Latest news with #LaurieK.Blandford
Yahoo
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
New restaurants: 2 restaurants recently opened, 2 close, 1 coming soon, 1 makes changes
New restaurants recently opened feature English pub food and authentic Cuban cuisine. In case you missed any of the stories for subscribers that TCPalm previously posted throughout the past month about new restaurants — as well as those coming soon — here's a roundup with links. Click "read the full story" for the name, location, hours, photos, menu highlights, signature dishes and more information about the restaurants, especially exclusive interviews with chefs and owners. If you have restaurant news, please email Port St. Lucie: 10 essential restaurants include Rick's, Lefty's Fort Pierce: 10 essential restaurants include 12A Buoy, Pineapple Joe's Vero Beach: 10 essential restaurants include Ocean Grill, Penny Hill Subs A popular Cuban restaurant on the Space Coast has expanded with a new location on the Treasure Coast to serve authentic Cuban food. Both restaurants honor the nickname the owner and chef gave to his Cuban grandmother. He grew up cooking in her kitchen in Havana. The platter features croquetas, pork chunks, fried plantains prepared lengthwise, a tamale and fried yuca. Port St. Lucie's first craft brewery has become an English soccer pub and brewery. It serves food imported from England that includes Scotch eggs, sausage rolls, fish and chips, bangers and mash, and steak and kidney pies. Even bags of potato chips — 'crisps' — are imported with flavors that include tomato ketchup, pickled onion and prawn cocktail. A new country line dancing bar and restaurant is coming to the Treasure Coast. It's described as the "newest hotspot for great eats, cold drinks and a whole lot of country charm." It plans to serve up classic food and a lineup of western-themed brews. It expects to have weekly line dancing nights and live country music, spiked with a little classic rock. A longtime hole-in-the-wall pizzeria in Fort Pierce closed after 31 years. Its final day of business was June 13, 2025, after it originally opened in 1994. It was known for its pizza, whether it be by the slice or the whole pie, and its popular pepperoni rolls. Fire and Wine in Vero Beach is closed for an "extended summer break" and will announce a reopening date in the future, according to its phone message. The website states: "We are currently closed. Thanks so much for all of your support and patronage. Have a wonderful day!" A 41-year-old restaurant in Fort Pierce recently made some changes to its building, adding thatch-covered outdoor patio tables and barstools to its outdoor dining option. Laurie K. Blandford is TCPalm's entertainment reporter dedicated to finding the best things to do on the Treasure Coast. Email her at Sign up for her What To Do in 772 weekly newsletter at This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: New restaurants: 2 restaurants recently opened, 2 close, 1 coming soon
Yahoo
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Watch live: July 4th fireworks light up Port St. Lucie, Fort Pierce, Vero Beach, Sebastian
Get ready for a fireworks-filled three-day July Fourth weekend. Fireworks will light up the sky from Sebastian to Stuart on Friday, July 4, 2025. All July 4th events in Martin, St. Lucie and Indian River counties are free unless otherwise noted. This year, a new fireworks show has been added in the area, and another can be streamed online to watch live. Here's where to see Fourth of July fireworks shows across the Treasure Coast this year. When: 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., fireworks at 9 p.m. Where: Riverview Park, 600 U.S. 1 What: Parade along Indian River Drive from Sebastian Community Center and Davis Street to Riverview Park at U.S. 1 and County Road 512 starts 8:30 a.m.; festival with live music, vendors and games from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Website: When: 5-9 p.m., fireworks at 9 p.m. Where: Riverside Park, 3001 Riverside Park Drive What: Food trucks, bounce houses, face painting, live music, beer and wine for sale, fireworks synchronized to music Website: New restaurants: 2 restaurants recently opened, 2 close, 1 coming soon, 1 makes changes Best beaches: Top 16 beaches in Fort Pierce, near Port St. Lucie include Blind Creek nude beach When: 6-9:30 p.m., fireworks at 9 p.m. Where: Marina Square, 1 Avenue A What: Live music, food vendors Website: Watch: When: 11 a.m. Where: Meet at the turning basin just north of the South Causeway Bridge at 10:45 a.m. What: Fort Pierce Yacht Club's 15th annual event where boats are decorated in red, white