St. Pete-Clearwater, Florida is well known for its post-card white sandy beaches, sunny days, and tangerine sunsets over the Gulf. But I recently learned that this area is much more than beaches, sunshine, and chill vibes. It is also offers plug-and-play adventure activities and globally inspired flavours. With intentions to explore approachable outdoor activities (approachable in that most soft-adventure or beginners can enjoy), and the desire to be inspired by the local food scene, I spent a week challenging my expectations of St. Pete-Clearwater. If you're also interested in the ‘other' side of this region of Florida, feel free to read on and decide what adventures and tastes you will dive into when you arrive in St. Pete-Clearwater!
On the food front, the St. Pete-Clearwater area has strong Cuban, Creole, and Greek influences. This was not what I was expecting in this neck of the palm trees. And of course, access to fresh, delicious seafood was abundant. Knowing this, my meal plan for this trip focused recipes that showcase seafood caught just off the coast. And, as always, I wanted to show the simple ways that these meals can work on-the-go for those enjoying outdoor activities.
Exploring St. Pete-Clearwater, Florida? By Ebike is PERFECT!
First up on my Florida adventure, to get the lay of the land I tried some weekend ebiking. Just my luck, the bike shop was thoughtfully located along the Pinellas Trail. It is an over 75-mile loop running from Tarpon Springs in the North all the way to St. Pete in the South. Biking along this cruisey trail was hungry work (regardless of the handy ‘power assist'), so I pedalled to the farmers market for local inspiration for my lunch.
At the market, a vendor gave me a tip to not miss the “Sponge Docks.” Confused as I was, and curious if any ‘square-pants' would be involved, I took him up on the suggestion. It turns out, this insider tip lead me to Dodecanese Bourlevard. Home to specialized sponge boats where thousands of natural sea sponges pour out of netted bags along the docks. Yep. This handy natural product (now commonly made of plastic) have been sourced here for decades. The sponge industry inspired, not only a scrubbing good souvenir opportunity, but its very own Greek inspired community. With fantastic Greek food establishments (restaurants, bakeries, markets) that appeared with the sole intention of keeping the sponge boat crews well fed.
The Dunedin Causeway
Back on my bike, I ventured across the Dunedin Causeway towards Honeymoon Island State Park. Here I proved that sometimes all you need to do is find a bench and set up a great prep station. I whipped up what I call the “St. Pete Fish Dip” using fresh Florida citrus and mangos found at the farmers market earlier in the day. **See the full recipe below!***
This is a great no cook/no burner recipe that you can eat as a dip with your favorite crackers or plantain chips, as a topping for a salad, or just a nice, different tuna mix with some sweet and savory flavors.
Kayak Camping
I enjoyed my day of solo adventuring by land. But to really get to know the area, I needed some help. I was able to meet up with the first of three local guides keen to share their sunny, seaside backyard with me. First up, Misty Wells, a local outdoor adventurer, was kind enough to show me the how to best enjoy the waterways on a gorgeous afternoon–by kayak.
Starting at Anclote Gulf Park, we and paddled across the bay towards our final destination of Anclote Key Preserve State Park. A journey of about two miles was enough to really work up our appetite given we were paddling and took a moment to climb to the top of the lighthouse on the island; A must try viewpoint for anyone able who is visiting the area. As Florida is pretty flat, the lighthouse lookout was a great way to get a birds eye-view of the area and route just paddled. It is also a great way to spy the best beachside campsite.
Beach Dinner: Creole Pasta
We set up camp just as the sun was setting and cooked up a tasty one-pot pasta dish inspired by the tastes of the region: Creole Pasta. ***See full recipe below*** Pro Tip: This recipe is great for any outdoor adventure as it’s mindful of perishability, volume and weight.
The star of the show is dried shrimp. Yes, dried shrimp. If you are not near a seaside wonderland, you can find dried shrimp at most Asian grocery stores, adding a great burst of seafood flavor to any dish, while being really lightweight and easy to pack. With full bellies, we celebrated our adventure as the sun dipped below the horizon and each tucked into our tents after a fantastic day on the water.
