KATIE KENNEDY

Dress: Old Navy || Heels: Target || Clutch: Turckernuck || Hat: Brixton || Sunglasses: Krewe || Earrings: Tory Burch

Normally when you think of drinking around the Gulf Coast, it involves a blender, a beach, and maybe one of those little umbrellas. Of course, there’s a time and place, but as someone who calls this vacation spot my home, I can’t always go for the fun cocktail (no matter how much I think I need it). During the Monday to Friday work week, coffee is the drink of choice and I’ve done my research to find all of the best local places to grab a strong one- coffee that is.

Over the past few years, I’ve seen the coffee culture really skyrocket in the Bay area. When I was a kid, even before Starbucks and Dunkin really became big, the only places to get coffee were home, a gas station, or the bagel shop. It seems like in such a short time, so many great local coffee shops jumped in to make their mark. Each has their own special signature and is truly its own. From Gulf to Bay, there’s so many to choose from. Let me share some of my favorites.

• Eco-Bean at 501 N Pinellas Avenue, Tarpon Springs (for their organic coffee): Let’s start our local coffee journey in the top point of Pinellas County, Tarpon Springs. Tucked away on Alt 19 is Eco-Bean. This little coffee shop prides itself on serving organic, earth friendly coffees in a wide range of drinks. When I was in my first year of teaching, I would drive out of my way to make Eco-Bean part of my daily commute. I’ll do anything for a soy latte, my favorite drink they offer.
• Art Smart Coffee Gallery at 1275 Bayshore Blvd, Dunedin (for their award winning ice coffee): Dunedin is the gem of my county. You are able to escape the crowds of tourists and snowbirds to find a little slice of small town, with the perk of being on the water. My love for local coffee all started at Art Smart Coffee. Their iced coffee is probably the best you’ll ever have. It’s even been voted the best by Southern Living and Tampa Bay Magazine. I don’t know what makes it so good, but I do love it!
• Dunedin Coffee Company and Bakery at 730 Broadway #3, Dunedin (for their lavender latte and biscuits): I will always connect this coffee shop with hurricanes. Sounds weird, but let me explain. Because of Hurricane Irma, I was without power for nearly a week and without internet for even longer. When life started returning back to normal, I was way behind with work and 100% caffeine deprived. Dunedin Coffee Company had its doors open and I sucked down their iced lavender latte like there was no tomorrow. The sweet potato biscuit only helped their cause. For a town of under 40,000 people to have two amazing coffee shops, I think Dunedin has hit the goldmine.
• Black Crow Coffee at 722 2nd Street N, St. Petersburg (for their cold brew and chai): Now that we’re back to my home turf, let me introduce you to my home away from home. Black Crow is my neighborhood coffee shop. David and I make our way their at least three times a week, with my standing order. I wish I could say I invented the Chai-Town, but I just order it constantly. It’s kind of the best of all worlds including cold brew, chai tea, and a splash of soy milk. To make this drink my own, I have them add a touch of banana flavoring for a coffee drink that is sweet and fruity.
• Bandit Coffee Co. at 2662 Central Ave, St. Petersburg (for their awesome pour over menu): If you’re trying to find us in a St. Pete coffee shop, and we’re not at Black Crow, then you might want to double check with Bandit Coffee. We sometimes choose this location because of it’s pour over selection, when we need an extra jolt of caffeine, and when we want to get a lot of work done. Because of it’s bright lighting and minimalistic space, David and I always go into productivity overdrive. For us, that means right when they open, after a Sunday morning photo shoot. Whatever the situation, this place is a great option.
• Buddy Brew at 2020 W. Kennedy Blvd (for their Old Florida Roast): It’s time to cross a bridge and give Tampa some coffee love. Let’s start with Buddy Brew, a staple. They have a few locations throughout the area, including the popular Oxford Exchange, but their OG spot on Kennedy is my favorite. Whenever I stop by, I just have to grab a cup of their Old Florida roast. It has all of the flavors that I look for in a coffee, a bold roast, fresh citrus flavors, and (according to the label) sunshine. I normally don’t buy bags of coffee to bring home, but this one is definitely worth it!
• Blind Tiger Café at 1901 E 7th Ave, Tampa (for their café con leche): Before venturing out to their Ybor location on a whim, David and I had both heard great things about the Blind Tiger Café. I just loved their café con leche, the ultimate Cuban coffee drink, but their speakeasy inspiration was both unique and comforting. Instead of jumping on the computer, like we normally do at coffee shops, David and I played a few games of Chinese Checkers to just enjoy the space we were in. I can’t wait to get back as soon as possible and devour another one of their Guava pastries.
• Caffeine Roasters at 212 E Cass Street (for their sparkling coffee): Located in downtown Tampa, David and I stumbled upon this place during our St. Patrick’s Day stay-cation. Unless you’re a coffee-phile like me, you might not notice it. The outside is a clean white wall with the word caffeine painted in bold black letters. Go inside, and you’ll find what a treat this little shop actually is. They are best known for their sparkling coffee which is just as refreshing (and perfect for Florida humidity) as it sounds. By combining espresso and sparkling lemonade, they’ve created a drink I might start copying at home. If a second drink is in order, I was blown away by their cold brew and orange. Yep, this place is Florida citrus heaven.

