Southwood Kitchen is one of the top restaurants along the Eastern Shore, and Chef/Owner Jeremiah Matthews has some new concepts in store. Imagine my surprise when I sat down with Jeremiah and he told me he was friends with my late nephew. I always enjoy meeting people who knew De, or Ben as he was known to his friends.

Expect the unexpected. It happens often when I sit down to do an interview. In this case, it was with Christie and Darren Costello at their store in West Pensacola. Several people had mentioned that I should do a story on Costello’s Butcher and Deli, so I sought them out. The kicker was they have Wagyu Beef Hot Dogs. Interesting…

There is a really cool new general store in downtown Mobile called Do Goods Mercantile Company at 202 St. Michael Street! The brainchild of Annie and Christopher Persinger, they will celebrate the store’s first anniversary this month.

People from Ohio that I’ve met in the Scenic 98 Coastal area, are especially knowledgeable when it comes to sports. What I’ve discovered is that there is a mid-western tenacity to get involved and make a difference in their communities. We are lucky that those who have migrated to the Gulf Coast have so many ties to all things Sports!

There is new design-inspired energy taking place in Pensacola, and it’s unfolding before us with great anticipation. Local power couple Lauren and Rafael Simpson are behind the upscale renovations and developments in both furniture and interior design and boutique restaurant offerings. Their story is one of fast-paced vision and a sense of place, where giving back to the community is at the top of their mind.

Linda and I have occasionally done business with Eastern Shore ACE Hardware in Spanish Fort over the years. Linda first discovered it while looking for nice wharf chairs for friends in Point Clear. I remember her telling me how nice the owner was, She did indeed have some chairs made and delivered, and they were a big hit, and are still in use today.

Did you know that there are 15 million people who live close enough to drive to Gulf Shores and Orange Beach in a day? That’s a lot of folks who can enjoy the beautiful white sand beaches and warm temperatures for pretty much the entire year.

I thought about telling our three adult (and married) daughters, “If your dad ever retires, we’ve decided to move to Alaska and become homesteaders” just to see their reaction. Would they just roll their eyes, and talk among themselves about how their parents had lost their minds?