The King And Prince Blog

TibbettsTravel: King and Prince

The King and Prince Resort — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 21:31:53 +0000

Read below to see Christine Tibbetts’ article from TibbettsTravel about exploring St. Simons and activities and The King and Prince Resort & Golf Course.

King and Prince: A forward-looking resort with history on St. Simons Island

Sunday, December 11, 2011

By Christine Tibbetts

ST. SIMONS, Georgia — Elegance and longevity. Fresh new cuisine wrapping around 76 years of resort history on a barrier island that began forming 200 million years ago.

Grand combination for a holiday at the King and Prince beach and golf resort on St. Simons Island.

Some pleasant places are only fancy; this one has depth too, and neighbors who stay. Here’s how that translates to tourists.

Long-time pleasures keep on happening but change filters in, everything hand-in-hand on this handsome property and throughout the barrier island.

For example: the King and Prince has long served peach cobbler for breakfast. Tradition continues. Now they’re also squeezing juice from their courtyard grapefruit trees for a Prohibition cocktail reflecting one of their historic eras.

Seven decades of menus and history with more in the making.

Well-balanced spirits are only one passion of the new King and Prince cuisine director. Fresh Georgia foods are too, and wines from near and far.

Vinny D’Agostino is his name, steeped in the flavors of his Italian family and schooled at Johnson and Wales College of Culinary Arts in Providence, Rhode Island and North Miami.

A member of the Court of Master Sommeliers, D’Agostino holds a string of accolades from Bon Appetit and Food and Wine magazines for restaurants and bars he’s owned and operated.

Wild Georgia shrimp join many King and Prince menu items including this low country boil accented with olive branches from Georgia Olive Farms in Lakeland

He speaks as easily of his time as a youth on family farms and vineyards in Fornelli, Italy as he does now about the wonders of wild Georgia shrimp.

“Food and drink,” D’Agostino says, “are tied to the history of place in so many significant ways. Our menus reflect that, and our chefs incorporate their Island family histories along with their professional training.”

Fine eating happens often, at the resort and around the island. In between meals, I listened to local stories on the Lighthouse Trolley, first-person tales since the owner/driver Cap Fendig hails from a family arriving here in the 1800s.

When I’m getting local history from someone whose granddaughter goes to the same elementary school he did, plus his grandfather, I feel grounded.

St. Simons Island is a different experience from resorts with passing-through, seasonal workers.

This bit of the Georgia coast has more residents than visitors: 65 percent full time, Fendig said.

Everyone I talked to loves the tidal marshes, maritime forests, freshwater sloughs and the spartina sugar cane grasses that make local shrimp sweet. They gather at Neptune Park, which visitors do too, so mixing it up is an easy pleasure.

There’s a pier for fishing and gazing and a smooth brick walkway hugging the water, leading to the lighthouse. Talk to Curt Smith; he’s the modern executive version of a light station keeper and an enthusiastic St. Simons Island historian.

Picnic tables and trees galore make Neptune Park a lingering place; for $7.00 get an all-day pass to the big swimming pool.

I walked the bricks twice after way too much breakfast at Sandcastle Café.

Tidal marshes are incubators for so many species that this Georgia coast is one of the 20 most diverse in the world.

That where Tim and Melissa Wellford have been serving legendary eggs, muffins, grits with or without shrimp, French toast, sausage, bacon and more for 24 years.

This is yet another St. Simons Island kind of place to share good conversation with residents.

Local people seem honored to live on a barrier island; Fendig says only two percent of the world’s coasts have barrier islands. Made me feel like a new frontier explorer.

Georgia has 15 barrier islands; four are auto accessible. Good idea to be OK with bridges when you go. 1924 was the first year St. Simons was connected by a causeway to the mainland.

Short and wide is the nature of these islands; North Carolina’s Outer Banks are long and ribbon-like.

Curious facts like that are easy to pick up at the Coast Guard Maritime Museum, a handsome Colonial Revival style structure, one of 80 built as WPA projects.

Definitely watch the documentary to understand the territory; National Geographic says this coast is one of the 20 most diverse in the world. Museum exhibits are clear and clean, not too much reading, good graphics.

The Coast Guard Station turned Maritime Center features clear, concise, handsome exhibits, about St. Simons Island ecosystems and history.

