SWFL Town Named Best To Escape The Rat Race
(Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
Sometimes life gets a little crazy, so it would be nice to be able to escape from it all and one SWFL town has been named the best to escape the rat race.
Living in Florida offers a pretty nice way of life. Even when working, I feel like, with living in Fort Myers, that I’m always on vacation. But the daily grind at times can be a lot to handle. Add in season and the influx of people to deal with between slow movers in the grocery store and those on the road. Maybe you play the lottery hoping to win big so you never have to work again. Maybe like me, you dream of what you’d do and where you’d go, but rarely buy a ticket. Or maybe you’re at a time when retirement isn’t too far ahead in the future. If you’re thinking of where you’ll head next, you won’t have to go too far.
SWFL Town Named Best To Escape The Rat Race
There was a study conducted by Joy Organics which named the 150 best places in the country to escape the rat race. 3 Florida towns made the list, including one right here in SWFL. Coming in at #58 on the list is Mount Dora. This town is Northwest of Orlando and known for its antique shops and annual festivals like the Scottish Highland Festival, Arts Festival, Sail Boat Regatta and more. At #63 is a town I’ve spent a lot of time in, Dunedin. It’s one of the oldest towns on the Gulf Coast and features a great, walkable downtown with plenty of shops, restaurants and breweries. Finally, coming in at#64, Sanibel Island. I, too, have to agree that just driving over the bridge to the island can take all your cares away. It’s a way to feel like you’re on vacation without leaving the county.
Joy Organics says that the towns on the list are the “most sought-after towns and cities” for “those waiting to distance themselves from the relentless pace of the rat race”. You can check out the full list here
The Best Florida Restaurants of 2024
Florida has multiple listings on the newly released Top 100 list from Yelp. Jacksonville, Orlando, Tampa, and the whole Miami area have restaurants that made the cut. But one notable omission was Southwest Florida. Of all the outstanding places to eat in Naples, Fort Myers, and Cape Coral – not one of ours made the list. However, on the Florida only list, Fort Myers, Naples, and Fort Myers Beach all made the top 100.
Another observation, the Florida Keys, with some of the best seafood in the world, were also omitted from the country’s top 100. So this list is what’s known as ‘rarified air’. The best of the best. So where are the best Florida restaurants of 2024?
The best Florida restaurant is at number 5, So where are the top 4 located?
Before we get to the best Florida restaurants, let’s see where the top 4 are located, and what makes them so special. What I noticed off the bat, these are not super expensive places. Just great food.
- Tumerico. It’s a taco place in Tucson, AZ that specializes in vegetarian. The reviews state “This is the place you drag non-vegetarians to for vegetarian food.” One thing to note, the reviews from this place are from all over the country. People will make the drive for these tacos.
- Menya Rui. It’s a ramen spot in Saint Louis. Recommended are the “fried chicken bites appetizer and any of the ramens or tsukemen.”
- Sunny Side Kitchen. A breakfast and lunch cafe in Escondido, California. If you believe the reviews, this is the best panini in the country.
- GS Cafe and Ethiopian Cuisine. Ethiopian food in Covina, California. Extra points for being a family run business.
Related: 3 Southwest Florida Favorites Make Yelp’s Top 100 Florida Restaurants List
Ok, let’s stick close to home and focus on the Florida restaurants on the list.
Strangely enough, despite our extensive coastlines, most of the best Florida restaurants don’t specialize in seafood. Here’s the list of places, and their national ranking on Yelp.
Marija is a morning show host on WXKB/B1039, midday host on WRXK/96KRock and night show host on WPBB/98.7 The Shark. She loves to write about food, travel, and things to do around the state of Florida.
