I just got back from there Tuesday. I was only there for two nights and ate all of my lunches/dinners at Whole Foods and Publix, so I am not much help for food. The realtor pointed out Sharky's to me, which is on the water and right down the street from the shopping district, and she said it was very popular. Each time I drove past it, there were many people outside waiting.
Don't laugh, but Publix has some of the best subs I have ever had. They are phenomenal. I have one right across from my place on the Atlantic and ate there almost daily. I recommend getting one for lunch.
While in PCB, I highly recommend going to Shell Island. I mentioned it on here about a month ago since there is some rare property available on it. It is actually a barrier peninsula that is accessible only by boat. There are a few ferry companies that will take you there and back for about $20/roundtrip. It's a beautiful beach that will give you a ton of privacy. At one point, I walked 50 minutes along the water without passing a single person other than people on boats. If you walk it long enough, different parts of the water will change from a pretty emerald green color to crystal clear turquoise. I can email you a thirty second, 360 degree video I took from the land I put an offer on so that you can see how desolate it is there (if you walk far enough from where the ferries drop people off). There is nothing out there, so if you plan on being there for a while, you will need to bring sunscreen, water, snacks, etc. If you pay attention, you'll also see a bunch of dolphins.
At the end of the day, I saw two boats that morons had gotten stuck. When it switched to low tide, the boats they had put on land filled with sand. One guy had sea-tow out there drying to suck the water out of his boat so he could get it back in the water, but it looked like a lost cause:
The other thing I highly recommend is driving scenic highway 30A from PCB to Destin. It is about a 50 minute drive but well worth it. There is a much faster route that connects the two cities, but taking 30A will give you a great experience.
I was feeling like a king after making a decision on a beach condo and the land on Shell Island. But driving through some of these small, luxury beach towns on 30A quickly got me depressed. Below are some of the small, planned towns you will go through.
Alys Beach: Coastal Living magazine named it one of the top 20 places in the country to live last year. It's mind-blowingly pretty, amazingly well done, and has only been around for a couple of years (still being developed). The whole Emerald Coast is high money, but Alys Beach may take the cake in luxury of the entire region. It is like driving through parts of Europe.
https://30a.com/alys-beach/
You'll also pass through Rosemary Beach which seemed like it was out of a movie with the enormous number of people of all ages riding bikes, the number of families out walking, and the popularity of the town center area:
https://www.coastalliving.com/homes/idea-houses/rosemary-beach-florida
You will also go through WaterSound Beach Peninsula, Seaside, and Sandestin/Miramar Beach before reaching Destin. Every single one of those villages is breathtaking with the houses and public spaces they have built.
Taking that drive was the best part of my time there.
