Nestled between Madeira Beach and St. Pete Beach is the small, laid-back community of Treasure Island, which coexists happily (well, most of the time) with the spring-break-all-the-time revelers who frequent Sunset Beach. The Island has a number of dining and drinking options where you can be served right on the water, as well as a trail that is a favorite place to walk, jog, skate, bike or skateboard in the cool morning or twilight.
FOOD & DRINK
1. Beach Snoballs 10927 Gulf Blvd., 727-415-8326, beachsno.com. The Tangerine Dream at Beach Snoballs won a CL Best of the Bay award in 2009 for "Best Treat on the Beach," and deservedly so. As we said in 2009, "a SnoBall is a New Orleans delicacy made of shaved ice doused in tasty fruit syrups and, if you're smart, sweetened condensed milk… The combination will chill you to the bone in the most pleasant way imaginable." The family-run place offers more than 55 flavors, including Granny Smith apple, coconut, Georgia peach, cafe au lait, wedding cake, cotton candy, strawberries-n-cream and even some sugar-free options.
2. Caddy's Waterfront 9000 W Gulf Blvd., Sunset Beach, caddysotb.com. Caddy's sits on the only strip of beach where you can legally imbibe right on the sand, provided you refrain from using a glass container. (That arrangement hasn't always sat well with nearby homeowners; see Kate Bradshaw's story on p. 8.) The two-story open-air bar and restaurant features live music throughout the week (usually a DJ or a pair of musicians performing covers against a pre-recorded soundtrack in the beach culture tradition), tables right on the sand, and icy drinks to sip while watching the sunset. Plus the second-story bar offers one of the best public views of the winding Gulf coastline you'll find in the South Pinellas beaches. A must.
3. Captain Kosmakos 9610 Gulf Blvd., 727-367-3743, captainkosmakossteakhouse.com. A steak and seafood waterfront restaurant with live music seven nights a week, a bona fide dance floor and older singles on the prowl.
4. Central Station 115 107th Ave., 727-360-1398, centralstationtreasureisland.com. An eclectic sports bar-cum-karaoke club complete with a lighted Christmas tree, friendly bartenders, two stages — one in the front of the room for karaoke that's hosted there five nights a week, one in back for live music on Sundays and a weekly live blues jam on Mondays with blues-rock trio Standback — plus TVs, a pool table, darts, video bowling, Wii games, a fully stocked jukebox, and a happy hour that lasts from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily, and regular weekend specials.
5. The Floridian 230 107th Ave., 727-367-6662, floridianrestaurant.com. A Treasure Island landmark and local favorite that boasts the best Cuban sammies on the beach — and it has the awards to prove it.
6. Foxy's Cafe 160 107th Ave., 727-363-3699. Internet reviews hail the staff at the Foxy, and who are we to argue? Spunky waitress Teresa Wooley boasted that her restaurant serves up "rockin' breakfasts." The menu includes a variety of specialty pizzas, $1 beers every Monday night and daily specials. Reportedly quite popular with Canadians to boot.
7. Gator's Cafe & Saloon 12754 Kingfish Drive, 727-367-8951, gatorscafe.com. This sprawling party complex with its outdoor tent-covered patio(ish) area brings a cross-section of Florida sorts to its waterside digs, from bikers (every Saturday is "Bike Night" with Born To Ride) to college kids (it is a UF-themed bar, after all) to beautiful (scantily clad) beach babes (there's a bikini contest on Sundays). Boaters can tie up their rides to the dock and grab a bite; food and drink specials are offered throughout the day, and live cover bands play throughout the weekend, when DJs aren't spinning a mainstream dance-friendly mix.
8. Gigi's Italian Restaurant 105 107th Ave., 727-360-6905, gigisitalianrestaurant.com. This is one of four Gigi's in Pinellas County. The restaurant has been serving up its old-school menu of steaks, salads, pizzas and classic Italian dishes (including homemade sausages) since 1967. Diners eat in style in square and circular velvet-upholstered booths. It's also got killer Early Bird Specials, none more than $8.
