TAMPA CONCIERGES

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South Tampa

 

Bern's Steak House

What's left to say about Bern's? It's the single Bay area restaurant that receives -- and often deserves -- regular national press coverage for both its food and wine. It's Bern's. 1208 S. Howard Ave., Tampa, 813-251-2421, bernssteakhouse.com.

Bin 27 Bistro 

This new South Tampa spot -- a Readers' Choice entrant -- was opened by a restaurant newbie who spent a couple of years apprenticing to learn the trade. The result is casual fine dining with an interesting menu seasoned by international ingredients; here at CL we love the spicy, herbaceous chicken wings. 2702 W. Kennedy Blvd., Tampa, 813-878-2700, bin27bistro.com.

Ceviche

Founded in South Tampa by local restaurateur Gordon Davis -- and now owned by an investment group and working, managing partners -- Ceviche has established itself as the spot for traditional tapas in the Bay area. The Tampa location is back in Davis' old stomping grounds (formerly his Le Bordeaux), while the St. Pete spot features a gorgeous Spanish update of the old Ponce De Leon Hotel. 95 Central Ave., St. Petersburg, 727-209-2302; 1502 S. Howard Ave., Tampa, 813-250-0203; ceviche.com.

Datz Deli

Don't think of Datz as a deli, in spite of the long list of sandwiches. It's more a wine/beer bar, gourmet market, cheese and salumi joint that's still in search of an identity. Owners Roger and Suzanne Perry source artisanal ingredients from across the globe and serve their drinks at retail prices, making Datz a Bay area culinary destination. 2616 S. MacDill Ave., Tampa, 813-831-7000, datzdeli.com.

Paci's Pizza 

This relatively new pizza joint across from Plant High School won our Readers' Choice poll by a sizable margin. Having since tasted their pizza -- classic NY-style with one of the best crusts in the entire Bay area -- I can see why its fans have been so supportive. 2307 S. Dale Mabry Hwy., Tampa, 813-253-2973, pacispizza.com.

Pane Rustica

Although Pane Rustica won our 2008 Tournament of Burgers with its perfectly seasoned, ideally cooked patties served on incredible house breads, there's much more to the place than mere ground beef. Breakfast and lunch fare is highlighted by the hand-crafted breads Pane produces, while dinner features often rustic-inspired, fine-dining selections that are beyond the scope of a simple bakery. Plus, the place is loud, funky and cool. 3225 S. MacDill Ave., Tampa, 813-902-8828, panerusticabakery.com.

Queen of Sheba

When owner Seble Gizaw brought Ethiopian cuisine back to the Bay area, she started a renaissance. Do two Ethiopian restaurants in two years count as a trend? Gizaw's Queen of Sheba still serves the best of this home-cooking cuisine, and she brings plates to the table along with her welcoming conversation. 3636 Henderson Blvd., Tampa, 813-872-6000, ethiopianrestauranttampa.com.

Restaurant BT

BT Nguyen is the only game in town for rarefied Vietnamese fare, her French-influenced dishes and professional techniques right at home in the posh Hyde Park location. You'll still find the flavors of Vietnam on the plate, though imbued with elegance instead of rusticity. 1633 W. Snow Ave., Tampa, 813-258-1916, restaurantbt.com.

717 South..Michaels

The distinctive, trendy style and menu of 717 South have served it well. The menu changes and nightly specials provide enough variety to keep a crowd coming. This restaurant puts its signature on a number of its preparations, such as its branded 717 South Salad. For lunch, there are the daily chef's sandwich selections as well as a smoked salmon pita and veal meatloaf on an Italian hoagie with pomodoro sauce. For dinner, a favorite is the Chicken Firenze (a breast of chicken grilled with spinach, artichokes, sun-dried tomatoes, béchamel and Fontina). Or the catch of the day, which is often a typically popular option except here it is spiced up with kaffir lime beurre blanc and edamame bean salsa, served with wasabi mashed Yukon Gold potatoes. Other creative selections reflect Pacific Rim tastes like hot and cold saké. There is a wide selection of domestic and imported beers plus teas. Dessert comes with an equal level of creativity and varies by the evening.   717 South Howard *813-250-1661

http://www.717south.com/

 

SideBern's

A lot of people worried when iconic chef Jeannie Pierola -- the woman who made the restaurant what it is today -- broke from the Bern's group last year. By now, though, the new kitchen team has defused those concerns with a business-as-usual array of inspired dishes that keep the Pierola traditions alive, while breaking some new ground on their own. 2208 W. Morrison Ave., Tampa, 813-258-2233, bernssteakhouse.com.

