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to tuck into a small selection of well-prepared dishes, like crab cakes, shrimp-stuffed egg-
plant and manicotti.
Cafe Thirty-A
AMERICAN
( 850-231-2166;
www.cafethirtya.com
;
3899 E Scenic Hwy 30A, Santa Rosa Beach; mains $14-38)
Set in a modern, Frank Lloyd Wright-esque townhouse, this smart-casual fine-dining es-
tablishment feels good from the moment you walk through the door. Seafood delights in-
clude Maine lobster in paradise and wood-oven-roasted grouper, but you can enjoy a filet
mignon cooked to perfection or pan-roasted chicken if you just gotta have some turf with
your surf.
Fish out of Water
SEAFOOD
(
850-534-5050; 34 Goldenrod Circle, WaterColor; mains $18-40;
8-11am Mon, 8-11am &
5:30-9pm Tue-Sun)
With a menu focusing on local bounty - roasted black grouper, steamed red snapper, fresh
Apalachicola oysters - a dining room oozing understated good taste and alfresco dining on
the breathtaking sunset deck, this is a destination restaurant. For the experience minus the
sunset (and the dent in the wallet), come for breakfast.
Bud & Alley's
AMERICAN
( 850-231-5900;
www.budandalleys.com
; 2236 East County Rd 30A, Seaside; mains $25-34;
11am-9:30pm)
This landmark seafood restaurant, with dining room and rooftop tables overlooking the
gulf, is a seriously happening place to be - especially at sunset, when locals and visitors
gather to cheer on the sky while enjoying cold beers and such excellent dishes as seared
halibut and grilled shrimp and grits. Weekends bring live world, jazz and funk music.
Some critics argue that the food doesn't justify the price, but we think the view and the
vibe just might.
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Beaches of South Walton Tourist Center
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