Something to suit everyone’s palate
Greetings fellow foodies and welcome to the latest edition of the Food & Wine Guide for South
Walton. I hope you and your family are gearing up for another great summer here in paradise. As
I can often be heard saying, South Walton is the next great culinary destination in America.
Whether you are a tourist or longtime local, there truly is something to suit everyone’s palate in
our little corner of the world.
2019 has seen a number of changes in the restaurant and dining scene. Some of them have
been planned for quite a while – like the Bud & Alley’s remodel in Seaside, story on page 52 –
and some were tragic and unfortunate in their unfolding. The fire that struck The Red Bar on the
morning of Feb. 13 completely destroyed an icon of the 30A scene in a matter of minutes. Check
out the story on page 18 and follow the progress as owner Oliver Petit and his team bring The
Red Bar back to life.
For such a small town, we really do have some fabulous chefs who call South Walton home.
Check out the latest on Emeril Lagasse’s Emeril’s Coastal Italian at Grand Boulevard (page 44)
and be sure to stop by Black Bear Bread Company in Grayton Beach as well. Chef Deb
Swenerton garnered a 2019 James Beard Foundation nomination for Outstanding Baker (page
55).
Looking for more info on all the restaurants in South Walton? Be sure to visit us online at
30aFoodandWine.com and browse our recently updated dining directory. Oh, and stay tuned for
some exciting announcements about a brand new food lover’s event coming to South Walton.
Finally, thanks to our Managing Editor Michelle Farnham for keeping us on tight deadlines and
making all this come to fruition. Thanks also go out to our writers and photographers who help us
tell the delicious stories of our area. Finally, thanks to our advertising partners who help us bring
this magazine to life. It can’t be said enough that we could not do this without your generous
support.
Until next time, bon appétit!
Phil Heppding, publisher
phil@30afoodandwine.com
