FARM TO TABLE: Al fresco dining is available on the covered porch.

Why We Love It: The peaceful backroad drive to its rural ranch location sets the stage for a singular Southwest Florida dining experience. Part of the sustainable mission at the all-solar-powered town of Babcock Ranch, the kitchen is forward-thinking and creative in its approach to farm-to-table cuisine. Its honey and much of its produce comes from its 2.5-acre gardens, while animal products are sourced from other health-conscious farms.

Ideal Meal: The lunch and dinner menus change with what’s growing in the garden at the moment. Table & Tap sources grass-fed burger and steaks to mix in with comfort foods inspired by global cuisines for its signature modern ranch comfort style. Wild boar, alligator, Gulf shrimp, Carolina gold rice, garden squash and kale, and house-grown microgreens all add signature touches. Start with the watermelon salad sweetened with Babcock honey and served with garden herbs and goat cheese. The Pork & Pancakes entree pairs house-smoked pulled pork with sweet corn pancakes. Wrap the pancakes around the meat and drizzle with maple syrup and house-made spicy barbecue sauce for a new and tasty spin on pulled pork tacos. Choose from one of 10 Florida craft beers on tap to cool the pleasant burn and opt for the day’s fruit cobbler a la mode, crisped in cast iron, for a grand finish.

Vibe: On cool fall days, choose an al fresco table lakefront on the covered porch in Founder’s Square. Inside, a brick fireplace, decorative cattle horns, and rustic barn doors inject country flavor into the dining room and bar atmosphere. On weekends, live bands play outside, and it can get loud indoors and out, so plan business and social meals around that schedule. Weekdays are typically quieter and more conducive to engaging with colleagues and clients in a relaxing atmosphere with just plain good eats.

42860 Crescent Loop, Babcock Ranch, (941) 235-6906, tableandtap.co.