One section pinpoints a different kind of amazing history: World War II right off this coast. German subs targeting the beaches. Two oil tankers sank. Dogs trained as defense partners for sentry guards.

Then return to the King and Prince with a different eye knowing today’s elegant pale yellow resort became a radar training school.

The hotel opened to the public July 2, 1941 and in the winter of 1942 was reserved solely for the U.S. Navy and the war effort.

This was the gathering place for families learning their sailor had died because nearby Jacksonville, Fla. was the military point of return.

Looking up in the former ballroom to stained glass window scenes installed in 1938 when this was a private club, and looking out to the Atlantic Ocean, I mused about that war effort, and ours today.

King and Prince staff seem well versed in that history, and proud to be part of a place that sacrificed for the nation. My musing? Who is sharing any thing or any place today? Only our troops?

Travel takes my heart and soul to new places. Then the opportunity is

Shrimp and grits recipe at the King and Prince: long tradition using local wild Georgia shrimp.

mine to act on the thoughts the journeys trigger.

Lighter thoughts swirled in the ballroom too, wishing the King and Prince would reinstitute dancing dominant there decades ago.

My New Jersey parents waltzed often at the nearby Cloister Hotel on Sea Island but I found a gentler, more personable charm at the King and Prince.

Elegance to enjoy, exquisite details shared with pleasure seem the formula here. Bud St. Pierre has directed the sales and marketing for 10 years, happy he and his wife are raising young sons on this barrier island.

“We hire nice people here,” he said with almost a giggle. And I observed hotel and resort staff treating each other like they thought so too.

Many choices at the King and Prince for where to rest starting with oceanfront suites, villas, towers and rooms with balconies overlooking the tennis courts.

G.W. and I stayed in the luxurious Tabby House, a separate structure with space to share and a kitchen; could have brought some of the family.

The Meadows is also a stand-alone house, this one rich with fine and folk art and lots of levels and stairways.

Allow sufficient time when you reserve accommodations to savor the options.

Allow time, too, to explore the tidal waters on the Lady Jane. She’s an eco boat, gathering detailed information to provide the Department of Natural Resources.

Up came the 20-foot-wide net and into a waist high table went the contents

"I never met a blue crab that wasn't angry," says Clifford Credle, naturalist on the Lady Jane shrimp boat in waters near Brunswick.

twice on my morning cruise.

Look fast because back into the water is the mission, tallying life and returning to nature.

Exceptional catches require measuring, like the green sea turtle weighing 30 pounds that surprised Clifford Credle, my 18-year-old eco guide who started learning the estuary life when he was nine with his dad Larry who captains this vessel.

Wild Georgia shrimp caught in this net don’t go back to sea; they’re cooked five minutes later and served to Lady Jane passengers.

A King and Prince holiday merges easily with St. Simons Island discoveries, not always the case with resort vacations. Sometimes they lock you in, or so it feels. Isolated.

I think I figured out the difference. King and Prince personnel really live on this island. I kept seeing them in community places as well as the hotel and grounds.

Even food and beverage director Vinny. Saw him, chowing down on ribs and Brunswick stew at Southern Soul BBQ. Good sign I thought, the pile of local oak in the front yard. Separate smokers for each kind of meat.

Four holes on the Hampton Club course involve the marshes, carefully constructed and monitored to respect and preserve this ecosystem.

I’m no golfer but the King and Prince’s Hampton Club gave me hope. Most encouraging lesson I’ve ever had was with General Manager and Head Pro Rick Mattox.

He just received a major PGA award for outstanding integrity, charity, mentoring and service to community. Golfers would recognize the Bill Strabaugh award name.

For real golfers, this course features four holes playing through the marsh, built and maintained with strict regulations, Mattox says. Marsh golf is not to be found anywhere else.

Wannabe golfers like me have a good chance of being allowed to borrow a cart in the late afternoon and experience the beauty of greens and marsh. The view stretches forever.

Driving to the Hampton Club offers a chance to see island ecosystems, and to visit at least three historic sites: Fort Frederica, Christ Church and the Wesley Memorial and Gardens.

