Peg's Cantina and Brewpub in Gulfport, FL

In the Southern part of Pinellas County is a delightful little town simply called Gulfport. With a population of 13,000 residents, it is home to 1,500 licensed businesses, services, entrepreneurs, inns, artisans, boutiques, restaurants and shops. Often referred to as the “Gateway to the Gulf”, the waterfront town is known for its year-round art-walks and festivals. Several of the local restaurants have been listed among the top in Pinellas County.

One standout gem – and of special interest to the craft beer lover – is Peg’s Cantina and Brewpub. Peg's is a “green aware” restaurant, which shows in nearly every aspect of their operation. Seating is mostly outdoors on the fun-but-nicely decorated deck with large trees that allows for strategically placed tables in shady spots. All plates and silverware are recycled from local markets, the coffee they serve is fair trade, grown by indigenous people in Mexico, and the soda is made with real sugar cane instead of high fructose corn syrup. All the ingredients in the Mexican food and thin-crust pizza are fresh and made to order. In addition, to encourage customers to realize their reliance on plastic, only cash and checks are accepted (there is an ATM onsite, however.)

All well and good, one might say. Lots of places say that. But Peg’s delivers and then some. Everything we had, from the chips and salsa on was fresh and flavorful, so much so that my wife even said “this reminds me of Monterey (California… also known as the “Salad Bowl of America”).

But that’s not all! Peg’s is also a brewpub. Doug Dozark, production manager at Cigar City Brewing in Tampa, is head brewer at Peg’s. Peg says “He is my son, but he got the job because he can really brew G.O.O.D. (Gulfport Original On Draft) beer!” And it’s true. Not just his mama loves him. Doug recently entered 3 beers in the “Best Florida Beer Championship” and took home 3 medals: two gold medals — Square Dancing Cody (a Double IPA) and Gulfport Centennial Stout — and a bronze for his experimental Ich Bin Ein Berliner Weisse. While Doug brews about nine different styles, usually only 3 are available at any given time.

While I munched on the chips, my wife enjoyed the Azteca Salad, a delightful offering of greens, strawberries, pine nuts, goat cheese & poppy seed dressing. For dinner, I opted for the Burrito Mojados with pork. This is a “wet” burrito cooked with refried beans and a mild salsa then the gravy is served over the burrito. Then they garnish the wet burrito with a spicy chipotle, and serve it with yellow rice and black beans. It was amazing. The spices and seasonings were perfectly balanced and just bursting with flavor. Even the rice and beans – so often an afterthought – were delicious and obviously freshly made as well. My wife enjoyed one of the Tortilla Pizzas called the Goat, a flour tortilla with pesto, roasted red peppers, kalamata olives and goat cheese layering the top and baked. Again, the freshness and quality of the ingredients shone through. Light but flavorful, and just filling enough.

The beer is a big reason people come to Peg’s, and for good reason. I have been fortunate enough to sample some of Doug’s brews at local festivals and all have been excellent. But we were a little disappointed when it turned out that the only offering available that night was the El Dude Porter. It’s a good beer, don’t get me wrong, but we had really hoped we would be able to sample some of the other G.O.O.D. beers. As it would happen, there were some issues with the gas lines and the Dancing Cody IPA was not servable. While we were merely disappointed, Doug was beside himself, which goes to show how much he cares about what he is doing. In typical motherly fashion, Peg remained calm and reminded him “everything will be ooookay.”

Even without the local brew, there was plenty of other beer to choose from. With nine other taps and over fifty bottles available, there is something for every taste. I ended up with a Hop Meadow IPA from Hooker Brewing, which was very nice and complimented the meal very well.

There is no question that I will be back to sample more menu items and hopefully get to try more of Doug’s beers. Peg’s is definitely a gem in Gulfport and should be a stop on any Florida visitor’s itinerary.

Peg's is located at:
3038 Beach Blvd.
Gulfport, FL 33707
727-328-2720
http://www.pegscantina.com

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