Chef Eddie's Magnolia Grill
133 Ave. E (U.S.98) 850/653-8000
Full homage is paid to the luscious bivalves in the oyster capital of our state, but Eddie and Bettye Cass also expand local horizons with beautiful seafood bisques, dolphin given the Louisiana Pontchartrain treatment, even beef Wellington! Dinner: $$
DESTIN
Destin Chops
320 East U.S. 98 850/654-4944
Local answer to the Morton and Ruth's Chris steakhouse crowd with prime beef, but don't overlook the grilled or pan-seared veal rib chop, twin lamb loin chops, grilled salmon, black pepper-crusted yellowfin tuna or the creole blue crab cakes.
Dinner: $$$$
Elephant Walk
Sandestin, 9300 U.S. 98 West
850/267-4800
Of course they serve the trendy tuna, but executive chef Daigle calls his Tamarind Tango Tuna -- grilling a thick slab with jumbo sea scallops then treating it to Asian wildberry sauce and stir-fried veggies.
Dinner: $$$
Flamingo Cafe
414 U.S. 98 East 850/837-0961
Delightful and inspiring setting with a solicitous staff and a menu that treats with respect its stock of land-locked meats. The kitchen staff also knows what to do with fresh fish, preceded ideally by the notable Caesar salad bristling with sun-dried tomatoes.
Dinner: $$$
Frangista Seafood & Spirits
1820 U.S. Old Highway 98
850/837-2515
Manager Keith McManus and executive chef Kipp Bourdeau put a New Orleans accent on their creations of coastal cuisine with peppercorn-seared tuna mignon, seafood strudel and bouillabaisse among the headliners.
Lunch and dinner: $
Marina Cafe
404 East U.S. 98 850/837-7960
Executive chef Derek Stennes keeps this waterfront wonder at its peak with such winners as crunchy firecraker oysters with cabbage stir fry, Louisiana crawfish, apple-smoked salmon pizzas, pan-sautéed almond herb-crusted trigger fish with tasso-corn dirty rice, and roast venison with currant sauce and sweet potato soufflé.
Dinner: $$$
GRAYTON BEACH
Criolla's
Hwy. 30A and Road 283
850/267-1267
The incomparable chef-owner Johnny Earles continues to stun the locals -- and folks further afield when he tours as a guest chef -- with his always innovative inspiration, utilizing with great skill the freshness from land and sea, from
Florida and beyond.
Dinner: $$
HAVANA
Nicholson Farmhouse
State Road 12 West 850/539-5931
An authentically old-timey hideaway that chargrills its steaks with great care, offering seafood and chicken as alternatives for its fans who appreciate the down-home basics. Dinner: $
MARIANNA
Red Canyon Grill
3297 Caverns Road 850/482-4256
A surprising setting in the heart of the Panhandle; a place to indulge in the spices and chilis of the Southwest with wood-grilled quesadillas and such weekly specialties as crawfish and buffalo burgers.
Dinner: $
PANACEA
Angelo's Seafood Restaurant
U.S. 98 at the bridge 850/984-5168
"Be sure to bring your appetite" is the advice given when you phone for information at this terrific water-hugging setting on Ochlockonee Bay where Angelo Petrandis prepares some of the best seafood in the state. Dinner and Sunday lunch: $
PANAMA CITY BEACH
Captain Anderson's Restaurant
5551 N. Lagoon Dr. 850/234-2225
This local landmark closes a few months in the off-season, reopening in February when it once again utilizes to full advantage its fleet unloading fresh fish a few feet from your window table. Shrimp dishes are especially memorable and so too the breads and pastries. Dinner: $
PENSACOLA/PENSACOLA BEACH
Chan's Gulfside
2 1/2 Via De Luna 850/932-3525
A double-decker smack on the Gulf of Mexico with
al fresco informality below and a bit of fancy on the second deck with fresh fish carefully prepared Pensacola style, and a wine list that pays full compliments to the seafood. Lunch, dinner and Sunday brunch, downstairs: $; upstairs: $$$
Jamie's
424 E. Zaragossa St. 850/434-2911
With an extensive wine list and French mastery in the kitchen, this 19th century home is a perfect escape into another time, another clime as you explore the rich history of Seville Square.
Lunch and dinner: $$
Jubilee Restaurant
400 Quietwater Beach Road 850/934-3108
Life's not a cabaret; it's a jubilee, a multi-barrelled one with TopSide for fine dining, a waterfront deck for snacking, plus a sweet shop, bars and lounges and lots of special event happenings. Lunch and dinner: $$
McGuire's Irish Pub
600 E. Gregory St. 850/433-6789
Florida's quintessential bit of blarney with a mind-boggling assemblage of Irish artifacts, mooseheads, hats, helmets and greenbacks, a Notre Dame room and Irish Politicians' Club, on-site brewery and imposing wine cellar dining room -- with more of the same in an offshoot in Destin. Lunch and dinner: $$
SEAGROVE BEACH
Cafe Thirty-A
3899 E. Scenic Highway 30A 850/231-2166
Close to Seaside and offering indoor-outdoor seating, marvelous martinis, excellent wines, rotisserie grill and wood-burning oven for the pampering of fresh fish and quality meats and the production of peerless pizzas. Dinner: $$$
Sandor's European Cuisine
2984 Highway 395 850/231-2858
A hands-on, make-from-scratch experience with authentic echoes and accents of the Old Country, from superb fish and lentil soups and breast of pheasant with quinoa and sour black cherry sauce to the grand finale of eye and palate-pleasing desserts. Dinner: $$
SEASIDE
Bud & Alley's
Route C 30-A 850/231-5900
Owners Scott Witcoski and Dave Rauschkolb continue trail-blazing their way through the world's culinary traditions, creating their own brand of New World Cuisine, grilling freshness from sea and land, blending superior sauces with judicious additions of wine and local herbs, and introducing their loyal clientele to fine wines. Lunch and dinner: $$
TALLAHASSEE
Andrew's Second Act
102 W. Jefferson St. 850/222-3444
Restaurants come and go, but this remains the class act in town, a reliable provider of peppercorn-crusted tuna carpaccio and unique mixed grill with pork and prawns, filet mignon and rack of lamb, saluted with fine wines. Lunch and dinner: $$
Chez Pierre
1215 Thomasville Road 850/222-0936
Karen Coolley and chef Eric Favier are the forces behind this indoor-outdoor retreat with the finest French-inspired food for miles around. The soups and breads are marvelous, the wines carefully selected. Lunch and dinner: $$
Silver Slipper
531 Scotty's Lane 850/386-9366
The Kalfas clan has installed a wondrous wine cellar--3,000 bottles and building -- in the front of this perennially popular spot with great grouper and shrimp treatments, but above all, steaks and prime rib. Dinner: $$
The Wharf
1480 Timberland Road 850/894-4443
Last summer's fire destroyed all but the spirit of the team which reopened in new digs three months ago, determined to continue providing the best seafood in town. The shrimp is supreme but don't sell short the rib-eyes and fried chicken. Dinner: $