Holidays at The King and Prince: 2011 Edition

The King and Prince Resort — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 19:44:04 +0000

It has been another great holiday season at The King and Prince! Right after Thanksgiving our staff worked hard to decorate the hotel with trees, garlands, poinsettias and our huge tree in the Resort lobby. We also had gingerbread houses on display created by local elementary students and King and Prince employees. Festivities throughout the month included visits with Santa, a choir performance and a family holiday party. Here are some pictures from the month long festivities.

Time for Good Food

The King and Prince Resort — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 19:06:52 +0000

Rachel writes in her blog, “Time for Good Food,” about her trip to St. Simons and all the sites she saw and food she ate at The King and Prince.

Monday, November 14, 2011

Inspired by St. Simon’s Island

A week ago today I was at St. Simon’s Island, Georgia taking in the beautiful scenery and stuffing my belly with delicious food. Magical sounds cliché, but it really was an amazing trip that I won’t soon forget. I was invited by The King and Prince Resort and their publicist Leigh Cort, along with other journalists and bloggers from around the country, to be a part of a media trip focused on Southern culinary traditions. My friend Nikiwas also one of the journalists, so we rode down together.For someone like me who is enamored with history, food and the idea of eating locally and sustainably, it was sheer heaven. I learned so much, tasted so much and am so inspired, this is going to have to be several posts. Maybe a trilogy? You’ll see what I mean in a minute.

Christ Church - the most visited attraction on St. Simons Island

I vaguely remember spending a day sightseeing on St. Simon’s Island as a child. One memory that stands out is visiting the moss draped Christ Church and its cemetery. I was excited to get to see it again all these years later. The parish was founded in 1736, though the current church building dates to 1884. A walk through Christ Church’s cemetery inspired prolific Georgia writer, Eugenia Price, to pen her first historical novel The Beloved Invader. The book brought to life the church’s rector Anson Dodge, Jr. and led to additional books, New Moon Rising and Lighthouse – known as the St. Simon’s Trilogy. Interestingly, Price stayed at The King and Prince in 1961 when she discovered the island that would define her career as a writer. Tourists still come to St. Simon’s today inspired by her books. Who knows, maybe I’ll be inspired to write a historical novel, but for now I’ll settle on a trilogy of blog posts. This first: an overview rich with photos.

The exterior of The King and Prince's historic hotel building.

The King and Prince was built in 1935 and is the only oceanfront hotel on the island. I think that’s what sets St. Simon’s apart from other tourist destinations. It doesn’t feel touristy. You won’t find the high-rise condominiums and tacky beach stores. It’s quiet, laid back, upscale in some ways, but unassuming.Naturally, it’s a popular destination for weddings and romantic getaways. However, I’m totally inspired to take my family back there.

A wedding photo shoot I happened to catch out the window.

The beach is great, but there are also miles and miles of golden marshlands that are especially beautiful at sunset. Growing abundantly in the marshlands and estuaries is Spartina, the golden hued grass that gives St. Simon’s Island and other nearby barrier islands their nickname, “The Golden Isles.”

Marshlands at dusk.

And there’s the Lighthouse. And the cute village with shops and restaurants. And the waterfront park. And the Maritime Museum that is housed in a former Coast Guard Station.

Oceanfront park with St. Simons Lighthouse in the background.Maritime Center and Museum

I could go on and on, but I know you are probably wondering: what about the food? This is a food blog after all! Most of our meals were served at The King and Prince under the direction of its Food and Beverage Director, Vinny D’Agostino. While on staff for just a short while, D’Agostino is making great strides in bringing local farmers and food artisans ”to the table” to enhance the dining program at the resort. Honestly, going in to this I was not expecting the food to be that great. I’ve had some pretty bland, uninspiring hotel food in the past — but I have to say that the food I tasted at the King and Prince was really delicious. The shrimp and grits, I swear, may have been the best I ever tasted. I’m going to attempt to make them at home and share the recipe with you in the next post in my trilogy!

Shrimp and Grits made highlighted with Tasso ham, fresh corn and tomato.

