7 Delicious Things I Ate On Vacation

On the balcony of our beautiful suite first thing in the morning!

Vacationing with the hubby is always a great time, wherever we venture!  This excursion was no different.  We highly recommend The Diplomat Beach Resort in Hollywood, Florida.  Our stay was simply magnificent from the moment we arrived to the bitter-sweet day we left for the airport headed home.  Superb customer service upon encounter with our beautiful front desk clerk Neka, and the continual concierge love we received with every request, made each day pure heaven.  But what made this stay that much more amazing for me was the fact that this was a Chef Geoffrey Zakarian culinary curated hotel!  What an honor to be staying at a hotel where the Iron Chef himself has personally touched each dish we'd be devouring from the Diplomat! 

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Point Royal's Crab Croquettes w/ Comeback Sauce. PhotoCred: Phylicia K. of Hollywood, FL

Click heOur first tasty engagement occurred at the Point Royal Restaurant located right past the bar leading out to the pool and beach area.  I had the Crab Croquettes accompanied with Chef GZ's infamous "Comeback Sauce" and a side of Buttered Broccolini.  The hubby had the St. Tropez Turkey Club and a side of seasoned fresh cut fries. 
The Verdict: I felt the crab croquettes lacked flavor.  I was somewhat disappointed that I didn't taste the sea-sweetness of fresh crab in these little bites.  While I was thankful they were not loaded down with stuffing/breading like some, basic bland crabmeat rolled in panko and deep fried, unfortunately allowed much to be desired.  Not to mention I was saddened by the very sauce I've seen Chef make on TV.  The 'Comeback Sauce' reminded me of the combination of a well known salad dressing sandwich spread and ketchup mix.  Thankfully my palate was saved with the broccolini which was prepared to perfection!  And the hubby's club sandwich was fresh, delicious, and exactly how I would make it!!  Trust, adding sliced boiled egg and avocado to a traditional club sandwich makes everything right with the world!re to edit.

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My Point Royal made-to-order-omelette: Spinach, Mushroom, Onion filled with Smoked Salmon, Goat Cheese, and fresh herbs

Point Royal Delicious Seasonal Tropical Fruit!

Point Royal Roasted Cauliflower handcrafted salad

Hubby's Point Royal made-to-order-omelette: Spinach, Mushrooms, and Onion filled with fresh Chicken Sausage (and of course the comforting dash of tabasco sauce)

Point Royal's exquisite breakfast buffet is a thing of glory!  Unique handcrafted salads, exotic seasonal tropical fruit, fresh gourmet cheeses, waffles, roasted potatoes, wide range of breakfast meats and cured meats, hot and cold cereals, fresh juices, coffee and tea.  But what set this buffet off was the Omelette Bar extravaganza!  I would have to love this right?!  Come on, you all know 'make it your own' is my mantra- this was no different.  I had a delicious veggie   loaded egg white filled with scrumptious smoked salmon and herb goat cheese.  Hubby's was filled with divine chicken sausage!
The Verdict:  AWESOME!!  I do believe my favorite part of the bar though was the amazing variety of sweet and luscious tropical fruit- truly earth's candy if I ever tasted.  Our amazing server Bridgette gave us an awesome tip: Come down to dine 30 minutes prior to the end of the buffet.  That way we'd pretty much be satisfied for most of the day!  Boy was she ever right!  And as an added bonus, Bridgette became such an insight to me as our 'culinary health' discussions regarding blood conditioning provided validation for a facet of AC Art Of Food.  She was and is a true gem! 

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Aventure Mall's Cheesecake Factory Almond Crusted Salmon Kale Salad in Hollywood, FL.

Oddly enough, we ventured off property to the popular mall in Hollywood, Aventure Mall, where we decided to dine at one of our favs, Cheesecake Factory.  I had never seen the Almond Crusted  Salmon Kale Salad on the menu in my previous visits here in Atlanta, but dining on the patio in balmy Hollywood, Florida convinced me that this was the 'coolest' dish to order.  A lemon zest cream sauce topped this delicious piece of fish literally making my toes wiggle!  Frankly, I've never been disappointed with a Cheesecake Factory meal ever, so I was not surprised!  And this beautiful salad was mixed with delicate quinoa and tender sliced radish.  Chunks of avocado and sweet-tart dried cranberries gave this nutty salad the sublime boost it needed.  And of course, I will be re-making this some time in the near summer future- stay tuned.
The Verdict:  A toe-wiggling winner!

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Point Royal's Smoked Salmon Platter

My open-face creation with Point Royal's Smoked Salmon Platter

And the highlight of our departure, a delicious bite at Point Royal before the car takes us to the airport.  Are you sensing my love for salmon on this trip yet?  Is it obvious?  Lol!!  This was the quintessential breakfast to seal the simply amazing time we spent on our vacation.  Lox and Bagels is one of my favorite combinations ever!  This Scandinavian/ Chinese/ Italian/ Americanized dish is so fresh, briney, creamy, and crisp and ever so refreshing as I squeeze lemon over everything!  Sealing the deal with a steamy cup of coffee made this to be the perfect morning dining experience!  Fresh baked bagels, cream cheese, lox, capers, boiled egg, sliced red onion, thinly sliced English cucumber, juicy Roma tomatoes, and don't forget the lemon!  What more could a girl ask for!
The Verdict: The perfect ending bite to a perfect vacation!

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Outside Sawgrass Mill Outlet near Hollywood, Florida.

In conclusion, when visiting Hollywood, Florida, I would encourage you to feast and reside at the Diplomat Beach Resort Hotel for a stellar experience all around!  We're already planning our return- hope to see you there!