We had the good fortune of connecting with Cristyle Egitto and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Cristyle, how does your business contribute to your community and make a difference to others?
EatPalmBeach grew out of wanting to help local businesses. It has always been a goal of mine to support local restaurant owners and culinary talent, focus on the positive, be a cheerleader for entrepenuers, and connect others to create a collaborative community. Over time philanthropic ventures have grown out of the blog from becoming a committee chair for Palm Beach’s Taste of the Nation benefitting No Kid Hungry to sponsoring local organizations like ChasenTailz and giving back through opportunities like Quantum House and #SavePBFood. Through my personal experience with Hurricane Andrew I have taken on an active role in natural disaster relief efforts in South Florida. I think it’s important to use my platform to be a beacon for my community, to bring awareness to important causes and support efforts that better our area.

Alright, we’d love to hear about a book that’s had an impact on you.
I have been a writer my entire life. As a child I was a voracious reader and that translated to constant story-telling and some pretty terrible poetry. No matter what aspect of my life I somehow always found my way back to writing. In college I wrote for the local paper, at work I regularly found myself copywriting and proofreading, and EatPalmBeach was no different with blog reviews and spotlights, and sometimes lengthy social media captions. I’ve freelanced for our local tourism board, written a dining column for a print magazine, and taken on writing gigs whenever possible. A few years ago my best friend gave me a guidebook as my Matron of Honor gift and I just loved the series. I wrote the editor asking if they had ever considered a Palm Beach edition – that was three and half years ago. This Fall “111 Places in Palm Beach That You Must Not Miss” will hit bookshelves. It is one of my lifelong dreams to be a published author and I am so proud and honored that this book will be a tangible realization of that goal. It was not an easy road, but it was worth every ounce of energy I put into it. I truly hope readers love it and feel the heart and soul behind it.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
This is what the book is all about! It tells the history, culture, and identity of Palm Beach through 111 places. Some highlights… Pumphouse Coffee to start the day, Juno Beach Pier or Blueline Surf & Paddle for fun in the sun, live music at Square Grouper or Funky Biscuit, some arts & culture at Norton Museum or Kravis Center, a bit of nature at Mounts Botanical Gardens or Loggerhead Marinelife, some public art along downtown West Palm Beach, shopping along Worth Avenue, cocktails at Parched Pig, and dinner at Buccan. Food & drink is always a tough category for me because I have so many places I love but I’d have to throw out: Coolinary Cafe, Lynora’s, Avocado Grill, Leftovers, Brule Bistro, U-tiki.. depending on the cuisine and atmosphere you’re looking for. I love our weekend WPB and PBG green markets during season, Swank does incredible farm dinners, Proper Ice Cream is crazy good and we have an amazing lineup of local craft breweries. We have James Beard nominee chefs like Clay Conley, Lindsay Autry and Zach Bell in town with familiar TV show winners like Erik Petterson, Clay Carnes and Paul Niedermann.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
All of the local business owners who are hustling to keep their doors open and their teams employed through this tumultuous time. From the Hackmans at Aioli, to Perry at All Tennis, to the sisters at Lola Chiq Boutique, and Alaina’s. More than ever it is so important to support small & local!

Website: www.eatpalmbeach.com
Instagram: instagram.com/eatpalmbeach
Twitter: twitter.com/eatpalmbeach
Facebook: facebook.com/eatpalmbeach
Other: amazon.com/author/cristyleegitto   www.amazon.com/shop/eatpalmbeach

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutMiami is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.