Restaurants cater to every palate and budget, from the trendy establishments in Miami, which set or follow the latest culinary fashions, to more homely and traditional places in the interior.
Wherever you are, the most enjoyable meals are often to be had in the most down-to-earth
local restaurants.
TYPES OF RESTAURANTS
Florida’s best restaurants, mostly located in cities or attached to resort hotels, tend to serve European (often French) or elaborate regional cuisine. A breed of innovative chefs has combined Florida’s fine local produce with zesty Caribbean flavors to create what people call New Florida or “Floribbean” cuisine. This kind of food is also served in smaller, more casual bistro-style restaurants, which are very popular and whose menus often change daily.
Miami and the cities of the Gold and Gulf coasts have a good reputation for their restaurants. The quality of the food in Walt Disney World is also surprisingly well regarded.
Miami is home to the state’s greatest concentration of ethnic restaurants and cafés. Here,
you can eat your way around the world from Asia to Europe and the Caribbean. Florida has the US’s best choice of Hispanic food, which you can eat anywhere from a budget diner to a formal supper club.
Restaurants of every size and shape serve seafood. In one Florida institution, the “raw bar,” you can enjoy deliciously fresh raw oysters or clams and steamed shrimp.
EATING HOURS
Urban dwellers like to eat out, even for breakfast. This is an especially popular tradition on Sundays, when a leisurely brunch, often served buffet style, can be eaten from around 10am to 2pm.
On weekdays lunch is eaten from noon to 2:30pm and sup-per from 6pm onward. Away from the resorts and buzzing districts like South Beach in Miami, where many people
prefer to dine at around 11pm, Floridians tend to eat early – usually between 7 and 9pm.
RESERVATIONS
To avoid disappointment, it is wise to reserve a table, especially on weekends or at the more upscale or popular restaurants. At some places, like Joe’s Stone Crab in South Beach, you cannot book ahead and instead must wait in line for a table. It is best, therefore, to arrive early to minimize waiting times.
TIPS ON EATING OUT
Dining out in Florida is mostly an informal affair. Very few restaurants require a
jacket and tie, and those that do will provide jackets for diners without. “Casual but
neat” is the general rule. All restaurants in Florida are non-smoking establishments
so be prepared to step outside if you want to light up. Tips range from 15 to 20 per-
cent. At sophisticated places, diners frequently tip the higher amount if the service has been exceptionally good. The state sales tax of 6 percent is added automatically.
Travelers’ checks and credit cards are accepted in almost all types of restaurants and neighborhood diners, as well as fast food chains, coffee shops, and delicatessens.
VEGETARIAN FOOD
Vegetarians who eat fish and seafood will have no problem at all in Florida. The rest, however, will often scour menus in vain for meat- and fish-free dishes. Unless you encounter one of the few truly vegetarian restaurants, prepare yourself for a diet in which
salads, pasta dishes, and pizzas will feature strongly.
DINING ON A BUDGET
There are several easy ways to cut your food budget. First, as a rule, helpings in restaurants are huge, so order less than you would normally; an appetizer is often enough for a light meal. Diners may share dishes, but there is usually a small charge for this.
All-you-can-eat buffets are a bargain, and some restaurants have cheaper meals on a “prix-fixe” menu. In addition, “early bird” menus or specials feature set meals at a reduced
price for those who eat early, usually from 5 to 6pm: these are a great boon for families. In this way, a full meal can be discounted by up to 35 per- cent. Check the listings for restaurants which offer early bird specials: call ahead for details since the times and conditions usually vary.
It is less expensive to eat out at lunchtime than in the evening if you want to do so in a chic restaurant. Hotel dining, however, is always pricey. For breakfast, you’d do well to join the locals in a nearby deli or diner for what may be a much livelier and probably superior meal.
Bars often serve reasonably priced food, and during happy hour many serve hot hors d’oeuvres – enough for a meal if you aren’t feeling ravenous.
Some restaurants, especially in the Keys, will cook your own fish for a reduced price.
Also, many state parks have barbecues where you can grill your catch or whatever food
you care to bring along. Delis and supermarkets are good for picnic provisions; delis also
have great cooked dishes and sandwiches that you can eat on or off the premises.
MENUS
Menus throughout the state rely heavily on fresh fish and other seafood items, such as
clams, lobsters, shrimp, crab, and conch. You can also find crawfish, blackened fish (coated with Cajun spices and cooked quickly in a smoking hot pan), and gumbos, if Cajun-style food appeals to you. Beef, chicken, and pork are readily available, from prime fillet of beef and
tenderloin cuts to southern fried chicken, roast pork, or fried pork chops. Surf ’n’ Turf is a popular combination of seafood and beef, usually steak and lobster. If “dolphin” appears on a Florida menu, it refers to mahimahi, a white-fleshed fish. If you’re unsure of what anything is, or if you need a special menu, the staff will be pleased to help. It’s all part of the service.
CHILDREN
Most restaurants are happy to accommodate the needs of younger diners. Some places provide small portions at about half the regular price, while others have special menus featuring child-sized meals of things kids like to eat such as hot dogs and fries. Some also provide high chairs or booster chairs; call ahead to check what is available. Children are not allowed in bars, but if food is served on the premises they can accom-pany adults and have a meal in an area away from the bar.
The Flavors of Florida
With an ideal climate, Florida is blessed with a pro-fusion of tropical fruits, bountiful vegetables year-round, and fresh seafood from both ocean and gulf, and these are the major elements found in the state’s cuisine. In the cities of central and south Florida, the large Cuban and Caribbean populations have made a strong culinary impact, and Latin America contributes dishes such as ceviche. In the north, food show the influence of neighboring southern states. But, in order to please the thousands of tourists who visit the
“sunshine state”, almost every type of international cuisine is available.
TROPICAL TREATS
Florida’s tropical climate produces much of the exotic fruit found in America, from kumquats and carambolas to lychees and star fruit. The variety grown means that a
bountiful supply of top-quality produce is always in season. Weekly local farmers’market, found in almost very community, are fun to visit.
FLORIDA SEAFOOD
Among the best of the local catch to watch for on Florida menus are amberjack, mahi-mahi, pompano, snapper, tuna and wahoo. Grouper, part of the sea bass family, is especially popular. The fillets appear both as main dishes and in delicious sandwiches.
Florida gulf shrimp, another favorite, is large, sweet and tender. They may be boiled, peeled and served cold with cocktail sauce, cooked in a CUBAN CUISINE In cities with large Cuban
populations, like Tampa and Miami, many dining places serve dishes that show a strong Spanish influence.
Roast pork, arroz con pollo (chicken with spiced rice), and paella are mainstays. Cuban sandwiches, and flan for dessert, are also typical spicy sauce and served in the shell, or used in numerous other main courses.
REGIONAL DISHES AND SPECIALTIES
Stone crabs, rich, sweet and firm in texture, are the most prized of Florida seafoods, perhaps partly because they are available only from mid-October to mid-May. The meat is always cooked, but is usually served chilled, with melted butter and mustard sauce. Conch (a giant sea snail), another important shellfish, may be served as an appetizer, in salads, or as the base for chowder. Shrimp comes in two varieties - large and pink-hued from the Gulf, or white and delicate from the Atlantic. The state’s signature dessert is Key Lime Pie,
truly authentic only when its tangy filling is made with the small, round, yellow-green, aromatic limes grown in the Florida Keys. Fish dishes may be grilled, sautéed or
pan-seared; but are often marinated with lime juice and served with sauces or side dishes made with local fruits.
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