Grits. Hushpuppies. Fried eats on sticks. All these pop to mind when thinking of dining in Florida's northwest.

The culinary elite generally view the region as a step or two down the food chain from, say, Manhattan or Paris. But as the area polishes itself - construction booms, more travelers arrive - fine eateries arise. It's a new type of cuisine, an epicurean mélange of urban tastes. Regional chefs embrace an "If you got it, flaunt it" attitude. And what northwest Florida has is seafood.

Which brings me to Avenue Sea in Apalachicola.

This restaurant of the Gibson Inn opened in late 2005. It's owned and managed by husband-and-wife team David and Ryanne Carrier. (She's the pastry chef, he's the, uh, chef chef.) The décor is simple but elegant. David's menu concentrates on fresh seafood, creatively and exactingly prepared. He buys each fish whole, then filets it himself. This allows him to examine the quality of the entire fish. The best whole fish, he reasons, makes the best filet. Portions are smaller than you might expect. Diners are encouraged to order several courses, which run from $6 to $15.
Finally, Ryanne serves me a dessert of peaches infused with and covered in a caramel mixture, topped by homemade vanilla ice cream. My notes for this read something like, "Oh my God, oh my God."

I start with the Apalachicola oysters, shucked to order. The slightly rubbery texture of the mollusk blends with the tartness of the Granny Smith apple-and-ginger mignonette garnish. A blue crab salad is on the menu. David serves it with palm cabbage and black truffles. The Apalachicola Bay crab is without a doubt incredibly fresh, its naturally mellow taste heightened by the salty bite of the truffles.

Next comes a braised pork belly, served with pickled Rainier cherries and savoy cabbage. There's a sense here of flavors melding: the inherent saltiness of the pork is softened by the bland cabbage taste, while the sweet-and-tart cherries figuratively set the dish alight.

My favorite course, though, is the saltwater clams (harvested from a local peninsula called Alligator Point), served with a garlicky butter sauce and grilled rye toast. Clams devoured, I unabashedly dip my bread into the garlic butter. Finally, Ryanne serves me a dessert of peaches infused with and covered in a caramel mixture, topped by homemade vanilla ice cream. My notes for this read something like, "Oh my God, oh my God."

A short but sweet wine list complements the menu (the staff is happy to pair wines with your meal). Cocktails also are available.

In Pensacola, I try The Fish House. Views of Seville Harbor dominate the décor, along with huge aquariums housing tropical fish. (The Atlas Oyster House, sister restaurant of the Fish House, sits next door and offers similarly fine fare in a more casual atmosphere.) Fish of the day is whatever the local boat happens to catch. You can order it in a variety of ways, from blackened to pecan-encrusted. Soft shell crabs, in season, are available for $21, with crab claws in garlic sauce for $11. Try them all with a
Gulf Sampler for $22.

I indulge in the restaurant's signature dish: Grits à Ya Ya. Its centerpiece is a pile of spicy Gulf jumbo shrimp, mixed with spinach, portobello mushrooms, bacon, garlic, shallots and cream, served over a mound of Gouda-topped grits. I'm not a spice person, but I love how the inspired flavors combine and bite. I barely finish it. If I were a man, I'd be loosening my belt. And so it goes in the New South.