May 1, 2008 Issue

The view of the Choctawhatchee Bay from the skydeck on the specialty yacht “SOLARIS” is simply terrific!

As part of the Seabreeze Jazz Festival celebration we boarded the Smooth
Jazz Dinner Cruise on Wed., April 18th,, at Baytowne Marina in Sandestin.
With panoramic views of our Emerald Coast, sparkling glasses of red
wine, and delicious dining, we sailed along the Bay waters accompanied by ebullient Festival participants sharing this remarkable experience.

Jazz crooner Tim Camponeschi, known as “Slim Man” and his band, Bona Fide, played their sound on the top deck of SOLARIS under the stars and an almost full moon. It was quite heavenly.

There is something truly magical about music on or near the water. Jazz crooner “Slim Man” delivered his voice and his music in his GQ trim beige suit and crisp white shirt, no tie, all the while holding his fantastic bass guitar close to his body.

Romantic, edgy and appealing were the funky jazz songs and familiar
uptempo music by this Baltimore-based band. It doesn’t get better than gliding underneath the mid-Bay bridge to the tune of “Route 66” at darkness on a starry, starry night with moonlight highlighting the skydeck’s white contemporary stage. The audience moved to the beat, rockin’, snapping their fingers and tapping their toes. When “Slim Man” sang “If I Were A Carpenter” the audience sang along also and moved to the music. A great concert, the right ambiance; one of those right place at the right time moments!
The barman fixed a tasty Irish Coffee for us to take the chill from the breezy night and that added to the overall enchantment of the jazz evening.

You find yourself searching the shoreline for markers as to where you are yet the landlines look less familiar from the water. Several landmarks are easily spotted: the Sandestin tulip-bulb looking watertower, Edgewater Beach’s distinctive silhouette, One Water Place at Kelly Plantation, Choctaw Beach on the north side of the Bay. The bridge span appears black against the night sky with trailer streams of blinking car lights. The Whaling Wall shows most clearly against the horizon.

A special touch aboard the SOLARIS is the multicolored, sparkling mosaic mirror placed on the main deck wall and it reflects the sun’s last shimmering moments on the water. The mosaic mirror, “Solar System” was designed by Fred and Victoria Garley from Navarre. It is a favorite art piece for owners, Gail and Jim Murray. Its placement there offers a sophisticated serenity aboard the yacht.

Don’t miss booking this event for next year. Seabreeze Jazz Festival Jazz Dinner Cruise on SunQuest Cruises is the ultimate dining and entertainment
experience.

More fun filled the week with my outing to Kitchenique in Sandestin for the Thursday night cooking class. Vicki McCain had Nena Prejean, formerly of Nena’s restaurant in Santa Rosa Beach prepare “Dutch Indonesian Dishes To Die For” as part of her April schedule of cooking classes. Nena cooked an exotic dish called Nasi Goreng. (Nasi is rice and Goreng means fried).
Vicki’s menu called for Basmati Rice, Shrimp, Flank Steak, and Green Onions topped with Egg Noodles, Bean Sprouts, Pineapple and Fried Eggs!

There were homemade shrimp crackers and Nena’s favorite Hot Milk Cake.
All took pounds of butter but Nena was cooking for fourteen that night. Two cups of sugar and two cups of flour were added to the cake so it was rich and truly delicious. Red and white wines and water accompanied the fine meal.

The minute Nena started stir-frying the flank steak, we knew we were on to something good. During the cooking, Nena remarked, “A recipe is a collection of thoughts, memories and friends, and a feather touch.” Cheers to Kitchenique, to Vicki McCain and her team.

See you on the beach!

Claire

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