- The iconic Rusty Pelican on Key Biscayne re-emerges after 40 years with a swanky, modern-Miami look that complements the view of the city’s sleek skyline. Enjoy ceviche and craft beer on the waterfront patio.
- Downtown Sarasota newbie Patty’s on Main boasts about its burgers. Take your pick: pastrami, salmon, lamb or good old beef. Grab a stool at the glass-and-granite bar for a mango mojito or cucumber-mint martini.
- Chef Andrew Carmellini brings his New York SoHo restaurant, Dutch, to Miami Beach, opening in the oh-so-hip W South Beach hotel on Collins Avenue. Surprisingly, the interior is sprinkled with Old Florida memorabilia handpicked by the chef. Start with the blue crab pizza, topped with tomato, zucchini and jalapeño.
- Find Southern comfort foods, like Aunt Sara’s fried chicken, collard greens, black-eyed peas and cornbread dressing, at downtown Pensacola’s Five Sisters Blues Café. Bonus: Blues bands play here regularly.
- Tarpon Pointe Grill & Tiki Bar in Bradenton is the go-to place for live music and fresh-catch fish sandwiches with roasted-jalapeño pineapple salsa. From its perch at the Manatee Landings Marina, the restaurant offers views of the Manatee River.
- The newest occupant on Naples' fashionable Fifth Avenue is Osetra, a caviar and champagne bar. Toast with flutes of Veuve Clicquot as you ponder the extensive caviar menu, starting with Royal Osetra. Whiteleather high-back chairs and streamlined chandeliers give the place its elegant allure.
- With only seven tables, this quiet little casual hideaway in Sarasota feels like a friend’s home. Dolce Italia makes all its pasta, so expect the real deal in spa- ghetti and lasagna dishes. Hold out for dessert; the strawberry sponge cake with Italian cream is amazing.
- Sample new wines at the Naked Grape Wine Station on Scenic Highway 30A. Dispensers allow you to taste or pour a full glass. Enjoy with pita chips and dips — egg- plant, salmon and artichoke — in a quaint, cozy brick-walled loungelike room.
- Top Chef contestant Jeff McInnis introduces his classic Southern cooking to South Beach foodies. Order his mama’s chicken biscuits and even sample his single-barrel bourbons. Yardbird Southern Table & Bar is hip yet rustic, with caramel-hued banquettes set against reclaimed-barn- wood walls.
- Chef-owner Adam Sears of Merge in Fernandina Beach has something up his sleeve. Literally. Delight in American-fusion dishes like sauteed shrimp and grouper on a puff pastry. And if you’re lucky, the charismatic Sears will perform a couple of magic tricks at your table.
- Miami’s Design District keeps up its foodie pace with the grand opening of Harry’s Pizzeria by chef Michael Schwartz. The star chef serves his pizzas with nontraditional toppings like short ribs and slow-roasted pork. Wash it down with Tampa’s Cigar City Jai Alai IPA.
- A Miami Beach newbie for chick-friendly cocktails, the Well Lounge serves drinks low in carbs and named after supermodels. Try the (Gisele) Bündchen, made with Veev, a Brazilian açai-berry -derived liqueur. A chalet decor with antler chandeliers surprises.
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