As with everywhere else in the United States, you could travel from one side of Florida to the other and only ever eat in fast food restaurants. Youâd never know there were gourmet meals to be had, as sometimes even high-end restaurants hide behind unpretentious exteriors. But with its abundance of sunshine â and rain â itâs a state where good, fresh produce is readily available.
What to Eat
Florida has a very varied cuisine, with influences from lots of different places. Northern Florida is more like the rest of the southern USA, with plenty of barbecue, fried chicken, and grits, plus Louisiana-style Creole and Cajun flavors. Further south the Caribbean influences from places like Cuba and the Bahamas come into play, producing a style of cooking they call Floribbean. This is heavy on tropical tastes, from the many exotic fruits that grow here, including bananas, coconuts, mangoes, and papayas. Be sure to try a Cuban sandwich, too.
Seafood abounds, of course, and youâll want to try local specialties like conch fritters, ceviche, and grits and grunts: southern grits served with grunt fish. You can indulge yourself with crabs and lobsters, which are both fresh and affordable, and try the novelty of gator tails. Youâll also want to savor a key lime pie made with fresh key limes, whether you actually go to the Florida Keys or not.
Theme Parks
For the most part the theme parks provide a fast food environment, which is a necessity when youâre trying to feed thousands of people, all at the same time. Many people donât want to spend too much time eating when there are rides to be enjoyed, so the restaurants are designed to move you through as efficiently as possible. And, as fast food goes, itâs generally good fast food, as all the theme parks are aware of their image and the need to keep the customer satisfied.
That doesnât mean thereâs no good food to be had, as the parks do also cater for visitors who want to enjoy a real meal. The Mythos Restaurant at Universal, for example, has been voted the Worldâs Best Theme Park Restaurant, and offers dishes like Cranberry Blue Cheese Crusted Pork alongside hamburgers and grilled chicken. Lombardâs Seafood Grille, also at Universal, gets rated highly too and provides a ringside seat at the evening lagoon show.
Disney World offers quality places such as The Hollywood Brown Derby, and Be Our Guest, with three dining rooms inspired by Beauty and the Beast. A table is hard to come by and a good tip is to ask your hotelâs reception to book one ahead for you.
What to Drink
Florida drinks reflect the food, with a more southern US influence in the north â mint juleps â and a Caribbean influence in the south â mojitos and cuba libres. Youâll find margaritas north, south, east, and west, as although the drink wasnât invented here, Jimmy Buffet finished writing his hit song âMargaritavilleâ while in Key West and youâll hear it everywhere you go. If you prefer non-alcoholic drinks then the fresh citrus and other fruits that abound in Florida mean that youâll get the best juices and smoothies youâve ever tasted.
You might think that beer would be popular in a hot state like Florida, and it is but there isnât quite the wide range of breweries that you find elsewhere. There are only 72 in Florida compared to 458 in California, but you will find breweries offering local brews throughout the state, from Pensacola to the Florida Keys.
You can also enjoy good wine in Florida⊠if you order a bottle of Californian wine. The Florida climate doesnât lend itself to viniculture, but some people are experimenting with making wine from the stateâs tropical fruit. The results are, shall we say, variable. Better stick to the margaritas.
A popular hangout with knowledgeable locals, this little juice bar has grown into a full-fledged restaurant with salads, sandwiches, wraps, and handmade pastas as well as fresh blackened mahi-mahi. The setting, with wooden tables, brick flooring, and market umbrellas, is charming and the daily happy hour is the best in town. $$
This Mediterranean stunner is perfect for an elegant meal in the ot...
