Hyatt Regency Offers Rockin’ Restaurant-Fiorenzo!

Wonderful cheeses! Exotic fruits, meats, and nuts made up terrific appetizers!

Lamb Chops from Colorado, Risotto, goats cheese. Unreal tastes!

Chef Jim was a hero to us! His presentations of Yellowtail Snapper and Lampchops entree' were extremely excellent! — Chef Jim was a hero to us! His presentations of Yellowtail Snapper and Lampchops entree’ were extremely excellent!

Chocotini: a Martini that is most memorable. So delicioso!

APtravelnews-November 24^th—The Hyatt Regency Orlando-Orange County Convention Center, Orlando, FL.—We visited the Hyatt’s Fiorenzo Italian Steakhouse after our day at a Manufacturers Fishing Show, for dinner. It turned out to be a highlight of our visit to Orlando! Hopefully, you’ve been reading APtravelnews, so you would have seen that we travel by auto, air, foot, but also on our stomachs. No adventure away from home can be successfully wonderful if the cuisine isn’t. No problem here! Fiorenzo’s Chef James O. Stafford (Jim) is an artist with meats, produce, dairy and sweets! We started out with a Chocotini (Martini with a lace of chocolate) and an appetizer matched to home baked Crostini and delicious Condiments. We chose a selection of smoked Scamorza, Truffled Pecorino and Jamon Iberica( Iberian Ham). Cheeses were “off the grid” terrific and the Wild Boar Salami has a new fan! A tasting cup of Fagiole Soup created with Cannellini Beans, Sweet Italian Sausage, Escarole and Basil Pesto, plus a cup we shared of Spicy Tomato Soup with roasted eggplant, Fregola and Olive oil capped off our appetizer list. At this point It might have been enough for anyone with a smaller appetite, but oh no, not us! Next on our hit list was Yellowtail snapper, one of President G.W. Bush’s favorite fish (recipe in my Calypso Café book) it was a special this night, so we tried their fish entrée and another entrée; Colorado Lamb Chops, complimented by a spread of incredible Risotto. This combo, really brought home Chef Jims expertise. Good, really great Risotto takes a balance of great products and excellent understanding of cooking times and blends, needed for perfection. Jim has it down! From the cheese rolls, to the final assault on our wastes; the desserts, we swooned (probably a bit from the exotic flavored Martini’s too) over the hot chocolate Volcano Bomb (they don’t call it that, but WOWser- oozing chocolate, Filbert nuts, red raspberries, and, and I do mean: “and” Cinnamon Gelato! Promise; this was incredibly tasty and memorable. Barb went for her favorite: Tiramisu. I tasted it and found out once again why it’s a heavenly Italian treat. If it’s done correctly, almost nothing can beat it for an end-of dinner delight! Guess we have to go back again for Barbara’s Birthday and again for our Anniversary, and for my Birthday, the kids, the family, the extended family! We loved everything about Fiorenzo. Our waitress Laura Ardron was so attentive and informative about all of the menu items, we felt she was a great asset to Fiorenzo, probably one of the very best wait staff people we ever came across. Get in touch with Fiorenzo Steak House just inside the front door at the Hyatt Regency Orlando across from the Convention Center, at 407-345-4555

Dessert? Oh yes! This hot chocolate and cold Gelato Cinnamon treat was the best!

Lakepoint Resort, EuFaula, Alabama Is a State Park Jewel

**A view as we supped on Southern, hometown fare!**

APtravelnews-Bob and Barb On The Road Again-November 24^th, Lakepoint Resort State Park, Eufaula, Alabama- The resort is located about 7-miles north of historic Eufaula, AL. off of highway 421. The resort as well as the 1,220 park rests adjacent to and on the banks of the scenic 45,200 acre Lake Eufaula, also known as the “Bass Capital of the World.” The park is also located next to the 11,000 acre National Wildlife Refuge. If you want natural quietude amongst delightful natural surroundings, you’ll find it here. If you’re up to enjoyable nightlife, head for the lounge for music and libations, as well as “good eats” at the resort restaurant, or have it both ways, or anyway you like, night and day!

