Our Couples Road Trip to the Epicurean Hotel in Tampa's SoHo District was a blast. From the hours spent by the pool on Saturday afternoon to our private wine & cheese tasting to our blindfolded dinner to the rooftop cocktails that served as the evening's finale, every step of the way was filled with fun, laughter and fabulous food. In total, 18 couples joined us on this special overnight getaway. Here are some photos from our trip:
A champagne toast was offered to each guest in our Orlando Date Night Guide group as they checked in.
Chocolate Pi, the onsite patisserie, featured lots of little treats to enjoy throughout our stay. Yes… that's a Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake!
With a special 2pm check-in, most couples headed to the pool for a few hours of sun before the evening's festivities kicked-off at 6:30pm.
Couples had the option to use the hotel's Electra bikes, offered complimentary to our Orlando Date Night Guide group
At 6:30pm, we gathered inside Bern’s Fine Wines and Spirits to enjoy a sommelier paired wine & cheese tasting.
Then it was off to our private ballroom where all 18 couples put on their blindfolds and feasted on the secret fare. Notice the coffee mugs for our wine. That was a hoot!
When dessert was served, we were told there would be no forks or spoons to help. So we all dug in with our hands and used the cookies as utensils. It was such a delicious finale to our meal.
We sat across from Jason & Erika Greene, whose butter fingers supplied the group with loads of laughs.
Paul surprised his wife, Natalie, with this trip for her birthday. It was such a pleasure to dine with them.
Food aficionados Heather and Shawn Lane added an extra night to their getaway so they'd have time to dine their way around the South Howard district, home to a dozen great restaurants.
At the end of our feast, we took off our blindfolds and Sous Chef Jessica Carnes gave us a taste-by-taste account of what we had eaten.
The Snyders
John, Jenni and Tisha
Brunch was served the next morning at Elevage, the hotel's spectacular restaurant.