and blue. Boaters should use Channel 81 to communicate. Website: When: 4-10 p.m., fireworks at 9 p.m. Where: MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Event Center, 9221 S.E. Event Center Place What: Live music, food-eating contest, food and drinks, family-friendly entertainment Website: When: 5-9 p.m., fireworks at 9 p.m. Where: Tradition Square, 10489 S.W. Meeting St., Port St. Lucie What: Live music, food trucks Website: When: 4-10:15 p.m., fireworks at 9 p.m. Where: Flagler Park, 201 S.W. Flagler Ave. What: Food trucks, live music on Riverwalk Stage from 7-10:15 p.m., children's activities from 4-8 p.m.; third annual golf cart parade at 10 a.m. costs $25 to enter Website: When: 6-9:15 p.m., fireworks at 9 p.m. Where: Newfield Farm Lawn, 1050 S.W. Prairie Ave., Palm City What: Live music, food trucks, games; $10 per vehicle for non-residents, free for residents, registration required Website: When: 5-11 p.m., fireworks at 9 p.m. Where: Timer Powers Park, 21479 S.W. Citrus Blvd., Indiantown What: Music, vendors, a kids' zone, food trucks Website: Laurie K. Blandford is TCPalm's entertainment reporter dedicated to finding the best things to do on the Treasure Coast. Email her at Sign up for her What To Do in 772 weekly newsletter at This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Watch live: July 4th fireworks Port St. Lucie, Fort Pierce, Vero Beach
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
New restaurants serve smoked BBQ baked potatoes, brick-oven pizzas, handcrafted soups
New restaurants recently opened feature smoked barbecue baked potatoes, brick-oven pizzas, handcrafted soups and homemade biscuits. In case you missed any of the stories for subscribers that TCPalm previously posted throughout the past month about new restaurants — as well as those coming soon — here's a roundup with links. Click "read the full story" for the name, location, hours, photos, menu highlights, signature dishes and more information about the restaurants, especially exclusive interviews with chefs and owners. If you have restaurant news, please email A new brunch restaurant has opened with a breakfast menu featuring savory eggs Benedict, old-fashioned buttermilk pancakes, waffles, omelets and healthy options. Its lunch menu includes over a dozen sandwich and wrap options, fresh and vegetable-filled salads and homemade soups. A new Venezuelan-American cafe has opened in a unique location: inside a car dealership. It's the second location for the owners, who are from Caracas, Venezuela. The menu includes empanadas, pastries, sandwiches and desserts. A new restaurant specializes in handcrafted soups and homemade biscuits. It serves a rotating selection of handcrafted soups, such as hearty corn chowder and California marinade vegetable beef soup, as well as "sides you crave" — including cheddar garlic buttermilk biscuits. Read the full story. A new brewery and restaurant with craft beer and cocktails has opened. It's the second location of the brewery after opening their first location in Yaphank, Long Island, New York. The Port St. Lucie location is the same concept with a similar menu, a full bar, craft-style beers, brick-oven pizzas and TVs with seating outside. Read the full story. An authentic Italian pizzeria named after focaccia bread has opened. The new restaurant is open for lunch and dinner and offers free delivery. The menu features specialty pizzas, as well as pizza in "teglia," or pizza in the pan, and appetizers, salads, calzones, strombolis, cold and hot subs and desserts. A barbecue taphouse with a full bar and live music has opened. It serves smoked baked potato, homemade chili and Frito pie, and it features weekly chef's specials, such as jalapeno poppers, BBQ egg rolls, and 'Tipsy Texan' and 'Sloppy Hog' sandwiches. Brewery changes: Sailfish Brewing Co. in Fort Pierce adds craft liquor, cocktails New indoor adventure park: Ride go-karts, play arcade games, plus bowling, glow mini golf 15 best beaches in Vero Beach: Jaycee Park, South Beach, Round Island, Sebastian Inlet Port St. Lucie's first craft brewery is becoming an English soccer pub and brewery. It plans to serve food imported from England that includes Scotch eggs, sausage rolls, fish and chips, bangers and mash, and steak and kidney pies. Even bags of potato chips — 'crisps' — are imported with flavors that include tomato ketchup, pickled onion and prawn cocktail. Laurie K. Blandford is TCPalm's entertainment reporter dedicated to finding the best things to do on the Treasure Coast. Email her at Sign up for her What To Do in 772 weekly newsletter at This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: New restaurants recently opened Port St. Lucie, Fort Pierce Vero Beach
