Finding old Florida

By Christopher Elliott and Kari Haugeto

Travel columnist

updated 2:35 p.m. ET April 8, 2005

A steaming plate arrives at our table with bite-sized servings of alligator, catfish and frog legs. It comes with a side of cocktail sauce for dipping, in case we’re feeling adventurous. We aren’t.

“Wait, wait,” we hear from the kitchen, just as we’re about to sample from the so-called “critter platter.” “You have to try this.” Ben Bishop, the general manager of Marsh Landing restaurant, emerges with yet another delicacy: a dense, spicy broth. He slides our dish aside to make room for the bowl.

Mmmm. What is it? “Turtle soup,” he proudly says.

Tired of five-star restaurants and beach resorts with pricey spas? The hinterlands of Indian River County, located about a two-hour drive southeast of Orlando, offer an alternative to the pampered vacation and a real taste of Old Florida.

Eating exotic reptiles is just part of the adventure. Head out further into the backcountry during citrus season and you’ll find acre upon acre of groves where you can sample strange and delicious oranges and grapefruits. Or visit one of the state’s original amusement parks, a botanical garden that time almost forgot.

But don’t let us keep you guessing about the frogs. The way they’re prepared at Marsh Landing — and we’re not making this up — makes them taste exactly like chicken. They’re pretty yummy if you’re into something that tastes like a deep-fried Cornish game hen. The turtle soup is a bit gamier, something that takes a while to get used to. Gator, on the other hand, has the consistency of unmarinated veal, while the catfish has a buttery texture.

Not to worry, no endangered animals were hunted in order to prepare the “critter platter.” Everything on the menu is farm-raised, including the turtle. Bishop says the odd dishes are only half of the restaurant’s appeal — the other half is the building itself, which dates back to the turn of the last century, an era known as Fellsmere’s “golden age.” It was a time when the Sunshine state was undeveloped and wild, when northerners were just beginning to discover its appeal as a vacation destination. The food makes a good fit, but Bishop wants to branch out into other exotic natives. “I want to add rattlesnake to the menu,” he says.

Between mouthfuls of alligator and turtle, we suspect he’s not kidding.

Out further into the country, there are orange groves. Miles upon miles of them, bending under the weight of their ripening fruit and lining country roads few visitors travel along unless they take the wrong exit on Florida’s Turnpike and somehow end up here, in the middle of nowhere. But this “nowhere” is somewhere if you’re a citrus aficionado. Indian River County’s oranges and grapefruits are among the sweetest, juiciest citrus in the world. Scientists we spoke with say it’s a combination of climate, soil, and proximity to the ocean that sets the produce apart.

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