From Alluring Wine to Elegant Brunch, Discover Local Award-Winning Food and Drink

ALACHUA ‒ From a chic traditional bed and breakfast to a contemporary upscale wine bar, two area businesses have risen to the top. Both businesses have received industry awards and national recognition for exceptional service.

Beaker and Flask, recognized by Wine Spectator magazine with the publication’s Award of Excellence, is a wine bar located in Alachua’s San Felasco Tech City right off U.S. Highway 441 next to Daft Cow Brewery. Although Beaker and Flask opened their doors less than six months ago, they have already built a reputation as a premiere wine bar with over 135 varieties of wine from around the world. They offer high-end wines by the glass or bottle, and they also hold wine tastings and offer classes taught by wine experts.

Wine Spectator magazine has been publishing since 1976 and is the world's leading authority on wine that recognizes restaurants with wine lists offering interesting selections, that are appropriate to their cuisine and appeal to a wide range of wine lovers.

To qualify for an award, a wine list must present complete, accurate information, including vintages and appellations for all selections. Lists that meet these requirements are judged for one of our three awards. The Wine Spectator award acknowledges only venues with over 90 selections of wine.

To qualify for the award, Beaker and Flask paired with food truck Cheffreys Food. “We always have food trucks outside our location next door to the Daft Cow Brewery, which we both share to offer our patrons food with their beverages,” said Beaker and Flask owner Elliot Welker. “Cheffreys is one of our favorite food trucks and they designed a menu to match various wines for the awards application.”

Welker said that only four restaurants in the county have received the Award of Excellence and the award represents the pinnacle of recognition in the industry. “Receiving it gives recognition of our exceptional wine program and the work of our team,” said Welker.

Welker is no newcomer to the wine and food industry. “My father is the wine distributor for Wards Grocery and has been in the industry for 50 years.” Once Welker turned 18, he accompanied his father on trips to wineries throughout the world to learn the craft. “Last year I decided it was time to open a high-quality wine bar of my own,” Welker said. “It’s been a great success, with our patronage increasing every month.”

Beaker and Flask is located13800 Tech City Circle, Suite 311. Additional information about wines and classes can be found at https://www.beakerandflaskwinebar.com/

Just down the road a few miles in High Springs, The Grady House Bed and Breakfast has won the Favorite Hotel for the Gainesville metropolitan area from “Our Town Magazine” for the second year in a row.

It is one of several awards the bed and breakfast has garnered in its short time under new owners Sara Miller and Scott Towne. The Grady House has also been awarded Best of High Springs in the Business Hall of Fame for both 2022 and 2023, the Best Hotel and Restaurant in Florida by the Guide to Florida in 2022, and Miller was also in the top three for best chef in Alachua County as well.

The location where the Grady house now stands has a rich history in the town’s development. Prior to 1900, the location was the site of the town’s bakery. In 1917, H.L. Grady built a house on the property and his family lived there for many years. One of the Grady House owners purchased the 122-year-old Easterlin House next door and transformed it into Skeet’s Cottage, a beautiful two-story Victorian home.

In 1990, Ed and Diane Shupe bought the house and turned it into a bed and breakfast. They eventually sold to Lucie and Paul Regensdorf who ran it for over a decade. It was sold in 2019 to Bobbie Sabo and her husband, who spent time and money updating the house only to close its doors due to COVID in 2020, leaving the Victorian mansion sitting abandoned for over a year.

Miller and Towne purchased the Grady House and Easterlin House in August 2021. “We absolutely loved the Grady house, along with the companion Easterlin House (Skeeters Cottage) as well as the gardens and event site behind the house,” said Miller.

Miller says the couple loved the community of High Springs and felt welcomed by its people, with some of them stopping by the house before it opened to introduce themselves and offer information about the area and its history. “We want to be part of that community and contribute to it,” said Miller. “We plan to be more than just a B&B, providing special events including music concerts in the back garden and host other special events for the community.”

Despite the early awards and accolades, Miller and Townes expanded the appeal of the Grady House by offering weekend breakfast service open to the community by reservation at 11 a.m. The brunch became so popular, there was a six-week waiting period for a coveted seat in the dining area that was capped by a 16-person limit.

Looking to expand on the brunch popularity, plans are underway to accommodate the growing demand. “We have decided to turn the Easterlin House into strictly a restaurant for weekend brunch, which will be able to seat about 40 patrons,” said Miller. “We are so grateful for the support we have received from the community that has led to the success we have had with this beautiful old house.” Miller anticipates that the Easterlin House brunch should be open by the end of August.

The Grady House is located at 410 and 420 N.W. 1^st Avenue in High Springs. Reservations can be made by calling 386-454-2206 or visiting https://www.gradyhousebnb.com/

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