Years ago, when my husband and I lived in Northern Virginia, we started a tradition of hosting a New Year’s Eve lobster boil with our extended families. We’d fly in crustaceans from Maine and heat a gigantic pot of water over a burner out in the driveway. In went artichokes, potatoes, corn on the cob, bags of Old Bay seasoning and, of course, the live lobsters. When the medley was done cooking, we’d spread the colorful feast over newspapers on our kitchen island for everyone to dig in. 

After dinner, we played a drinking game that we made up called “Around the World,” which involved taking shots of spirits we’d collected from our travels—Slivovitz anyone? Or maybe a swig from the bottle of a Vietnamese snake wine, complete with a cobra coiled inside? Our NoVa New Year’s tradition lasted about three years before we moved overseas again—though we’ve brought the boil back in various forms wherever we’ve landed. It’s kind of our go-to party trick. Sometimes we swap lobster for crawfish or juicy Mayport shrimp from right here in North Florida. But no matter the locale, occasion or the seafood centerpiece, the result is the same: an unforgettable gathering.  

Fall and winter usher in the season of gathering for feasts and parties, and Florida has a plethora of signature culinary traditions to show off. Whether it’s steamed stone crab claws, roasted Gulf Coast oysters or fresh-picked citrus for a homemade Key lime pie, the Sunshine State’s bounty is limitless this time of year. 

So, we invite you to pull up a seat at the table of Flamingo’s inaugural Taste Issue, an ode to Florida’s food culture and everything in good taste—including our holiday Gift Guide and a curated list of seasonal entertainment and road-trip-worthy events. Inside this edition, we embark on a farm tour across the state with writer Carrie Honaker, who introduces us to a cadre of growers and chefs united in the name of sustainability and sunset suppers. Next, contributing editor Eric Barton takes us on a gastro-excursion through Tampa’s thriving dining scene, full of newly minted Michelin stars, under-the-radar eateries and Cuban sandwich standouts. Then, Craig Pittman provides a musical interlude marked by legends and lore in our feature on Miami’s famed Criteria Recording Studios. 

In addition, there are personal stories to devour from the childhood tales of Sunshine State chef Art Smith to the family recipes of Flamingo columnist Diane Roberts. Meet a party-throwing guru, slurp Salty Birds with an oyster aficionado, take a peek inside Miami’s finest restaurants and jam to a band with a tangy sound. Like those early lobster boil parties, this edition is quite the bacchanal. 

So whether it’s new adventures, unexpected flavors, entertaining inspiration, the perfect Florida-fied gift or simply getting lost in a good read, we think Flamingo’s Taste Issue will feed your soul and set the tone for an epic holiday season.