(includes Anna Maria Island, Clearwater, Holmes Beach, St. Pete Beach, Tarpon Springs & Ybor City)
BAKERIES, COFFEE, ICE CREAM, JUICE & TEA
●Ginny’s & Jane E’s – 9807 Gulf Drive (Anna Maria Island); 941-778-8203; café and bakery.
●Kahwa Espresso Bar – 475 2nd Street North (St. Petersburg); 727-823-4700; kawhacoffee.com; French café with bright, minimalist interior.
●Kahwa Cafe – 204 2nd Avenue South (St. Petersburg); 727-821-1942; kawhacoffee.com.
●Pane Rustica – 3225 South MacDill Avenue (Tampa); 813-902-8828; panerusticabakery.com; breakfast pastries.
●Sophie’s French Bakery & Cafe – 1633 West Snow Avenue (Tampa); 813-254-5257; sophiesbakerycafe.com; great for breakfast pastry and coffee.
BARS & NIGHTCLUBS
●Feeling Swell – 9903 Gulf Drive (Anna Maria Island); 941-896-7879; feelingswellsurfbar.com.
●Hurricane – 807 Gulf Way (St. Pete Beach); 727-360-9558; thehurricane.com; have cocktail on roof and watch sun go down.
●Independent – 29 3rd Street North (St. Petersburg); 727-820-9514; independentbeer.com; candlelit beerhall with retractable glass façade.
DIVES
●Veteran’s Reef – shipwreck trio that serves as goliath grouper breeding ground.
HOTELS
●Ponce de Leon Boutique Hotel – 95 Central Avenue (St. Petersburg); 727-550-9300; poncedeleonhotel.com.
●Post Card Inn on Beach – 6300 Gulf Boulevard; 727-367- 2711 or 800-237-8918; postcardinn.com; renovated 1957 motor inn; chic and spare; right on beach; rooms closest to pool have private hammocks; 2 rooms have balconies (#s 362 and 364) that look toward beach; non-renovated bathrooms.
RESTAURANTS
●Beach Bistro – 6600 Gulf Drive (Holmes Beach); 941-778-6444; beachbistro.com; swank-ish but you can wear flip-flops; try “White Castle” slider.
●Bern’s Steak House – 1208 South Howard Avenue (Tampa); 813-251-2421; bernssteakhouse.com; down-at-heels, tacky, tatty, wonderful; regional favorite and standby since 1950s; legendary dessert array.
●Brocato’s Sandwich Shop – 5021 East Columbus Drive (Tampa); 813-248-9977; open since 1948; devil crabs like geodes.
●Ceviche Tapas Bar & Restaurant – 95 Central Avenue (St. Petersburg); 727-209-2299; ceviche.com; Spanish food.
●Ceviche Tapas Bar & Restaurant – 1502 South Howard Avenue (Tampa); 813-250-0203; ceviche.com; Spanish food.
●Ceviche Tapas Bar & Restaurant – 2930 Gulf-to-Bay Boulevard (Clearwater); 727-799-3082; ceviche.com; Spanish food.
●Columbia Restaurant – 2117 East 7th Avenue (Tampa, Ybor City); 813-248-4961; columbiarestaurant.com; open since 1905; beautiful, old building with tile-work worth viewing in and of itself; try Paella a la Valenciana, Snapper Alicante, and/or Pompano en Papillot; also black bean soup and fried ripe plantains; must order flan (made Cuban-style with sweetened condensed milk).
●Duffy’s Tavern – 5808 Marina Drive (Anna Maria Island); 941-778-2501; duffystavernami.com; hamburgers named among best in country in 1989; don’t ask for French fries and no credit cards or attitude.
●Michelle Faedo’s Sandwich Shop – 3609 North 15th Street (Ybor City); 813-247-3020; devilcrab.com; must order devil crabs; also has great Cuban sandwiches.
●Mr. Empanada – 3953 West Kennedy Boulevard (Tampa); 813-872-6233; mrempanada.com; crab empanadas.
●Mr. Empanada – 4836 North Armenia Avenue (Tampa); 813-879-6232; mrempanada.com; crab empanadas.
●Mr. Empanada – 7541 West Hillsborough Avenue (Tampa); 813-249-6233; mrempanada.com; crab empanadas.
●Feeling Swell – 9903 Gulf Drive (Anna Maria Island); 941-896-7879; feelingswellsurfbar.com.
●Ginny’s & Jane E’s – 9807 Gulf Drive (Anna Maria Island); 941-778-8203; café and bakery.
●Kahwa Cafe – 204 2nd Avenue South (St. Petersburg); 727-821-1942; kawhacoffee.com.
●Neyda’s Buy & Fly Café – 540 South 50th Street; 813-248-8816; Jamaican beef patties, fried chicken gizzards, yucca fritters, and devil crabs; this is convenience store.
●Pane Rustica – 3225 South MacDill Avenue (Tampa); 813-902-8828; panerusticabakery.com; Italian bakery that also serves lunch and supper; also, late night desserts.
●Paninoteca – 519 North Franklin Street (Tampa); 813-341-2525; paninotecacafe.com; light Mediterranean fare.
●Pipo’s Cafe – 11417 North Dale Mabry Highway; 813-963-7476; pipos.com; Cuban food; try ropa vieja, black bean soup, and deviled crab.
