GAINSWave Therapy in Dunedin, FL

It is no surprise that South Florida is home to some of the country's most delicious cuisine.

But this January, Yelp released its list of top 100 restaurants in the U.S. and seven South Florida eateries ranked among the top in the nation.

Number one on the list was a Hawaiian-Korean restaurant in Los Angeles, California that is serving up comfort food that adds a twist to traditional Korean cuisine. And at number two is a Hawaiian restaurant in Captain Cook, Hawaii that is receiving rave reviews for its flavor-packed menu .

Whether you're looking for a quick bite to eat, or a delectable dining experience, the following restaurants are just a drive away in sunny South Florida:

Just steps from Fort Lauderdale Beach, locals and tourists alike come for Archibalds Village Bakery's cinnamon roll and delicious Morning Glory Loaf.

Chef Justin and husband Christopher provide incredible treats at this café from 7 a.m.–3 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.

The couple opened Archibalds after exploring similar concepts in Florida, Seattle, and Europe and you can find anything from pastries to breakfast wraps on the menu.

According to Yelp, reviewers have "raved about the blueberry scones with lemon glaze, their lemon poppy-seed loaf, and the “best chocolate chip cookie in all of Broward County.”

If you are looking for untraditional flavor profiles in your pizza, look no further than CRUST.

Every pizza is carefully curated by Chef Klime Kovaceski and what you see is what you get. Chef Klime has a strict do not change the flavors policy that he abides by.

Yelpers rave about the garlic bread, so do yourself a favor order them to start the meal off right.

The Certified Angus Beef smash burgers are a must have at North South Grill in Pembroke Pines.

Katarina Maniatis, who owns the counter-service shop with her husband Terry, is serving up big quantities of high-quality food at this local South Florida eatery.

Whether you're in the mood for a burger or perhaps a signature sub with American wagyu steak, there is a reason why North South Grill ranked among the top restaurants in the U.S.

#77 Bunbury in Miami, Florida

On the other side of a secret speakeasy-style door is an Argentine restaurant and wine bar that serves delicious food with a side of live music.

A 24-foot-long bar houses about 150 wine options and cocktails giving you variety in the heart of downtown Miami.

If you make it to Bunbury, try the beef empanadas with zesty chimichurri or one of their delicious steaks.

Paula Costa co-owns the 7,500-square-foot space with her wife Geraldine Quintero and sommelier Fernanda Orellano.

Jaguar Sun is the perfect place if you're looking for a date night spot.

Tucked into the lobby of an apartment building in downtown Miami, you can order anything from their cacio e pepe to oysters to martinis to ice cream sandwiches.

Yelpers highly recommend the bar’s signature Green Ghoul, which is a spin on a spicy margarita, their oysters served in a variety of sauces, and Chef Carey’s take on Parker House rolls with a side of honey butter.

Just a few blocks from the beaches of Fort Lauderdale is Twice Removed, a speakeasy-inspired cocktail bar and gastropub that focuses on small bites and craft cocktails.

The bar opened in 2021 by Drew Baker after he relocated from New York to be near his parents during the pandemic.

According to Yelp, among their most popular dishes is the poutine, but don't skip their craft cocktails.

#95 Il Paesano in Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Il Paesano's co-founder Paola Peixoto uses techniques passed down through generations to make delicious pasta that according to Yelp, "melts in your mouth."

Peixoto and her husband created this Italian eatery in Fort Lauderdale after immigrating to the U.S. from South Africa.

Every ingredient used in the restaurant is imported directly from Italy and the Peixotos don’t keep a standing menu.

Among the most popular dishes are the beef short rib with risotto, their truffle gnocchi, and for dessert, their delicious tiramisu.

And if you're in the mood to drive or travel a little further within the Sunshine State, here are some honorable mentions just north of South Florida.

If you're looking for high-quality East African cuisine look no further than Selam in Orlando.

Large, colorful platters adorn nearly every table at this family-style restaurant.

Among the most popular dishes are the shareable meat and veggie (or vegetarian-only) platters, fluffy injera. Other fan favorites include the fried triangular samosas and kitfo, which is herbed, buttery minced steak with a house-made soft cheese.

If you ever find yourself in St. Petersburg, look out for this little hole in the wall restaurant.

Locals line up early to grab a seat at this little coffeehouse and bakery in downtown St. Petersburg

In addition to locally roasted coffee and house-made pastries, reviewers on Yelp love the “heavenly” Jam on It sandwich with fried egg, Gouda, spinach, Canadian bacon, and complex raspberry jam (featuring notes of black pepper, honey, and lemon) on a grilled brioche bun.

