Maude’s Classic Café is located right in the heart of old fashioned downtown Gainesville. It is a small, local business that makes delicious homemade desserts as well as coffee and other beverages. Maude’s offers both indoor and outdoor seating options. During the day the interior is quiet and peaceful, and is full of people studying and chatting quietly on big comfy couches. At night, the atmosphere is livelier; there is a big stack of board games that people come in and play for hours, and black-and-white movies are projected onto the wall. The outdoor seating area always has a beautiful view of the Hippodrome, one of Gainesville’s most famous landmarks. The atmosphere is great- it is lit with soft string lights, and it is a great spot for people watching. I came from San Francisco, which is known for its excellent cafes. When I moved from San Francisco I was disappointed with the lack of cafes. There are very few in the Gainesville area, and the ones that are there are lacking quality. However, Maude’s Café rivals some of the best in San Francisco with its great atmosphere and delicious homemade food. Find hidden gems in your area with globalYP.net, an online directory.

Ward’s is a local grocery market that is local-friendly. They have all sorts of fruits and vegetables, but offer a huge section of organic fruits and veggies too. They are very vegan and vegetarian friendly, one of the biggest stores of their kind in North Central Florida by far. They even carry fresh products from local vendors like freshly baked pitas and breads from Gyros Plus on the east side of town. They also have fresh made baklava and hummus from other vendors. They even carry tempeh and soy treats. Ward’s is known for their fresh produce, but they also have a great selection of meats as well. The prices aren’t great compared to the deals you can get at chain stores, but you can expect better quality. It is a local market with local flair. You can catch the locals bringing their eco friendly bags with them, as they shop for nuts from the huge selection of fresh nuts, granolas, pre made rice soups, and dried fruit. If you’re looking for a great deal on produce, be sure to swing by the sale shopping cart towards the front of the store on weekdays. This is where the managers put all the produce that is going bad or is over-ripe. The store doesn’t have room for these products, so they are heavily discounted. The venue itself is really small, but you can expect to find a bargain on fresh produce and locally grown items. You can expect to find tons of local business listings available online with globalYP.net.

Boca Fiesta is a brand new restaurant in downtown Gainesville, Florida. Right in the middle of downtown, this new place is great for a cocktail or for a quick snack. The location is right next to the hippodrome, and close to the other restaurants downtown. Downtown is quickly becoming known for all the restaurants and businesses popping up, but Boca Fiesta will be sure to stay because of the diversity in its item menus and prices on drinks. The drink specials vary from 1.00 beers to 7.00 specialty drinks. There is an indoor section of the restaurant with a full bar, and there is an outdoor area where parties can lounge and watch movies every Tuesday night. They are mostly known for their burritos and tacos. They do serve vegan food such as tempeh and tofu burritos and tacos, as well as vegan dip with chips. The restaurant will survive for its drinking specials, so if that’s what you’re into look no further. Stop looking for things in the phonebook and start using globalYP.net, online yellow pages, instead.

Burrito Brothers Taco Company is a household name in Gainesville, Florida. Serving the local community since 1977, Burrito Brothers offers window service and a unique outdoor dining experience in a beautiful college town. The food is reasonably priced (expect to pay about 10 dollars a head), and is a unique take on southwestern flavors. Burritos or tacos may be ordered with marinated beef, chicken, or chorizo, and are served with a proprietary sauce known as “Red Sauce”. The proper way to eat a Burrito Bros. Burrito is any way you want – but most people will pour the red sauce onto their burrito with each bite. Be sure to order guacamole – it’s some of the best in the state, and is in such demand that there is actually a “GUAC” neon light that is on when they have guacamole available. The flavors are rich, the food is filling, and the atmosphere is charming. They’re a little out of the way, located behind the student center on University Avenue – but the search is worth it. It’s one of the best restaurants in town, and nowhere else in the world has food quite like it. For that reason, they will also ship frozen burritos anywhere. If you’re interested in casual dining, addictive southwestern food, and a college town environment, Burrito Brothers Taco Company in Gainesville is worth the drive without a doubt. If you’re interested in saving time, globalYP.net, an online directory, is worth a look.

Peach Valley Café is a cute little spot to go to if you’re in the mood for a nice little brunch any day of the week. It is located close to the University of Florida campus, yet far enough from the hustle and bustle of college life. The kind of people that show up at this restaurant range anywhere from lawyers and doctors, to students and businesspeople. The food is good and it’s a perfect place to go where you or a group can go to get a nice little meal. The menu is not large and does not vary very much. They serve mostly fruits and hush puppies. However, the soups are great and so are the salads. I would definitely recommend the tossed apples that come in a bag. They toss them right in front of you and they smell amazing. The average price range for a meal is usually from 8.00-15.00. The restaurant serves mostly breakfast foods, so if you’re looking for a dinner there, I am not even sure if they are open at that time. Spend less of your time flipping through the phonebook and start using globalYP.net, an easy to use online directory, to find great new spots in your area.

