Cozy at the Cafe

In the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz, a homesick Dorothy Gale made iconic a five-word phrase that lives in mainstream use still today: “There’s no place like home.” And she was right. So right that we’ve come to chase that sense of comfort and warmth in facets of life beyond the home. Words like quaint, homey, and cozy all scratch a spot that our brains crave to itch. And though we can never truly recreate the exact comforts of our individual safe spaces, there’s no harm in trying. Here are some local restaurants that hit the mark.

Photo credit Steven Gray

Dharma Blue, Pensacola

Dharma Blue’s cozy, cottage-like space has drawn crowds since its opening almost 30 years ago. The restaurant has since maintained its quaint, homey atmosphere, contributing to its success and longevity. Owners Chips Kirschenfeld and Charles Morgan began dreaming up Dharma Blue in the late ’90s when the opportunity arose to purchase what was previously Scotto’s Italian Restaurant. Kirschenfeld, an environmental scientist, and Morgan, restaurateur behind Harbor Docks in Destin, envisioned an open yet intimate dining room filled with eclectic local art and memorabilia. The resulting space naturally felt like home. Inside, each meal is akin to a dinner party at a close friend’s house where conversation flows in pace with the wine and hors d’oeuvres. Outside, the cottage-like building and white picket fence make dining feel like afternoon iced tea on the patio, and views overlooking the Seville Square park offer the ideal front porch panorama. For the menu, Kirschenfeld and Morgan sought to bring an upscale yet unstuffy selection that was completely new to downtown Pensacola at the time. Today, that includes a variety of seafood and American cuisine, but sushi has always been the focal point. A small but mighty sushi bar is a standout accent at the center of the dining room where more than 30 roll selections are handcrafted by Dharma sushi chefs.

Photo credit Hunter Burgtorf

Cafe Thirty-A, Seagrove Beach

A longtime staple in Seagrove Beach, Cafe Thirty-A has always operated as a family business, despite the technicality of lacking genealogical ties. Original owner Harriet Crommelin never had children. Her employees at Cafe Thirty-A became family, and the restaurant became their home. Her unexpected passing in 2023 left ownership to two longtime employees, Jackie Maliszewski and David Kessler. Today, the co-owners maintain the sentiments that Crommelin set in stone over her years of ownership, and the coastal cafe remains a place on the beach that simply feels like home. An evening at Cafe Thirty-A feels like dinner at your coastal grandmother’s house. The ambiance is light, bright, and airy, and the decor is beachy with a touch of vintage sophistication. The main dining area is anchored by high ceilings that create an openness while maintaining a cozy charm. A Florida room-style wraparound elicits an aura of patio dining amidst the comforts of indoors. And an upstairs dining space creates a cocktail-lounge atmosphere, accented with vintage liqueur and martini posters. Throughout each space, ample windows provide natural lighting and welcome views of the surrounding greenery and coastal shrubs into the space. For all its charm, Cafe Thirty-A’s menu is anything but quaint. A 138-label wine list offers a varietal for every pairing. And the dinner menu goes beyond the expectations of coastal fine dining with diverse selections ranging from sauteed lobster and pan-seared scallops to jerk duck and tandoori salmon.

Photo credit Boo Media

Thistle & Thorne, Panama City

Where Dharma Blue aligns with Southern charm and Cafe Thirty-A meets beach cottage standards, Thistle & Thorne matches the whimsigoth aesthetic, which combines the dark and macabre with the whimsy of fairy tales. Walking into Thistle & Thorne feels like the vision you’d aspire to when designing a den or an at-home library in the theme of florals meets dark academia. The walls and ceiling are painted in a black base color while a floral mural on either side of the bar brings in vibrant pops of color. Brassy gold accents throughout create an elevated air. Behind the bar, three arched mirrors help to open the galley-style dining space. Parallel to the bar, gold-frame decor lines a two-tone wall of black paneled wainscotting below with a vintage papyrus-style, off-white textured wall above. Industrial-style torch lamps and crystal-beaded chandeliers create a warm ambience, and a bench row with table seating offers intimate dining. In the back, floor-to-ceiling built-in shelving, filled with knickknacks, and whimsical decor is the backdrop for the restaurant’s lounge area where a cozy green velvet couch and accent chairs welcome guests to leisurely enjoy a cocktail and company or cozy up with tea and a book. The Thistle & Thorne menu includes brunch options, salads, light bites, and craft cocktails. Regular events contribute to the welcoming warmth the space provides, as the community comes together for live music, open mic performances, high tea parties, tarot card readings, and more.