Florida
Need ideas for Valentine’s Day dinner? List ranks 8 most romantic restaurants in Florida
Valentine’s Day table setting HGTV Table Wars Wilfredo Emanuel
Wilfredo Emanuel, a finalist on HGTV’s “Table Wars,” gives a step-by-step guide on how to make a special Valentine’s Day table setting.
Landon Bost, Naples Daily News
Love is in the air. Or at least, it definitely will be once you sit down with a nicely prepared meal in an enchanting eatery.
Valentine’s Day is fast approaching and if you haven’t locked in those prized dinner reservations, you might want to get on that quickly.
But if you still need ideas for where to take your significant other, FloridaRentals.com released their report based on eight restaurants in Florida that will certainly woo your partner.
Experts combed through customer reviews, menu, service, and ambiance to determine the most intimate and romantic spots in the state. From seafood scenes in the Panhandle to cultural delights in Southwest Florida, there’s something for everyone and their desires.
When is Valentine’s Day 2024?
Valentine’s Day this year lands in the middle of the week on Wednesday, Feb. 14.
Here are the study’s top eight most romantic restaurants in Florida:
The Cook & Cork, Coral Springs
Looking for a great atmosphere, fantastic wine list and delicious menu? The study says that The Cook & Cork is the perfect spot.
Located at 9890 W. Sample Road, the Coral Springs restaurant is already opening up reservations for the upcoming holiday. Their website promises that “love is on the menu,” adding that there will be specials in store.
The study highlights this award-winning Daytona Beach restaurant that offers upscale Italian cuisine. It further shares that The Cellar Restaurant “has an intimate atmosphere with an extensive wine list and menu with all your homemade Italian favorites.”
It’s found in the historic district of the beach at 220 Magnolia Avenue.
Seagar’s Restaurant, Miramar Beach
This well-known Destin-area steakhouse has an award-winning 600-label wine list, original fresh seafood dishes, and aged Prime USDA steaks. Nothing says romance more than the perfect combination of steak and seafood.
Seagar’s Restaurant is located at 4000 Sandestin Boulevard South in Miramar Beach.
The menu at The French is full of casual French classics, lighter fare and coastal dishes. Described in the Naples Daily News as a beautiful brasserie located on Fifth Avenue South, the atmosphere vibrant while its meals transports those to Paris.
Osteria Tulia, Naples
Along the same street, Naples’ Osteria Tulia serves up some of the most delicious rustic Italian cuisine inside a restored Italian farmhouse.
With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, their website reminds patrons make sure to book their reservations now. You can even view their special holiday menu here.
Soco, Orlando
Located right in Orlando’s Thornton Park area, Soco offers contemporary Southern cuisine. The study notes that they have an award-winning chef that brings classic dishes to life with a fantastic twist.
Collage Restaurant, St. Augustine
Collage has an eclectic menu, which their website says focuses on local farms, seafood and international flavor profiles. Found at 60 Hypolita Street in downtown St. Augustine, patrons can dine on fresh dishes prepared from scratch.
Bonus points for taking your partner to the most romantic city in the entire state, as determined in multiple rankings within the last few years.
Kitchen, West Palm Beach
Described as a contemporary American Brasserie, the Kitchen strives to focus on flavorful, fresh food. The study mentions the homemade desserts as well.
It has two locations in West Palm Beach; one at 319 Belvedere Rd, #2 and the other at 5250 Donald Ross Rd, #100.
Florida
Golf roundup: Austin Smotherman plays ‘boring, simple’ to expand lead in Florida
Austin Smotherman will carry a three-stroke lead into the weekend at the Cognizant Classic at The Palm Beaches.
Smotherman followed his opening 62 with a 2-under-par 69 on Friday at PGA National’s Champion Course in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. That brought him to 11 under, comfortably clear of Taylor Moore, who is in second after his second straight 4-under 67.
Cognizant Classic scoreboard
“Yeah, leading a PGA Tour event, come on, pretty awesome,” Smotherman said.
Smotherman, 31, is in fine position for his first win on the PGA Tour since turning pro a decade ago. He has won three times on the Korn Ferry Tour, including last June.
