{"id":97172331,"date":"2015-07-22T17:58:40","date_gmt":"2015-07-22T17:58:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/?p=97172331"},"modified":"2015-10-22T18:34:42","modified_gmt":"2015-10-22T18:34:42","slug":"did-you-know-that-pensacolas-a-foodie-paradise","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/did-you-know-that-pensacolas-a-foodie-paradise\/","title":{"rendered":"Pensacola, FL Is the Foodie Paradise You Never Knew About"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sunny days, sandy beaches and sensational food \u2013 Pensacola is one of America\u2019s tastiest seaside destinations<\/a>. From farmers\u2019 markets and \u201cflip-flop fine dining\u201d to innovative regional and international haute cuisine, if you\u2019re hankering for something good to eat, this friendly Gulf Coast town has plenty to go round.<\/p>\n

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MORE: Plan your trip to Pensacola!<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

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Long time locals and in-the-know foodies have been aware of the delectable goings going on around Pensacola for years. But while the rest of the world is just now starting to catch on to what\u2019s on the menu, here\u2019s your chance to keep ahead of the gourmet game! Find out why the catch of the day is served up with so much style and full-on Florida flavor in Pensacola. Yum!<\/p>\n

\"Javier<\/a>

Javier Rosano \/ Shutterstock<\/p><\/div>\n

Unique Heritage<\/h3>\n

Add a dash of Spanish colonial heritage, sprinkle in a few generous drops of Southern hospitality, and mix well with an ample spoonful of contemporary Floridian cosmopolitan culture for one of America\u2019s most distinctive local cuisines. Pensacola\u2019s history dates back to the 1500s with close ties to the bounty of its bay and the harvest of its land. And with its steady flow of tourist and snowbirds mingling with the many members of the area\u2019s military community who\u2019ve worked and traveled across the globe, expectations and willingness to try new foods are very high.<\/p>\n

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MORE: Pensacola named 2015’s Most Enjoyable City for Travel!<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

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Location<\/h3>\n

Down home Deep South country cooking with Gulf Coast Creole and Cajun inspiration are the basis of much of what\u2019s most delicious down in Pensacola. And with some of the area\u2019s most highly revered chefs casting their eyes to and tightening their connections with the Caribbean and Latin world, the results just keep getting more and more delicious. But it\u2019s not just what they do with the food there. Pensacola has an enviably scrumptious location with plenty of fresh fish, seafood, and abundant farmland surrounding it. Great ingredients in the hands of great chefs? That equals amazing food.<\/p>\n

Pecans!<\/h3>\n

Perfect on their own as a healthy snack or as a flavorful addition to a meaty main, veggie creation, or indulgent dessert, pecans are among the tastiest of locally produced foods in the Pensacola area. Hoping to pick some up to take back home? Pay a visit to the JW Renfroe Pecan Company<\/a>, a third generation family owned shop that\u2019s famous for its pecans, fudge, and New Orleans style pralines.<\/p>\n

\"L<\/a>

L Jones \/ Shutterstock<\/p><\/div>\n

Award Winning Restaurants<\/h3>\n

With one of the highest numbers of James Beard Chefs in America, relatively tiny Pensacola with its population of 50,000 rubs shoulders with the likes of big city dining scene heavyweights like New York, Chicago, New Orleans, and Miami.<\/p>\n

A Great Little Downtown<\/h3>\n

Some of the city\u2019s best restaurants can be found downtown, where a fairly compact and mostly walkable area means there\u2019s a real buzz and plenty to see, do, eat, and drink. Nightlife in Pensacola is a blast, pairing nicely with food for any occasion, budget, or craving.<\/p>\n

Fantastic Local Shops<\/h3>\n

Across downtown and throughout Pensacola, all sorts of independent shops cater to unquenchable cravings and finicky palates. There\u2019s Joe Patti\u2019s Seafood, where shoppers can arrange to have their seafood shipped anywhere. There’s local favorite Ever\u2019man Naturla Food, stocking the best and freshest regional produce alongside lots of healthy alternatives to typical grocery store staples. There’s the Bodacious Olive with more than 50 different types of olive oils and balsamic vinegars. And of course, there’s SoGourmet, with a professional demo-kitchen set for folks keen on sharpening their cooking skills. And those are but a very few of the many foodie establishments!<\/p>\n

\"sunlover<\/a>

sunlover \/ Shutterstock<\/p><\/div>\n

A Vibrant Farmers\u2019 Market<\/h3>\n

Of course, one of the great things about a visit to Florida is the warm weather. So for shopaholics who still hope to soak up some sun, there\u2019s the popular Palafox Market. Don\u2019t worry\u2014there are many trees to shelter in the shade, for those of you not seeking a tan. The market runs every Saturday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. and offers a chance to check out the best \u201cfresh produce, live plants, baked goods, fine art, and antiques\u201d from northwest Florida. Awesome!<\/p>\n

A Calendar Filled with Foodie Events<\/h3>\n

No matter when you plan to visit Pensacola, odds are there\u2019ll be some sort of festival going on. And it\u2019s almost just as likely that whatever the shindig, it’ll be somehow related to food! Some of Pensacola\u2019s most popular food festivals including Beulahfest sausage festival in March, the Crawfish Festival in April and May, the Bushwacker cocktail festival in July and August, September\u2019s Seafood Festival, a Greek Festival in October, and a Martini Festival every November.<\/p>\n

Phew! All this talk about Pensacola<\/a> has us hungry. Which foodie spots will you be hitting in Pensacola this year? Let us know in the comments!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Sunny days, sandy beaches and sensational food \u2013 Pensacola is one of America\u2019s tastiest seaside destinations. From farmers\u2019 markets and \u201cflip-flop fine dining\u201d to innovative regional and international haute cuisine, if you\u2019re hankering for something good to eat, this friendly Gulf Coast town has plenty to go round. MORE: Plan your trip to Pensacola! Long […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":32,"featured_media":97172335,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[69,68,66,97],"tags":[659,43,57,742,743,740,741,736,737,738,734],"class_list":["post-97172331","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-arts-and-history","category-food-travel","category-interests","category-shopping","tag-cheapoair-owards","tag-florida","tag-food","tag-food-culture","tag-food-festivals","tag-foodie","tag-gourmet","tag-pensacola","tag-pensacola-fl","tag-pensacola-florida","tag-pns"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97172331","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/32"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=97172331"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97172331\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":97173078,"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97172331\/revisions\/97173078"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/97172335"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=97172331"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=97172331"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cheapoair.com\/miles-away\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=97172331"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}