Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The southern Gulf Coast is similarly satisfying: Tampa and St Petersburg are riding the
cusp of a culinary renaissance, with everything from Old World Iberian to locavore-in-
spired modern gastronomy. Skip south through the rich beach towns of Sarasota, Sanibel
Island and Naples, and a memorable meal is a reservation away.
As you go north, robust Southern cuisine comes to dominate, and high-end dining fa-
vors classic Italian, French and seafood. Though lacking gourmet 'scenes,' great choices
are sprinkled in Jacksonville and Tallahassee. Along the Atlantic Coast, Amelia Island and
St Augustine are foodie havens, and there's plenty of fresh, upscale seafood in Panhandle
resort towns.
In general, Florida offers two kinds of tourism destinations, and in a similar vein, it of-
fers two kinds of eating options. In the more typical beach and tourism towns you'll find
family-friendly eateries that emphasize big portions and cheap prices. The more upscale
you get, the more rarefied the atmosphere, but with that said, this is always Florida. You'll
see people showing up for nice dinners in sandals (almost) everywhere.
FLORIBBEAN CUISINE
OK, somebody worked hard to come up with 'Floribbean' - a term for Florida's tantalizing
gourmet mélange of just-caught seafood, tropical fruits and eye-watering peppers, all
dressed up with some combination of Nicaraguan, Salvadoran, Caribbean, Haitian, Cajun,
Cuban and even Southern influences. Some call it 'fusion,' 'Nuevo Latino,' 'New World,'
'nouvelle Floridian' or 'palm-tree cuisine,' and it could refer to anything from a ceviche of
lime, conch, sweet peppers and scotch bonnets to grilled grouper with mango, adoboand
fried plantains.
South Florida Food Blogs
Jan Norris
(
www.jannorris.com
)
Short Order
(
http://blogs.miaminewtimes.com/shortorder
)
Meatless Miami
(
www.meatlessmiami.com
)
Bounty of the Sea
Florida has always fed itself from the sea, which lies within arm's reach of nearly every
point of the state. In a country where oysters are served in the rolling plains of Nebraska,
