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Food & Fun Here's the good news: You won't find a McDonald's, Burger King, Wendy's or Pizza Hut within 10 miles of Santa Rosa Beach. Here's the better news: There's a wide variety of good and great food very close by. Here are some of our favorite places for . . . Breakfast
The Red Bar -- Downtown Grayton Beach. The ramshackle joint comes alive for lunch and evening entertainment, but it also has a great Sunday brunch. The Donut Hole -- On 98 just west of Thompson Road. A lot of locals start their work day here with loads of eggs, pancakes or waffles. Check out the giant sweet rolls.
Lunch
Bud & Alley's -- On the beach at Seaside. At ground level is one of the area's top-rated restaurants. But we prefer the open-air bar on the roof where you get a great Mohito and the best view of the beach, with occasional entertainment by a school of cruising dolphins. Elmo's -- South side of 30A, west of Oyster Lake. This is a fast and family-friendly place where fish sandwiches and fries are served on picnic tables on the screened-in porch. Dinner
The Red Bar -- Yes, we like it for dinner, too. The menu is limited, they don't take credit cards and there's duct tape on the seats. But the food is good and the crowd is always friendly. Stinky's Fish Camp -- This is our new nearby favorite. It's about a quarter-mile west on 30-A. Like the Red Bar, it's funky and friendly inside, but it has a much broader menu with great seafood dishes. Bring cash - Stinky also doesn't take credit cards. Smiling Fish Cafe -- 30A at 393 in Gulf Place. We like the quiet outdoor tables and the eclectic menu (but not the new higher prices). Amore -- Also in Gulf Place. Gourmet pizza, pasta and fancy sandwiches served on an outdoor deck overlooking the great lawn. Goatfeathers -- South side of 30A, east of 393. There's a fresh seafood market on the ground level and a large seafood restaurant upstairs. If you like Red Lobster, you'll like Goatfeathers. You can walk home from the Smiling Fish, Amore and the Santa Rosa Beach Club. The club welcomes non-members, serves good food and has a lively bar. For more upscale dining, try Basmati's, on 30-A for Asian cuisine and sushi, Cafe Provence on 98 for French cuisine and Cafe 30-A, between Seagrove and Rosemary Beach. More Eats When the women hit the outlet stores in Sandestin, the guys head across the street to Buster's. It's loaded with TVs, always tuned to the games, and has great early-bird prices on raw oysters. For fast carry-out lunch or breakfast sandwiches, there's Sally's convenience store in Blue Mountain Beach. Cocoon's on 30A has good carry-out for dinner and For the Health of It at Blue Mountain offers natural foods and a juice bar. Blue Mountain also has a well-stocked liquor store and the best nearby wine shop is Chan's store in the new Publix shopping plaza on 98 on the east side of Sandestin. Have to have your SAtarbucks? There one next to the Publix and another at Grayton Beach. I'm just fine with the coffee at the Tom Thumb convenience store that's a five-minute walk from the house. Want more? Click for Google's list. After Hours
Both Gulf Place and Seaside occasionally sponsor free family-friendly concerts and festivals. Seaside sometimes shows outdoor movies, including The Truman Show, which was filmed there.
One of the hot
spots in Sandestin is Baytowne
Warf, a village of restaurants, shops and nighclubs built on the
bay side of Sandestin resort. In
the heart of Destin, you'll find live music at Hog's
Breath Saloon, Howl
At The Moon and AJ's
Seafood & Oyster Bar
at the Destin harbor.
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Miss
Lucille's Gossip Parlor
