Candid Florida » Downtowns

Kappys keeps Maitland happy

Sandra Friend — Wed, 18 May 2011 20:01:25 +0000

Kappys

On my drive home from the Orlando International Airport Monday, I swung by a few old haunts and was delighted to see them still hanging in there. While Maitland – especially along US 17/92 – has undergone some radical changes since I used to live there, a few old standards keep hanging in there, among them, Kappy’s.

It’s an old-fashioned drive-in, the kind my parents would frequent, with burgers, dogs, and the thick, rich milkshakes that it’s so hard to find these days without dropping a bundle. Open for lunch and dinner, it’s still a fave of locals in the know – and worth trying out on your next trip.

Pitaria in the City

Sandra Friend — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 22:34:47 +0000

Tucked into an urban Tallahassee strip backing up on FSU, Pitaria is a grill shop serving up souvlaki, pita, dolmades, and other Greek standards in veg and non-veg versions (make mine lamb!). Around for nearly 20 years, it’s obvious it’s an FSU tradition as the back-to-college crowd files in. Falafel, hummus, and fava beans accent the menu. Opa! You’ll find them at 617 W Tennessee, downtown Tallahassee.

P.P. Cobb General Store

Sandra Friend — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 18:09:43 +0000

Sour cream and onion flavored crickets. Soda that comes with a warning that you’ll poop blue after drinking it. Stacks and stacks of exotic beers and ciders floor to ceiling. And all of it jam-packed into a historic wrapper, a general store in downtown Fort Pierce. It’s weird, wild, wonderful and whimsically unexpected. Don’t miss it! They serve deli and bakery items, but you’ll have a hard time finding it behind all the beer and candy. Good luck! Open Mon-Sat 8:30-6:00 @ 100 Avenue A, Fort Pierce.

In Hamburger Heaven

Sandra Friend — Sun, 23 May 2010 01:49:36 +0000

When in downtown Palm Beach…let the memories lead you into Hamburger Heaven, an oldie and goodie from the 1940s. It was like slipping into the five-and-dime with Mom for a burger, with mile-high cakes, root beer floats, and egg custard tempting! Right in the heart of it all, and yes, they’ll have you out in time to beat the meter.

A Taste of Hellas

Sandra Friend — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 17:30:59 +0000

Intriguing Greek pastas at Hellas

One of the toughest things about going to Tarpon Springs is deciding where to eat. Unfortunately (when in proximity to Greek cuisine), during my second day at the area, my business meeting came complete with a lunch. So I had no excuse to choose between calamari at Santorini, or pastistio at Mykonos … instead, I could dive straight into dessert. I walked it off first, of course, in the near-100-degree heat, so it was a relief to step into the chilled room at Hellas and order up a pasta: make mine layers of chocolate and vanilla custard with a touch of mousse. On my visits to Greece, the only place I saw such elaborate baking was in Rhodes, and sure enough, Rhodes has its own Tarpon Springs Blvd – it’s near Halki, where many of the original sponge divers are from. When in Tarpon Springs, always save room for dessert!

Hellas
85 Dodecanese Blvd, Tarpon Springs
(727) 943-2400

Gifting in Greek

Sandra Friend — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 13:21:07 +0000

With family ties to the Greek Isles over the past several decades, I’ve always been drawn to Tarpon Springs as a source of gifts for those I hold dear. It’s the one place I know I can find authentic imports from Greece, be it the latest pop CD from Anna Vizzi or a new alphabet primer for the little ones. I was delighted, of course, to stop in at Gift World and find exactly what I was looking for … worry beads for my brother, and a nice set of flash cards for a niece who’s just young enough to pick up Greek as a second language. Peek in the back room, of course, for the cool Greek imports, which include a variety of books, primers, CDs, Disney movies in Greek, and Greek language toys.

Gift World
557 Dodecanese Blvd, Tarpon Springs
(727) 938-3225

SpongeORama!

Sandra Friend — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 14:10:42 +0000

Spongeorama, along the Anclote River

Okay, it’s a bit dated and kitschy, but there just ain’t nothing else like it. When in Tarpon Springs, you must make a point of visiting SpongeORama! The film (watch it and you get a discount in the shop) sets the tone for the extensive displays on the history of sponging in Florida, which appear to date back to my youth (the museum opened in 1968) but, despite their age, give a detailed overview of all aspects of the industry and Greek culture and life in Tarpon Springs. Did you know, for instance, that red tide walloped the commercial sponging industry back in 1957? It’s not a new phenonmenon. After you’ve soaked in the history (be sure to stand under the fans), take a gander at the wide variety of sponges available for everything from artists brushes to keeping you clean in the bath. Buy a sponge, support a native Florida industry!

SpongeORama
510 Dodecanese Blvd, Tarpon Springs
(727) 943-2164

Stacks of cooters in Inverness

Sandra Friend — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 16:34:33 +0000

Cooters at Cooter Park, Inverness

Have you driven US 41 through Inverness anytime lately? If not, you’re in for a treat. Seems several years ago the city took on a serious cleanup and park creation project right along the downtown pondfront at the municipal complex, and the end result is Cooter Pond Park, notable for its big stack of faux cooter turtles at the corner with US 41. The boardwalk complex, which zigzags over the sizable pond, is an ideal place for birding.

I’ve been there several times since it opened, and it never fails that I encounter some large bird – a red-shouldered hawk this last visit – on the boardwalk railing by the gazebo. Look down into the pond, and you’ll see the namesakes of this waterway, docile and placid, and you might scare up a few gators, too. The boardwalk is a good half-mile-plus round-trip from the city lot, and offers little games and puzzles for the littlest ones.