One afternoon we had the pleasure of meeting food growers and artisans from around the state and sampling their fare. The most exciting thing I tasted was the first pressing of olive oil made from Georgia-grown olives thanks to Georgia Olive Farms. It’s so new that it isn’t even on the market yet. We also tasted cheese from Flat Creek Lodge, muscadine wine from Still Pond Vineyards, 13th Colony Distillery liquors, chocolates from Sugar Marsh Cottage, Wild Georgia Shrimp, Savannah Bee Company honey and peach products from Lane Southern Orchards — to name a few. I’ll definitely share more with you. Remember, my trilogy?

Georgia made products we tasted.

On our final day at the King and Prince, we ate breakfast in the elegant Delegal Room — once the ballroom of the old resort. I imagined how many dances, weddings, receptions and important events must have taken place in this stained glass adorned room with sweeping ocean views. I doctored this photo up a bit to look “old,” much like the actual historic photos that lined the lobby hallway and are featured in each guest room. It makes me feel happy.

Pretending it's 1951

I love places with a sense of history, natural beauty and authentic Southern charm. You will definitely find that at The King and Prince and on St. Simon’s Island. Now, time for a short disclaimer: The King and Prince provided me with a complimentary stay and meals, but did not pay me to write this or endorse the resort in any way. By being a gracious host, showing me the island and sharing the spotlight with other local businesses and attractions, they made me fall in love. I’ll definitely be back!

King and Prince Shrimp & Grits in Tasso Cream Sauce

The King and Prince Resort — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 20:41:15 +0000

Marc d’Entremont writes an article at Suite101 about his visit to The King and Prince Resort and eating their Shrimp & Grits, a Southern Culinary Tradition.

King and Prince Resort’s Shrimp and Grits in a Tasso Cream Sauce

The King & Prince Beach & Golf Resort, St. Simons Island, GA, finesses a classic dish served in every southern dinner elevating Shrimp and Grits to stardom.

Shrimp & Grits in a Tasso Cream Sauce- Marc d’Entremont

It was the end of a pleasant sunny early November day in the now quiet off-season of St. Simons Island, one of Georgia’s premier barrier island destinations. The elegant 1935 King and Prince Beach and Golf Resort , listed on the National Historic Register and Historic Hotels of America, set a table befitting its Old World heritage. The formal place settings with an array of flatware and crystal stemware lay on starched white linen lit by softly glowing candles. The guests are not what the media would identify as royalty or even VIPs. We’re nearly two dozen jaded, or nearly jaded, travel and food journalists – critics to the core.

Southern Culinary Traditions

We were the guests of The King and Prince. Our four day tour to explore the culinary traditions of southeastern Georgia was organized by Leigh Cort Publicity. Such media trips involve a considerable amount of activity, not the least of which is eating and drinking. To make an impression worthy of an article the fare has to be more than just free.

Tradition versus an Old Standby

Personally my foodie radar was picking up more an old diner standby rather than a fine tradition when the itinerary indicated that dinner would include a Shrimp and Grits cooking demonstration. Google any of a dozen recipes and discover everything from bullion cubes to extra sharp cheddar used to mask tasteless farm raised frozen shrimp mounded on top of instant grits. Believe me I’ve had my full of disappointing versions.

Chef Dwayne Austell and Vinny D’Agostino

It took only a moment after entering the dining room for my nose to detect a subtle aroma of warm smoked meat. It was emanating from the chafing dish that was keeping the sauce at serving temperature. I should have guessed that a Johnson & Wales University graduate, Vinny D’Agostino, Food and Beverage Director, and Georgia Low Country native Sous Chef Dwayne Austell would rise above the ordinary.

Wild Shrimp and Tasso Ham

Quality ingredients are essential for a great dish and there is no comparison between farm raised and wild shrimp. Fortunately, much of America’s shrimp is wild and the package will be labeled appropriately. The high tides and lush nutrient rich salt marshes of low country and barrier islands provide an excellent clean environment for Georgia’s abundant shrimp. The Georgia White Shrimp is especially plump, meaty and flavorful. Yet the secret to Chef Austell’s outstanding Shrimp and Grits is the addition of smoky, cured Tasso ham – an essential ingredient in much of southern cajun cuisine. What is actually a pork butt rather than a ham gives the cajun spiced light cream sauce a rich flavor that lingers in the mouth.

