The Independent: Quality Coffee & Eclectic Charm - Examiner.com

Thanks to Melissa Russell of Examiner.com for this nice feature! 

Owner Veronica Vellines opened the bar in October 2009 after seeing the success the original bar had in downtown St. Petersburg. A few months later she opened the café. Vellines relies on the quality of her products to bring in the crowd by serving vintage, rare and seasonal beers as well as various wines. When choosing what coffee and espresso to serve, she decided on the local brew Kahwa Coffee Roasting, a roasting company in St. Petersburg, Fla.

The espresso has a smooth finish and compliments the fresh pastries the Independent prepares. The drink menu offers lattes of various varieties as well as teas. The café is also known for their tasty fare from Bavarian pretzels, veggie burgers, a gourmet cheese platter and grilled beer bratwurst. Their most popular menu item is a grilled cheese sandwich made with Gouda and spiced pears.  

Continue reading on Examiner.com Urban cafe serves more than just coffee - Tampa Bay Barista | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/barista-in-tampa-bay/urban-cafe-serves-more-than-just-coffee?cid=db_articles#ixzz1qtcbsMPZ

St.Petersburg Times: Tampa's Independent Bar: An outpost for beer lovers in Tampa

Anyone in the Tampa Bay area who's a fan of craft beer has likely been to the Independent bar in downtown St. Pete. When it opened five years ago, the Independent was the best resource in town for beer drinkers looking to venture beyond the homogenous selections of other local drinking establishments. While the rest of the city was glad to see an occasional microbrew or quality import, the Independent was serving up Belgian abbey ales, Baltic porters and German Kölsch.

In the Seminole Heights neighborhood of Tampa, residents have had to travel for a quality beer. But much has changed with the arrival of a new Independent on Florida Avenue — a sibling to the St. Pete location, operated by the same owners and run by local staff.

The new Independent is truly a neighborhood bar, with a large outdoor courtyard that's perfect for locals arriving on bicycle or foot, sometimes with a dog in tow. Inside is a small room with a bar and a kitchen to one side, and an adjacent room features colorful and bizarre original art by St. Pete artist J.R. Duffy. Two dartboards hang on the wall, and there are tournaments.

People know the Independent for beer, and in this it does not disappoint.

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