Chef’s Choice: Take a Bite Out of These 4 Florida Restaurants

Try these chef-approved restaurants around the Great Daytona Region. 

By Teree Caruthers on June 7, 2022

Hull’s Seafood Restaurant

Greater Daytona boasts a diverse dining scene, and many area restaurants are staffed with graduates of Daytona State College’s Mori Hosseini College of Hospitality and Culinary Management. Costa Magoulas, an award-winning chef, dishes on some of his favorite eateries.

1. Mario’s Italian Restaurant

Ormond Beach
“We have places here that have been here for 50 years. You don’t survive 50 years and not have good food and good service. Mario’s restaurant is one of those. It’s a family-owned Italian restaurant. It’s not a chain, and it’s been operating for over 50 years. I mean, that’s amazing.”

2. Hull’s Seafood Restaurant

Ormond Beach
“Jim Hull’s seafood restaurant — he does his own fishing. He started as a wholesaler, and now, he just operates his own restaurant. He’s been here for over 25, 30 years. You ask a local, ‘Where’s seafood,’ and they all say, ‘Jim Hull’s.'”

3. Stonewood Grill & Tavern

Daytona Beach
“Stonewood is statewide now, but they started here. It’s a good restaurant that serves fine food. It’s not so high-end where you spend $100 a meal, but they do have quality food.”

4. Greektown Taverna

Ormond Beach
“Greektown Taverna is a family operation that’s been around for some 20 odd years. It’s nice that if you’re looking for ethnic food, you can go to places like that and get a great meal.”