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Yahoo
Memorial Day weekend: 6 best beginner surf spots in Fort Pierce, Jensen Beach, Stuart
Surf's up this Memorial Day weekend. If you can find a wave during the flat days of summer in Florida, it's the best time of year to learn how to surf, or for beginner surfers to get better. It's always best to avoid crowded locations with experienced surfers such as the Sebastian Inlet and Fort Pierce Inlet state parks. Here are six of the best surfing spots for beginners from north to south on the Treasure Coast. Location: North State Road A1A, 4 miles north of Fort Pierce Inlet State Park or 9 miles south of Vero Beach Avalon is a good beach for beginning and intermediate surfers that's off the beaten path, but it's unguarded. The waves break outside and travel along a sandbar, making for a long ride. It's a good place for longboard and fun-shape boards. With a long stretch of beach available, surfers can spread out and find waves easily. Location: 3302 N. State Road A1A, Fort Pierce Pepper Park has a series of sandbars that creates a casual break. The beach's outer shoals prevent waves from getting too big. It has lifeguards who watch for bad weather conditions, rip currents and marine life, including sharks and Portuguese men-of-war. Location: 10350 S. Ocean Drive, Jensen Beach Waveland doesn't have an outside barrier reef to break down the waves when the swell gets big, but the beach typically has a soft wave during the summer. Plus, it has lifeguards. One additional benefit to surfers is that no fishing is allowed at this public beach access. Wavegarden: Treasure Coast surfer gives personal account of Fort Pierce surf park to come Staff pick: Entertainment reporter loves Fort Pierce beach for surfing Location: 9200 S. Ocean Drive, Jensen Beach Dollman is good for beginners on small-wave days. It has small and big wave breaks that make it a great place to go during the summer. Catching waves at mid-tide — about two hours after dead low tide or two hours before full high tide — works best for all the St. Lucie County spots. Location: 4191 N.E. Ocean Blvd., Jensen Beach Jensen is used for surf for lessons, taking beginners to different parts of the beach, which has lifeguards. Near low tide, the sandbar is knee- to waist-deep, so it's perfect for smaller waves. That's when a little 1- to 2-foot wave can be found rolling through. Location: 889 N.E. Ocean Blvd., Stuart Stuart is used for surf lessons, taking beginners to the south end near the dirt parking lot. It has a little break and isn't too deep, and the beach has lifeguards. Go just before or just after low tide — a two- to three-hour window. Otherwise, the water can be too deep for 1- to 2-foot waves to break over the sandbar. Laurie K. Blandford is TCPalm's entertainment reporter dedicated to finding the best things to do on the Treasure Coast. Email her at Sign up for her What To Do in 772 weekly newsletter at This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Memorial Day weekend: Best surfing Fort Pierce, Jensen Beach, Stuart
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
DOGE cuts close Social Security offices across U.S. What about Treasure Coast locations?
Social Security offices across the U.S. are slated to close as part of cuts by the Department of Government Efficiency. Of the 47 offices expected to close, the only one listed in Florida is the Melbourne location, which is scheduled to close May 16. It didn't include the Port St. Lucie location or the Vero Beach location. The Social Security Administration has two locations on the Treasure Coast: 6810 S. U.S. 1, Port St. Lucie 724 20th St., Vero Beach DOGE cuts: Social Security hearing office in Melbourne to close PSL protest: Demonstrators in Port St. Lucie decry cuts to Social Security The Social Security office on Dairy Road in Brevard County, which is slated to close amid federal spending cuts orchestrated by the Elon Musk-led DOGE, is the home of the Office of Hearings Operations locally. The office provides hearings and appeals to those seeking benefits. Both Social Security offices that provide direct services in Brevard County — at 1715 W. NASA Blvd. in Melbourne and 310 Canaveral Groves Blvd. in Cocoa — remain open and aren't on the DOGE list of closures. Laurie K. Blandford is TCPalm's entertainment reporter dedicated to finding the best things to do on the Treasure Coast. Email her at Sign up for her What To Do in 772 weekly newsletter at This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: DOGE closes Social Security offices; not Vero Beach, Port St. Lucie
