Fishing the Fort Lauderdale Intracoastal with Betty Bauman

Yours truly finally got her hands on something long and hard yet flexible.

About two weeks ago, Betty Bauman, founder of Ladies Let's Go Fishing, gave me a call and asked me if I wanted to go fishing on her new boat. Well, of course, I said yes! The occasion? Videotaping for CBS Miami's Aquatic Adventures, a TV segment hosted by meteorologist and accomplished angler Jeff Berardelli.

We launched out of beautiful John U. Lloyd State Park in Dania, got live bait at the 15th Street Fisheries and then tooled around the intracoastal for half a day among the mangroves, barges and docked cruise ships of Port Everglades. Airplanes flew above us as they landed or departed from FLL. I'm very used to fishing in the Everglades back country far from civilization, so it was interesting to be out on such an urban body of water.

The Baumans usually fish out in the ocean, but it was quite choppy and that's why we chose to cast inshore.

One of our crew was a young woman who had taken a Ladies Let's Go Fishing seminar in the past. She hails from Ohio originally and she got our only catch, a small puffer fish.

Betty is becoming a great mentor for me. She works very hard to put these events together for lady anglers and I really admire her.

Jeff was fun to fish with ... he's from New York originally. All water babies will love his Aquatic Adventures.

Behind-the-scenes videotaping of Aquatic Adventures. We could see fish in the depth finder, but they weren't hungry apparently.

It was a windy day and nothing was biting. We tried lures, live pilchards and frozen shrimp.

Don't order these with your conch fritters.

Betty's husband grew up in Fort Lauderdale. The affable guy told me that catches were active here back in the day, so I hope our hard luck didn't speak to the deterioration of this marine environment. John U. Lloyd State Park is an anomaly here -- a beautiful barrier island with no beachfront condos, but chock full of native plants, enormous dunes and mangroves. In spite of this, we couldn't even spot a mangrove snapper, which you might expect to find here.

Anyway, it was a great occasion to practice my casting skills. In Jeff's video, he says it had been a long time since I had my hands on a pole, but that's not true Jeff, I took a few pole dancing classes last month. Now a rod, yes. It had been a long time for that!

NO YELLING

In a true tale of angling romance, Betty actually met her hubby at a fishing event. She started this "no yelling" school of fishing so that women could be empowered with fishing skills and the guys would stop complaining. When I asked Betty where I could find me a fisherman, she hinted I should move to the Florida Keys.

Now there's an idea I could bite.

As they always say, a bad day on the water is better than a good day in the office and truth be told, it wasn't a bad day at all. And I know I must have done ok, because there was no yelling from the menfolk in the boat.

I'll probably end up buying one of these tank tops though I like to wear long sleeves because of the sun.

Follow me on Twitter next week @vicequeenmaria, November 11-13, as I live tweet my fishing adventures in Islamorada from Ladies, Let's Go Fishing. I won't be tweeting if I have a rod in my hands ... must concentrate and focus on the potential strike.

There's still time to register for the event if you are interested in attending the seminars and fishing trips.

To see me and the rest of the anglers in Jeff's Aquatic Adventure TV segment, click over to CBS Miami.

Below is my interview with Betty. Sorry for my bra strap showing. I've lost some weight and my clothes are loose. I need a fishing wardrobe stylist.

Is fishing better than sex? Find out in the video.




If you'd like to hear a full interview with Betty on my co-hosted radio show Social Chats, visit our podcast page.

Mussels and Martinis

Do you remember how I raved about the saucy and sensual garlic shrimp in Oahu's Kahuka region?

While I would gladly fly 5,000 miles to repeat that delightful culinary experience, I have found a similar lusty substitute close to home.

I normally avoid I-95 like the plague, but I would happily drive 40 miles to Fort Lauderdale for some of Timpano's mussels and martinis.

My mouth waters like Pavlov's dog on the northbound journey.

The black mussels arrive on a sizzling cast iron skillet coated in sea salt after being roasted in extra virgin olive oil. As if that wasn't enough, a bit of drawn butter for dipping adds a touch of lusciousness. Crusty bread sits waiting to sop up the juices and you'd swear -- once the skillet cools down and nobody's looking -- that you'd lick it after the bread runs out.

