🌟 The Cottage Bakery Pine Island Fell in Love With

What happens when a chef moves to the island and asks one simple question: What can I create here that people will love?

In this episode, we sit down with Tristan Carter, founder of The Proper Palm Cottage Bakery. From his kitchen in Pine Island, Tristan releases online menus that islanders eagerly wait for—and when the menu drops, the orders come pouring in.

From artisan breads 🍞 to unforgettable cinnamon rolls, cookies 🍪 and celebration cakes 🎂, Tristan shares how his cottage bakery quickly became part of many islanders’ weekly routines.

As Tristan says, “Food brings us together.”

✨“This is for the people who live here. It’s just something beautiful. I wanted something that, …it is something you buy just to eat for breakfast but it still has a beautiful moment to it. It’s a pink box or a white box but it has time and something that has taken time to it with a bow over it. It just feels like you are enjoying something for yourself. It’s just a soft moment. That’s all I wanted for it.”

— Tristan Carter✨

🎧 Listen on any podcast app or at pineislandexperience.com

📧 We’d love to hear your thoughts: pineislandexperience@gmail.com

🌐 Order online at theproperpalm.com 🎀🦩🍰

From waterfront restaurateur to food truck favorite — JD Hollway joins us for S4E6 of the Pine Island Experience.

After owning the Waterfront Restaurant and Marina for nearly 25 years and supporting countless local charity fishing tournaments, JD reinvented himself with Horse Eyed Jake’s American Sliders Food Truck. Alongside his wife, Tricia, they’ve created more than a menu — they’ve created an experience.

In this episode, JD shares:

🍔 The story behind the now-famous “OMG BLT”

🧄 Why four gallons of roasted garlic means Tricia leaves the house

🌴 What it’s like going from brick-and-mortar to life on wheels

💛 And why feeding the community has always mattered

✨“My philosophy on restaurants is people come for the food, they come back for the service.”

— JD Hollway✨

Follow Horse Eyed Jake’s on social media, Facebook and Instagram to see where they’ll be next — then go find them hungry.

🎧 Listen on any podcast app or at pineislandexperience.com

📧 We’d love to hear your thoughts: pineislandexperience@gmail.com

🎣 Being on the water has a way of bringing people together — friends, family, and even someone you’ve just met. Add a Pine Island sunset and dolphins 🐬 surfacing nearby, and it becomes something truly special.

In this episode, we talk with Debbie Hanson, award-winning outdoor writer, professional fishing guide, and Community Outreach Director for the Freedom Waters Foundation. Debbie shares her passion for introducing women to fishing and building confidence, connection, and community on the water.

🎣 Women’s Free Fishing Seminar

📅 Saturday, March 7, 9:00 – Noon at The Eagles Nest Restaurant Tiki Hut

👩‍🦰 Designed for ladies — beginners welcome

📍 Pine Island

It’s not just about fishing — it’s about shared moments, new friendships, and discovering the joy of being out on the water together.

✨“Patience, perseverance, peace, connection, community. Those would be my top answers. I know especially here on Pine Island, there’s such a tight-knit fishing community and one of the wonderful things that I think fishing has brought to my life is that feeling of community especially with my other women angling friends. When we get together we have so much fun and we share so many stories and have such a great time.”

— Capt. Debbie Hanson✨

🎧 Listen on any podcast app or at pineislandexperience.com

📧 We’d love to hear your thoughts: pineislandexperience@gmail.com