My 10 Favorite Places during my -Support Local- Series
Location: Lauderdale-By-The-Sea
So as I make my way to tour Florida on this new chapter of traveling and refusing to comply with societal standards, I think it’s fair to look to my previous adventures that were posted on my original Instagram and give some of the spots a secondary shout-out. I posted over 50 places during my “Support Local” series, and each of these I recommend to the highest degree.
However.
These 10 picks are beyond amazing, they are mandatory visits. Yep, I’m ordering you to go to these places, I will accept no excuses otherwise. They are in no particular order, and I will never reveal which of these is my favorite, it would be unfair to the other nine places (and also, I would have spent an eternity and a half coming up with the rankings regardless). Enough wasting time, here are the brightest of stars from my Support Local series:
The only time I’ll ever eat an egg that’s not scrambled, when its from a reliable place and has fresh pasta underneath.
Location: Multiple Locations (My Pick: Orlando, FL)
Santiago has a few locations around Florida, but the Mills 50 location in particular is an absolute delight. Its never a dull night here, as the varied menu is full of shareable delights, from excellent soups to skewers to even some Greek cheese with pita On top of that, each week there are temporary items to choose from in case you’ve become dangerously close to trying everything on the original menu. Service is great, the vibes are awesome without intimidation, and its only flaw is that they’re a Pepsi Nation location. Boooooooooo, minus 10 points.
Easily one of the greatest dishes I’ve ever eaten.
Standout Item: Alabama Chicken
Very very small venue with very big flavors. The Strand’s food is amazing enough to prompt questions as to how a place that feels smaller than a Starbucks inside a Target Superstore can pull off so many great dishes. The best way to describe this place is a restaurant that makes elevated AAA versions of classic American meals. So whether you eat their fish and chips, or their dry-rub chicken with macaroni and cheese, or even their pretzels, expect familiar items only on paper, before becoming overwhelmed by how good the end result is. They lose some points for not having their butterscotch pudding with coffee jelly. BRING THAT BACK I BEG OF YOU!!!
The best poutine outside of Canada. Definitely not my best picture though….
Location: Lake Buena Vista, FL
Standout Item: Cheddar Cheese Soup
It almost feels unfair and cruel to pit the great local restaurants against Walt Disney World, especially under Business Daddy Iger (he is getting rid of park reservations, holy crap). But I must, I absolutely have to include at least one spot from the House of Mouse. Nestled in Epcot’s Canada Pavilion, this restaurant is a wrecking ball of incredible dishes ranging from upscale poutines to flavorful steaks to what I consider the best soup in all of Central Florida. It got dicey during the pandemic when Disney was shuffling the culinary staff everywhere, but we’re back to “normal” and this place is back to delivering the quality. One of my all-time favorite restaurants on Disney property, an absolute must-visit if you ever visit Epcot.
Jerk Pork. Repeat, JERK PORK!!!!!!!
4) Yellow Green Farmer’s Market
Also a little unfair, because this isn’t -one- place, it’s a wide variety of places wrapped into one large confined space that’s open a couple days a week. However, its one of the best-kept secrets in all of South Florida and single-handedly makes it worth living down there in spite of the traffic, cost, and general craziness of the area itself. This market is a plethora of diverse shops, eateries, food stands, secrets, groceries, and snacks that makes it a different experience every time you go. I’ve personally been there four times and feel like I’ve only experienced 10% of what the area offers. The standouts include the infamous agua fresca stand, Mr. Bill’s earth-shattering jerk pork, and there’s a spectacular mahi-mahi dip that can be found inside as well. If I have any reason to move closer to the Miami Zone, it would be so I can be closer to this slice of Latinae heaven.
I spent a New Year’s Eve here and I don’t regret it.
5) Las Carretas Mexican Restaurant
Standout Item: Chips, Fresh Guac, and the Salsa Bar
The newest place on the list, Las Carretas became an instant smash hit the second it opened its doors. I’ve always said there are three tiers for Mexican restaurants in Florida: the Americanized, the family-friendly, and the deep cut Mexican restaurants with the traditional recipes so traditional they can intimidate non-Latinos. Las Carretas belongs somewhere in the center, where its good for the family while providing a plethora of tasty options. Their tableside guacamole for whatever reason is leagues above the competition, maybe it’s the avocados, maybe there are some secret spices, but their guac along with their SALSA BAR (which should be mandatory in every Mexican restaurant) elevates this place beyond just good Mexican food.
