Having sought out places full of charm and good food and drink, writer Chelle Koster Walton guides us to the places we must stop for the authentic flavor of DeLand, Florida.

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Sampling the Palatable Charm of DeLand, Florida

Once upon a time there grew a charming Florida hamlet known as Persimmon Hollow. Local lore has it that natural springs fed wild crops of persimmon trees, which attracted deer and other wild animals to munch on their fruit.

Sounds like a fairy tale, no? The town’s name may have changed in modern times, but today’s DeLand holds all that magic and more – including a trailblazing craft brewery and indie dining scene that keep Persimmon Hollow and its reputation for juicy eats alive.

Located roughly at the intersection of Daytona Beach and Orlando inroads, DeLand remains something of a secret – despite winning two separate awards as one of America’s top main streets – in its corner of West Volusia County.

On the Trail of Cool Craft Bevies in DeLand

Actually called Woodland Boulevard, much of DeLand’s main thoroughfare and surrounding streets date back to the 1920s, including those that today hold acclaimed restaurants and stops along the region’s new Cool Craft Beverage Trail.

Most notable among the latter, Persimmon Hollow Brewing Company was the region’s first craft brewery, opened in 2014 in a vintage garage setting with a pool table, dart boards, and a glassed-in working brewery. Sporting the motto “Drink sensibly, but get weird,” Persimmon Hollow exudes a quirky vibe in the midst of the town’s Artisan Alley district, which closes to vehicular traffic every Friday for a lively market scene.

Persimmon Hollow kicked off the Cool Craft Beverage Trail in West Volusia County October 2014. Photo by Chelle Koster Walton.

The brewery has a partnership with the Neighbors Artisan Taqueria stand across the street to balance thirst with sustenance. Order from cleverly named tacos such as Redneck Neighbor and Hipster Neighbor.

On the next block of side street Georgia Avenue, Scottish-accented HyderHead microbrewery packs in the college students from the town’s prideful Stetson University, dating back to 1883. Close to Hyderhead, Trilogy Coffee Roasting Co. and Beeatroot,  for organic cold-pressed juices and smoothies, give you two more stops along the beverage trail.

Weekend evenings also attract metro types from nearby cities to drink and dine with the DeLand townsfolk. Clustered at the heart of downtown DeLand, you can find enough restaurants and craft beverage stops for a weekend’s worth of inspired food-and-drink-hopping. Red-bricked Half Wall Craft Beer Bar  fills pages of menus with its wide selection of casual eats and global beers, including a concentration of Florida brews. Its Florida Vacation beer flight is a good way to sample some locals. Or take the European Vacation to Germany, Belgium, Ireland, and Iceland.

Still on the trail of cool beverages? Stop in at The Elusive Grape for a selection of 40 wines by the glass or Odd Elixir Meadworks. Yes, the latter crafts just what its name suggests – that fermented honey tipple of yore. Check out seasonal flavors ranging from St. Augustine’s datil peppers to rose-hibiscus.

Hungry for more? Learn more about the famous “datil” pepper with this recipe.

Restaurants Extraordinaire in DeLand, FL

In the same neighborhood, you’ll find two of DeLand’s most lauded restaurants. Cress Restaurant may have put the town on Florida’s culinary map 12 years ago. Known for turning seasonal, sustainably farmed product into creative lunches and prix fixe dinners, it goes global from Creole shrimp and grits to tikka masala curry.

The Table brings a restaurant, bar, bakery, and pantry under one roof in a cool street-level and basement space known for its Southern-inspired cuisine.

A short distance from downtown, the historic DeLand Hotel dates back to 1925 and feels like a refined visit to grandma’s. Its latest contribution to the town’s eat-and-sip reputation, Hemingway’s 442 is a speakeasy-style cigar lounge with high Roaring-20s style.

High Roaring 20s style at Hemingway’s 442 speakeasy in The DeLand Hotel. Photo courtesy The DeLand Hotel.

DeLand’s Sweet Spot

The region’s most memorable dining experience, however, awaits outside of town, a 15-minute drive from the heart of DeLand, at DeLeon Springs State Park. The Old Spanish Sugar Mill Grill and Griddle House is a DIY type of restaurant that’s been in operation spring-side since 1961. It resides in a mill rebuilt circa 1960 and featuring a waterwheel and the chimney from the original mill used in the 1830s to crush sugar. Cook your own all-you-can-eat pancakes on the griddle in the center of your table. The restaurant also serves salads and sandwiches for those who aren’t up for cooking come lunchtime.

Make your own breakfast at the Old Spanish Sugar Mill restaurant. Photo courtesy Chelle Koster Walton.

It’s an escape from the modern world of convenience dining, to a place magical and dreamlike. A place just like Persimmon Hollow.

— Story Chelle Koster Walton

Hungry for more? Get Chelle’s guide to local food in St. Croix.