Taste the Flavor in South Walton, FL

When we moved to Mississippi, I was excited to be within driving distance to many beaches bordering the Gulf of Mexico.  It didn’t take long for me to learn specifically about the sugar-white sand and turquoise water beaches in South Walton, Florida. Driving around in my new community, I quickly noticed stickers on cars and signs in shops that said “Seaside” or “30A.” This prompted me to search the Internet and ask my new friends what these meant.After hearing all about the glorious South Walton beaches, it wasn’t hard to realize that these were the beaches Ben and I want to visit.  I even remember suggesting to Ben that we spend our upcoming anniversary trip in Seaside, Florida. In our travels, I especially like to visit places with an exciting food scene.  In addition to its artistic lifestyle offerings, South Walton’s culinary scene is currently exploding and has the highest number of award-winning establishments per capita in Florida, including five 2014 Golden Spoon winners.  The region hosts four major wine festivals which attract national winemakers, and the tenth largest wine charity and wine auction in the country takes place in South Walton. Since South Walton is located right on the Gulf Coast, the restaurants there have access to fresh Gulf seafood.  The long growing season cultivates seasonal ingredients, creating a distinct culinary style, giving South Walton the standing grounds to becoming a regional and national player in the food arena.

Although we haven’t made it to the South Walton beaches yet, this week I’m heading to Miami for the BlogHer Food ’14 conference where Visit South Walton is a sponsor and will bring us a sample of their Gulf Coast.  In their Perfect Escape Booth, they will provide conference attendees with a wonderful sensory getaway, where we will be transported to the best beaches in Florida.  Are you attending the BlogHer Food conference in Miami this week?  Stop by the booth and enter to win a free four-day, three-night trip to South Walton!  Such a great prize! Visit South Walton will also be hosting fifty BlogHer Food attendees at the Pérez Art Museum Miami for their South Walton Culinary Showcase on Friday, May 16 at 8pm.  Attendees will experience award winning culinary dishes during an interactive chef showcase, and will have an opportunity to create unique artwork onsite while sipping on a refreshing local beverage.

Learn more about Visit South Walton here: website / Facebook / Twitter

Have you been to South Walton, FL?  If you have, what were your favorite places to eat?  What should Ben and I do when we finally get to go?  I don’t want to miss a thing!