Easily one of the most beautiful locales in all of Florida.
6) Achillies Art Café (Hiawassee)
Standout Item: Pick a coffee, any coffee
There are two locations, but the original owner is now running the newer shop in the deeper regions of MetroWest. Nonetheless, this spot retains its menu, vibes, and coffee from its original spot but now its more spacious, has a larger outdoor patio-like area, and is family-friendlier thanks to the increased size. What makes this place stand out is the always-excellent coffee, quality service, and a menu that’s diverse enough to warrant multiple visits. Its one of the final pillars of a chill place that you can spend an entire afternoon hanging out without feeling like they want to toss you out by the end of the hour.
Top-tier fountain Coke, and its because of the crushed ice. I’m dead serious, this is damn good Coke.
Location: Multiple Locations (My Personal Pick: Winter Park, FL)
Standout Item: Jimichurri Tacos
Jimmy Hulas has this fun beach vibe from the moment you walk in, but not Florida beach but South California. This is apparent with the music choices, the aesthetics, and lastly their fun diverse menu of tacos, rice bowls, and some of the best damn French fries in the entire state. Their food is on-point, and the price tag isn’t too steep as long as you don’t go in there too hungry, because everything looks delicious. I usually go with their tacos and their top-tier mojo fries, but if I’m not feeling Cali-Mex, their Caribbean-inspired bowls will also fit the bill. Most importantly, this location has crushed ice, which is an underrated food that needs to be in more restaurants. Yes, I mean it.
Cachapa with Pork Belly. Absolute Heaven.
Location: Lake Buena Vista, FL
If I ever opened a Latinae restaurant, it would resemble the magic that can be found in here. A wildly assorted menu of snacks, sandwiches, meals, and drinks spanning several Latin American countries , Sofritos probably represents Latin American cuisine overall better than any place in Central Florida outside World Food Trucks (which has 20+ trucks within a square mile). The drinks range from Latinae sodas to classic cocktails, and the food ranges from yucca fries and cachapas to massive plates of garlic shrimp or even Argentinean-style steak, each with several sides to choose from. The place is so beautifully Latino from presentation to decoration, your Spanish ends up improving while dining here.
One of the 10 Best Pizzas I’ve ever had
Location: North Miami Beach, FL
Standout Item: Meatball Ricotta Pizza (yep)
Believe it or not, the best pizza in the Miami Zone is not from a pizzeria, but from a strip mall coffee shop. But combine that with good coffee and excellent desserts and you have a spot that will even make the pickiest coffee drinkers and pickiest eaters get excited whenever they’re close to this hidden gem. Their wood-fired pizza is so good it can compete against the best New York City has to offer, while their coffee beans are roasted in-house which presents you a fresh diverse array of coffee options overall. A place of this level of quality and commitment should have lines out the door, but alas I’ve met many South Floridians who had never even heard of this place. I’m getting the word out, y’all better not disappoint me the next time I ask.
Happiness on a Bowl. Worth all the batshit crazy traffic you have to battle to get to the Aventura Mall.
Hands-down, unquestionably, undisputed heavyweight champ of mall eateries---regardless of price point and size. I’ve dined an admittingly high number of times in different malls but none of them even come close to matching the flavors contained in this small shack of heaven. You can build your own bowls, choose from a variety of bases and sauces, and then even order a Jamaican patty to really satisfy your stomach. Jerk fried rice sounds like a slight contradiction, but its spectacular and gets along with everything like black on clothing. But even if you just want a snack, those Jamaican patties are out-of-this-world. And this is coming from a simple mall eatery. If you’re in Aventura Mall, go there with an empty stomach and try this place out. I demand it.
So there you have it, 10 good locations from my past, before starting this new project and new adventure that will span an unknown quantity of time. I do hope you take the time to support these local establishments, so we can continue supporting the local economy and supporting the locals that help make the Sunshine State bearable even in the midst of these wild times with wild ridiculous people in politics trying to run it to the ground for the sake of stuffing their pockets.
But before I go, I want to be fair and provide you the entire list of places I’ve visited and discussed on my personal Instagram page:
See you on the other side, as The Sunshine Sabbatical takes off.