Yelpers also love the Uptown bowl which includes a fried egg, collard greens, potatoes, bacon, tomatoes, and cotija cheese over a bed of roasted potatoes.

#30 Kadence in Orlando, Florida

This tiny Audubon Park space is hard to book, but if you manage to get a reservation, you will not regret it.

The restaurant typically accommodates 2 seatings of 9 guests every night.

After earning their first Michelin star last year, husband-and-wife chef-owners Mark and Jennifer Berdin prepare Instagram-worthy multi-course meals from across the counter.

Kadence is best known for its raw fish preparations served kaiseki-style, based on ingredient availability

Deemed a “plant-curious, fast-fine eatery,” co-owners Joey Conicella and Alex Marin have mastered guilt-free comfort food for vegans and carnivores alike.

Yelpers give thumbs-up to traditional diner items, like the thick grass-fed cheeseburger—but veggies are the stars of the show, with veggie/vegan substitutes for almost every dish.

According to Yelp, among their most popular dishes are the Saucy Brussels in a sweet and spicy chili sauce or the MDP (Most Delicious Potatoes) which are roasted sweet potatoes with yogurt and almond gremolata or a vegan cilantro aioli.

Owner Michelle Du is serving up traditional Japanese dishes while tapping into the many flavors she has picked up along her travels.

From grilled pork skewers to ramen and Japanese craft beers this restaurant invites you to experience delicious cuisine right from Tampa, Florida.

According to Yelp, the bite to try is the pork belly and chicken thigh yakitori kebabs.

From a humble food truck to a busy strip-mall storefront, brothers Carl and Dave Catullo are serving up creative, fresh pasta dishes right in Jacksonville.

Yelpers rave about the affordability of the restaurant and the delicious food therein.

From their sea scallops plated over a Calabrian chili risotto to their top-selling Pear Fiocchi, you can't go wrong with any selection.

The only downside? No reservations.

Looking for a vacation rental and coffee shop in one?

Former firefighter Dominick Briganti launched TüKrō Coffee after he moved to Florida from Greenwich, Connecticut, and began to miss New York City’s high-quality coffee shops.

Most days, Briganti wakes up around 3:30 a.m. to make the homemade syrups, beverages and baked goods they serve at TüKrō's historic renovated house in downtown Dunedin.

Just blocks from the beach, pop over and get their signature Liquid Tiramisu, an interesting spin on the classic Italian dessert.

The National Weather Service is predicting a rapid intensification of Hurricane Ian to a Category 4 hurricane.

DUNEDIN, FL — In preparation for Hurricane Ian, Dunedin City Manager Jennifer K.Bramley has declared a local state of emergency for the city and said city officials are tracking the hurricane.

A storm surge and a hurricane warning have been issued for all of Pinellas County and are expected to be upgraded to storm surge and hurricane watches some time Monday night.

The National Weather Service is predicting a rapid intensification of Hurricane Ian to a Category 4 hurricane by the time it reaches the Gulf of Mexico Tuesday with sustained winds of 140 mph.

Pinellas County can expect storm surges of 8 to 15 feet, depending on the location and tides.

Mandatory evacuation orders for all residents living in Zone A and in mobile homes went into effect at 6 p.m. Monday. Mandatory evacuations for residents living in Zones B and C will be in effect starting at 7 a.m. Tuesday.

Hospitals are now being evacuated, and long-term health care facilities are under mandatory evacuation orders.

Thousands of Pinellas County properties were added to the county's evacuation zone map this year, so residents who were previously not in an evacuation zone are urged to check to see if they now fall within an evacuation zone by clicking here.

Dunedin City Hall and all Dunedin city facilities, including the library, will be closed to the public Tuesday through Friday. The City Marina will remain open. Boaters are urged to secure their boats.

See related stories:

City committee meetings are canceled for this week and the special Dunedin City Commission meeting scheduled for Thursday has been rescheduled for Thursday, Oct. 6 at 6 p.m.

The Dunedin Solid Waste Division is suspending all collection programs starting Tuesday until further notice. The solid waste division has already removed all the recycling containers at both city of Dunedin recycling drop off-sites

The Dunedin sandbag station is now closed.

The county has opened four hurricane shelters:

Additional shelters will open in Pinellas County at 7 a.m. Tuesday. To find a shelter, click here.

People with special needs can call the Pinellas Citizens Information Center at 727-464-4333.

For people with pets, download, print and fill out the "Pet Friendly Shelter Enrollment Form."

The Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority will offer free bus rides to the shelters on Tuesday but the bus lines will not run once the hurricane hits.

Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri emphasized that, once a mandatory evacuation order is issued, "You must evacuate."

"All information tells us this is very serious," he said. "A mandatory evacuation will come and, when it does, our first responders will be taken off the streets. This is the real deal. If you don't evacuate, you're on your own. No one's going to come to rescue you."

For real-time traffic information, visit FL511.com.

DUNEDIN, FL — In Zillow's most popular market of 2022 rankings, Dunedin earned the title of Most Popular Retirement Town in the U.S.

Using Zillow page-view traffic, available housing inventory, price appreciation, sales data and other housing metrics that indicate consumer demand, Zillow analyzed thousands of ZIP codes within the nation's 100 largest metropolitan areas to create a ranking of the site's most popular U.S. cities.

"The most popular places on Zillow showcase a few trends we've noticed over the course of the year — most notably that affordability has become the chief driver of the market. The Midwest and most Northeastern markets saw relatively small run-ups in home values over the course of the pandemic, and now are still affordable enough for residents to shop in," said Anushna Prakash, economic data analyst at Zillow.

A shift from fully remote to hybrid working situations may be a factor. While the percentage of employees working remotely all or most of the time is lower than in the early pandemic, the share working from home at least some of the time is now much higher, according to Pew Research. This may explain the higher popularity in 2022 of vacation spots and small towns within a somewhat reasonable, occasional commute to downtown employment centers.

However, Zillow analysts said, when it comes to retirement, the Midwest and Northeast have nothing on Florida's west coast. Florida is home to the top three cities in the category, with Dunedin ranking first, Sarasota placing second and St. Pete Beach in third.

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Zillow analysts said demand for homes surged in Florida throughout the pandemic due to its scenic sandy beaches, warm weather and lifestyle catering to retirees. While western U.S. markets cooled in 2022, Florida's west coast remained a prime retirement destination while staying relatively affordable.

Dunedin earned extra points for its access to waterfront parks and country clubs, two desirable features retirees are seeking.

In other findings:

Tampa Bay Rays v Toronto Blue Jays / Julio Aguilar/GettyImages

It is that time of the year again, Blue Jays fans, as Spring Training games are about to get started. If you are one of the many that will be migrating down to the beautiful town of Dunedin, Florida, there is so much more to this town and the general area than just baseball. I am going to do my best to give you some of the local tips and tricks to get the most out of your visit to the Blue Jays Spring nesting location.

I have had the pleasure of attending Spring Training games for years and have some college friends that moved to the Tampa area and finally settled in the lovely town that is Dunedin. After all my travels as an engineer for my day job, I honestly have a hard time coming up with places I would rather be than hanging out here.

The main attraction for Spring Training: TD Ballpark

I have not been since the amazing renovation of the ballpark but even prior to the facelift this was a fun place to see a ballgame. The seating arrangement has not changed so you are just as close to the action as you were when this lovely stadium opened its gates in 1990. The renovations put the seating capacity at about 8,500 and they have added some great amenities which include some good eats and bar seating within sight of the action. If you are only used to seeing baseball games in a major league setting this ballpark is a wonderful vision of what things used to be as you are truly in the action as a fan no matter where you are in the seats.

During my first few visits to this ballpark, I was shocked by the atmosphere and proximity to the MLB talent. Before the game, the Jays players were hanging out stretching and talking with fans. I got to talk and shake hands with Scott Rolen during that visit. Throughout all my other visits the players might have changed but the vibes remained the same. From filling out my autograph collection to hearing the wonderful chants of the food and beverage workers in the stands it was an amazing time. To quote one of the better baseball quotes I have heard from a Beer Vendor "If you can't catch a baseball might as well catch a buzz!" That might have summarized my day in the stands a little too well that mid-March afternoon.

There were also giveaways of all kinds and some great original merchandise that you can only get for attending Spring Training. My family has always enjoyed these trips even for a Dunedin Blue Jays game because you are so up close to the action and in a fun environment where you can even see the players having as much fun as Ace and DJay as mascots.

Tampa Bay Rays v Toronto Blue Jays / Julio Aguilar/GettyImages

Food worthy of the show Diner, Drive-Ins, and Dives

After you leave the ballpark this area has some of the best food I have had in my life. Whether you are looking for the great seafood that you would expect of a coastal Gulf of Mexico town, or BBQ, Mexican, you name it. Everything I have had the pleasure of trying in the area has been top-notch!

Fun places to check out in Dunedin:

The Dunedin Smokehouse- This place is easily one of the better hang-out spots in Dunedin. Not only do they have an amazing BBQ, but they also have a great environment that has live music on certain nights and a great outdoor seating area that is right on the main street of Dunedin. Their brisket and pulled pork are the talks of the menu and they sport a great grouping of sauces to top it all off.

