My mother is turning 70 in February and will be spending it in Blue Springs State Park near Orange City, FL. To be with the Manatees. I will be there along with some of her closest friends. We would like to find a restaurant nearby for her birthday dinner. I'd like to find a comfortable place that has good food and would be good for a group of 10-12. It doesn't have to be fancy and we are open to a variety of cuisines. We are coming from the San Francisco Bay Area and haven't got a clue about restaurants in that area.

I would appreciate any suggestions.

Thanks!

You are very near Daytona. Maybe your best bet would be to eat there. I had a friend who lived in Orange City but it's been awhile since I was there. Her husband worked at a restaurant in Deland and I believe it was nice, southern cooking sort of place. I suggest you post on chowhound, I'll be surprised if you get many responses from fodors.

But you can enjoy Orange City. Nearby is Casadega where all the palm readers and psychics live. Drive through the town, you will see their signs hanging outside their homes. You don't need an appointment.

Another really wonderful place is DeSoto State Park. There is an old grist mill that is now a restaurant. Go for breakfast. Your table is a huge grill and you will be given pancake batter and eggs and bacon, whatever you order, to cook on the grill, yourself. The park is also very nice, take a walk back into the woods.

The manatees are also wonderful. Your mother sounds like a woman who knows the finer things in life.

I'm going to try to find information about that place in Deland. I think it was Harbor House or something like that. There is not a lot of fine cuisine in this area but I think you could find something very nice in Daytona.

Here is a web site of restaurants in Deland (where Stetson University has a campus):

http://www.stetson.edu/~efriedma/restaurants/

Oops. I meant DeLeon Springs State Park.

Also, here's a suggestion for a restaurant in Ormond Beach taken from chowhound:

"Ormond Beach (My home town)? Well, Billy's Tap Room has been in business at the same spot for 82 years! It is a wonderful restaurant with terrific service, reasonable prices and excellent food.
 
"They can accomodate your party in their second dining room..I've had groups of 15 people there twice and everyone loved the food. Great veal chop, NY strip steak, wonderful crab cakes, fresh fish, etc. Figure an average of $22 per person for entree, salad or homemade soup, and gratis sour dough bread, etc. Desserts are very, very good and all around $5.
 
"They have happy hour 2/1's even on weekends until 6 or 7. You'll be 5 blocks from the ocean. "

I don't know anything about this place but chowhounders say there's not much available in Daytona to eat. Ormond is very close to Blue Spring.

Another suggestion 20 minutes away in Altamonte Springs:

http://www.maisonjardin.com/

Hi Tandoori Girl,

You're wonderful. Thank you so much for your replies. I will look into the restaurants you mention. I shouldn't have narrowed my question to Orange City-I thought of that as soon as I posted. I was also thinking that Deland might have some good restaurants. And it's great that you mention Casadaga because my mom is staying there with a couple of best friends before Blue Springs. She is very excited about this trip. She's been to Blue Springs 5 years ago and has been anxious to get back there. She didn't get to explore the area though (or eat in any notable restaurants).

Thanks again!

Hi Tandoori Girl, I just looked at the sites you mentioned. Billy's Tap Room looks great. I also found a restaurant called "Main Street Grill" in Deland from your Deland site. I'll also post on chowhound-great suggestion.

Thanks again for your help.