Dunedin, FL
- sunflowerstops
- 11 minutes ago
- 5 min read
Spending three days in the Dunedin area was all we needed to get hooked. Dunedin is located on the west coast of Florida about 30 minutes from Tampa. It was rated one of the top walkable towns in Florida with proud Scottish roots. Between the town of Tarpon Springs and Clearwater (14 miles) there are 15 breweries. Dave and I were able to visit 7 during our 3 day visit.
We arrived too early to check into our VRBO rental so we decided to drive about 10 miles further and visit the town of Tarpon Springs. It had been about 10 years since we last visited Tarpon Springs, the Sponge Capital of the World. I was happy to discover that not much as changed in this town emersed in the Greek heritage.
They still had my favorite soap store Lori's Soap Shop, the beautiful sponge docks, and a plethora of Greek restaurants. We walked around the town and made some purchases before meeting up with a good friend of mine at Hellas Restaurant for a delicious lunch. When we finished eating it was time to check into our rental in Dunedin.
We rented a one-bedroom cottage on Scotland Street, just 2 blocks away from the Pinellas Bike Trail, a 75-mile continuous trail paved over the abandoned railway. The trail was also part of the reason why we chose Dunedin. After settling in we walked the town and stopped at the Dunedin Brewery, Florida's 1st Microbrewery.
I like to try the different beers that each brewery has to offer so I usually get a flight. My favorite beer at the Dunedin Brewery was their local honey beer. Dave and I had dinner that first night at the the Olde Bay Cafe. We were able to get a prime spot on their deck overlooking the Dunedin Marina for the sunset.
Bright and early the next morning we walked to the Clear Sky Draught Haus for the most delicious breakfast to fuel up before hitting the Pinellas Trail on our bikes. Dave had the lobster benedict and I had the shrimp and grits. I would rate this breakfast in my top 5 picks ever, it was so good.
The plan was to hit the trail and stop at the 5 breweries from Dunedin to Tarpon Springs. But we ended up leaving too early and were only able to visit one, Brighter Days Brewing, a 10.9 mile ride from our cottage.
Brighter Days is directly off the trail. We were a little too early for their 12pm opening so we peddled a couple of miles past to waste some time. The cold beers were a welcome midday refreshment. My favorite was their Jalapeno Cucumber Sour. In total we biked 31 miles that first day. We were back by about 2:30pm, just in time to miss the thunderstorm.
Next it was lunch at the Lucky Lobster and another flight of beer at Cueni Brewing Co.
The star of the show there was the There Gose My Pickle beer. It was a unique collaboration with HopScotch Cafe who gives them their pickle brine for brewing.
By then we were too full to eat or drink anything else and I really wanted to go to The Book Rescuers in Largo, about 20 minutes away to search for some books. It's a little nerdy but I had a field day in there! The Book Rescuers is a 14.000+sq ft building with over 3 miles of shelving! I was in there for a little over an hour (while Dave waited in the car) and was able to fill up my basket with 14 books totaling only $34! Winning!
After that it was time for another beer. Back to Dunedin we drove and stopped at Woodwright Brewing Co.. Thursday nights are their Bluegrass Jam session. Local musicians were playing together with continuous music for 3 hours. I counted a total of 9 different banjo and guitar players. They were playing right in front of the brewery t-shirts and anyone who knows Dave knows that he loves his brewery shirts. Unfortunately, since they never stopped playing he was unable to snatch a shirt and we returned the following day to purchase one.
The next morning we ate at The Sandpiper Cafe and then attended the Purple Heart Day Recognition Ceremony. A commemorative bench was dedicated to the Purple Heart Families as well as a battlefield sculpture. Dunedin is an extremely patriotic city who takes pride in being the very first designated Florida Purple Heart city (there are 83 in the state).
After the ceremony we hit the bike trail again. This time we were able to visit 3 more breweries with only having to travel a little under 6 miles in each direction. It's amazing how bike friendly this town is with bike racks in front of most of the restaurants and establishments.
First we stopped at de Bine Brewing Co. in Palm Harbor. I had another flight which basically consisted of any number of 5oz beers, I had 4. Dave had their American IPA. Next, it was only about a quarter of a mile to the next one, Stilt House Brewery. Stilt House has two entrances, one in the front and the other in the back just off the bike trail. The bartender told Dave about a beer that they were going to tap the next day and suggested that if we were still in town to come back the next day for it. When we told him that we were heading home the next day he went into the warehouse and poured a sample of their Orange Jalepeno IPA. He just kept pouring various samples and I'm not really sure how much we ended up drinking. But we did take home a few cans of their Jiffy (peanut butter) Blonde beer. The bartender suggested we visit 7venth Sun Brewery once we returned to Dunedin also just off the trail. And of course we did. This time we shared a flight and mingled with some of the other patrons.
Once we got back to our cottage we took a much needed shower and nap. We also took another suggestion from the bartender at Silt House and dined at Hog Island Fish Camp. It was crowded but we were able to secure a high top table for two. Everything we had was delicious. From the blue crab and goat cheese dip that we shared as an appetizer to the key lime pie for dessert.
We closed up the night at The Green Room, a 70's style speakeasy located inside the HOB Brewing Co. Through some research I discovered that if the green light was illuminated in the rear of the brewery warehouse then the speakeasy was on. There was a $5 cover charge (which also gave you $5 off your first drink) and we walked upstairs overlooking their beer tanks. As we opened the nondescript freezer door we were transported to the 70's. With an infinity lit disco floor as the centerpiece.
We had a great time in Dunedin and the surrounding small towns. The food was great, people were nice and there was never a shortage of drinks. Definitely a success!
Until the next trip!
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