| Barb Freda's Blog Archive |
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| Third Street Farmer's Market in Naples: Now Open Year-Round |
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| June 04, 2009 |
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| This is big news for Southwest Florida — the Third Street Farmer’s Market in Naples will be open all summer long. It’s never happened before (this is the market’s 19th year in business), but the vendors have decided that the public’s desire to buy locally produced/raised/baked and created goods is big enough to support a year-round effort.... more |
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| Tupelo Honey: Florida's Gold from Apalachicola River Area in Northwest Florida |
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| May 30, 2009 |
Just had to share this shot of tupelo honey, beautiful in all its simplicity. Tupelo honey this pure is harvested only in the Apalachicola River area, where white tupelo trees are plentiful and where beekeepers make a point of gathering pure tupelo honey for about three or four weeks in late April/early May every year.
Glynnis Lanier talked me through a recipe for using tupelo honey in oatmeal cookies.... more |
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| La Bonne Bouche in Lake Worth |
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| May 27, 2009 |
| I recently had an unexpected but very welcome afternoon free and nowhere to go but lunch with a couple of friends and my daughter. One of the crowd steered us to La Bonne Bouche in Lake Worth.... more |
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| Mango Mania: Mango Season in Florida |
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| May 25, 2009 |
| One of the special treats I never had before I moved to Florida is the luxury of enjoying a mango picked from a friend's backyard. The fruit is silky smooth (not full of fibers as so many are when I buy them from the store and ripen them on my counter at home) and still warm from the sun. Let's just say it was a dining revelation.... more |
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| Dining Deals Abound Around the State |
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| May 23, 2009 |
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I got a great newsletter from a restaurant the other day talking about why it's still a good idea to dine out on occasion--there are sensible choices, we support our local economy, hospitality is always a good thing and, above all, there are some incredible deals out there.
Here are just a few that have come through my inbox in the past few days:
... more |
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| Mangrove Mike's Cafe, Islamorada |
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| May 10, 2009 |
| Ready for one more stop in the Keys? Islamorada is about halfway to Key West for me -- I live almost at the start of the Keys, so a stop in Islamorada (say it like the locals: eye-la-more-ah-da) to stretch my legs and to grab a bite to eat and a great cup of coffee is a natural.... more |
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| Easy Breakfast in Gainesville...Bagels Like NYC |
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| May 04, 2009 |
When I miss New York City, a lot of times, I'm missing the food, including the great deli bagels you can get.
Recently in Gainesville, my friend Trish steered me to Jeff's Deli, this humble looking spot (even the sign admits it: We may not look good on the outside, but our food is great on the inside)von the corner of NW 6th Street and NW 23rd Ave.... more |
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| Easter Brunch Around the State |
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| April 08, 2009 |
Traveling over the holidays? Or staying put and just looking for a nice place to go on Easter Sunday (April 12)?
Here are a few places around the state offering special Easter Sunday brunches and dinners - if you have specific questions about other brunches in other cities (there are many!), please post your question here. I will try to help.
... more |
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| Bravo TV's Top Chef: The Tour 2 |
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| April 01, 2009 |
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Great name for a rock band, right? And these are rock 'n roll chefs from seasons past visiting Florida on a touring road show.You’ll get to meet ‘cheftestants,’ taste the dishes that made them famous and watch them cook.
At every show, every stop, it’s a mini-Top Chef party (all set up on the rolling tour bus/18-wheeler kitchen), with prizes awarded to fans who can answer Top Chef trivia.... more |
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| Top Notch Frozen Yogurt in South Florida |
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| March 06, 2009 |
| I have started making a 10-minute detour on my errand routes recently if I am remotely approaching the Sheridan Rd./I-75 exit in Broward County. I should have a bumper sticker on my car that reads "I Detour For Yogurt.... more |
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| Foraging the Forgotten Coast: A Culinary Tour for Foodies |
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| February 17, 2009 |
| The trend these days is to really know where our food comes from, and chefs and purveyors in Northwest Florida have created an impressive itinerary for those of us who are die-hard about knowing where our food comes from: “Foraging the Forgotten Coast Culinary Tour,” where “foodies follow local fare from nature to the table.... more |
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| Five Spots in Florida for a Romantic Dinner |
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| February 06, 2009 |
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Looking for a romantic spot for Valentine's Day? Here are five great romantic spots with views, charm, great food and plenty of romance! And a word of advice from someone in the business: consider celebrating Valentine's Day on the day before or after Feb. 14 to avoid the crowds, and your dinner will be even more romantic!
1.... more |
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| Dining Deal in Jacksonville: Matthew's |
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| January 09, 2009 |
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| Matthew's, a Jacksonville fine-dining destination, is offering a great deal on dinner for two: three courses, $89 for the pair of you -- also known as "Two can dine for $89." Make your reservation and be sure to ask for the $89 menu with fixed choices when you arrive to dine.... more |
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| Bargain Dining in Naples: Naples Originals |
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| January 07, 2009 |
| For the rest of this week, Naples' independently-owned restaurants are offering great deals on dining for Naples Originals Restaurant Week. Prix fixe lunch of $12.50, dinner for $25 (no beverages, taxes or tips included) at one of 13 of the Naples Originals restaurants.... more |
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| Florida Cookbooks... |
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| January 07, 2009 |
If you're at all like I am -- foodie, though and through -- you collect cookbooks. I love bringing back a cookbook from the places I visit.
