Local Hangouts/Places to Check Out

So, anyone have a favorite restaurant/club/bar/pier/strip of beach/store/clearing in the woods? :P

If you come to visit Fort Lauderdale, you should check out 'Alligator Alley' (http://www.alligatoralleyflorida.com/). It's a restaurant/blues-bar type of place - it's really neat.
They get a bunch of local as well as a few pretty well-known musicians/bands in there (Jaco's two sons played there regularly for a while), and the food is also always great. Their gumbo has one the Cajun-Zydeco festival for something like 5 years in a row now and they make (in my opinion) the best gator south of...well, anywhere. (And honestly, Louisiana gator was never good...)

While I'm at it, any Florida music you like that people should check out?

A 'local' band (getting pretty big now) that I'm quite partial to is 'The Numb Ones' (http://www.numbones.com). They're a great group of people as well as awesome musicians who've been on 'the scene' for about a decade now, I think.

Well, anything else? :)

*won (I was just checking if any of you lit. people would catch me. ;)

My favorite beach is on Honeymoon Island, Dunedin, Florida. Honeymoon Island

I've just come back from my second visit to Jake's Java Joint in Tampa (3644 W. Kennedy Blvd.; 813-600-3800). Nice folks, decent lunch offerings, and great coffee. The soymilk lattes are the best I've had in years. They have open mics on Friday nights, but I haven't gone to one of those yet. The desserts look very good, too.

I don't know if it is there anymore but Tom's Ribs in Boca Raton had the best ribs in the Universe. They have no clue on how to make ribs up here in the Midwest. :(

in belle glade, florida, along avenue D (SR80), there is a white clapboard shack with smoke issuing forth from about 1 p.m. thru midnight called "Smith's BBQ". They put their hand-butchered meats on a 10x10-foot iron pit and move them around, make their own sauce, and offer bread pudding and sweet potato pie as desserts. a slab runs about $12 + or =, but it's the best bbq in Florida.

'Cap's on the Water' in Vilano Beach is my favorite place to eat. The food is well done (try the horseradish encrusted vanilla grouper) but the dining room is the real draw - it's a deck beside the Intracoastal Waterway. No roof, just oak trees to keep the sun off, and some of the best sunsets anywhere.

As someone who went to school in San Francisco, I would highly recommend The Globe Coffee Lounge in downtown St Petersburg for those who like their java fix with a bit of bohemian and funky and laid back.
SUCH a refreshing change from the Barnes and Noble and Borders.

http://www.globecoffeelounge.com

Enjoy!

I second the vote for The Globe!

Also, if you're in the area, check out the Independent for great import beers and good company. I recommend the Saison Du Pont, Delerium Tremens, and the Rogue Shakespeare Stout.

For food, I totally recommend Beak's Old Florida. It's fun, upscale bar food with a distinct Florida flavor. The decor is eclectic with lots of "old Florida" knick-knacks everywhere. The servings are huge (at least for me) and they come with a fantastic selection of beer. Go with the Sunset Wheat beer and you will not be disappointed!

In Northwest Florida our beaches are the whitest in the state, and the cleanest. (No offence to my fellow Floridians.)

For the best steak there is Jackson's ( http://jacksons.goodgrits.com/), best casual dining there is Dharma Blue(,http://www.dharmablue.com/) and the best seafood there is a little place called The Marina Oyster Barn( http://www.marinaoysterbarn.com/) all located in Pensacola.

There are tons of museums, art galleries, water parks, shopping, and attractions from Pensacola to Panama City if you want that kind of thing.

I have visited other parts of Florida....almost all of it to be honest, but the Panhandle is the best part in Florida to visit and IMHO best place live.

I'm a transplant from Florida living in Louisiana and visit Florida several times a year. I like north Florida as LorLe describes but I also enjoy the central west coast, Tampa Bay area north. My favorite Florida restaurants are:

Mama Maria's Restaurant in Tarpon Springs, has really great Greek food. It is always fresh and delicious.

The Catfish Shack in St. Cloud, serves old Florida Cracker seafood cooking. The fingerling catfish and Florida Cracker Platter are real treats with the best sides around. I've driven 100 miles out of my way to eat there.

If you want some real country style food you should check out Catfish Johnny’s located in Lake Panasoffkee, Fl. The atmosphere is nice and the wait staff is very friendly. If you’re an adventurous eater you should definitely try out the gator and the out of this world frog legs.

If you're in Sarasota, FL, there's a restaurant called "Trader Vic's" right off of 75 South, exit 203 (Fruitville Rd). It is an awesome Tiki style restaurant with very reasonable prices ($6-8) for burgers & $8-$15 for speciality entrees which include polynesian dishes!! It's a beautifully designed restaurant but you can go and eat with a t-shirt, shorts, & flip-flops on! It's awesome!!! And the food is great!! We even had the cook/manager come and check on us and how everything was! When was the last time you went to a red lobster or chili's and had that happen?!