The food scene in Florida reflects the diversity of cultures that have made the sunshine state their home – an intoxicating blend of Southern recipes, Latin American flavors and old-school Floridian techniques...anyone for fried gator tail?
Add tropical fruits to the mix, along with the seafood bounty from the Gulf and the Atlantic coasts, and you have the makings for one of the best US dining destinations.
Memorable meals in Florida can range from casual affairs – snacking on fish sandwiches at a dockside restaurant – to multi-course feasts in a Michelin-starred restaurant overlooking the crashing waves. Complementing the culinary scene is an experimental cocktail culture that sees you drinking in the state's beachfront views and unrivaled sunsets as you indulge. This is your ultimate guide to drinking and dining in Florida.
Ironically, the further north in Florida you travel, the more southern the cooking gets. By southern, we mean the tried-and-true comfort fare of the American South: fried chicken, catfish, barbecued ribs, chicken-fried steak and even chitlins (hog's intestines). These main dishes are often accompanied by belly-filling sides like cheese grits (a sort of cornmeal polenta), cornbread, coleslaw, black-eyed peas, fried green tomatoes, collard greens or butter-slathered corn. For pure decadence, finish things off with a slice of pecan pie – topped, of course, with a big dollop of whipped cream.
Where to try it: Jacksonville's Southern Charm is one of Florida's best places for a blow-out meal. On Saturdays, wise-cracking chef Art Jennette spreads a buffet of smoked ribs, blackened shrimp, pulled pork, cornmeal fried whiting and loads of other temptations.
Florida has a sterling and well-deserved reputation for its seafood, which is not surprising given its 1350-mile coastline. In fact, wherever you go, you're never far from a great seafood meal. This might entail something as simple (but utterly delicious) as a grouper sandwich, a pre-dinner snack of peel-and-eat shrimp, or something more elaborate like a platter of oysters, clams, blue crabs and other delicacies.
Where to try it: In Sarasota, the iconic Owen's Fish Camp serves fried seafood baskets, shrimp-and-oyster po' boys (submarine sandwiches), spicy Creole fish gumbo and plenty of surf-and-turf combos — like seared scallops with braised pork. On Highway 30A, Cafe Thirty-A in Seagrove Beach is a crowd favorite for fine dining, or hop over to Seaside to enjoy your crab cakes with a view of the Gulf from Bud and Alley's rooftop.
Many locals proudly proclaim Miami as "the capital of Latin America." Given the ubiquity of Spanish and the panoply of people from every corner of Central and South America, it makes perfect
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Visit Florida is about to jump start tourism to its overlooked hidden gems in its northwestern region. The destination marketing organization was awarded a $10.5 million grant earlier this month to promote the eight counties in that region, said Visit Florida CEO and President Dana Young.
Whether it’s during the April 20 holiday or to have a little extra fun during a vacation to Mexico, more and more travelers are asking about the legality of purchasing and using recreational marijuana when south of the border.
Michelin announced its 2024 stars for Florida— Miami, Orlando and Tampa— at a ceremony held at the Tampa Edition last April 18. For its third edition, 26 restaurants made the list (14 in Miami, 7 in Orlando, 5 in Tampa), with nine new entries this year.
Flying business class can be a real treat. And with Emirates, the experience is unparalleled, featuring exceptional service, comfortable seats and top tier in-flight food and beverage. Generally considered one of the best airlines to fly overseas, Emirates offers top tier business class, comparable with (or better than) first class on countless other airlines. A winner of several travel and service awards, Emirates offers outstanding business class, from pre-boarding to de-planing. Here’s what you need to know before booking a seat.
When I tell people I grew up in Oregon, I can almost see the stereotypes going through their heads. Depending on how familiar with the state they are, people seem to think I grew up camping and hiking (I didn’t), that I love beer (I don’t) or that I drive way too slowly (my parents would tell you quite the opposite).
A handful of new lounges opened by credit card issuers, including Capital One and American Express, have recently landed in airports across the United States, promising posh spots of refuge for select travelers awaiting their flights. At La Guardia Airport, caviar service will be available for pre-order. At Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, travelers can get complimentary massages, and at Denver International Airport, there are nap pods. In addition to amenities, the new lounges provide an ambience reminiscent of a luxury hotel lobby, both in interior design and scale, and fit several hundred people at a time.
Destination dupes are one of the biggest travel trends of 2024. Some tourist hotspots experienced a surge of interest since pandemic restrictions were lifted. So, it's nice to find lesser-known alternatives that offer similar landscapes, vibes or cultural cachets without the hefty price tags or crowds.
Me and Asturias? We go way back. I first pitched up here in the mid-1980s as a backpacking student with an Interrail pass, riding the old-fashioned trains that rattled along the Cantabrian coast from Bilbao to La Coruña. I still remember my wide-eyed delight at seeing for the first time the verdant valleys rolling down to the sea, the huge beaches pummeled by big Atlantic breakers, the fishing villages stuck like limpets to the rocky coastline. Cold climates often imply caution and reserve, but there was a friendliness and warmth about the locals that reminded me—counter-intuitively, perhaps—of the laid-back Mediterranean.