So here are three cookbooks by Florida's own.... more |
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| Ra Sushi New Menu |
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| December 18, 2008 |
A couple of months ago, Ra Sushi rolled out its new menu, and if the crowds are any indication, the menu keeps bringing people back for more.
... more |
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| It's Strawberry Season |
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| December 15, 2008 |
One of the things that continues to surprise me about Florida, no matter how long I am here, are the flip-flopped seasons. I grew up in the north, and growing season is over by this time of the year.
In Florida we are just getting started, and early season (north or south) means strawberries.... more |
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| Holiday Happenings |
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| December 11, 2008 |
Here is a fun food item.
Holiday Cruise and Dinner, Wakulla Springs State Park (Northwest Florida),
Dec. 20
Enjoy a Holiday Cruise and Dinner at ... more |
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| A Few More Florida Food Gifts |
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| December 09, 2008 |
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A few other thoughts on what to send back to the far North over the holidays. You know, just enough to say, "It's warm where we are, come join us!"
... more |
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| Culinary Classes at School of Fish in Port St. Joe |
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| December 07, 2008 |
Looking for some culinary connections in northwest Florida this month? Make some plans to enjoy Florida’s wonderful winter on “The Forgotten Coast” on Dec.12 to 14 with the Culinary Adventure package at ... more |
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| Florida Food Gifts Part 1 |
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| December 03, 2008 |
Well, if it's December, surely you must be buying some food gifts, right? What better way to make yourself a most-welcomed guest wherever your travel? Or you can send a little taste of Florida to all the folks stuck back up in the frozen North.
Here are a few favorites I've come across this year:
... more |
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| 12 Hours In Gainesville? Food and Finds |
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| November 25, 2008 |
If you find yourself in Gainesville here are three ways to get a bite to eat:
Maude's Classic Cafe: It's not your same old corporate haunt. Maude's Classic cafe serves up a great, piping hot (isn't lukewarm coffee such a disappointment?) coffee as well as plenty of breakfast and lunch dishes; great looking croissants, mile-high cakes in the case and friendly help.... more |
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| Beaujolais Bikers: It must be November |
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| November 22, 2008 |
If it's the third Thursday in November, it must be time for Beaujolais Nouveau. I had enormous fun participating in the Georges DeBoeuf Beaujolais Biker Brigade this past Thursday--by law the wine cannot be opened until 12:01 a.m.... more |
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| Super Stone Crab Season |
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| November 20, 2008 |
After spending a wild and wonderful 24 hours in Suwannee shooting a stone crab video for VISITFLORIDA, we learned this year, in particular, is a booming, BOOMING stone crab season.... more |
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| Fly Food in Tampa |
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| November 18, 2008 |
At a recent writers' convention in Tampa, when the crowd went one way, I talked a few friends into going another way -- a small, very cool restaurant, ... more |
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| South Beach Festival Reminder: For the Kids, too. |
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| November 16, 2008 |
| Don't let this event pass you by! The tickets for the South Beach premier food event went on sale on October 27--one event sold out that first day, and in the few weeks since, more events have sold out. But that doesn't mean there aren't still plenty of tickets left.... more |
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| Homossassa Arts, Crafts and Seafood Festival:November 8,9 |
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| November 03, 2008 |
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| Looking for plans for the upcoming weekend? Check out the Homosassa Arts, Crafts and Seafood Festival on Saturday and Sunday, November 8 and 9. There will be an arts and crafts to buy and plenty of seafood to sample. The fall weather in Florida is spectacular and this makes for a great way to spend time outdoors in one of Florida's many small, friendly coastal towns.... more |
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| Local Seafood at Stinky's Fishcamp |
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| October 19, 2008 |
Sometimes you just want to head where the locals are hanging, don’t you? When I’m somewhere, I like eating in places I can’t find anywhere else.
