Enjoy your Boom times
Chic-A-Boom Room @ Kelly's
319 Main St., Dunedin; (727) 736-5284, www.kellyschicaboom.com.
The small bar attached to Kelly's, one of Dunedin's (and the bay area's) most popular restaurants, feels like a throwback to the '90s lounge fad, but it still maintains its own unique legitimacy with high standards and quirky touches. The clean, sleek deco-meets-contemporary decor inside conveys the sophisticated and silly hybrid Kelly's is famous for, with tall tables, a curved and colorful mural backdrop against a brick wall, swirly wrought iron fixtures, and dim lighting by way of red glass teardrop lamps. Outside, the spacious and shaded ceramic-tiled courtyard has come a long way since the humble porch of early days. Live bands play the patio Sunday nights. Mostly Dunedin regulars hang out here, which is an interesting and often polarized mix of lowbrow and highbrow folks. Fridays and Saturdays are popular with gays and yuppies.
Painstaking prep work goes into providing fresh fruit and other ingredients in the bar's signature "martoonis" and other cocktails, such as the labor intensive mojito, for which the bartender mottles mint and sugar. The martooni menu features a wide range of flavors, from the solstice with Bombay sapphire, green tea, cucumbers, strawberries and lemon (strawberries left off the menu's listing of ingredients) and the creme brulee, which tastes like a rich vanilla dessert.
Too many brews to list in their entirety. Guinness, Newcastle, Yuengling are on tap, along with a few unique options that change seasonally. Warm weather favorites include the crisp and light-as-air St. Bernardus Biere Blanche and Witbier, Sierra Nevada Summerfest and Dunedin Brewery's Lowland. -Julie Garisto jgaristo@tampabay.com
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O’Keefe’s
1219 S Fort Harrison Ave., Clearwater; (727) 442-9034
O’Keefe’s is a kitschy Irish-theme restaurant in that old-school style of Irish-American joints and hosts the biggest St. Patrick’s Day party in North Pinellas. Fast service, friendly waitstaff and a huge menu make O’Keefe’s one of Clearwater’s oldest, most popular restaurants— an institution. Eat past 11 p.m. surrounded by a wide assortment of people. Families pile into comfy booths while regulars belly up to the bar. The decor might merge 1970s grandparents house with a family restaurant, but, hey, that’s what we like about it. Plus, it’s always packed and there’s hardly ever a wait. Get yer Irish up with some Harp, Smithwick’s and Guinness on tap. Food-wise, the American dishes tend to taste better, but the Irish stuff is hearty and satisfying nonetheless. Buffalo and roast beef sandwiches are a nose ahead of corned beef and shephard’s pie, all highlighting a menu famous for its wide appeal. Plus, O’Keefe’s is surprisingly accommodating to vegetarians.
The Junction
705 Franklin St., Clearwater; (727) 799-1100
It’s just shy of being “granola-head” and snazzy enough to appeal to modern tastes, too. The interior looks like an abandoned warehouse, made over with a female art student’s touch. It’s non-smoking indoors, but smokers can venture out to the hardwood patio with wind chimes and plenty of chairs. The Junction even has an order window, so you don’t have to travel to get another beer. A mosaic of snapshots under plexiglass on the bar gives the impression that a tight-knit crowd supports the Junction, and it’s mighty impressive to read their monthly schedule. There are events that improve you, enlighten you, get you tipsy and rock your socks off, from drum circles, to singer-songwriter to tai chi. Check out live bands Friday and Saturday. They serve beer and wine only. Brews include Honey Amber Rose low-car beer, Purple Haze, Shiner Bock, Framboise Lambic, Samuel Adams, Guinness, Corona and Sierra Nevada, and a few more here and there. The wine selection is standard.
Jack Willie’s
1013 St. Petersburg Drive W, Oldsmar. (813) 854-1972. http://jackwilliestikibar.com/
Their slogan, “Where baseball meets the bay,” rings true for the bar/restaurant off a pristine mangrove inlet. Jack Willie’s has the best of both worlds in waterfront restaurant and sports bar. Outside, a huge tiki hut boasts Parrothead-style relaxation with live music seven days a week. Inside, it’s like a baseball lovers’ museum. Vintage photographs of the New York Yankees pay homage to hometown Oldsmar’s bygone era as the team’s spring training headquarters. Autographed Yank jerseys and other memorabilia adorn the clean and spacious dining area, which resembles a hunting lodge, mixing various thick and polished hardwood fixtures and furniture. Weekends are packed with laid-back and preppy Floridians. Tan guys wear khaki shorts, coral necklaces and sunglasses with neck cords, while women look coiffed and made-up in pastel, flowery pedal-pushers. The Big Bamboo, their signature fruity alcoholic drink, comes in a 23-ounce souvenir glass. Other refreshing tropical drinks are available, such as the Jack Willie’s, which comes with a Sauza-infused orange – suck on it and it’s like getting a bonus shot of tequila!
Neptune Lounge and Cyclery
13 S Safford Ave., Tarpon Springs; (727) 943-5713, www.theneptunelounge.com
Most people know Neptune as a rock ’n’ roll bar. Few know that half the building comprises a bicycle shop, where customers rent bikes and in-line skates, as well as buy bicycles and have them repaired. Neptune even has its own cycling team, which is more punk rock than the bands that play its shows. The live music gigs are geared to younger audiences, attended by all ages, and bands begin playing as early as 7 p.m. Decor is bare-bones dive bar, with lighted beer signs, pool-playing and old sofas along the wall. Rather than admonish mosh pits and stage diving, a sign warns patrons to stand up front at their own risk. Draft beers are mostly domestic with a few imports thrown in, such as Newcastle and Guinness.
Dunedin Brewery
1368 Spaulding Road, Dunedin; (727) 736-0606, www.dunedinbrewery.com
First off, it really is a brewery, and its brands appear on bay area menus and draft handles. Second, it’s much more than a place that makes beer, drawing eclectic clientele to its varied live music shows and events, which can entail anything from poetry to hard rock. Vats and other industrial fixtures remind patrons that they’re in a place that makes beer, and Scottish-themed memorabilia hang on the walls to commemorate Dunedin’s historical connections to the UK nation. Hang out at the long bar, eat at booths or smoke in an outdoor patio. Every week parties, festivals, open acoustic jam sessions and music performances create a sense of camaraderie and community. Off hours, book a tour to see how they make their brew.
