Destin Duchess

A Mom's Guide to the Emerald Coast

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LuLu’s

September 15, 2016 By Molly Leave a Comment

Lucy Buffett (sister of famous singer Jimmy!) brought her crazy, fun Gulf Shores, AL restaurant to Destin in 2015. It’s nestled right on the Choctawhatchee Bay overlooking the Mid-Bay Bridge. LuLu’s prides itself on being a place you can come to escape the chaos of life and enjoy some Gumbo Love.

luluentrance

Our family LOVES LuLu’s! It’s bright and cheery and fun and funky. LuLu’s can get PACKED in the summer, so be prepared to wait. Luckily, there’s a great gift shop to peruse if the wait is long.

lulushrimp

Best of all (in my kids’ eyes), is the huge beach out back.

lulusbeach

We always try to get one of the big picnic tables overlooking the beach so the kids can play to their hearts’ content while we wait on our food. There are plenty of sand toys, hula hoops, beach chairs, corn hole, and even a water feature for the kids to enjoy.

macplaying

LuLu’s Pro Tip: I’d recommend bringing a towel and a change of clothes. It’s amazing how dirty those kids can get. :)

The food at LuLu’s is pretty darn good, and pretty affordable, as far as waterfront dining in Destin goes.

Mac loves the macaroni and cheese and the fresh fruit is actually fresh fruit! Not just a syrupy mess of sugar. The fries are pretty great, too.

macandcheese

lulukidsmenu

My very favorite thing on the menu are the tacos (great with blackened fish or shrimp), but on our most recent trip I tried the Fresh and Fancy Greens with grilled chicken. The ginger lime vinaigrette was fabulous.

salad

lulumenu

Jason loves the fried fish basket or fried fish sandwich. The fried okra is great, too. LuLu’s isn’t exactly the healthiest, but it’s a vacation spot. Calories don’t count!

Our elementary school has spirit night at LuLu’s once a month and the restaurant donates 10% of the night’s sales back to the school.

These cute little cheerleaders (including Julia) cheered their hearts out for the cause. :)

cheer

LuLu’s is perfect for families but is also a nice spot for sunset cocktails on date night. Since the restaurant is across the street from our neighborhood, you can promise we’ll visit many times in the future.

Filed Under: Dining, Where to Eat

Our Family’s Favorite Destin Restaurants

July 6, 2016 By Molly Leave a Comment

It seems there are always friends visiting the Destin area and they always want to know our favorite places to eat. There are so many amazing restaurants in Destin and South Walton, but here is a rundown of our family’s very favorites.

Bijoux

LaPaz Restaurante and Cantina– LaPaz has been in Destin since I was a little girl and it’s always been my favorite. I’ve passed my love of it on to Jason and the kids, too. I know people want seafood when they visit the beach, but if you need a break from fried shrimp, stop by LaPaz for awesome margaritas, the best queso, and some killer Mexican dishes featuring local seafood.

McGuire’s Irish Pub– If you are HUNGRY, you’ve got to visit McGuire’s. Feasting, Imbibery, and Debauchery is the tagline and that’s just what you’ll get in this massive Irish pub. There are dollar bills, Notre Dame memorabilia, and giant moose heads adorning every inch of wall space in this place. The food is actually quite good and the portions are huge. The smoked Ribeye is a favorite of mine, as well as the burgers (you can get crazy toppings including peanut butter and hot fudge!). The kids love the homemade root beer while the grown ups enjoy McGuire’s locally brewed ales.

Boshamps Seafood and Oyster House– Now this is truly a place our entire family loves. Boshamps sits right on Destin’s harbor and has a big beach out back where the kiddos can play. We love going Sunday afternoons for live music. Their Bloody Mary is my favorite in Destin and Jason is partial to their margarita. We usually let the kids place a while then sit down for dinner. They always devour the kids fish basket while I love the sauteed snapper over pasta and spinach. This is a great place with our without kids. I’d recommend going in the afternoon or evening during the hot summer months.

LuLu’s– LuLu’s is similar to Boshamps in that there is a big sandy beach where the kids can play, but the food isn’t quite as good to me. That said, the prices are a bit lower at LuLu’s, so it’s a trade off. LuLu’s is on the bay, right next to the Mid-Bay Bridge and the kids absolutely LOVE playing here. It’s owned by Lucy Buffett, sister of Jimmy Buffett!  The fish tacos and Greek salad with grilled fish have been great the times I’ve ordered them.

Bijoux– Bijoux is one of our top date night spots. In my words, it’s a modern French bistro, but the restaurant’s website describes it as coastal cuisine with a New Orleans flair. Either way,  Jason and I have had some AMAZING meals here. The wine list is great and the crab beignets are the stuff dreams are made of. The fried oyster salad and caramelized pear bread pudding are pretty incredible, also. Definitely a great spot for a special occasion.

Great Southern Cafe– Great Southern is located in the heart of Seaside and is such a fun spot! The menu is full of Southern favorites with a coastal twist (think crab cakes, frog legs, and pimento cheese). We had brunch here after I ran the Seaside Half Marathon a few years ago, and have also had lunch a few times. I love that the menu is so different from every other place on 30A. They also have a huge kids’ menu featuring cheese grits and greens. My kids can mow down some cheese grits so they love it! Great Southern does not take reservations and it can get really busy. Just a head’s up.

There are literally hundreds of restaurants in Destin and along 30A. You could honestly eat somewhere different every day for a year without going back to the same place twice. I love that about our area! This is just a small snippet of what Destin has to offer but they are truly some of our favorites.

What are your Destin and 30A favorites? Happy Eating!

Filed Under: Dining

Donut Hole Bakery Cafe

February 12, 2016 By Molly Leave a Comment

Donut Hole is a Destin institution!

Photo Nov 17, 8 34 11 AM

This place is PACKED any time there are tourists in town (basically half the year) and the line for donuts spills out the door.

Don’t be scared of the line. Most people just want to grab some donuts from the counter and be on their way. You can sit down and eat and enjoy a big, hearty breakfast, 24 hours a day.

I like to treat the kids to a Donut Hole breakfast before school on occasion, but if we’re not there by 7:30, we just might not get a seat.

Photo Nov 17, 7 45 46 AM (1)

Donut Hole is the closest thing Destin has to a truly classic diner and it doesn’t disappoint. Just good, honest, homestyle food that pleases the tiniest tots to the most particular snow birds.

Photo Nov 17, 7 56 13 AM

The kids usually order a donut (they prefer plain glazed or chocolate, while I’d gladly splurge on a red velvet, key lime, or vanilla cream-filled angel). The donuts are huge and fluffy! And of course the donut holes are big kid-pleasers, also.

Photo Nov 17, 7 53 18 AM

I always love to check out the specials board- heuvos rancheros is one of my favorites and, surprise, the portion is enormous.

Photo Nov 17, 8 03 33 AM

The menu is overflowing with breakfast staples, as well as some local favorites, like the Diet Plate. Get a load of that description!

Photo Nov 17, 7 55 24 AM

In addition to the baskets and baskets of fresh donuts, be sure to check out the cases of sticky buns, brownies, cakes, pies, breads, and more.

Photo Nov 17, 8 01 46 AM

You’ve gotta visit Donut Hole at least once (though I’m sure you’d visit again and again)! The original location is right in the heart of Destin near the harbor. For those of you staying on 30A, there is also a South Walton location in Santa Rosa Beach.

Donut Hole Bakery Cafe
635 Harbor Blvd.
Destin, FL 32541
850-837-8824

Filed Under: Dining, Where to Eat

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