Orlando has been getting a lot of love from the media for its new concepts by celebrity chefs and top-rated eateries. Case in point: dining and entertainment hotspot Disney Springs was named one of the New York Times' 52 Places to Go this year.
But just up the road, Sanford is drawing tourists and locals alike for its burgeoning culinary scene and craft brewery boom.
For the last several decades, the town of 58,000 about 30 minutes north of downtown Orlando on Interstate 4 has probably been best known as the place where the Auto Train terminates on its journey south. When it has attracted tourists, it is generally for two reasons: Seminole County's natural ecotourism sector (including kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding and visiting the natural freshwater springs) and the Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens.
But as Orlando's commercial rent prices have exploded in past years, many culinary and beverage artisans have forsaken Orlando in favor of its charming and affordable neighbor to the north. Over the past five years, Sanford's downtown district has transformed into a destination for dining and drinking.
It wouldn't be hard to spend a day settling into Sanford's charms, strolling the streets and popping into fine art galleries, browsing antique shops, sampling craft beers, Instagramming street murals, sampling artisan sweets and grabbing bites at some of Central Florida's most talked-about restaurants.
One of the first major restaurants to set up shop in Sanford was Hollerbach's Willow Tree Cafe, one of the only authentic German watering holes and sausage haus in Central Florida. The menu is full of traditional, house-made German bites, including bratwurst, Wiener schnitzel and more. You won't find a better selection of German wine, schnapps and imported beers, either. The live entertainment can't be beat, and if you're up for a party, you'll find one here.
Chef Josh Oakley's acclaimed restaurant, the Smiling Bison, let go of its Orlando address in 2016, when Oakley packed his knives, his staff and the recipe for the restaurant's beloved duck pizza and set off for Sanford. The restaurant is now located on Magnolia Avenue downtown and is one of the best farm-to-table spots around. Brunch is tops, with menu items that include brisket hash, brunch poutine and a "brunch hot dog," which is a sausage topped with apple relish and local honey on a French toast bun.
Other top spots to grab a bite include Southern-fusion restaurant the Tennessee Truffle, where chef Nat Russell spins Southern classics like Nashville Hot Quail (his spin on the traditional hot chicken) and a strawberry shortcake topped with buttermilk ice cream. Wondermade Cafe was born from the success of Wondermade marshmallows, featured in national magazines and, most notably, on Martha Stewart's TV show. The cafe features over-the-top sweets like toasted marshmallow s'mores popsicles and house-made ice cream sandwiched between two Rice Krispies treats.
For lovers of malt and barley, Sanford's craft breweries offer lots of local variety. The city burst onto the brewing scene in a big way this year, with four breweries opening their doors in 2018, instantly turning Sanford into a destination that beer-lovers will want to check off on their Untappd app. The Sanford Brewing Co. is a combined restaurant, pub and brewery with more than 100 seats. Sanford Brewing not only brews beer but also cider, mead and nonalcoholic soda, which is ideal if you're carting around the little ones.
Other breweries include Deviant Wolfe Brewing, Inner Compass Brewing and Wops Hops, located in the Stokes Fish Market building. Wops Hops' beers are inventive, playing with fruit and spices to further their "craft beer is an art" mantra.
There's more in the works for Sanford. Loggerhead Distillery is currently in talks with the city to create a new craft distillery and tasting room with tours. If that project goes forward, it will be only the second of its kind in the state. The Old Sanford Jailhouse is soon to be a restaurant, and a new food hall, called Henry's Depot, will open this summer.