Casa Tina - This Mexican food establishment has been a staple of Main Street Dunedin for over 30 years! Known for its lively atmosphere and stellar menu, this is a place that will have you coming back every time you visit. I personally love their enchiladas and fajitas. I never can pick just one and usually end up having them both.

Just outside of Dunedin:

The Palm Pavilion - Just over the bridge right on the sands of Clearwater Beach, this place will be your early Spring oasis. Grab one of their signature drinks or the local favorite the Rum Runner and enjoy the scenery with some great seafood. The local fish of choice is the grouper and this is the place to get it.

The Bait House - This is the one place I will find time to get to during every visit I make to the Tampa area. Also just over the bridge on the island for Clearwater Beach. This spot is truly the local spot. Most would get scared away by the name and the fact that it really is a bait shop in the front of the place! Just keep walking by the bait and fishing rods to find an open dock with a bar and a bunch of picnic tables. This wonderful spot in the Clearwater Marina has some of the best seafood as it is all fresh caught that day by local fishers. Did you happen to catch a fish while you were in town? They will even cook it up for you however you would like!

DUNEDIN, Fla. (WFLA) — John Whitt Jenkins is thankful to have his Dunedin house back after he discovered someone quietly filed public documents, claiming they bought it from him.

In an instant, he no longer owned his house, and received nothing in return!

“They forged my signature and they had to fake witnesses on there and a fictitious notary on there saying I sold my house for $160,000, and that was it and the county went with it,” Jenkins said.

It took Jenkins two months to get his house back. According to the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, the same man that stole Jenkins’ house, stole at least five other homes, too.

Title companies report this type of fraud is on the rise.

Jenkins explains how he discovered what happened. He bought his Dunedin property in 1998 for $15,000. In 2003, he started building the two-story house, brick by brick. It took him three years to complete the home for a total investment of around $100,000.

Curious about his investment, he would check the estimated value on the website Zillow from time to time. When he checked in 2019, he was stunned.

“I’m like why is Zillow saying my house has recently sold, and for $160,000, when the market value was like $350,000 at the time?” Jenkins said.

That panic turned to fear when he went to the Pinellas County Property Appraiser’s Office and discovered a deed had recently been filed, with what he says is his forged signature showing he sold the house.

“I said, “Let’s look at some camera footage of when this person tried to record this deed, and they’re like, ‘It was done online,” Jenkins recalls. “I’m like, ‘you just allow anybody to just send documents and you go with it, without any type of authenticity, any type of verification?'”

The deeds looks legit at first glance but, according to the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, it’s fake. Detectives say no records exist declaring anyone by the name of the notary listed on the deed.

“They just gave him my house!” Jenkins said. “On probably two hours worth of work of electronically transmitting those documents.”

This happened four years ago. Just last month, the sheriff’s office announced the arrest of Plant City real estate broker Michael Bogsted. He was charged with scheme to defraud. One of the six homes detailed in the Felony Information is Jenkins’ house.

Bogsted, detectives say, created fraudulent deeds and fictitious mortgage documents and transferred ownership to various entities so he could either take out a mortgage or sell to an unsuspecting buyer.

Bogsted pleaded not guilty, and his attorney tells Investigator Shannon Behnken he has no comment.

In Jenkins’ case, Jennie Restrepo, of Synergy Title Partners, says her office caught and turned over several suspicious Michael Bogsted transactions to law enforcement. One those transactions involved Jenkins’ home, which she says Bogsted tried to sell to an investor her office worked with.

“[Bogsted’s] response was, ‘Don’t worry about it, nobody is going to come looking for these anyway,” Restrepo said.

“Of course you think, “I live in my house, no one can steal it from me. I have a mortgage on my home, so that’s my protection level. And it’s not.”

So what can you do to protect yourself?

The key is find out right away if someone filed fraudulent paperwork concerning your home. To help homeowners fight back, some Tampa Bay-area counties have launched alerts that you can sign up for so you are notified right away if someone files something regarding your property.

You would still have to report it to the clerk’s office and law enforcement but, experts say, you can unwind the deal much faster, before a thief can use your property to profit.

To sign up for the alert in Hillsborough County, visit Property Fraud Alert or call (800) 728-3858.

To sign up for Pinellas County’s alert system, visit their page on the Clerk of Courts website.

Here’s where you can sign up for Pasco County’s alert system

If you’re in Manatee County, you can sign up for the alert system here.

Those in Polk County can find their alert system page on the Clerk of Courts website.