Food and Dining
Let Tommy Thompson, our Food and Dining blogger and “Sportsman’s Kitchen” columnist for Florida Sportsman Magazine, point you toward the best eats in Natural North Florida.
Eat At Cilantro Tacos, A Genuine Tacqueria in Downtown Newberry
Genuine Tacquerias are not supposed to be romantic. And I’ve found over the years that there’s a difference in decor (and food) between them and “Mexican restaurants”. Cilantro Tacos, located at 25740 W. Newberry Road, in Newberry (west of Gainesville) fits the bill. It’s fluorescent lights leave no darkened corners in which to hide, sneaking …
Jump Start Yourself, Your Friends, And Your Holiday Shopping–With Sweetwater Organic Coffee
There’s no question about it: Food makes an excellent Holiday gift. And tasty food’s even better if it’s harvesting and sales represent an effort to do good and to help people. Sweetwater’s coffee is small-batch artisan-roasted in Gainesville, and is available at many regional outlets (Ward’s Grocery and Lucky’s in Gainesville, for example.), as well …
Visit Island Grove Wine Company’s New Tasting House Near Gainesville, Florida
The newly-opened (2015) Island Grove Wine Company Tasting House is probably the most exciting thing that’s happened to the the small crossroads settlement at Island Grove, FL in years! That said, realize that Island Grove is a peaceful little place that time forgot when US301 as almost abandoned by travelers due to the construction of …
Eat at Hobo’s in Trenton, Florida–Country Cookin’ At Its Best!
Hobo’s Restaurant isn’t far off SR26 or US129 in Trenton, Florida, but it’s sometimes hard to miss. Just head down 1st Street from SR26 when you’re on the way to the Gulf from Newberry or Gainesville and you’ll see the white frame building. Open for lunch and dinner, 7 days a week, Hobo’s usually …
Island Grove Winery Fall Winery Festival, Saturday November 7, 2015, Island Grove, FL
Yes, Florida is producing some very nice wines, and while many Florida wineries have appeared over recent years, there are few as big and sophisticated as Island Grove Wine Company in Alachua County. Located just east of Gainesville, near Cross Creek, at Citra, this place produces some very tasty products. And, on Saturday, November 7, …
Meet Baseball Great Wade Boggs, Saturday, October 31 at Island Grove Wine Company, Alachua County, FL
What a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon! Yes, to all you Gator and Seminole fans, it’s all about football. But before you get locked down in front of the family TV, why not head east from Gainesville to visit the new Island Grove Wine Company Tasting House and a chance to meet Baseball …
2015 Stone Crab Season Now Open–The Best Seafood Florida’s Gulf Offers!
Stone crab season is underway, and I’m always surprised by the number of presentations in which stone crab meat is adulterated–by both amateur and professional chefs. I enjoy crab dip and crab cakes, but I reserve those recipes for either lump or claw meat from blue crabs. Stone crab claws are best left simple, only …
Hushpuppies, Natural North Florida Style–With Guava Jelly!
Visitors to our Natural North Florida Big Bend often eye quizzically the hushpuppies served alongside their fish or shellfish dinners at local eateries. Places famous for their local seafood (Poseys or Shell Point in Panacea, Deal’s or Pouncey’s in Perry, Roy‘s and Fiddler’s in Steinhatchee, The Lighthouse in Fanning Springs, Bett’s in Chiefland and any …
Don’t Miss Octoberfest 2015 at Alachua County’s Rogers’ Farm!
Rogers’ Farms is a culinary landmark in the Gainesville, Florida area. Known far and wide for its strawberries (in the spring) and its late summer crop of peas, Rogers also maintains a healthy stock of healthy fruits and vegetables throughout the year. But October is special! The 2015 Rogers’ Farm Fall Festival, AKA Octoberfest, is …
Gainesville Area’s “Big City” Farmers’ Markets Bustle in Fall
While mostly rural, the 11-county region we call “Natural North Florida” has one large urban area. Gainesville and Alachua County are large, that is, if you count the 75,000-plus college students at the University of Florida and Santa Fe College. Without those venerable institutions, you’d see fewer Publix Supermarkets and more roadside farmers’ markets! Not …