●Pipo’s Cafe – 411 South McDill Avenue; 813-871-5252; pipos.com; Cuban food; try ropa vieja, black bean soup, and deviled crab.
●Pipo’s Cafe – 3501 North Armenia Avenue; 813-876-7476; pipos.com; Cuban food; try ropa vieja, black bean soup, and deviled crab.
●Rod & Reel – 875 North Shore Drive (Anna Maria Island); 941-778-1885; 2-story restaurant, at end of pier; insider sunset spot and local knowledge about beaches.
●Sandbar – 100 Spring Avenue (Anna Maria Island); 941-778-0444; sandbar-restaurant.com; good fried seafood and outdoor seating.
●Sign of Mermaid – 9707 Gulf Drive (Anna Maria Island); 941-778-9399; signofthemermaid.com; in 1913 cottage; seafood and baked goods.
●Skinny’s Place – 3901 Gulf Drive North (Anna Maria Island); 941-778-7769; burgers.
●Sophie’s French Bakery & Cafe – 1633 West Snow Avenue (Tampa); 813-254-5257; sophiesbakerycafe.com; quiches, salads, and sandwiches.
●Star Fish Co. – 12306 46th Avenue West (Anna Maria Island); 941-794-1243; starfishcompany.com; fish market and restaurant.
●La Teresita – 3248 West Columbus Drive (Tampa); 813-879-9704; lateresitarestaurant.com; Cuban-Spanish; open extra late for Cuban sandwiches.
●West Tampa Sandwich Shop – 3904 North Armenia Avenue; 813-873-7104; westtampasandwichshop.com; great roast pork and ham sandwiches; also, huge devil crabs.
SHOPPING
●Cacciatore & Sons – 3614 North Armenia Avenue; 813-872-7255; cacciatoreandsons.com; specialty groceries.
●Greiner’s – 117 East Whiting Street (Tampa); 813-226-3207; greinersclothing.com; men’s wear.
●Inkwood Books – 216 South Armenia Avenue (Tampa); 813-253-2638; inkwoodbooks.com; independent bookseller.
●Mesh – 689 Central Avenue (St. Petersburg); meshshowroom.com; high-end contemporary furnishings.
●La Segunda Central Bakery – 2512 North 15th Street (Ybor City); 813-248-1531; lasegundabakery.com; purchase palmetto-leaf-topped Cuban bread.
●Sunshine Thrift Store – 4304 South Dale Mabry Highway (Tampa); 813-831-4377; sunshinethrift.com; vintage wear.
SIGHTS & SITES
●Florida Museum of Photographic Arts – 200-400 North Ashley Drive (Tampa); 813-221-2222; fmopa.org; occupies 2nd & 3rd floors architecturally significant Cube adjacent to Rivergate Tower in downtown.
●Fred Howard Park – 1700 Sunset Drive (Tarpon Springs); 727-943-4081; pinellascounty.org/park/06_howard.htm; 155 acres on Gulf; mile-long causeway links main park area with white, sandy beach; worth special trip.
●Lettuce Lake Park – 6920 East Fletcher Avenue (Tampa); 813-987-6204; hillsboroughcounty.org; just outside city limits between I-75 and University of South Florida; features several boardwalks that wind through various Florida ecosystems; fresh water wetland and flood plain, oak-dominated hardwood forest, cypress domes, and Hillsborough River; visitor’s center, observation tower, nature trails, picnic tables, barbecue pits, restrooms, open play field, and playground; wear mosquito repellant and do NOT pick up shells (bacteria issue).
●Museum of Science & Industry – 4801 East Fowler Avenue (Tampa);
813-987-6000; mosi.org.
●Henry B. Plant Museum – 401 West Kennedy Boulevard (Tampa); 813-254-1891; plantmuseum.com; south wing Plant Hall on University of Tampa campus; formerly Tampa Bay Hotel, 500+ room resort hotel opened in 1891 by Henry B. Plant near rail line terminus; exhibits focus on Tampa’s Gilded Age lifestyle; hosts annual Victorian Christmas Stroll.
●River Walk – starts off Beneficial & Channelside Drives’ intersection and culminates off Cass Street (Tampa); 813-731-4508; thetampariverwalk.com; phased open space and pedestrian trail development along Hillsborough River; travels along Tampa Arts District and includes Curtis Hixon Park, Tampa Museum of Art, Glazer Children’s Museum, Rivergate Tower, and adjacent atrium containing Florida Museum of Photographic Arts; extends to Channelside District and is slated to connect up with part of Tampa Heights; long term goal is to complete continuous 2.4 mile path.
●Salvador Dali Museum – 1 Dali Boulevard (St. Petersburg); 727-823-3767; salvadordalimuseum.org.
●Studio@620 – 620 1st Avenue (St. Petersburg); studio620.org; performance art as well as traditional art.
●Tampa Museum of Art – 120 West Gasparilla Plaza (Tampa); 813-274-8130; tampamuseum.org; 20th Century fine art, as well as Etruscan, Greek, and Roman antiquities; on Tampa’s Riverwalk and Waterfront Arts District.
●Tampa Theater – 711 North Franklin Street (Tampa); 813-274-8981; tampatheatre.org; renovated 1926 movie theater that still plays Wurlitzer organ before shows.
●Waterfront Arts District – along River Walk (Tampa); tampasdowntown.com/live/district-areas/river-arts.aspx.
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