Restaurants

In a town with as much tourist traffic as St. Augustine, there are, of course, a fair number of "tourist trap" restaurants. But on the whole, the food here, even at the popular eateries, is fairly priced and of good quality. But before you eat, check out a local winery, the San Sebastian Winery, 157 King St. (tel. 904/826-1594; www.sansebastianwinery.com), located in one of Henry Flagler's old East Coast Railway buildings a few blocks from downtown St. Augustine. The winery offers free guided tours and free (!) tastings of wines produced on their vineyards in central Florida. Apparently Florida's muscadine grapes are high in fiber and antioxidants, so drink up! The third floor of the winery, the Cellar Upstairs, is a wine and jazz bar that serves appetizers, wines, and beer.

Fans of chilies and hot peppers will be thrilled to know that St. Augustine is the home of the Datil pepper, one of the hottest around. Lots of local restaurants have their own Datil pepper sauces and even "Datil Dust," which is used to heat up any dish. Hot Stuff Mon, located right in the historic shopping district at 34 Treasury St. (tel. 904/824-4944), features an assortment of hard-to-find sauces and sauces made exclusively with Datils in St. Augustine. Also check out www.datildoit.com.

The historic district has a branch of Tampa's famous Columbia, 98 St. George St., at Hypolita Street (tel. 904/824-3341). Like the original in Ybor City, this one sports Spanish architecture, including intricate tile-work and courtyards with fountains.