foggy, rainy midwest spring weather makes me want to click my heels and wake up from a nap on a beach in Florida. I owe the trip a post for giving me sunshine, great food, and quality time with the fam!
While my parents and I stayed in Boca Grande, we took some time off the beach to explore the hot spots on the island. As a small island, the activities could be simply summarized in this sign…
While we were on the island, we often ate at Temptation, AKA “The Temp”. This restaurant is the oldest restaurant in Boca Grande. According to Peter Ffolliott from the Boca Grade Historical Society & Museum, teenagers would come to Temptation in the 50’s to listen to Dora Addison ( one of the owners ) play piano along with a homemade “gutbucket” bass played by a sailor stationed at the Coast Guard quarters by Boca Grande lighthouse. The teenagers would dance until the adults kicked them out when happy hour started!
This restaurant continues to be a local hit with their fresh seafood and old Florida vibes. Inside the restaurant, there are paintings and decor that are a blast from the past.
My family and I reached a consensus that our favorite dish at the Temp was the Bronzed Grouper with Piccata Sauce. It was LIGHTS OUT, AMAZING. The Temp’s piccata sauce and grouper were a match made in heaven.
Before we ordered our groupers, we told our waitress to set aside a coconut cake for us because they run out quickly. This heavenly cake had a light, fluffy icing and dense middle.
Because the island was small and quiet ( especially for my age group – unlike the 50’s ), we explored other areas in Southwest Florida. My parents and I drove from Boca Grande to Naples to meet up with my sorority sisters who were staying in the area.
My ~sistas and I agreed to meet up at The Bowl.
Kylee Brinkman founded The Bowl after years of traveling to California and Hawaii where there’s a surplus of health food eateries. When she and her husband moved to Naples, she noticed that there weren’t as many health food places and decided to fill the gap with açai!
The Bowl is a small and locally owned business in Naples. They serve açai bowls with organic and local ingredients – ensuring the highest quality of fruits. Best of all, the bowls are layered with granola, so you get a crunch with every bite.
The Bowl offers six different bowls: AB&J ( Açaí, blueberries, strawberries, banana, almond butter, almond milk ), Barefoot Bodie ( Açaí, strawberries, blueberries, banana, peanut butter, hemp milk ), Berry + Green (Açaí, blueberries, strawberries, spinach, apple juice ), Cacao ( Açaí, banana, cacao, coconut milk ), Green Tide ( Açaí, strawberries, banana, spirulina, apple juice ), and Key West ( Açaí, pineapple, mango, banana, coconut milk ).
You can bet that yours truly ordered the Cacao Bowl. #YUMM!
I LOVE acai bowls but sometimes having a whole bowl of fruit is too sweet for my liking. The Cacao was perfect because it has the chocolate I love, but didn’t taste too sweet. The cacao nibs on the top were the icing on the cake. Definitely would recommend the Cacao flavor. Try blending up your own cacao bowl with this recipe !
OH, I almost forgot…
The Bowl serves kombucha and cold brew coffee… on TAP! The bev’s were also made locally. I never thought I’d see probiotics on tap instead of craft beer. I’ve a feeling we’re not in Wisconsin anymore…
I got the cold brew with coconut milk and absolutely loved it. Cold brew has a smoother, less acidic and chocolate-y taste to it. Cold brew also has a better punch of caffeine. I occasionally enjoy coconut milk in my coffee as a sweetener substitute.
We dove into the downtown area of Naples and walked around Fifth Avenue, then I met up with my mom on Third Avenue to check out the store Sequin.
My mom and I immediately were drawn into the store by the glam dresses. Have sequins, will follow.
Sequin has a vintage x romantic aesthetic.
I adored the unique style of their jewelry. My mom and I spent more time than we would like to admit trying on the necklaces and bracelets. Nothing says mother – daughter bonding like dressing up with accessories!
As to our favorite accessory…
Post vacay feels, am I right?
( Yes, we did get the charm! )
May the countdown to next year’s spring break begin! I’m already looking forward to eating and shopping my way through the next trip!
As for this bus ride, my heels will be sore tomorrow :/
What are you favorite finds in Florida?