The tender mussels are waiting to be ravished, sitting inside pearly shells, heady with the briny fragrance of the sea. This dish transports me to some wild, rugged seashore.

The martinis are perfection too, generously poured and shaken to a very cool, crisp temperature.

This simple but seductive repast can be enjoyed at table or in the Sinatra bar, which features a lounge area with live jazz. Timpano's is a sophisticated joint, but it's warm and casual enough that you can forego your seafood fork and slurp in all that mussel goodness by hand. After all, no meal is truly sensual without it being a little sloppy.

There are so many textures to this dish -- the hardness of the shells, the softness of the meat, the silkiness of the butter, the coarseness of the salt -- all of this makes it so fun to eat. Go here on a date and if the two of you aren't horny by the end of this dish, you'd better be calling your doctor for some help.

Oh, and the rest of their food is pretty damn good, too. But for me, even just the mussels and martinis are worth the schlep.

Timpano's Chophouse is located on Las Olas Boulevard and offers a great happy hour, Monday - Friday 4 to 7 PM, featuring $5 bar menu and 1/2 off select liquors, wines and bottled beers.

Rum Renaissance Kicks Off With Zombie Jamboree

Jeff "Beachbum" Berry mixing up a 1950's version of the legendary Zombie cocktail.

Rum experts, judges and fanatics have alighted in South Florida from all over the world for this week's third annual Rum Renaissance Festival. The event kicked off in Fort Lauderdale on Monday with the Zombie Jamboree at the Mai Kai. Robert V. Burr, son of Robert and Robin Burr, founders of the festival, organized the event.

The apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Also known as "RumScout," the younger Burr's enthusiasm for rum was clearly evident during an impromptu interview while we took in some fresh air between drinks and dinner. For him, making rum drinks is an art form. "Mixology reminds me of jazz. Nobody does it like Miles or Bird," he said. "Everybody does a different riff, even though it's the same melody."

ZOMBIES ARE ALIVE AND WELL

Jeff "Beachbum" Berry, author and expert on tiki cocktails and cuisine, lectured on the fascinating history of the Zombie cocktail, which heralds back to 1934 when Donn Beach created the popular drink at his restaurant Don The Beachcomber in Hollywood, California. Beach was reticent about the ingredients in the cocktail, some of which were written in a secret code. As a result, bars around the world started creating their own versions of the wildly popular Zombie. Berry's meticulous research unlocked the secrets and as a result, we were able to taste as close an approximation as possible to the 1934 original as well as a 1950's version.

World War II, which sent so many American soldiers into the Pacific and Polynesia, certainly didn't put a damper on the immense popularity of tiki drinks that came after the Zombie. Soldiers returned with tales and souvenirs from the Pacific, Hawaiian eventually became a state, James Michener published Tales of the South Pacific, which would eventually become a musical by Rodgers and Hammerstein -- all this and more would romanticize the Pacific Islands for Americans. Don Beach himself settled in Hawaii and kept the tradition alive, although it's ironic that drinks made with Caribbean rums have come to be synonymous with Pacific cultures.

As I always say, the history of the drink is just as interesting as the drink itself and Monday night's Zombie tasting was no exception to my philosophy.

ZOMBIES OUT ON THE PROWL

After Beachbum's lecture, we sampled modern versions of the Zombie from half a dozen independent mixologists.

These two tiki bar owners from Manchester, England, were irrepressible. They "anglicized" their Zombies by adding the juice of various berries. Lyndon Higginson (left) of Keko Moku and Bart Murphy (right) of Hula Tiki Lounge.

A refreshing Zombie made with DonQ.

Joe and Nicole, expert rum judges, own the Rhum Rhum Room in New York City.

Atomic Grog also supports tiki culture and is based in South Florida.

A good Zombie is not your ordinary fruity cocktail. Forget your average strawberry daiquiri or piña colada here; this is the mother of all tiki drinks, and while it does contain fruit juices, this vintage beverage also packs a buzz, hence its namesake. All Zombie's feature various rums in combination with other liqueurs, juices, falernum and bitters. A Zombie is a classy, elaborate tropical concoction with intense flavors -- quite the cut above the watered-down slushy drinks you'll find at the average bar.