9. Ka'Tiki 8803 W Gulf Blvd., Sunset Beach, 727-360-2272, katikisunsetbeach.com. Located across the street from Caddy's, not quite on the beach but only a few steps to it, this Florida folk music landmark presents live performers on a nightly basis; the place also has a few large-screen HD TVs for the sports fans.
10. Middle Grounds Grill 10925 Gulf Blvd., 727-360-4253, middlegroundsgrill.com. From the subdued elegance of the decor and the sophistication of the food (tangy ginger calamari, lemon infused crabcakes, grilled asparagus salad, wet-aged steaks), you'd never know this place used to be the much-beloved Robby's Pancake House. But check the dessert list and you'll see a homage to the restaurant's past, Robby's Famous Pancake Berry Stack. Pancakes for dessert — why not?
11. Ricky T's Bar and Grille 10601 Gulf Blvd., 727-363-7425, rickytsbarandgrille.com. There are three bar areas to choose from when you go to Ricky T's, including the outdoor Ricky Tiki bar, the formalish restaurant inside, and Rickey Lighthouse Bar, where the locals hang out.
12. Sloppy Joe's on the Beach 10650 Gulf Blvd., 727-367-1600, sloppyjoesonthebeach.com. See "Thank Papa Hemingway," above right.
13. Tiki Cafe at Thunderbird Resort 10700 Gulf Blvd, 800-367-2473, thunderbirdflorida.com. Everybody knows the Thunderbird, partly because of its strategic location smack at the intersection of Gulf and 107th (aka Treasure Island Causeway), and partly because of the fabulous neon thunderbird emblazoned on its exterior. But it's also worth knowing for the Tiki Cafe Restaurant (check out the free wine and cheese on Wednesdays) and the poolside tiki bar, which has perhaps the best name on the beaches, Ikky Woo Woo's Tiki Hut.
14. Wahoo's Bar and Grill 145 107th Ave., 727-290-9856, wahoosontheisland.com. Reasonably priced food, live music nightly (including dueling pianos) and happy hour daily.
SHOPPING
15. Books & Bagels On The Beach 138 107th Ave., 727-367-8029. We're listing this bookstore by its official title, but we were told the name was simply "Books On the Beach" when we dropped in, and we didn't see or smell any bagels. Nonetheless, this is a diamond in the rough if you're looking for some reading material in between roasts on the beach. Though there's absolutely nothing to indicate it from the street entrance, the store hosts an actual U.S. Post Office, along with an assortment of titles; we noticed a preponderance of biographies and autobiographies, including some from the '90s written by former CNN reporter Peter Arnett, another featuring a very fresh-faced Colin Powell, and Face the Nation host Bob Schieffer's memoir from just a couple of years ago. You'll also find a good selection of children's books focusing on marine life and other general books on the sea. And there are greeting cards, too, among other random paper and book-related goods.
16. The Cigar Republic 155 107th Ave., 727-388-1410, cigarrepublicbiz.com. Relatively new in town, this place has it all: beer, wine and and espresso bar. And, oh yeah — cigars. The owners boast some of the finest Nicaraguan and Dominican stogies as well as all the cigar cutters, lighters, humidifiers and humidors you could ask for.
17. European Delicatessen Market 130 107th Ave., 727-363-8537. A rather new market and one of the few places in town where you can pick up Russian, Lithuanian, German and Polish food goods, among other European food imports, including caviar, sausage, beer, deli meats of all varieties, tea, candy and much, much more.
18. Florida Shell Shop 9901 Gulf Blvd., 727-367-9599, thefloridashellshop.com. Family-owned and operated in its current location since 1955, Florida Shell Shop is, by far, the very best place to pick up any sort of Florida souvenirs. The walls are lined, the shelves jam-packed with all manner of nautical decorations, gifts, jewelry and shells galore. There are so many affordable goodies that it's hard to leave without something.
19. Suncoast Surf Shop 9861 Gulf Blvd. 727-360-7667, suncoastsurfshop.com. Established in 1966, the Suncoast Surf Shop is located in a two-story neon blue building that houses a huge selection of surfboards as well as skimboards, skateboards, sunglasses, clothing, footwear and surfing gear and accessories (wetsuits, rash guards, leashes board bags and the like).
This article appears in May 13-19, 2010.