As we travel for the many pursuits we must do, and also enjoy doing, we visit and stay at many different accommodations with so many different and exciting venues that sometimes, our experiences blend into strong memories of delightful places we fish, dine, meet new friends, hike, photograph wildlife, flowers and birds, etc. Well, Lakepoint Resort is not blended, it stands on its own as a terrific place to boat, fish, photograph wildlife, even alligators and relax overlooking Lake Eufaula in their comfortable and memorable restaurant and lounge, sometimes observing predator fish hitting top water at schools of prey fish. At and near the resort there is a swimming complex pool, a campground, cottages and cabins (we stayed in one of their older cabins, it was on a bass pond and perfect) a golf course, a well-stocked marina store at a very modern marina. The resort lodge was impressive with high ceilings, all manner of rooms for special events and private parties, a restaurant that looked over the lake and a cocktail lounge. The outdoor patio area was so peaceful and scenic. Vista views of the lake greeted you from every angle. We were there as writers and also as representatives of both Al’s Goldfish Lures and Click-It Hot warming units. We met up with old acquaintances and broke bread with them again during the South Eastern Outdoor Press Conference being held on the grounds of the resort. The staff was first rate, the foods were quite good for a conference, the cleanliness was without exception, perfect. From what we experienced, everyone loved this venue for our conference. After-all our group is an “outdoor” group, where else could we have had a better conference? We had and experienced the great outdoors in safety and comfort in Eufaula, AL. both in town at their great specialty food party and music of the South and at the beautiful Lake Aufaula.

For information on Lakepoint or other Alabama State Parks call 1-800-ALA-PARK or visit www.alapark.com

Frankie’s Italian Trattoria of Maggie Valley-Sauces and Dishes Unpariel

A mushroom laden plate of Veal Scalopino. So good I couldn't leave any over! — A mushroom laden plate of Veal Scallopini. So good I couldn’t leave any over!

Special shrmp with garlic and a spaghetti that was al dente' grande! This was Barbs plate and the home made breads licked up the last of the sauce too! — Special shrimp with garlic and a spaghetti that was al dente’grande! This was Barbs plate and the home made breads licked up the last of the sauce too!—

APtravelnews-Nov. 19th, Maggie Valley, N.C.-Nothing makes a visit to an area your not familiar with, more familiar and friendly than a great local, Mama Leoni type restaurant. Frankie’s is just that; a terrific mama’s type (homemade with love by mama) restaurant.

With friendly folk all around, even his Honor the Mayor of Waynesville and his wife as well as local successful business folks too, how can you have a bad experience, especially when the food was “killer” great! We also tried one of our table-mates Eggplant dish and after finishing our meal (we only left damp plates) we dove into desserts. Cheesecake rocked us with a topping of delicious strawberries that totally complimented the New York style creamy and tasty cake!

Frankie’s is located at 1037 Soco Rd. Maggie Valley–828-926-5216

Florence, AL. A Visit To the Father of the Blues-W.C. Handy Museum

**Bronze bust of W.C. Handy who loved and made music, but loved G-D more!**

APtravelnews- “Bob and Barb On The Road Again” Nov. 10^th,-Florence, AL.-Unquestionably, a visit to the W.C. Handy Museum; W.C., being the Father of the Blues, was one of the highlights of our visit to Florence, AL. Handy was born in Florence in 1873 in a simple cabin now turned into a museum of his life and music. The hand hewn log structure is original and housed in it is virtual treasure trove library that is a valuable resource center for black history and culture. You will find Handy’s famous trumpet, his personal piano handwritten sheet music, photographs, household furnishings and his bronze bust that faithfully offers a 3-dimensional look at the highly vetted music-man. Handy got much inspiration by the natural sounds of animals and birds in nature such as whippoorwills, owls, bats and sounds he felt and heard in the Cypress Creek wilderness. He envisioned bird calls as notes on the musical scale. Handy composed such special pieces such as the St. Louis Blues, the Memphis Blues and the Beale Street Blues among other favorites in history. Handy was deeply religious and as an educated musician he incorporated folk material in his compositions and so scrupulous in his documentations of his works it allowed musicians around the world to reproduce his musical works.

**Florence does have a favorite historical son!**

The W.C. Handy Music festival is held each July. Musicians from around the world gather for a week- long celebration of music , with events held in Florence and the surrounding Shoals area.

Call for more information: 256-766-9719 www.whandymusicfestival.org