Latest news with #LaurieK.Blandford
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
New restaurants serve smoked BBQ baked potatoes, brick-oven pizzas, handcrafted soups
New restaurants recently opened feature smoked barbecue baked potatoes, brick-oven pizzas, handcrafted soups and homemade biscuits. In case you missed any of the stories for subscribers that TCPalm previously posted throughout the past month about new restaurants — as well as those coming soon — here's a roundup with links. Click "read the full story" for the name, location, hours, photos, menu highlights, signature dishes and more information about the restaurants, especially exclusive interviews with chefs and owners. If you have restaurant news, please email A new brunch restaurant has opened with a breakfast menu featuring savory eggs Benedict, old-fashioned buttermilk pancakes, waffles, omelets and healthy options. Its lunch menu includes over a dozen sandwich and wrap options, fresh and vegetable-filled salads and homemade soups. A new Venezuelan-American cafe has opened in a unique location: inside a car dealership. It's the second location for the owners, who are from Caracas, Venezuela. The menu includes empanadas, pastries, sandwiches and desserts. A new restaurant specializes in handcrafted soups and homemade biscuits. It serves a rotating selection of handcrafted soups, such as hearty corn chowder and California marinade vegetable beef soup, as well as "sides you crave" — including cheddar garlic buttermilk biscuits. Read the full story. A new brewery and restaurant with craft beer and cocktails has opened. It's the second location of the brewery after opening their first location in Yaphank, Long Island, New York. The Port St. Lucie location is the same concept with a similar menu, a full bar, craft-style beers, brick-oven pizzas and TVs with seating outside. Read the full story. An authentic Italian pizzeria named after focaccia bread has opened. The new restaurant is open for lunch and dinner and offers free delivery. The menu features specialty pizzas, as well as pizza in "teglia," or pizza in the pan, and appetizers, salads, calzones, strombolis, cold and hot subs and desserts. A barbecue taphouse with a full bar and live music has opened. It serves smoked baked potato, homemade chili and Frito pie, and it features weekly chef's specials, such as jalapeno poppers, BBQ egg rolls, and 'Tipsy Texan' and 'Sloppy Hog' sandwiches. Brewery changes: Sailfish Brewing Co. in Fort Pierce adds craft liquor, cocktails New indoor adventure park: Ride go-karts, play arcade games, plus bowling, glow mini golf 15 best beaches in Vero Beach: Jaycee Park, South Beach, Round Island, Sebastian Inlet Port St. Lucie's first craft brewery is becoming an English soccer pub and brewery. It plans to serve food imported from England that includes Scotch eggs, sausage rolls, fish and chips, bangers and mash, and steak and kidney pies. Even bags of potato chips — 'crisps' — are imported with flavors that include tomato ketchup, pickled onion and prawn cocktail. Laurie K. Blandford is TCPalm's entertainment reporter dedicated to finding the best things to do on the Treasure Coast. Email her at Sign up for her What To Do in 772 weekly newsletter at This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: New restaurants recently opened Port St. Lucie, Fort Pierce Vero Beach
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Yahoo
Memorial Day weekend: 6 best beginner surf spots in Fort Pierce, Jensen Beach, Stuart
Surf's up this Memorial Day weekend. If you can find a wave during the flat days of summer in Florida, it's the best time of year to learn how to surf, or for beginner surfers to get better. It's always best to avoid crowded locations with experienced surfers such as the Sebastian Inlet and Fort Pierce Inlet state parks. Here are six of the best surfing spots for beginners from north to south on the Treasure Coast. Location: North State Road A1A, 4 miles north of Fort Pierce Inlet State Park or 9 miles south of Vero Beach Avalon is a good beach for beginning and intermediate surfers that's off the beaten path, but it's unguarded. The waves break outside and travel along a sandbar, making for a long ride. It's a good place for longboard and fun-shape boards. With a long stretch of beach available, surfers can spread out and find waves easily. Location: 3302 N. State Road A1A, Fort Pierce Pepper Park has a series of sandbars that creates a casual break. The beach's outer shoals prevent waves from getting too big. It has lifeguards who watch for bad weather conditions, rip currents and marine life, including sharks and Portuguese men-of-war. Location: 10350 S. Ocean Drive, Jensen Beach Waveland doesn't have an outside barrier reef to break down the waves when the swell gets big, but the beach typically has a soft wave during the summer. Plus, it has lifeguards. One additional benefit to surfers is that no fishing is allowed at this public beach access. Wavegarden: Treasure Coast surfer gives personal account of Fort Pierce surf park to come Staff pick: Entertainment reporter loves Fort Pierce beach for surfing Location: 9200 S. Ocean Drive, Jensen Beach Dollman is good for beginners on small-wave days. It has small and big wave breaks that make it a great place to go during the summer. Catching waves at mid-tide — about two hours after dead low tide or two hours before full high tide — works best for all the St. Lucie County spots. Location: 4191 N.E. Ocean Blvd., Jensen Beach Jensen is used for surf for lessons, taking beginners to different parts of the beach, which has lifeguards. Near low tide, the sandbar is knee- to waist-deep, so it's perfect for smaller waves. That's when a little 1- to 2-foot wave can be found rolling through. Location: 889 N.E. Ocean Blvd., Stuart Stuart is used for surf lessons, taking beginners to the south end near the dirt parking lot. It has a little break and isn't too deep, and the beach has lifeguards. Go just before or just after low tide — a two- to three-hour window. Otherwise, the water can be too deep for 1- to 2-foot waves to break over the sandbar. Laurie K. Blandford is TCPalm's entertainment reporter dedicated to finding the best things to do on the Treasure Coast. Email her at Sign up for her What To Do in 772 weekly newsletter at This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Memorial Day weekend: Best surfing Fort Pierce, Jensen Beach, Stuart
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
DOGE cuts close Social Security offices across U.S. What about Treasure Coast locations?
