Grub Crawl - New Smyrna Beach: Cafe Verde, Beachside Candy Co, Donna's Canal Creamery, and Golden Biscuit

I tried these places around lunch time on Thursday. The first two are on Flagler at the beach and the last two are in the town on the land side of the bridge.on Canal St.

Cafe Verde - This spot is behind the Mexican place (Clancy's) about midway up the street. It almost looks as if it may be part of that restaurant. To its detriment. I had a really great avocado and shrimp salad for $10. It was full of fresh shrimp, almost a whole avocado and a mix of field greens and romaine and watermelon. The green mix produced a good combination of crunchy bites with leafy bites. There was a very subtle dressing applied to it. They call it rocoto. Whatever that is. The watermelon takes the usual place of tomatoes. I wasn't in love with the pairing, but, it was a change. The serving was huge. The place seats around twenty inside and thirty on the patio out back. The decor is minimal. I'd categorize it as a nouveau foodie play. They also do tacos, tortas, rice bowls, gyros, ceviche, mussels and some other salads along with some more dinner type meals ranging from roasted lamb to orecchiette alfredo. They describe themselves "food without borders". Service was efficient and cordial. The meal came out quickly. You can watch the two chefs at work behind the counter. A nice surprise.

Beachside Candy Co - It's a little closer to the bridge. I just sampled a bag of chocolate covered pretzels (2) for $2 so I could include it. They were good. Fresh. They also offer ice cream and other sweets.

Donna's Canal Creamery - They said this place has been there forever and under Donna for two years. It's about half way down the street. I had a slice of banana bread so I could include them. It cost $2. It was good. They also serve some small lunch items, coffee, ice cream and other pastries.

Golden Biscuit - This place is also about half way up the street. The entrance is on the parking lot side behind the street. They have been there since 1986. I grabbed a BLT so I could include them. It was a BLT. Good bacon. Fresh veg. Came with chips and pickles. It cost $5. It's your typical cafe/diner menu. The eggs and sausage I saw coming out of the kitchen looked good. Big links. The most expensive thing was $9. Plus they are open a little longer than a lot of breakfast/lunch places. They close at 2pm. The place looks like it could be a rail car. Nice value.