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David Spade, Vanilla Ice, celebs at Flagler, Daytona Beach restaurants
Have you ever enjoyed a romantic date night just to look over and spot John Travolta a mere table away? Or maybe savored the scenic view of a beachfront bite alongside none other than Kyle Petty? Well, that was the case for many Daytona-area residents this year when their standard restaurant visit turned into dinner with a side of surprise celebrity sightings.
From ’90s icons and NASCAR legends to award-winning actors, accomplished comedians and memorable TV casts, the Daytona, Flagler area’s restaurant scene was buzzing with celebrities in 2024, so let’s take a look back at those who paid us a visit in the last year.
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Davide Spade visits New Smyrna Beach
The Baker’s Table customers enjoyed brunch alongside David Spade in early October, much to the surprise of the New Smyrna Beach restaurant’s owners, staff and diners, alike.
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The 60-year-old actor and stand-up comedian, well-known for his starring roles in films such as “Tommy Boy,” “Joe Dirt” and “Grown Ups,” as well as his time on “Saturday Night Live” and “Just Shoot Me” in the ‘90s, found himself in the area ahead of his evening comedy show at Daytona Beach’s Peabody Auditorium.
A somewhat starstruck Jeanette Quintana, The Baker’s Table co-owner and a longtime Spade fan, described the star as effortlessly comical, “very nice,” and “really cool,” after he and his entourage enjoyed several appetizers and doughnuts from the restaurant’s globally-influenced menu, joked with the crew and posed for photos on the way out.
Read more:David Spade stops by New Smyrna Beach restaurant
John Travolta visits New Smyrna Beach
New Smyrna Beach residents were met with a special guest one early August weekend when John Travolta stopped by Via Canaletto restaurant to catch up with owner and longtime friend Leon Geller.
The award-winning actor, known for his roles in iconic films like “Saturday Night Fever,” “Grease” and “Pulp Fiction,” was returning from the Paris Olympics and dropped by the restaurant on his way back to Ocala, where he’s maintained his $10 million property for roughly two decades.
While seated at a corner table among Via Canaletto’s usual weekend crowd, Travolta, “the greatest human,” Geller previously told The News-Journal, enjoyed several scratch-made creations from chef Antonio Mazzella, including the swordfish puttanesca special, carbonara, lasagna and bucatini with meat sauce. It wasn’t Travolta’s first visit to the upscale, Italian restaurant and it seems safe to say it won’t be his last, according to Geller, who’s hosted the Hollywood star several times over the years.
Read more:From the Olympics to NSB: Award-winning actor John Travolta visits local restaurant
Kyle Petty visits Flagler Beach
As home to NASCAR, the Daytona Beach area is no stranger to race star sightings, with one of this year’s most notable being Kyle Petty’s October visit to High Tides at Snack Jack. The eight-time Cup Series winner, racing analyst and son to NASCAR legend, “The King,” Richard Petty, stopped by the longstanding waterfront restaurant with a friend, where he enjoyed a fish Reuben and kept a low profile among the eatery’s slow Sunday afternoon crowd.
Petty, whose family has frequented High Tides for decades now, staff previously told The News-Journal, was described as kind and down to earth as he eagerly posed for photos with waitstaff and management in the parking lot after his meal.
Read more:Kyle Petty stops by Flagler Beach restaurant
Melissa Joan Hart and cast of “Sabrina the Teenage Witch” visit Ormond Beach
This year’s ‘90s Con brought nostalgia, photo-ops and celebrity guests a-plenty to Daytona Beach in September, including the star-studded cast of “Sabrina the Teenage Witch,” who stuck around after the event to grab a bite in the area.
An Instagram reel posted to the sitcom star Melissa Joan Hart’s social media page revealed Hart, alongside her former castmates Elisa Donovan, Jenna Leigh Green, Soleil Moon Frye and Nate Richert, at none other than Ormond Beach’s 63 Sovereign restaurant — an “incredible” choice, according to her post — where she “raved” over the osso buco, co-owner Sergio Faenza previously told The News-Journal.
