By Jack Smith
I have delayed writing this article for almost a year. The reason is purely selfish. Candice Leann Hunt and the Reef Bar & Grill are the best kept secret in Panama City Beach. Located in the Beachside Resort Hotel on Front Beach Road, The Reef is the closest thing to Cheers this side of Boston. When you enter your beverage is waiting for you next to an empty bar stool and Candice will smile and you know the world just got a little nicer. Candice moved here from Nashville, Tennessee, five years ago, and along with three children and two dogs, discovered paradise. She has never met a stranger and this includes locals as well as tourists. The bar is covered with windows offering great views of the pool and beach, and the sunsets are the most beautiful I have ever experienced. Candice, an avid surfer, recently had an incident where the board smacked her in the face leaving her looking like a victim of Mike Tyson. In typical fashion, she was back surfing two days later. Fridays and Sundays are local nights starting around five, but don’t miss Super Bowl or New Years Eve. Have a rum bucket for lunch featuring five different liquors and enjoy your nap. Candice has even been known to drive patrons home. Please keep this article to yourself as I need to keep my local friends and if you do go, tell her Jack said “hi.”
