Day trip: A farm-inspired brunch in Stuart. A Tuscan wine shop in Hobe Sound.

When I lived in Miami, I’d drive to the upper Keys sometimes for lunch. My parents and I loved to do this, spur of the moment, drawn by the promise of fresh fish and key lime pie. For me, it was about the drive, particularly the stretch of road that ran between the ocean and the bay. That first sight of water was a much-needed segue into a more relaxed dimension.

I always remember this when I drive north on U.S. Highway 1, past Tequesta and toward Hobe Sound. The segue to chill is not a water view but the blur of preserve land that’s part of Jonathan Dickinson State Park. For a few soothing miles, there are no strip plazas or other signs of big-city life. By the time you’ve reached the first glimmers of Hobe Sound, you’ve shifted into island mode. For me, this alone is worth a day trip.

On a recent Saturday, I took such a trip. Here are my three favorite experiences from my Palm Beach Gardens to Stuart drive.

Bridge Road: the ‘establishing shot’

Driving north on U.S. 1/Federal Highway, I wanted to double-down on the island feel. So I made a right turn on Bridge Road and took the scenic drive that is always my Hobe Sound establishing shot. In filmmaker terms, it means the shot that captures your setting and sometimes mood. Southeast Bridge Road always does just that.

Drive slowly beneath the canopy of intertwined banyan tree branches, and you’ve reached the enchanted-forest part of your day trip. Cross the Bridge Road Bridge and you’ll find another tree-lined stretch before you reach Hobe Sound Martin County Beach Park, where you can park and access the public beach. Even if you haven’t planned a beach day, you can soak up the salt air, the sun and surf.

On this recent day trip, we only paused at the beach for a look-and-see. We had brunch plans in Stuart.

Brunch at the Colab Kitchen

You can only follow a cool spot on Instagram for so long before the food photos and funky al fresco views beckon you to visit. Stuart’s Colab Kitchen restaurant and market has been calling my name for a while now. And when I heard the farm-inspired restaurant and market had a new brunch menu, I headed north.

When I got there, I realized Colab Kitchen’s concept goes beyond the farm inspiration. It is as “farm-to-table” as you get. As you step into the spacious and modern building in downtown Stuart, you’re greeted by a kind of farmers market. You can buy freshly harvested greens from Indiantown’s Colab Farms, produce, farm eggs, fresh bread, bakery items, prepared sauces, natural toiletries and other items.

The main dining room and bar area follows in a sweep of clean lines and modern lighting over more rustic wood floors. It’s a welcoming space, both in decor and hospitality. Even though we arrived less than an hour before the end of brunch, we were greeted warmly and led to a sunny indoor table that offered terrific views of Colab Kitchen’s large dining patio and sprawling lawn.

The brunch menu proved to be a problem, but only because I wanted to order everything on it. It’s one of those rare menus on which the “healthy” items — the salads and bowls — are as tempting as the comfort-food items, such as the smoked brisket hash with poached eggs, sweet potato, onions and sourdough toast ($19), the lemon-ricotta pancakes ($17) and the egg-topped tomato pie ($19).

I ordered a small-plates type of brunch because I couldn’t decide on one big dish. It offered me a good introduction to Colab Kitchen’s talents.

We started with a loaf of house-made sourdough bread ($14), a deliciously crusty half-loaf served on a wood board with salt-sprinkled cultured butter, roasted garlic and a good dollop of the best pimento cheese I’ve had in a while.

Our deviled eggs appetizer ($9) was almost too lovely to eat: Four boiled egg halves, topped with a tall swirl of deviled filling and crowned with a bit of tomato jam and pickled mustard seed, were served atop a mix of farm greens.

I had to have some crispy, thick-cut bacon on the side ($5), and it did not disappoint. Ditto for the loaded hash browns side dish ($8), a perfectly crispy smash topped with melting cheeses and snipped chives — put an egg on top and you’ve got a yummy entree.

We got a sweet kick from one of the daily dessert specials, a warm peach bread pudding topped with caramel and vanilla ice cream ($12).

As much as I wanted to try the lemon-ricotta pancakes, I had to leave those for the next time. (Because I’m hoping there will be a next time!)

Colab Kitchen: 100 S. Martin Luther King Blvd., Stuart, 772-872-6243, ColabKitchenFl.com

A Tuscan wine shop visit

Heading back south, I made an obligatory stop at my favorite area wine shop, Casa del Vino. This cozy shop is where proprietors Silvia and Franco Mininni have welcomed wine lovers, wine novices and the community at large since opening seven years ago.

They furnished the place with decorative touches from their native Tuscany, a few comfy chairs and a long wooden table they hand-built and covered with a tapestry of wine crates. Inspired by the eclectic variety of wine crates they had amassed during years of working with Italian wineries, they built the table inside their warehouse a good two years before opening the shop.

“There was no particular reason why we built it, but we thought that maybe one day we would know why,” says Silvia. “Two years later, we opened this place, and this table is now a major part of it.”

It didn’t take long for her to realize the why of the table. It brought together a new wine-appreciating community, sparked conversation and new friendships over generous pours of wine and cheese and salumi boards topped with cured meats and cheeses imported from Italy.

Now Silvia and Franco have given their shop a new focus. While they continue to sell imported wine and goods at Casa del Vino, they are serving multi-course dinners just about every night. The dinners, intimate affairs that tend to sell out quickly, are offered at the wine-crate table.

During my recent visit to the shop, Silvia told me she and Franco plan to expand into the space next door in the plaza. The new space will be for wine tastings, classes and other events, she said.

I could not leave without buying some of my Casa del Vino Italian favorites: pecorino studded with pistachios, mortadella from Bologna, Italian crackers, a bottle of Ad Astra Super Tuscan, a sippable pinot bianco from Trentino and a fiano wine from Campania.

Back home later, I thought about my day’s adventures — and of the Italy I’ve found in Hobe Sound — as I enjoyed bites of the pecorino and mortadella.

Casa del Vino: 11330 SE U.S. Hwy 1, Hobe Sound, 772-675-2228, on Instagram @casadelvinolifestyle

Read recent columns by Liz Balmaseda

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◾ New oceanfront bar opens, 2 others named ‘best’ in The South

◾ 3 new pizzerias to put on your radar

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Liz Balmaseda is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist for The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA Today Network. She covers the local food and dining beat. Follow her on Instagram and Post on Food Facebook. She can be reached by email at lbalmaseda@pbpost.com.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Road trip: Brunch restaurant in Stuart, best wine shop in Hobe Sound, scenic drive to beach.