Brendan O’Connor

Brendan O’Connor, editor-in-chief at The Orlando Shine, and Fred Thimm, owner of Reel Fish Coastal Kitchen + Bar in Winter Park. Photo by Roberto Gonzalez. THE RELEASE OF ORLANDO MAGAZINE’S ANNUAL DINING AWARDS WINNERS is always such a great opportunity for me to sit down and assess where the heck I’ve been eating all year and to see if my favorites line up with everyone else’s. I reached out to several of this year’s winners to ask where they actually eat when they’re not working.

An aerial view of Embassy Suites’ beachfront location. DEERFIELD BEACH DOESN’T GET THE SAME ATTENTION AS FORT LAUDERDALE OR BOCA RATON, WHICH IS PART OF WHAT MAKES IT WORK. Perched atop a laid-back barrier island between those two louder destinations, Embassy Suites by Hilton Deerfield Beach Resort & Spa at 950 S. Ocean Drive is the kind of place that lets you access both without paying for the name recognition of either. And with far less traffic.

From the Panhandle to the Everglades, a trip around Florida. Starting at just $10, Beefy King’s sandwich platters are a great deal, all served with cole slaw, a large order of beefy spuds and a Kosher dill pickle. Photo by Roberto Gonzalez. FLORIDA HAS A FOOD CULTURE THAT MOST PEOPLE WHO’VE ONLY EATEN NEAT A THEME PARK OR BEACH RESORT COUNTER  ( that includes some boring long-term residents too), rooted in the land, the water, and the communities that were here long before the tourists arrived.