Urban Farm & Lunch with Local Chef
Well rested and ready for my next foodie adventure, it was time to test my trusted adage, “There’s no better way to get a glimpse of the local food scene than to meet up with a resident chef.” Chef Rob Reinsmith is from the St. Pete area and is Owner and Head Chef of Wild Child. A wonderfully named tasty, not fussy, restaurant focused on flavors of the Americas with some local twists.
Meeting at his restaurant, he told me we were going to head down the street to a local farm. Let me tell you, I was a little concerned about what type of farm could be so nearby as we were in a residential area and clearly there was not enough land to grow much of anything.
Proved wrong and pleasantly surprised yet again, just three blocks away we found Brick Street Farms. An urban vertical (huzzah!) hydroponic farm. Wow! This farm blew me away. Under the helpful tutelage of Farmer Bryant, I toured around the ‘farms' which were actually shipping containers stacked on top of each other. A Lego-tower of anything we could need for fresh fine dining.
Each container grows something different, from delicious heads of butter lettuce to fresh pea shoots, spicy microgreens, and baby basil. The smell was amazing! The epitome of greenness and freshness. With permission, we harvested some lettuce and microgreens for our lunch planned later in the day at Vinoy Park.
Lettuce Wrap Lunch
For our lunch, I thought making a lettuce wrap would be a great choice. But continuing with our seafood theme, I decided to make a Vietnamese style shrimp pancake using canned shrimp. We set up my camp stove in the grass and shared the prep of cooking up lunch.
I requested that Chef Rob bring a sauce to complement our lettuce wrap. And man, he knocked it out of the park with a passion fruit nuoc cham sauce. He didn’t know that passionfruit is one of my favorite fruits, yet surprised me with a sauce that was the star of the show. The sweet, tangy, salty, slightly spicy sauce matched everything incredibly well. We topped the wraps with our micro-greens and enjoyed our lunch. ***See full recipe below*** New friendships often form over great meals and I’m sure our paths will cross again in the future.
Catch & Cook with Captain Chris
No experience in St. Pete would be complete without catching some fresh fish. My final guide, Captain Chris invited me out to share some of his secret spots for Sheepshead fish. This was a new variety of fish for me. It’s also nicknamed Convict Fish as it has black and white stripes or Bait Stealer Fish (with quite obvious connotation). We had some early luck and eventually caught four healthy sized ones! Good, we can eat.
Chris has lived in the area his whole life, meaning we had insider information on secret spots. So we motored over to a secluded beach where he gave me the skinny on how to safely filet this particular fish. With the fish having some very sharp fins and unusual structure, it was nice to have an expert share the finer points so I didn’t hurt myself.
I had planned a one-skillet fish lunch. Fresh filets, pan seared with “Olive Bar” sauce. With many olive bars in grocery stores these days, it was easy to find a mixture of olives, artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers, and tomatoes. After searing off the fish, all ingredients were loaded into the pan and cooked down into a chunky sauce. I finished it off with a little bit of lemon and served it over a bed of couscous. Hidden in a special pocket of the world, we shared a great meal from the waters of St. Pete-Clearwater; A fantastic cap to a great day.
Recap
My adventures in St. Pete were made possible by three great local guides that shared their passion and knowledge for the area. I was happy to repay the favor each time by cooking up locally inspired tasty meal for them. With all the scenic spots that are easy to access by ebike , kayak, or boat be it exploring local parks, waterways, markets, or even sponge docks, I uncovered some unexpected gems and elevated flavours during my week in St. Pete-Clearwater.
One other surprising thing I noticed as I explored the region, was that throughout, there were Easter Eggs of local art to be found. There were creative storefronts, restaurants, murals, and local music all expressively showcasing their own unique St. Pete-Clearwater vibe. The area clearly emphasizes celebrating local artists and even hosts a local mural festival annually. Now, see, experience, and taste it all for yourself and get out there!
Recipes
Trip Planner
- Visit St. Pete-Clearwater
- FACEBOOK: @VisitStPeteClearwater
- TWITTER: @vspc
- INSTAGRAM: @vspc
- PINTEREST: @vspcHASHTAGS: #LetsShineSPC
Places to Stay
- The Karol Hotel
- Beach camping – Anclote Key Preserve State Park
Places to Visit & Things to Do
- Vinoy Park
- Unreel Fishing Adventures
- Anclote Key
- Downtown Dunedin
- Honeymoon Island
- Egmont Key State Park
