Restaurants in Palm Coast

Before heading into his kitchen, chef and owner of Frappes North Bobby Frappier makes a detour at the restaurant’s organic herb and tomato garden, harvesting ingredients for the day’s menu. The armful of herbs and tomatoes make cameos in that evening’s sauces, such as dill compound and thyme jus, as well as in the bottled pasta sauce sold at the restaurant.

In addition to its fresh cuisine, Frappes North has earned nods for its ambiance, which the New York Times calls “sophisticated [and] hip.” Wine tastings, held on the first Tuesday of every month, bring oenophiles and the oeno-curious together for a sample of delightful vintages, paired with appetizers. Sunlight spills across the exposed dark wood beams that support the canted ceiling and tiled flooring that supports the live acoustic music on Friday nights.

Ocean waves swirl steps from The Beach Bucket's umbrella-littered patio, where white tables groan beneath fried-shrimp baskets and plates of burgers, sandwiches, and salads. Blenders churn frozen libations to the pulse of weekly live music performances, and mixologists also stir sea-inspired drinks such as shipwreck, bay breeze, and water on the rocks. Personable staff and a selection of 28 bottled beers leave sippers grinning as broadly as the exultant shark on The Beach Bucket's souvenir T-shirts.

Built in the late 1800s as the Manor House, a luxury hotel catering to well-off vacationers from New England, Rose Villa evokes decades of history by serving gourmet fare in fully restored surroundings. Each room of the manor has its own visual theme, from the burnt-sienna polka dots papering the original parlor to the wooden cabinets and extremely large sticks decorating the Teddy Roosevelt bar. The menu of French-inspired cuisine proves as vibrant as the setting, with the bright-red shell of a lobster tail contrasting with the dark grill marks atop a filet mignon.

Post meal, patrons can venture inside the absinthe bar, where light streams through stained glass as a barkeep pours four brands of absinthe, another nod to the building's past according to the Daytona Beach News-Journal. Dishes and drinks are also served outside beneath an oversize gazebo surrounded by lush greenery.

As they pass under the hanging gilded sign that's wrapped in climbing vines, visitors to The Tasting Room begin their journey into Florida's Spanish history. Upon entering, the sounds of live Spanish guitar fill the dining room, from its wrought-iron chandeliers and crimson walls to the heavy wooden tables and Spanish murals in vivid colors. Behind these rooms, wine racks displaying more than 1,000 international wines stretch from floor to ceiling, and Marseilles-born chef Matthieu Landillon runs his kitchen.

Under his direction, the culinary team draws inspiration from the surrounding sea, Spain's varied regions, and dreams where Pablo Picasso demands that they cook him a vibrant menu of small and large dishes. The team plates tapas to serve inside or on the patio—such as Florida Gulf red snapper in escabeche, basque chorizo, and goat-cheese terrine—and fashions larger entrees such as local seafood stew, churrasco-style flat-iron steak, and roasted butternut-squash risotto. The efforts of the chef, musicians, and sommeliers have earned The Tasting Room awards for Best Music, Best Wine List, and Best Upscale Dining in the Best of St. Augustine 2010 contest, as well as a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence in 2012.

Most Philly-cheesesteak connoisseurs know that it’s next to impossible to find an authentic version of the magically mammoth sandwich below the Mason-Dixon line. That said, South-A-Philly Steaks & Hoagies works pretty darn hard to be the exception to the rule. Discerning in its curation, the eatery imports par-baked bread directly from South Jersey. Once the rolls rise to perfection, the crew piles on hearty amounts of meat coupled with a generous coating of Cheez Whiz—the only condiment known to have been used in both sandwich creation and the signings of numerous constitutional amendments.

Balancing out the meaty menu, South-A-Philly Steaks & Hoagies not so surprisingly serves another Pennsylvanian staple—the hoagie. Each heroically sized creation is adorned with both italian Dietz and Watson meats and cheeses including genoa salami, coteghino, capocolla, and provolone. Truly adventurous offerings also fly out of the kitchen with toppings that range from onions, peppers, pickle slices, and the hands of friends who fight over said pickle slices.

Framed black-and-white pictures fill the lemon-yellow and terra-cotta-red walls in Fratelli's Restaurant, evoking the casual ambiance of a family dining room beside the Mediterranean. The chefs demonstrate a similar commitment to homestyle comfort by faithfully re-creating familiar Italian-American staples. Ricotta-stuffed shells bake beneath a layer of mozzarella and marinara, and marsala sauce adds an extra dose of flavor to sautéed veal loin, chicken breast, or sliced rib-eye steak. Occasional maritime influences also work their way into the menu, as in the case of the housemade crab cakes and the shrimp or scallops in a spicy red sauce made with magma-marinated peppers.