Linger at the Table
Savor every bite of a Tallahassee meal - or save room for the next meal. Your taste buds will be in heaven.
With the Gulf of Mexico as a close neighbor. Tallahassee restaurants get their seafood from the source. Perfectly balanced salty sweet Apalachicola oysters arrive fresh daily. The agricultural centers of North Florida and South Georgia supply regional farmer's markets providing Tallahassee chefs with year-round access to locally grown products.
Dignitaries have dined at The Silver Slipper (531 Silver Slipper Lane; 850-386-9366; thesilverslipper.com), for more than 70 years. Though the Slipper is a traditional steakhouse, fresh seafood shares equal billing on its menu with prime beef. During the 2000 Florida presidential election battle, this was the place to watch America's politicos while enjoying tenderloin of beef and fresh lobster with a bottle of wine from the acclaimed cellar.
Barnacle Bill's (1830 N. Monroe St.; 850-385-8734; barnaclebills.com) is a pure Florida culinary experience, somewhere between a Jimmy Buffet song and a Key West visit. Find Florida standards such as grouper, flounder, red snapper, yellow-fin tuna, mahi-mahi, and arguably the best apalachicola oysters in town. The gumbo changes daily, and the deep-fried cheesecake qualifies as a Tallahassee original. Oysters are shucked and served one at a time at the large bar.
Blue corn-fried catfish with jalapeno vinegar-infused collard greens is among the New South items at Urbane (115 E. Park Ave.; 850-422-2221; urbane-restaurant.com), near the state capitol. Enjoy pan-seared sea scallops with Texas caviar or small plates like Southwestern shrimp cake with roasted corn-black bean salsa.
The menu of creative American and classic Italian dishes is a preview of good things to come at Andrew's 228 (228 S. Adams St.; 850-222-3444; andrewsdowntown.com), a big-city bistro with a Tuscany feel. A commendable wine list offers selections to pair with butternut squash ravioli with tempura-fried oysters or the Florida grouper picatta, a local favorite.
Napoleon's nephew Prince Achille Murat once lived near Chez Pierre (1215 Thomasville Road; 850-222-0936; chezpierre.com), Tallahassee's culinary French connection. Dine in the beautifully restored 1920s home or on the lawn under live oaks, savoring lump crab tartare with a South African Sauvignon Blanc. - Doc Lawrence
U.S. Airways
115 East Park Ave •
Tallahassee, Florida • (formerly CoolGrindz)
P: 850.422.2221 •
F: 866.267.3906
Happy Hour: Tues-Fri 5-7 • Dinner: Tues-Sat
5:30-10
Two for One Martini Thursdays