Amid their dinner, drinks and conversation in the restaurant’s upstairs lounge, the former cast of the two-time Emmy-nominated TV series paused to take photos and speak with staff, and were, as described by Faenza, “unbelievably nice,” “very down the earth” and “super cool.”
Read more:Iconic ‘Sabrina the Teenage Witch’ cast dines at popular Ormond Beach restaurant
Michael Waltrip visits Flagler Beach
Golden Lion Cafe has had its fair share of celebrity visits over the years, with Michael Waltrip’s summer stop-by being among the most recent. Waltrip, a former NASCAR Cup Series driver, two-time Daytona 500 champion and FOX Sports analyst, appeared to be in town ahead of the Coke Zero 400. He dropped by the Flagler Beach restaurant’s tiki bar in mid-August, followed by a visit to Next Door Beach Bistro that same afternoon, where he was seen in photos smiling ear to ear alongside restaurant management.
Over his 33-year career as a NASCAR Cup Series driver, Waltrip competed in more than 780 races, and his success continued off the track as he went on to become a New York Times best-selling author and entrepreneur after founding the Michael Waltrip Brewing Company in 2020.
Golden Lion Café has also previously hosted country music star Tim Dugger, who filmed his “Buy a Bar” music video at the restaurant, as well as Dale Earnhardt Jr., a third-generation NASCAR icon, two-time Daytona 500 winner and 15-time winner of the Most Popular Driver award, according to the NASCAR Hall of Fame.
Read more:Two-time Daytona 500 champion Michael Waltrip visits Flagler Beach restaurants
Toni Breidinger visits Daytona Beach
As if its first Raising Cane’s restaurant wasn’t exciting enough for the Daytona Beach area, the anticipated July opening was further celebrated with a ribbon-cutting ceremony featuring celebrity guest Toni Breidinger.
In addition to being NASCAR’s first Arab-American female driver, Breidinger is also a social media powerhouse with more than 2 million followers as well as a successful model, having been featured in Sports Illustrated, Victoria’s Secret campaigns, and other notable brands. The NASCAR star took part in Raising Cane’s “Speed” campaign earlier this year, and, through her partnership with the brand, made appearances at various special events, with the opening of Daytona Beach’s first Raising Cane’s being one of them.
Alongside representatives from the Daytona Beach Regional Chamber of Commerce, Breidinger led the event’s ribbon-cutting ceremony, posed for photos with attendees and celebrated with customers and staff alike as the restaurant welcomed its first round of Box Combo lovers inside.
Read more:Raising Cane’s opens in Daytona Beach with NASCAR ARCA driver Toni Breidinger
Vanilla Ice visits Palm Coast
Vanilla Ice has made more than one restaurant appearance in the Daytona, Flagler area over the last several years, including Flagler Beach’s Funky Pelican, though his most notable visit of 2024 had to be at Bronx House Pizza.
The internationally known rapper teamed up with the pizza chain’s Hammock location in Palm Coast earlier this year to host a children’s charity event in partnership with Little Smiles charity. During the event, of which all the day’s sales were donated to Little Smiles, Vanilla Ice made an afternoon appearance, introducing himself, taking photos and engaging with the local community.
The award-winning recording artist is best known for his chart-topping hit “Ice Ice Baby” and has made various on-screen appearances in films alongside Adam Sandler, Andy Samberg and others, not to mention having hosted his own home-flipping reality series on the DIY Network, titled “The Vanilla Ice Project,” from 2010-2019.
Read more:Vanilla Ice to host children’s charity event with Palm Coast pizza shop
Read more:Word to your mother: Vanilla Ice visits Flagler Beach restaurant
David Spade, Vanilla Ice, and other celebrities have been spotted dining at some of Flagler and Daytona Beach’s hottest restaurants recently. From upscale seafood spots to casual beachfront eateries, these famous faces have been enjoying all that the area has to offer.
Fans have been thrilled to see these stars out and about, and many have taken to social media to share their sightings and photos. Whether they’re grabbing a bite to eat before hitting the beach or enjoying a night out on the town, it’s clear that Flagler and Daytona Beach are popular destinations for celebrities looking to relax and unwind.
So if you’re in the area, keep your eyes peeled – you never know who you might spot at your favorite local restaurant!
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