Booklovers is a fun little cafe with a labyrinthine configuration of rooms, all with tables for eating and bookshelves along the walls. It’s a quiet place to read or study that’s not crowded, like the nearby University of Florida library, or commercial, like the mega bookstore. When you need a break you can search the stacks for old books on every topic imaginable. Maybe pickup an old western novel from the 1950s or a vintage issue of National Geographic? They buy and sell used books and even have a small offering of new publications as well. They also offer book related accessories like bookmarks, covers and even some postcards. The menu has cafe type offerings that are all either vegetarian or vegan with organic ingredients. The price is reasonable but not cheap, vegetarian food is rarely cheap. Wednesday (Greek) and Thursday (Ethiopian) offer specialty dishes from 6 to 9. The service is very friendly. They try to acknowledge repeat customers encourage new ones to come back. The bean soup and the “no-egg” salad wrap were pretty tasty. They also have cookies that are vegan. Cookies without eggs or butter can be pretty hard to make and even tougher to swallow sometimes, but Booklovers is pretty successful at making all its own food in a small but well equipped kitchen. Find all your local business listings online at globalYP.net.

Sandy’s Savvy Chic Resale Boutique is the best place to go in Gainesville for gently used furniture and clothing. It is a spacious store that is very neatly organized (unlike many consignment or thrift stores where everything is jumbled onto shelves and hangers). This store has an enormous selection of children’s and adult clothing, accessories (purses and jewelry), children’s toys, furniture, and household odds and ends. Near the back of the store is the drop off area for consignment items. Sandy’s most often buys your items directly from you for cash, rather than consigning them, which is a nice benefit for the consigner (cash in hand). While you wait for the staff to review your items, you can take the time to look around. You never know what treasure you might find on a shelf or in a cabinet. I have made many purchases there. There are framed prints that appear brand new. There is a large assortment of DVD’s. There is a section devoted primarily to designer purses, many of which are in perfect condition, at over 50% less than retail prices (I saw Coach and Dooney and Bourke when I was there). This is truly a great store to shop in, and the staff is very professional. I highly recommend it! GlobalYP.net is a great place to find online yellow pages.

A Heavenly Home Landscaping at 819 NE 19th St in Gainesville, FL is a perfect fit for those who are looking to spruce up their lawn or for a full cleanup of the messiest yards. The workers and owners are extremely friendly and do not mind working with each individual customer to ensure that no one goes “broke”. Not only are the prices just right, but the quality is much more than expected. Services included in a standard package are mowing, weed eating, edging, and blowing the yard. Additional services that can be included are canopying of trees, clearing out beds, pruning hedges and small trees or bushes, and others not mentioned here. The owners of A Heavenly Home Landscaping have over fifteen years of experience and therefore can handle almost any job. If, for example, you feel that your lawn is not messy, but needs nutrition, the guys at AHHL can help create the perfect mix of nitrogen and other well-known nutrients in order to help you to get the best out of your lawn. In addition, for most loyal customers, this advice comes free of charge. AHHL can also help you to plan how to plant trees, shrubs, and plants in a way that not only looks best, but will also grow the best. The service that A Heavenly Home Landscaping provides is second to none and can be utilized for both the residential and commercial consumer. GlobalYP.net provides local directory listings online.

Calico Jack’s in Gainesville is one of the many restaurants you can find packed on any Gator Game day. They have an amazing number of televisions in the restaurant, and you would never guess that the place is actually three stories tall! They have 2 giant big screen TVs and a big following for UFC fights as well. Their atmosphere is great for any game/fight, and the food isn’t too bad either. They are known for their Wings and Oysters, but also have a wide variety of sandwiches and burgers as well. They even have a live band on the patio on the weekends. This is a great place for someone to have their birthday/Christmas party at, especially if they are a sports lover. There is an Oyster Shuck bar as well, for those who just want to sit and have a drink. There’s always ample seating when one can’t find a ticket to go to the game. The vegetarian menu isn’t that vast, but I recommend asking for a veggie quesadilla with fries on the side. They have excellent specials, including a buy one get one draft. All in all, a great place to watch the Gators and have fun! Find more great places with globalYP.net, online yellow pages.

Drive down every road and you likely will find lots of Asian Restaurants from which to choose. When you finally pick one, it seems that they all taste the same and the chicken never seems to taste like chicken. If you ever find yourself in Gainesville, Florida, stop at Maui Teriyaki for a completely unique flavor. The food is so good that when I attended college in that town I worked there so I could eat for free. They have a great variety of choices, all for less than 10 dollars (with a drink). The most popular choice is the standard chicken bowl. The bowl comes with lots and lots of chicken, rice, and steamed vegetables. Sizes range from small to extra large. I suggest making the bowl spicy for an added kick! There are also combination bowls where you can choose between two of the following options: Chicken, Steak, Pork, and Tofu. This choice is so large that I would imagine that Florida must be having cow, pig, and chicken shortages! The combo plate also comes with rice and vegetables. Some of the other delicious choices include Yakitori, Crispy Chicken (Fried Chicken Strips), wings, and the best Chicken Caesar Salad on the planet! Even the Tofu is terrific! I can’t finish without talking about the egg rolls, which come in meat or vegetable flavor. If all they served were these egg rolls I would still want to eat here every day! I have sometimes made trips to Gainesville from Tampa for no other reason than having a major craving for this place! I highly suggest that you try it, you will not be disappointed. Be sure to try globalYP.net too. You can find all sorts of local business listings online there.