Afterwards, he credited himself with playing “Austin Smotherman golf.” When asked what that meant, he responded, “as boring and simple as it can be.
“That’s what I want to do out there. I feel like I ball strike it good enough to have that kind of boring golf, a bunch of fairways ideally,” he said.
He suffered three bogeys Friday after a bogey-free opening round, but the key stretch for him after starting on the back nine was between Nos. 17 and 3. He birdied four holes in that stretch, starting with a 54-foot bomb at the par-3 17th hole.
“Anything under par I thought would have been (good) following up a round like yesterday, which was a special one,” he said, “and try not to get too far ahead of myself thinking I’m going to make every long putt I’m looking at, like kind of was the feeling yesterday, and then today I still make a 55-footer on 17.”
Moore overcame a bogey in each half of his round with three birdies on either nine, more than counterbalancing the rough patches to earn his second straight solid score.
“I think very different 67s,” Moore said when comparing his rounds. “I didn’t hit many fairways yesterday, kind of grinded a lot, had a couple chip-ins, which obviously helps. I thought I struck the ball much better today. Drove it in the fairways on the par-5s, I felt like. Yeah, still had a few up-and- downs, obviously, with the tough windy conditions this afternoon, but overall I thought it was solid.”
Canadian A.J. Ewart had the round of the day, a 64 that powered him to 7 under for the week. He’s tied with Colombia’s Nico Echavarria (72), and Joel Dahmen is in fifth at 6 under after a second consecutive 68.
Ewart, who played for nearby Barry University in college, came in with some familiarity.
“We used to come and watch this tournament when I was at school. I think I came up here twice, maybe three times and watched,” Ewart said. “I had never actually played the golf course, but I felt like I knew it just from watching it.”
Irishman Shane Lowry, one of the most recognizable players in the field, is in a large knot for sixth at 5 under after posting a 67. Defending champion Joe Highsmith made the cut on the number at even par.
Notable players who missed the cut included Webb Simpson (1 over), Gary Woodland (2 over), Matt Kuchar (2 over) and Canada’s Adam Hadwin (3 over).
Kim maintains narrow lead in Singapore
Auston Kim maintained a narrow lead over three seasoned competitors with a 3-under-par 69 on Friday at the HSBC Women’s World Championship in Singapore.
Kim carded five birdies and a double-bogey at the par-5 16th hole at Sentosa Golf Club to move to 9-under par, one shot ahead of major champions Minjee Lee of Australia (64 on Friday) and Thailand’s Ariya Jutanugarn (67) and three- time LPGA Tour winner Haeran Ryu of South Korea (68).
Lurking two shots back at 7-under in the no-cut event are Australia’s Hannah Green (66), Denmark’s Nanna Koerstz Madsen (68), Sweden’s Linn Grant (69) and England’s Mimi Rhodes (69).
Kim, an LPGA Tour member since 2024, has been knocking on the door of her first tour win. The American has eight finishes in the top 10 and was the runner-up at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship last season.
“I think just sticking to my process. I’m trying to earn each shot and win each shot and win each day,” Kim, 25, said of her strategy heading into the weekend. “I can put a hundred percent of my focus into every single shot and try my best to execute each time, I’ll do well.”
Lee soared into contention with an eagle at the par-4 second hole and six birdies in a bogey-free round.
“I think just I holed a few more putts out there,” Lee said of the difference between Friday’s play and her opening-round of 72. “I holed a few long ones and I also holed out for eagle on the second. That always helps the score.”
Jutanugarn had six birdies, including three straight from holes Nos. 5-7, and one bogey.
Ryu collected four birdies in a round free of bogeys, but not free from pain.
“Today, my neck was so bad and I cannot turn it around, it’s so hard, my neck,” Ryu said. “But yeah, golf is not perfect. I just think about it, just hit the fairway and the green. Yeah, that’s good for me. There’s a lot of birdies, and yeah, I’m so happy.”
Angel Yin matched Lee for the low round of the day with a 64 to move into a tie for ninth at 6-under.
Defending champion Lydia Ko of New Zealand (72) remained a 2-under posting four birdies and four bogeys.
World No. 1 Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand is tied for 33rd at 1-under after a round of 70.
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