Panama City Beach’s Firefly Restaurant is honored to be placed on Urbanspoon’s list of “America’s Most Popular High-End Restaurants.” With only 250 restaurants chosen out of 600,000, Firefly joins other world-famous restaurants as one of America’s favorites.
“With only 25 Florida restaurants making the Urbanspoon list overall, we are thrilled to be one of the most popular dining establishments among food critics and the general dining public alike!” said Firefly owner Dave Trepanier.
According to Urbanspoon, the website reviewed American dining behavior by studying over 600,000 restaurants, millions of reviews, and the equivalent of a billion page views of user activity. The resulting list, which includes Firefly, comprises those restaurants that had received the most positive comments and attention across the Urbanspoon website and through smartphone apps.
“We pride ourselves on being known for our creative culinary excellence and dedication to our Gulf roots,” said Trepanier. “The chef and our staff are the best people to execute this vision, and people appreciate that when they come to our beautiful seaside home looking for the best dining options.”
The restaurant is known for its freshly caught fish, imported exotic seafood, local produce, succulent beef and fowl, artisan pizzas, handmade pasta, and excellent sushi, but the overall ambience of Firefly is an experience in itself. A sprawling oak tree “grows” from the center of the dining room and twinkle lights glitter above, creating the atmosphere of a Mediterranean garden piazza unexpected for a restaurant in the center of Panama City Beach. And its library lounge is a great place to relax with friends before dinner while enjoying a glass of wine or a martini from the Firefly bar/restaurant guests feel as though they are in Ernest Hemingway’s library.
“Getting a Friday-night table will require some advance planning, but the sheer popularity of these destinations ensures you’ll be treated to a memorable gastronomical event,” Urbanspoon states.
With such recognition and popularity, it comes to no surprise that the family-friendly yet casual chic Firefly played host to President Obama and the First Family during their visit to the Northwest Florida Gulf Coast the summer of 2010. The restaurant has also received Florida Trend’s Golden Spoon Award two years in a row and Wine Spectator’s Award of Excellence for five years running.
