Daytona, like Jacksonville, is one of those Florida cities that can't seem to get its act together in the restaurant department. I have no idea what Jacksonville's excuse is, but I reckon with Daytona it's the usual "Tourists are going to come here whether we make an effort or not, so we don't have to make an effort" thing. But one place that I can definitely give high marks to is Riptides, which, if memory serves me right, is actually just over the border from Daytona in Ormond Beach. (Like many, though, my usual Manual of Style M.O. is to refer to the whole area encompassing Ormond Beach, Holly Hill, Daytona Beach, Daytona Beach Shores, and Port Orange as simply "Daytona.")
Just about every positive box was checked here: delicious grouper sandwich, strong and well-made cocktails (especially the Mai Tai, which is a very good litmus test of bartender competence), friendly and knowledgeable servers, and indoor/outdoor seating. All they lacked to make me truly ecstatic, really, was a giant stone Easter Island head.
After I got back home from my Daytona visit, only then did I go through the goody bag provided by my hotel - it contained a gift certificate for a free shrimp dinner at Riptides! Argh. Next time.
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