Even though I have come to know and love so many different coffee shops around town, the best cup of coffee I will ever find is the one that David makes for me in the morning. Corny? Yes, but still true. Definitely try to support your local coffee space the next time you can and if there’s a place not on here that I definitely need to try, be sure to comment below!

Love from Florida,
Katie

Top: Old Navy || Jeans: LOFT || Sandals: Jack Rogers || Hat: Brixton || Bag: Amazon (splurge) || Sunglasses: Ray-Ban || Earrings: Tory Burch || Watch: Tory Burch

It’s kind of weird blogging about my St. Patrick’s Day weekend and not be wearing anything green, but that’s just how it goes sometimes. I actually was a total diva and wore two outfits on Saturday, but I’ll be blogging about this stunning emerald green sundress from Old Navy on another day.

Our Saturday started off like they normally do, a trip to a local coffee shop. Because we were making our way to Tampa, we tried out Blind Tiger Café in Ybor City. It was my first time going there, but I’m pretty sure I’ll be back very soon. It’s located on the main stretch of Seventh Avenue in this perfect little corner spot with all of the natural light you could ask for. A great mix of New Orleans style jazz was playing and it made me feel right at home. Because it was my first experience, I just had to try my go-to order of cold brew coffee, size large to help me make it through the day. I also couldn’t stop myself from ordering their Guava Cream Cheese pastry. That alone will have me come back. David had the Egg Croissant that was just delicious!

I also used my quick morning in Ybor to scout some blog picture locations. Because it’s one of the most historic districts in the Tampa Bay area, there is so much great architecture on every corner. It’s just dripping in rich character! I actually never get to visit this part of Tampa, but I want to make up for lost time. Expect a travel guide very soon!

Afterwards, we met up with my family in Downtown Tampa to see the annual dyeing of the Hillsborough River for Saint Patrick’s Day. It could not have been a more gorgeous day and it was such a fun experience to see the brightest shade of green. Even though this is the seventh year running, it’s another first for me. From there, we strolled the Riverwalk and enjoyed an Irish beer (or two) at the Saint Patrick’s Day Festival at Curtis Hixon Park.

We couldn’t stay out too late in the afternoon because we had a hockey game, where the puck dropped at 7, and a reservation for a late lunch at Ulele. This was probably the highlight of the whole weekend. I’ve been wanting to eat here forever and we don’t get over to Tampa as often as we should. This must-try restaurant is located in an old Tampa Waterworks building on a gorgeous park, right on the river. Talk about a stellar location! It’s the food that really steals the show, though. Inspired by native Florida cuisine from hundreds of years ago, Ulele gives a twist to what normally would be considered comfort food classics.

No meal with the Coleman’s is complete with a cocktail and it was just as true here. I opted for the Floridita Daiquiri which was, although not what I was expecting, still very refreshing. Being the beer guy that he is, David decided to try a brew from Ulele’s very own on-site brewery. The ‘Hydration Station’ is exactly what the name implies and was a perfect relief for the hot Florida sun. Yes, even in March, the sun can be unforgiving down here and I have the sun kissed nose to prove it.

Moving on to the appetizer course, our table ordered both the Alligator Hush Puppies and Okra Fries. Not many outside of Florida know this, but alligator is often a menu item in many restaurants. I know it’s so cliché, but it really does taste like chicken. If you get an opportunity to try, don’t miss out (even if it’s in hush puppy form). These were served with fresh horseradish aioli sauce and were a great way to start off the meal. Now, I’m going to be honest, the Okra Fries were not pretty. Okra in general isn’t always that great to look at, but they make up for it in taste. They had great flavor because of their seasoning and home-made ketchup. I’m so glad we gave these a try, even if they weren’t quite Instagram worthy.

We rounded out lunch with a whole bunch of entries. I love eating with my family because we all usually end up get something different and have so much to sample. I may be biased, but I think my meal was the best! You really can’t go wrong with a 14 ounce pork chop and twice baked mashed potatoes. It was served with a guava demi-glace and was mouth-watering good. I left uncomfortably full, but I promise you it was all worth it.

Afterwards, stuffed to the brim, we made our way to a Tampa Bay Lightning game against the Boston Bruins. I don’t want to get into the score because Spoiler Alert, it wasn’t pretty. No matter the outcome, I always enjoy love a night out with my parents and can’t wait for the next time around. It was also great to explore a little bit of Tampa. I left with so much inspiration for photo locations and blog posts that I just can’t wait to share!

Love from Florida,
Katie