5 Questions with Kristl Story of West Palm Beach Food Tours
Kristl Story is the owner of West Palm Beach Food Tours, which combines her passions for food and travel. Kristl’s love of food was expressed for years on a lifestyle blog which was featured in All You Magazine, Good Housekeeping and on Mr. Food.
1. What foods is your city known for?
A visit to South Florida wouldn't be complete without a slice of our state dessert...Key Lime Pie. It's not too tart, not too sweet combination comes from 3 simple ingredients - key lime juice, sweetened condensed milk and eggs, baked on top of a graham cracker crust and served with fresh whipped cream. Of course, there's much more to our cuisine than just Key Lime Pie. Thanks to our tropical climate, we have an abundance of fresh tropical produce including mangos, coconuts, avocados and citrus that are incorporated in many of our dishes. Expect fresh and tropical foods when you visit West Palm Beach.
2. What neighborhoods should people visit when they come to your city?
Within a 5 minute drive of downtown West Palm Beach, we have 2 neighborhoods that should be on your "must-see" list.
The South Dixie corridor from the Norton Museum to Southern Boulevard is home to Antique Row Art and Design District. Readers of Conde Nast Traveler recently ranked Antique Row their #4 choice for best shopping in the United States, and the restaurants along South Dixie are some of the best in West Palm Beach. This area is surrounded by Spanish style historic homes.
Hop over the bridge to catch a glimpse of the lives of the rich and famous on Palm Beach Island. Palm Beach is the richest zip code in the United States, and home to Howard Stern, Rush Limbaugh, Donald Trump, Rod Stewart, James Patterson and many other celebrities. Beautiful homes, beautiful beaches, fabulous shopping and fantastic restaurants!
3. What is the best time of year to visit your city?
West Palm Beach, Florida has a tropical climate which means we have a distinct wet and dry season. The dry season begins in mid-October and continues through April with low humidity, perfect temperatures and the absence of a daily downpour.
4. What can people expect on your food tours?
Expect plenty of delicious food tastings that help tell the story of West Palm Beach. You’ll learn about the plight of our commercial key lime groves while enjoying a slice of key lime pie. Meet local restaurant owners and chefs. Walk by historically significant buildings and stop to take pictures of colorful street art. Discover what it’s like to live in West Palm Beach.
Our enthusiastic local tour guides are culinary storytellers, and we love to entertain and educate. At the end of the tour you’ll know what a tamarind is, you’ll be able to name a few of our famous residents and you’ll have a long list of things you’ll want to do while visiting West Palm Beach. We want you to go home with tasty memories of your visit!
5. Give us some food trivia about your city
Question: What fish is destroying our reefs?
Answer: Lion Fish. The lionfish is an invasive species that is destroying our reefs, and many local chefs are doing their part to rid the reefs of lion fish. Unfortunately, the only way to catch a Lion Fish is a scuba diver with a spear, so Lion Fish is not always on the menu. If you visit West Palm Beach, Florida and Lion Fish is the special of the day…order up and you’ll be doing your part to preserving our reefs.
Question: What’s a tamarind?
Answer: Tamarind is a native tree that produces the Tamarind fruit, a tangy bean shaped fruit that is often used in Thai and Indian cooking. Tamarind is also one to the ingredients that gives Worcestershire sauce it’s unique flavor. When you’re visiting West Palm Beach, Florida…Jamal at Ganache Bakery Cafe makes a delicious and refreshing Tamarind Juice.
Question: What are the 3 ingredients of Key Lime Pie Filling?
Answer: Key Lime Pie is the state dessert of Florida, and the filling has just 3 basic ingredients: sweetened condensed milk, egg yolks and key lime juice. You must use real Key Limes (or at least Key Lime juice in a bottle) to achieve that not too tart, not too sweet balance. A Key Lime is more tart and acidic than your grocery store Persian Lime.