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Write Around Tampa
* Your weekly guide to the best places to park (it) and write in the Bay Area *
Haven House
201 Main Street
Safety Harbor
Find out what's happening in Carrollwood-Northdalefor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Quite an interesting setup they’ve got going on here at Haven House. Located in a building that also houses an insurance company and at least two other restaurants, HH is on the second floor and mainly outside. It’s a little hot for me, but I can imagine in the fall with the right breezes blowing, it makes for a splendid outdoor café. (Note: the guy at the register talks to himself and sings under his breath, which can be a little—okay, a lot—distracting).
Quality and pricing of food and drink:
Got the Awaken Bacon croissant sandwich. Delicious except the aioli has a sweet element to it that doesn’t appeal to my palate; I don’t care for the McGriddle at McDonald’s either. I like my eggs, cheese and bacon savory. Just a preference, not a commentary of the flavor or quality, which is top notch. It cost me $9, not bad for a coffee shop on Main Street in a town like Safety Harbor.
Find out what's happening in Carrollwood-Northdalefor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Are there enough outlets?
Because it’s technically outside, there are no outlets at the tables. But there’s a counter where you can sit and plug in if you’re out of juice or just simply don’t want to rely on battery.
How’s the wifi?
Haven House public network, click and you’re surfing.
Will my muse come out?
She will, darling. This is a traditional coffee house, with sofas and bar seating and tables and counters. The place was full but not packed and I found a seat easily, jumping from the counter along the wall to a table when two people sat too close to the anti-social self I can be when I’m writing. Speaking of writing, there was plenty going on here, and it felt nice to be among my kind.
How long can I park it?
Open to close, which during the week is 7am until 3pm, and you just might want to.
Final rating: 5 out of 5 laptops
Rachel Remick’s fiction and non-fiction stories have appeared in various magazines, among them Rosebud, Bluestem and ellipsis . . . literature and art. A frequent contributor to women’s magazine Sasee, her writing has also been published in several volumes of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series of books. She lives in Tampa, Florida.