ABOUT US

We love food and we make no apologies. We've created this online magazine to showcase some of the best restaurants in Florida and our favorite vacation spots to visit.

Great food is obviously a major factor when we consider putting a restaurant on our favorites list; but food is only part of the dining experience. To be included on our list, a restaurant has to have the IT factor. The IT factor is an intangible thing, but it's something you know when you see it, taste it and experience it.

What makes a restaurant worthy of being mentioned and recommended? First, we like to visit 'one of a kind' restaurants, the kind that families own and pass down to their descendants. We'll rarely feature a franchised restaurant. If we do, it definitely has to be something special and we'll tell you exactly what it is that made that particular restaurant IT worthy. We're looking for delicious food, a great dining experience, and good service. We're NOT necessarily searching for gourmet cuisine. Barbeque, hamburgers, and even a great hot dog has an equal chance of being mentioned the week after we praise a meal of Chilean Sea Bass. A restaurant has to stand out and be worthy of our recommendation to family, friends and you.

We won't be rating restaurants with stars or grades because you won't find any mediocre restaurants featured on our blog. As far as we're concerned, based on our experience the restaurants we mention are at the top of their game.

We'll also explain a bit about Florida cuisine, both old and new, then we'll tell you about some of the great products we've tasted and enjoyed.

We invite you to join us in our quest to find the best that Florida offers. If you have a suggestion for a really excellent one-of-a-kind restaurant we should visit, give us a shout.

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Claudia McCants



The editor of the Florida Foodies Restaurant & Travel Magazine is Claudia McCants, a freelance author, writer and editor in North Florida. She brings to her food and travel writing a diversified background, including previous careers in travel planning and restaurant operations. She grew up in the Maryland suburbs of Washington, DC, but she has lived in Jacksonville, Florida for 16 years. Her favorite travel destination is Hawaii, and her specialty is spicy Maryland Crab Soup.

Read more articles by Claudia McCants at Associated Content.


Lorenza McCants



Lorenza McCants is the co-editor of Florida Foodies Restaurant & Travel Magazine. An avid foodie and travel junkie, he hails from Jacksonville, Florida. Pizza, Hot Wings, Sushi and anything barbequed are his food staples, but he's been known to go comotose when presented with a really fine meal. He's an excellent chef who loves to create his own recipes and he's famous for his homemade chili (no, he doesn't share that recipe, folks!). He'll be contributing recipes and articles to the magazine; for now, he's the chief photographer and food taster.

Chef Jessica Bright



Many residents of Jacksonville and its surrounding counties have encountered Chef Jessica Bright—some have met her when she was a featured presenter on the Celebrity Cook Stage at the Southern Women’s Show, while others have seen her on Channel 4’s Morning Show or heard her on the radio. Chef Jessica airs from 8-9 a.m. on Tuesdays when she is the featured guest on Theresa’s Family Friendly Mornings on FM 88.1–The Promise.

To read more about Jessica, check out this article:
Meet Chef Jessica Bright

Chef Shari



Chef Shari was an Army wife for over 25 years and has traveled extensively, cooking for all cultures and anywhere from her family of four to a company of soldiers. Now that her husband has retired and her children have “flown the coup” she spends all her energy on food, gardening and wine. Chef Shari is a graduate of the USPCA Culinary Business Academy. Her motto is “Elegantly Easy Entertaining” and she demonstrates her passion when she cooks and teaches at the Rolling Pin Kitchen Emporium in Brandon, Florida.

For more information about Chef Shari, check out this article: MORE ABOUT CHEF SHARI

Natalie Albert



Natalie Albert joined Florida Foodies Restaurant and Travel Magazine as Regional Editor/Southeast Florida in November of 2008. She is a native Floridian with a passion for food. She loves to sample many restaurants in the state, especially in South Florida, where she lives and works as a meeting planner. She enjoys all kinds of food, from Barbecue to Sushi.

Natalie also enjoys creating new recipes and cooking for her family and friends. One of her best cooking moments was competing in the 2008 Pillsbury Bake-Off. She says, "It was an amazing experience" and she hopes to become a finalist again in 2010.

You'll find more recipes by Natalie at her NATALIE'S NIBBLES food blog (at http://www.natnibbles.blogspot.com).

Megan Spohn



Megan Spohn joined Florida Foodies Restaurant and Travel Magazine as a featured writer in October of 2008. She lives in Texas, but she has close ties to Florida. Her sister lives in Jacksonville. Megan is a foodie that loves to play in the kitchen cooking up new and old recipes! She strives to use healthy recipes, but lets those guilty pleasures sneak in every once in awhile! When she is not enjoying time in the kitchen, Megan is working as a Speech Language Pathologist specializing in Autism and Feeding Disorders.

You'll find more articles and recipes by Megan at her MEGAN'S MUNCHIES food blog.