Nearly 50 restaurants along the Pinellas County coast will serve up exclusive $10 dishes starting Oct. 3, when the annual Taste of the Beaches returns for a nine-day run.
The event, hosted by the Tampa Bay Beaches Chamber of Commerce, stretches from Tierra Verde to Clearwater Beach, putting the food tour within a short drive of Dunedin and Palm Harbor. Each $10 ticket gets diners one specialty dish at a participating restaurant. Guests can buy as many tickets as they want and build their own tour through Oct. 11, according to chamber press materials.
"This was started years ago during the slow season to give people a reason to come out to the beach restaurants, but since then it's grown year after year after year," Charlie Justice, president and CEO of the chamber, told Tampa Bay 28. "It's a great way to check out a restaurant you've never been to before."
Dishes served during regular restaurant hours
There is no set schedule. Restaurants serve their Taste dishes during their regular operating hours, so diners can drop in at their own pace. One example on the menu: the Copper Kettle's huevos rancheros paired with a latte, all for $10.
Ticket sales support Habitat for Humanity
A portion of ticket proceeds will benefit Habitat for Humanity Tampa Bay Gulfside, the Clearwater-based nonprofit that builds affordable housing across the Tampa Bay region.
Justice told Tampa Bay Beacons the event is about "getting people through the doors of our local restaurants and giving them a reason to explore somewhere new." Many of the beach towns along the route are still recovering from hurricanes that hit the area in recent years, the chamber said.
Where to buy tickets
Tickets are available online at tampabaybeaches.com/taste or by calling the chamber at 727-360-6957. Tickets are also sold at chamber visitor centers. All purchases are nonrefundable.
What's coming up
- Oct. 3-11: Taste of the Beaches, Pinellas County coastal restaurants from Tierra Verde to Clearwater Beach. $10 per dish. Tickets at tampabaybeaches.com/taste.
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