Next time you find yourself in Northwest Florida -- ... more |
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| Home-Baked Homeslice |
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| October 16, 2008 |
A new company has opened in Miami, and the owner is baking up some tastey bread that would be great for breakfast, for afternoon tea or for an easy dessert (add a scoop of ice cream and you're in heaven ..... more |
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| Dinner in Paradise |
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| October 09, 2008 |
Dinner in Paradise…
…or in Homestead, Florida (35 miles Southwest of downtown Miami) at any rate. It just feel likes paradise on Paradise Farms, an organic farm with hundreds of products—lettuces, flowers, avocados, fruits. The list is long, and that is what local chefs have to choose from when they participate in one of the farm’s Dinners in Paradise.... more |
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| Dining, Wining, Golfing, Relaxing: Getaway to The Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club-- |
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| October 07, 2008 |
| Getaway for a romantic two nights and three days at the Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club. The “Sunset Romantic Getaway Package” includes a welcome bottle of Champagne, a three-course dinner for two on both nights at HB’s on the Gulf (with beautiful sunsets nearly guaranteed), breakfast buffet each morning, a cabana on the beach during the day, an hour of tennis, afternoon tea and cookies at 4 p.m.... more |
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| Chef Allen's in Aventura Creates New Seafood Bistro Menu |
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| October 06, 2008 |
| Chef Allen’s, open in Aventura since 1986 and winning awards since then, too, has decided to update the interior as well as the menu. Allen Susser, chef and owner, is creating a seafood bistro menu. “My goal is to create the best fish and seafood restaurant in Miami, in a more casual environment, at prices that will appeal to our loyal customers as well as today’s mix of educated and adventurous diners,” says the James Beard Award-winning chef.... more |
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| Watch Some Famous Foodies Get Grilled |
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| October 02, 2008 |
If you’ll be in Miami between now and December, you might want to treat your foodie self to a good Q&A (a la Inside the Actor’s Studio, if you’ve seen that BravoTV format) at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts.
Select South Florida chefs (the interviewers have not been announced yet) will be getting the inside scoop from Giada de Laurentiis (October 24), Anthony Bourdain (November 14) and Alton Brown (December 13).
Tickets are available for $25 to $150.... more |
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| Redland Tropical Trail, Part 1 |
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| October 01, 2008 |
| What a surprise Florida continues to offer up, even after three years. Just when I’m thinking there are too many people here, I manage to visit a place like Redland and Homestead—where I get to follow a lot of the Redland Tropical Trail, and I feel alone in the universe..... more |
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| Dine Out Fort Lauderdale Officially Open |
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| October 01, 2008 |
| Well, preview is over and now it's official: Dine Out Fort Lauderdale is in full swing as of October 1, continuing through November 14 (with most restaurants opting out during International Boat Show, October 30 through November 3)--and just in the nick of time, since as noted here recently, Miami Spice is winding down. Click here for a listing of participating restaurants. If you then click on individual restaurants, you'll get to see the menus each restaurant is serving for Dine Out.... more |
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| Chill Out with Cafe Bustelo |
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| September 30, 2008 |
Craving coffee? How about a cool space to enjoy that java? Miami-based Rowland Coffee Roasters’ iconic Café Bustelo has just opened a new café-style dining and retail shop in Miami Beach’s Gansevoort South Hotel, Spa and Residences (2377 Collins Avenue, between 23rd & 24th Streets).
Get your caffeine fix from 7 a.m.... more |
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| Florida Seafood: Lobster Season and Pensacola Seafood Festival |
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| September 17, 2008 |
Now is the perfect time to enjoy one of Florida's delicacies, the spiny lobster. The season opened a few weeks ago and continues through March 31, 2009--and this year's season seems to promise abundance.
You'll hear Florida lobsters referred to as rock lobsters, as well--unlike northern lobsters, these warm-water crustaceans' tails are the only edible part of the lobster.... more |
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| Budget Bites: Bob Roth's New River Groves |
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| August 22, 2008 |
| Once upon a time, all this Southeast Florida territory was farmland – frankly not even too, too long ago. Colleagues who grew up in Southeast Florida were told they were moving to the sticks when they came up this way. When the huge Muvico complex was built in Pembroke Pines, some people wondered who would go there.... more |
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| Pizza Fusion: Pizza That Can Help the World |
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| August 18, 2008 |
Heard of Pizza Fusion yet? Organic pizza. You didn't know you needed it, but you should definitely know about it because it's great pizza.
The idea was generated by two college buddies who realized that the world lacked organic pizza options.... more |
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| Key Largo Food Fun |
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| August 05, 2008 |
Key Largo is an easy drive from anywhere in South Florida, so if you're down this way, make a day of a trip--the area is said to have some of the best diving and snorkeling around, which is the way we worked up an appetite last Sunday.
... more |
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| The Plight of The Honey Bees |
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| July 22, 2008 |
You may have heard—honey bees are facing a bit of a mysterious plight. They are leaving their hives and not returning.
What’s that got to do with dining, you ask? Well, a whole lot if you like your food: bees pollinate nearly 1/3 of our food supply.... more |
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| Ilios at Fort Lauderdale Hilton |
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| July 16, 2008 |
Fort Lauderdale Hilton recently did a full renovation which included its restaurant in a big way.
Ilios is a small space with big windows looking out towards the hotel pool deck and beyond that to the Atlantic.... more |
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| Cleveland's Hyde Park Prime Steakhouse Opens in Florida |
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| July 04, 2008 |
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| Steakhouses continue to appear on the Florida dining scene--maybe it's something about the sun and the surf that makes us crave a great steak--and the new steakhouses really are going for the upscale experience.
One relative newcomer to is ... more |
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| Your New Dining Guide |
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| June 30, 2008 |
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| Today marks the start of my tenure as your VISIT FLORIDA Dining Guide Expert. I'm delighted to be here to guide you through all things dining in Florida. Please take a look at my bio--but I'm happy to give you the highlights here.... more |
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