The Recipe – for 2 servings

Ingredients:

2 cups heavy cream
2/3rd cup diced Tasso ham
1/2 cup fresh or frozen kernel corn
1/2 cup seeded diced tomatoes
4 Tablespoons diced green onions
4 to 6 ounces fresh shelled wild shrimp
2 Tablespoons cajun seasoning mix
1/2 cup grated asiago cheese
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil
cooked grits

Preparation:

First prepare grits using the best recipe I know for Creamy Stone Ground Grits
Add just enough olive oil to lightly cover the bottom of two saute pans and heat over medium setting.
In one pan add the shrimp and cajun seasoning. Saute no more than 5 minutes. Overcooking results in tough shrimp.
In the second pan add the ham and corn and saute for a couple minutes. Add the tomatoes and green onions, combine and saute a few minutes more. Add the heavy cream and asiago cheese. Bring to a simmer and cook for two minutes.
Combine the shrimp and all the pan juices into the sauce.
Serve over the prepared grits.

Wine Pairing

Vinny D’Agostino, a sommelier as well, paired the entree with a nice Georgia Chardonnay from Frogtown Cellars. The minimal acidity of a Chardonnay, preferably unoaked, works well with the creamy sauce. A California or Washington State Chardonnay would be a fine substitute since Georgia wines are not widely distributed.

Even if you’re not dining a few hundred feet from the ocean, this fine recipe from the King and Prince Beach and Golf Resort can conjure memories of warm lazy days under oak trees dripping with Spanish Moss and sea gulls laughing overhead.

Brunswick Georgia Christmas Parade

The King and Prince Resort — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 19:41:31 +0000

This past Saturday December 3, The King and Prince Resort was a participant in the annual Brunswick Christmas Parade. The parade featured floats from local businesses, clubs, school groups, religious organizations and more. There was over 100 parade floats this year. It was a great day to get in the Holiday spirit! The parade went from Howard Coffin Park up Gloucester St. and ended at Mary Ross Waterfront Park. Hundreds of families lined Gloucester to watch the parade. The parade concluded with Santa Claus. The King and Prince employees helped out to create the “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” float. The employees with their families passed out candy to the parade viewers and had a great time walking with the float. Our General Manager was the driver and we even had the Grinch with us!

: K&P Van pulling the float

K&P 'How the Grinch Stole Christmas' Float

K&P Employees and their families at the parade

The Grinch!

Georgia Made, Georgia Grown

The King and Prince Resort — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 20:09:25 +0000

Last week The King and Prince hosted an event for food writers featuring Georgia grown food. We invited ten vendors from around Georgia to speak about their products. It was a wonderful experience for all that participated. We learned the history behind the product and the means of production, but also what led each speaker to the industry. They even brought samples for everyone to try!

1. Flat Creek Lodge- Make their own traditional aritsan cheeses and much more. They have won numerous awards in cheese competitions throughout the country and it is made in Swainsboro, Georiga.

2. Thirteenth Colony Distilleries- Georgia’s only craft distillery. Their products are Plantation Vodka, Southern Gin, Southern Vodka and Southern Corn Whiskey. They also demonstrated delicious cocktails with their hand crafted spirits.

3. Savannah Bee- Beekeeper and owner Ted Dennard has been keeping bees since he was a child. He talked about his passion for honey and how he launched his business. Not only do they make pure delicious honey, but they also have a body care line including hand cream, soaps and lip balms made from honey!

4. Georgia Olive Growers- The attendees of the event had the pleasure of tasting olive oil from the first olive pressing in Georgia. This is the first harvest of olives on the east coast since the 1800s.

5. Lane Southern Orchards- They have been growing peaches for over a hundred years and have 2,500 acres of peach orchards! We learned all about harvesting peaches.

6. Sugar Marsh Cottage- Gourmet sweets and specialty confections made 30 minutes from St. Simons in Darien.

7. Still Pond Winery- They produce eleven types of Muscadine Wines. We learned about the health benefits of these wonderful wines.

8. Vidalia Onion- “America’s favorite sweet onion,” a crop that orginated in Georgia during the depression.

9. Wild Georgia Shrimp- Along with a sampling of shrimp, we heard about shrimping history, what makes the wild Georgia shrimp taste so good and why wild shrimp are better than farm raised shrimp.

