Winter Southern Style
LIFE AT THE FARM
The rural area outside of Naples is
one of the top winter crop agricultural
areas in the country, with many large
farms that primarily grow and ship
produce for national distribution, but
recently, there is a trend toward smaller, more locally-focused farms. The
certified organic Collier Family Farms
in Ave Maria offers U-Pick fields and
a farm stand, and will arrange tours of
the farm for groups.
umbrella-covered outdoor dining tables
located directly on the beach for barefoot fine dining. H.B.’s at The Naples
Beach Hotel & Golf Club and Baleen at
LaPlaya Beach & Golf Resort both offer
fine dining with beach views.
On Marco Island, the Marco Island
Marriott Beach Resort’s Quinn’s On the
Beach café features both indoor and
outdoor patio dining overlooking the
Marriott’s expansive stretch of white
sand beach. Just a few doors down,
Marco Beach Ocean Resort’s Sale e
Pepe gourmet Italian restaurant has
a large second-level patio with spectacular views overlooking the Gulf.
Just a short drive down the historic
Tamiami Trail in Everglades City –
known as the Stone Crab Capital of
the World – feast on fresh-from-theboat stone crab claws (during the
annual stone crab season October 15
to May 15) at several seafood eateries
and markets located on the banks of
the Barron River. For food adventurers seeking to try gator tail, frog legs
or hush puppies, Everglades City offers these custom Florida favorites
at several restaurants. At the Oyster
House, located across the street from
the Everglades National Park Gulf
Coast Visitor Center, you can indulge
not only on stone crab claws but also
their house-made stone crab chowder.
On the first full weekend in February each year the tiny town of
108 FOOD TRAVELER | WINTER 2013
Everglades City’s population of 500
swells one hundred fold as up to
50,000 Everglades Seafood Festival attendees file in for stone, crab, shrimp
and seafood served up with top-line
country entertainment. Other culinary festivals include the Marco Isl