Heart of Palm Salad
The heart of palm is Florida's answer to the asparagus. This sweet, crispy, nutty, nutritious delicacy is harvested from the inner portion of a palm stem. Once called "millionaire's salad" because of their prohibitive price, hearts of palm are now affordable as well as exotic. (The French love it.) Cafe Epicure's Insalata Tropicale is an exquisite concoction of hearts of palm, arugula and avocado--lightly dusted with Parmesan. Who knew a tree could taste so good? Cafe Epicure, 1298 Palm Ave., Sarasota (941) 366-5648.
Hush Puppies
Cortez Village's Star Fish Company Dockside Restaurant is a picture-postcard setting for enjoying vintage Florida food--and views. The Star Fish runs a commercial fishing business, so the fish you eat here is flopping fresh. But what about something to go with that fish? Don't look further than their acclaimed cornmeal corn·meal also corn meal. (Meal made from corn, used in a wide variety of foods. Also called Indian meal). Hush puppies--deep-fried so they pop with sweet corn goodness in your mouth. These puppies are so popular they sell the mix by the bag. 12306 46th Ave W, Cortez (941) 794-1243.
Oysters
Oysters taste like the sea. Well, make that the Gulf, because 90 percent of Florida's oysters hail from Apalachicola. Kick back with an icy brew and generous helpings of ice-cold oysters on the half-shell at the Portside Patio Bar at Marina Jack, a lively open-air raw bar smack on Sarasota Bay. Just don't do it alone. Oysters are known to create a taste for romance. 2 Marina Plaza, Sarasota (941) 365-4232.
Smoked Mullet Spread
With its rich, nutty flavor, mullet offers a rich man's taste at a poor man's price. Since pioneer days, it's been as quintessential to the Gulf coast as grapes are to Sonoma Valley. Walt's Fish Market & Restaurant keeps the tradition alive, serving mullet fried, steamed, broiled and smoked. Their creamy smoked mullet spread is downright delectable. 4144 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota (941) 921-4605.
Conch
Conch (kŏngk, kŏnch, kôngk), common name for certain marine gastropod mollusks having a heavy, spiral shell, the whorls of which overlap each other. fritters are Florida's official fast food. Thanks to overfishing. Overfishing occurs when fishing activities reduce fish stocks below an acceptable level. This can occur in any body of water from a pond to the oceans. More precise biological and bioeconomic terms define 'acceptable level'. , conch meat is now imported from the Caribbean, but it's still the same great taste. At Anna Maria Island's beachside sandbar or offshore bar. Submerged or partly exposed ridge of sand or coarse sediment that is built by waves offshore from a beach. The swirling turbulence of waves breaking off a beach excavates a trough in the sandy bottom. , flip-flops and bathing suits are welcome, and conch fritters are the order of the day. These fritters are acclaimed for their zesty kick (the recipe calls for generous amounts of jalapenos) and crispy bite; they're served golden-fried to perfection. 100 Spring Ave., Anna Maria (941) 778-0444.
Grouper
Grouper common name for a large carnivorous member of the family Serranidae (sea bass family), abundant in tropical and subtropical seas and highly valued as food fish. is Florida's signature fish. You can find the ubiquitous grouper sandwich at any fish shack--or go for the gold at Beach Bistro. Proprietor Sean Murphy sautes his famous Grouper Gulf Coast with a touch of sherry, adds plenty of fresh citrus, mango and papaya papaya (pəpī`ə), soft-stemmed tree (Carica papaya) of tropical America resembling a palm with a crown of palmately lobed leaves and kisses it all with Key lime butter. It's truly inspired Florida cuisine, though Murphy prefers the term "cookery." Whatever--we'll just call it delicious. 6600 Gulf Drive, Holmes Beach (941) 778-6444.
Stone Crab
Consider the hardy Florida stone crab The Florida stone crab, Menippe mercenaria, is a crab found in the western North Atlantic, from North Carolina to Belize, including Texas, the Gulf of Mexico, Cuba and the Bahamas that is widely caught for food. . This versatile creature can regenerate its claws up to four times in its life--a good thing for stone crab connoisseurs, since Florida law forbids harvesting the whole crab. At the family-owned Moore's Stone Crab Restaurant on Longboat Key, the claws come to you hours after being harvested. Dip that rich, buttery meat into Moore's mustard sauce, and don't even think about leaving room for dessert. (Stone crab season is Oct. 15 to May 15). 800 Broadway St., Longboat Key (941) 383-1748.
Alligator
The alligator is the oldest Florida resident there is. They've been known to bite--and now you can return the favor at Linger Lodge. With its deck overlooking the Braden River, taxidermy taxidermy (tăk`sĭdûr'mē), process of skinning, preserving, and mounting vertebrate animals so that they still appear lifelike. wall art and chickens running wild outside, Linger Lodge is as backwoods Florida as you get. Try the alligator chowder, chock-full of farm-raised 'gator meat, potatoes, onions, celery, garlic, heavy cream--and Cajun spicing for that special kick. Just like Mom used to make--if she lived in a Cracker shack in the Everglades. 7205 Linger Lodge Road, Bradenton (941) 755-2757
Key Lime Pie
Not all Key lime pie Key lime pie is a dessert made of key lime juice, egg yolks, and sweetened condensed milk in a pie crust. The pie is topped with meringue, then baked until the meringue is a golden brown.[1] Some key lime pies use other types of whipped toppings or none at all. This pie is made from real Key limes. The pie at Beach House Restaurant is, and that makes all the difference. This traditional Key West recipe demands the freshest Key limes and plenty of eggs. The result is a creamy yellow custard--not the phony green stuff. The crust is made from crumbled graham crackers, as it should be. This Key lime pie is lighter than air Some gases are buoyant in air because they have a density that is less than the density of air (about 1.2 kg/m3, 1.2 g/L). Lighter than air gases are used to fill craft called aerostats which include free balloons, moored balloons, and airship to make the whole aircraft, on , sweeter than your high school heartthrob and pure, sweet Florida. 200 Gulf Drive N., Bradenton Beach (941) 779-2222.
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