10. St. Simons Sweets- A local sweets store right here on St. Simons makes their own sweets. We learned about the history of Georgia pecans.

Olive Tea Brewing

Honeycomb

Low Country Boil with Crab & Wild Georgia Shrimp

As a part of our goal to transform to ”Farm to Table” products in our Restaurant, we plan to highlight each of these Georgia products in our Restaurant for a week in the upcoming months.

*Photos courtesy of Christine & G.W. Tibbetts

Flip Flop Friendly Wedding

annethompson — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 14:55:45 +0000

Nothing says “beach” like flip flops, so why not let your guests get comfy and slip on a pair? Baskets of flip flops around the dance floor is fun and unexpected! Then, send them home with some fun and funky flip flop favors so they will remember that awesome wedding by the sea!

Nashville Unleashed Returns! Audition to Perform with the Artisits!

The King and Prince Resort — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 19:41:15 +0000

The Nashville Unleashed country music tour is returning to The King and Prince on November 12th. Jack & Diane, creators of Nashville Unleased, are back with a couple of Nashville performing songwriters, Justin Zimmer and Mark Stephen Jones. The event will be on November 12th in the oceanfront Delegal Dining Room at The King and Prince Resort. Doors open at 7 PM and tickets cost $40 and include gourmet dessert. Visit www.nashvilleunleashed.com for tickets.

Presenting St. Simons Idol!

Compete for a chance to perform a song with the Nashville Unleashed artists! Auditions will be at Open Mic Night at Palm Coast Coffee Cafe in the Village on St. Simons on Monday November 7th at 8:30 PM. Eight finalists will be chosen for the final auditions on November 12th from 12-2 PM at The King and Prince Resort. The winner will get to perform with Nashville Unleashed that evening and receive a song writing session with the artists! You must be a songwriter, play acoustic guitar and sing country, blues, jazz, folk and/or adult contemporary. Please contact Christina at 912-399-1417 or butrflydancer@hotmail.com for information about the auditions.

Brunswick Stewbilee in Brunswick, Georgia

The King and Prince Resort — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 14:07:38 +0000

This past weekend, The King and Prince Resort competed in the annual Brunswick Rockin’ Stewbilee. The event was on Saturday October 22 at the waterfront Mary Ross Park in Brusnwick Georgia (15 minutes from the Resort). There were numerous festivities all day long. The kick off was a one mile fun run and a 5K. Following this was the “Pet Supplies Plus Pooch Parade.” Owners showed off their pets in a variety of creative costumes. An employee of the King and Prince, Amanda’s pet won first place in the small dog category for being dressed as an Animal Cracker. It was adorable! There was live entertainment all day and of course the main attraction, the brunswick stew contest! There were 32 cooking teams that supplied their stew for the competition. We served up over a thousand samplings to attendees. It was our first time competing in the contest and are proud to say we were a finalist! Our stew (and decorations) were definitely first place in our book!

K&P Staff at Stewbilee

Mrs. Kathy passing out the samples

Awesome volunteers!

Vinny serving it up

'Stewy' the boar

Get on the Bus for GA/FL Game Weekend!

The King and Prince Resort — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 21:48:19 +0000

With the excitement of the 2011 Georgia vs. Florida Football Game just two weeks away, we here at the King and Prince Beach and Golf Resort know that traffic can be a drag. That’s why we’re proud to announce that we will be providing transportation both to and from the big game this year. Guests are invited to travel in comfort on one of our four luxurious motorcoaches without the worry of navigating annoying big-game traffic or arranging for designated drivers. The King and Prince has you covered!

Want to start the party early? Our guests will enjoy a cash bar next to the buses, serving a variety of drinks. Afterwards, it’s all aboard for the game. Once on the bus, have a delicious boxed lunch provided by the resort along with assorted mixers on the ride down. In Jacksonville, enjoy the famous “World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party!”

Enjoy the party and the game this year without the worry of arranging designated drivers or hiring cabs with the knowledge that, with the King and Prince, you have a safe ride to and from the game. Not a guest of the King and Prince? Not a problem! You’re invited to the party too.

Bus tickets are $85 per person.

Fill out the form below and fax it to the resort at the number listed.

GO DAWGS!!!

*The King and Prince reminds you to drink responsibly*