Social Security offices across the U.S. are slated to close as part of cuts by the Department of Government Efficiency. Of the 47 offices expected to close, the only one listed in Florida is the Melbourne location, which is scheduled to close May 16. It didn't include the Port St. Lucie location or the Vero Beach location. The Social Security Administration has two locations on the Treasure Coast: 6810 S. U.S. 1, Port St. Lucie 724 20th St., Vero Beach DOGE cuts: Social Security hearing office in Melbourne to close PSL protest: Demonstrators in Port St. Lucie decry cuts to Social Security The Social Security office on Dairy Road in Brevard County, which is slated to close amid federal spending cuts orchestrated by the Elon Musk-led DOGE, is the home of the Office of Hearings Operations locally. The office provides hearings and appeals to those seeking benefits. Both Social Security offices that provide direct services in Brevard County — at 1715 W. NASA Blvd. in Melbourne and 310 Canaveral Groves Blvd. in Cocoa — remain open and aren't on the DOGE list of closures. Laurie K. Blandford is TCPalm's entertainment reporter dedicated to finding the best things to do on the Treasure Coast. Email her at Sign up for her What To Do in 772 weekly newsletter at This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: DOGE closes Social Security offices; not Vero Beach, Port St. Lucie
Yahoo
16-03-2025
- Yahoo
Staff pick: Entertainment reporter Laurie K. Blandford loves Fort Pierce beach for surfing
TCPalm entertainment reporter Laurie K. Blandford, a Fort Pierce native, loves to enjoy the salt water of the Atlantic Ocean when the weather conditions allow on the Treasure Coast. Her favorite place in the area has remained the same her entire life. Q: What is your favorite spot? Fort Pierce Inlet State Park is the official name, but it was known as "Pay Beach" growing up, and now I call it the "North Jetty." My mom, who also grew up going to the same beach, started taking me there as a baby. As a kid, I built sand castles and climbed the jetty rocks along the inlet. As a teen, I'd park at the "fourth boardwalk" to watch the surfers — never knowing I'd end up learning to surf in my 30s! Q: Describe your spot. The beach is unique because the Fort Pierce Inlet on Florida's East Coast creates a buildup of sand on the north side, as well as waves. The beach changes as the tide goes in and out throughout the day, but the jagged rocks of the north jetty stay the same. Pick one of the four seagrape-lined sandy paths down to the beach to set up your chairs or blankets. The "first boardwalk" closest to the rocks is a popular choice. Q: What do you do there? It's one of the best surfing spots on the East Coast, attracting surfers from across the state when the waves are pumping. That's when it's definitely not for beginners, and I'd recommend other beaches for that. I always look at the conditions online via webcam before going to decide if I need to bring my shortboard for the bigger waves or my longboard for the smaller waves. During the flat summer months, the north jetty becomes one of the best snorkeling spots when the visibility is clear and the water is calm. I've spotted nurse sharks and the biggest snook I've ever seen. Q: What is the cost? It's a state park that's open daily from 8 a.m. until sundown. The cost is $6 per vehicle for up to eight people; $4 per single-occupant vehicle or motorcycle; and $2 for pedestrians, bicyclists or extra passengers. I recommend taking advantage of the Florida State Parks annual entrance pass, which can be used across the state. Laurie K. Blandford is TCPalm's entertainment reporter dedicated to finding the best things to do on the Treasure Coast. Email her at Sign up for her What To Do in 772 weekly newsletter at This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Surfing, snorkeling at Fort Pierce Inlet State Park beach
Yahoo
02-03-2025
- Yahoo
5 facts about Fellsmere, a 110-year-old city on the Treasure Coast
Fellsmere was incorporated as a city 110 years ago. Here are five facts about Fellsmere. Fort Pierce: 5 facts about the 124-year-old city on the Treasure Coast Incorporated as a city in 1915 at headwaters of St. Johns River, the longest in Florida Named after E. Nelson Fell, a New Zealand engineer who devised Florida development project, combined with the Old English word "mere," meaning "watery place" First city south of Mason-Dixon Line to allow women right to vote before 19th Amendment Home to Blue Cypress Lake, one of world's largest osprey nesting sites 'Frog Leg Capital of the World' with annual Frog Leg Festival holding Guinness World Records for most frog legs served in one business day and largest frog leg festival in world Laurie K. Blandford is TCPalm's entertainment reporter dedicated to finding the best things to do on the Treasure Coast. Email her at Sign up for her What To Do in 772 weekly newsletter at This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: 5 facts about Fellsmere, a 110-year-old city on the Treasure Coast
