Barbara Banno is the proprietor of Stella’s Deli, Gulfport’s coziest pancake-slinging, hot-pastrami-pressing, Kahwa-coffee-pouring diner. The Gulfport resident named the restaurant after her Great Aunt Stella, a nun from Queens, N.Y., who loved to cook big family dinners. Banno opened the restaurant in 2009 in Gulfport’s laid-back waterfront district, its lime green awning and matching front door making it hard to miss amid the quirky collection of mom-and-pop shops on Beach Boulevard. In the five years since she opened Stella’s, the deli has become the community’s go-to breakfast nook, or as resident Nadine Smith describes it, “the intersection of all the different kinds of folks that inhabit Gulfport.” Locals have developed such a rapport with Banno — a former Gulfport city councilwoman — that many of them keep a coffee cup on the “mug wall” by her front counter. A native New Yorker, Banno worked for 13 years with American Express before moving to Gulfport to fulfill her small-town cafe dream. “I left corporate America and I never looked back,” she says. “I created a place of my own in a neighborhood I love.”
Best place to go for a paddle: Clam Bayou in Gulfport. “I’m a diehard, live-hard Gulfport fan. It’s this great forgotten gem with some beautiful unexplored natural resources. The bayou makes for great kayaking and bird watching.”
Best place to hang with locals: Salty’s Gulfport Bar.“This is my hangout. It’s a neighborhood bar, so it’s where you go to catch up with everyone. The owners and the bartenders are fantastic. They put a lot of local beer on tap and it’s very dog friendly, which I love.” (Banno has a pit bull and a chihuahua.)
Best way to spend a night out: Pub crawling in St. Pete.“I love craft beer, so I usually start at 3 Daughters Brewing and end at Cycle Brewing. I usually go for the stouts or IPAs if they’ve got any on tap.”
Best place to get a suntan: St. Pete Beach. “It’s very low key. I bring a book, bottled water and I lay out. I’m Italian so I tan up nicely.”
Best little beachy dive bar: VIP Lounge in Treasure Island.“They serve Mexican food and make top-notch margaritas. I lived in Arizona for 25 years so I know my Mexican food.”
Best daytime date adventure: Tampa Speed Boat Adventures. “It’s a two-hour, two-seater speed boat ride that takes off from Tierra Verde. We saw tons and tons of dolphins.”
Best consistent sandwich: Habana Café.“They’ve been in Gulfport for 17 years. [Owner] Jo [Gonzalez Hastings] is from Cuba. She puts a lot of love and flavor into her food.”
Best place to buy a unique gift: Bo-Tiki in Gulfport. “They’re got some fun clothing, art and jewelry. I really try to support local [merchants]. Being a small business owner I know what it means to me when someone supports my restaurant.”
Best funny underwater excursion: Sponge diving in Tarpon Springs.“It’s goofy. They put that old bubble on your head and you come up with a sponge.”
Best place to get fit: Body Dynamics in South Pasadena. “It’s a very friendly, small gym that’s not pretentious. I feel comfortable there.”
Best local band when she’s in a tribal/disco/bluegrass mood: Urban Gypsies. “It’s eclectic, sit-outside, drink-wine-and-chill-out kind of music.”
Best local band when she’s in a hip-hop mood: Magic. “They do hip-hop beats … and they really kick it up. The lead woman can really sing. She gets me out on the dance floor every time.”
Best local band when she’s in a Jimmy Buffett mood: Tony D.“This is piña-colada-in-your-hands, laying-on-the-beach kind of music.”
Best place to get your ’do done: Spa 801 in St. Pete.“If I win the lottery I’m paying my stylist to do my hair every day.”
Best place to take out-of-towners: The Canopy At The Birchwood Inn.“Downtown St. Pete still has that small city charm. It’s the first place I take people. You can get a key lime pie martini and watch the sunset. Plus they’ve got gourmet tater tots with a special cheese dipping sauce. It can’t be beat.”