The tiki craze is alive and well today among rum lovers worldwide. In fact, tiki culture is popular a group of Ohioans developed The Fraternal Order of Moai, which now boasts several chapters around the country, including one in South Florida called the Gumbo Limbo.

RUM FESTIVALS AND MORE

The Rum Renaissance Festival is on-going until Sunday. The weekend promises to be memorable, with two grand tasting days at the Deauville Hotel, featuring cocktail competitions, seminars and more. It's a celebration of all cane spirits, not just tiki culture. With tickets at only $25 for a full day or $45 for both Saturday and Sunday, this has got to be one of the best cocktail "education" events in South Florida year-round. For other tasting events year-round, visit Gifted Rums.

Robert V. Burr writes the blog RumScout and co-hosts a local underground Tiki Horror Club with Andrew Lazo. The events combine bad movies with great drinks at a modest price of admission. Find the club on Facebook.

The 10th annual Hukilau Festival, a celebration of all things tiki and Polynesian Pop, takes place June 9-12 in Fort Lauderdale.

THE MAI KAI

For a true tiki experience in South Florida, head to the Mai Kai. "This is one of the best tiki bars in the world," Burr said. And that's clearly evident in the beverage menu, which features classic tiki drinks that are hard to find elsewhere in the area.

A Mai Kai bartender in front of one of their signature drinks.

If you live in or visit South Florida, don't miss the Mai Kai for a special treat. You'd never expect such a lushly landscaped oasis would be on a bland, strip-mall area of North Federal Highway, yet there it is and has been since 1956. Newcomers should experience dinner and a show, which features music and dance from various Polynesian islands with male and female performers. I was expecting it to be kitschy, but it was definitely worth it; I've seen greater Polynesian kitsch in Waikiki.

A taste of Polynesian culture is available year-round in Fort Lauderdale at the Mai Kai, which offers an excellent selection of tiki-inspired drinks. Photo courtesy of Mai Kai.

Dinner and show costs $45 per person. Choose an appetizer, main course and dessert from the Bali Hai menu, drinks not included. You can also order a la carte from the regular menu and pay $10.95 to enjoy the show while dining.

If you're a regular, or don't want to see the show, you can still have dinner elsewhere in the restaurant's different rooms, including outdoor seating in a garden area with waterfalls. Try the marinated roast pork, which is cooked tender in the Mai Kai's huge stone Chinese ovens.

For light bites and drinks, stop by the Molokai Bar, which I especially loved, since it's decorated in the fashion of a pirate ship. Happy hour takes place daily from 5 - 7 PM and offers 50% off appetizers plus most drinks.

Valet parking is complimentary at the Mai Kai.

Trail of the Pirates: Fort Lauderdale Birthday

Trail of the Pirates is a travel series exploring maritime history, culture and lore between Key West and St. Augustine on the east coast of Florida.

I do know how to pull a trigger on a man, don't I?

So this is kind of a short and sweet, warm and fuzzy post, but I wanted to share with all of you the very wonderful awesomeness that is The Pirate Republic Seafood Grill and Bar on the New River in Fort Lauderdale. Tucked away eastward of the 4th avenue bridge on the south bank of the river, across from the Himmarshee district, the venue boasts pirate flags (copies of the originals), two blue and gold macaws (one is friendly, the other eyes you suspiciously), a pool, waterfront dining and drinks, all in a cozy rustic setting. It's the only place on the river that you will find plenty of dock space, similar to Monty's in South Beach. Yet another reason why I really love downtown Fort Lauderdale and how it respects the maritime lifestyle by providing plenty of public riverfront access.

I liked this place so much, I'm going to stop here on my way back to Miami.

Cheers and ahoy! Off to Martin County later today.

Many thanks far and wide to friends and followers who wished me fair winds yesterday.

I can't believe I'm 43. When do I get Golden Girl status? Now more than ever I really believe age is but a number. I am jaded but yet wake up with wonder and amazement each day.

Two friends of mine shared some fun and goofy videos on Miami Beach 411 ... enjoy! Here's one that I can embed:



ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Good graces go to Broward-based Annie's Costumes, The Pirate Republic Seafood Grill and Bar, Hyatt Pier 66 and Visit Florida for making my Fort Lauderdale leg of the trip a total "trip" ... you rock!