November Restaurant of The Month: Home Plate Dunedin
Home Plate Restaurant across from the Blue Jays Stadium in Dunedin, FL is our November Restaurant of The Month! Home Plate comes to us by 30+ years of restaurant and hospitality service in his own hotel in Germany, Ralph. Ralph and his wife Moni purchased the restaurant just about a year ago in October of 2020. Since then they’ve been serving up smiles on a plate.
The BP Team was at Home Plate for breakfast just a little while ago. Kyle had a Greek Omelet and Turkey Sausage, Bill had the Country Skillet which came with crispy chicken and home fries combined with cheeses, eggs and a layer of house made country gravy. Libby had a delicious custom omelette with bacon, cheese and home fries. Sides of Pancakes and Bacon were ordered as this is a must! To top it off we shared the special house made Apple Strudel. Our plates went back clean, everything was fantastic.
After breakfast we went out back to speak with Ralph to find out about the family history. While we were outside we got to enjoy the huge open space located directly adjacent to the Pinellas County Trail. As we talked, live music by a local musician played in the background. When you come to Home Plate here in Dunedin, you virtually have to enjoy it outside!
In Ochsenfurt, Germany, Ralph owned and operated a hotel and restaurant close to a large, US Army helicopter base. Ochsenfurt is a small village and so a lot of soldiers would find their way into Ralph’s restaurant and it became a popular place for them. Sometimes Ralph would be matchmaker for couples, some turned into friends that he’s kept in touch through the years. One of his best friends came to Dunedin and Ralph would visit from time to time and eventually came to love the area.
Fast forward a few more years and they sold the hotel in Germany and moved to Dunedin where Ralph and Moni planned to remain retired… That was until a friend of theirs let them know about a restaurant coming up for sale right next to the Blue Jays Stadium, on the Pinellas County Trail and just a seconds drive to Downtown Dunedin! Soon Ralph and his wife found themselves back into the groove.
Despite the German routes, Ralph and Moni designed a menu centered around traditional American breakfast. Once word got out about Home Plates origins however, customers started coming in and asking for special requests. Moni, specializing in the high end dishes, would accommodate from time to time. Then the requests got more and more frequent and they finally caved, adding delicious traditional German foods such a Schnitzel, Jägerschnitzel, Bratwurst and more. They also have delicious weekly specials like the Apple Strudel we had while we were there. Specially made by Moni herself.
Specializing in breakfast, Home Plate is open from 7am until 2:30pm(in case you sleep in) 7 days a week! If you’re in there, tell them Bill sent you!