Smoke Barbecue & Grill

In a converted gas station on Platt, Smoke somehow manages to combine the aura of a makeshift barbecue honky-tonk with the kind of slick eateries that populate South Tampa. The array of 'cue -- from duck to Hawaiian pork to Texas brisket -- helps, making this a more refined smoke spot with down-home roots. 901 W. Platt St., Tampa, 813-254-7070, smokeonplatt.com.

St. Petersburg/Gulfport

Atwater's Cafeteria

After 32 years in the same location, Atwater's is a pillar of the community and a hub of south St. Pete political culture. This humble little lunch counter has also found a way to elevate cafeteria soul food to surprisingly rarefied heights. Who said chopped steak couldn't be exquisite? 895 22nd Ave. S., St. Petersburg, 727-823-7018.

Backfin Blue Café 

Backfin Blue fits the relaxed vibe of Gulfport's dining scene. It sits in a converted cottage and serves casual, tasty seafood -- especially the hefty Maryland crab cakes -- that's easy on the wallet and tongue, perfect before a stroll past the art walk and down to the casino. 2913 Beach Blvd. S, Gulfport, 727-343-2583.

El Cap

The food at El Cap is 90 percent blah and 10 percent burgers, but that 10 percent makes up for the rest. If you've never sampled the unbelievably juicy, thin, diner-style patties, I daresay you can't claim residency in the Bay area. 3500 4th St. N., St. Petersburg, 727-521-1314.

Mazzaro's Italian Market

More a market than a restaurant, Mazzaro's still manages to serve more lunches and dinners than most sit-down spots. That's mainly due to the incredible ingredients they cram into every sandwich and tray of lasagna, as well as the one-stop shopping for foodies who want to fill their stomachs and stock their fridges. 2909 22nd Ave. N., St. Petersburg, 727-321-2400, mazzarosmarket.com.

Peg's

Not only does Peg's fit Gulfport, it epitomizes the ideal Gulfport experience. Folks can sit in the converted bungalow or lounge in the pastoral, tree-shaded courtyard, while grazing on thin-crust Midwest pizza, Cali-Mex treats and one of the best beer lists in the Bay area. 3038 Beach Blvd. S., Gulfport, 727-328-2720, pegscantina.com.

Primi Urban Café

Who'd have thought that the Von Waltsleben family, formerly owners of a string of chain restaurants in South Africa, would end up serving the best Italian in St. Pete? Although there are a few touches from their homeland, Primi's cuisine is built on chef Arno Von Waltslebens's incredible talent with classical sauces, including decadent marsala and addictive sun-dried tomato tapenade. 27 4th St. N., St. Petersburg, 727-895-4909, primiurbancafe.com.

Red Mesa

Over the past decade, Red Mesa has become the standard for upscale, modernized Mexican fare in the Bay area. There's a big California influence -- seen in the use of bright herbs and lots of goat cheese -- along with sound fundamentals like fresh tortillas made in-house daily. 4912 4th St. N., St. Petersburg, 727-527-8728, redmesarestaurant.com.

Wild Shrimp Company

Wild Shrimp easily competes for best cheap eats in the Bay area, with massive portions of tasty Louisiana-influenced fare served out the window of a block building in Haslam's parking lot that can feed a family for under $20. Even better, they use Gulf shrimp from nearby Bama Sea Products in their dishes. 2005 Central Ave., St. Petersburg, 727-209-0813.

Z Grille

The downtown St. Pete dining scene is full of restaurants, but none with the quality or panache of Zack Gross's Z Grille. The new location is gorgeous and manages to convey Gross's love of tattoos and skateboarding with understated elegance, and the food is similarly fun and inspired. Gross also made the short list for Best Chef: South from the esteemed Beard Foundation this year. 104 2nd St. S., St. Petersburg, 727-822-9600, zgrille.net.

Central Tampa

Arco Iris

Old-style Cuban cuisine is the focus at Arco Iris, from luscious palomilla steak with maduro and yucca to a killer Cuban sandwich. There are also dishes that reflect Cuba's cultural heritage, like the big selection of Chino-Cuban entrees and a few Russian-inspired items. It's popular -- especially at lunch -- so plan on waiting for a table. 3328 W. Columbus Dr., Tampa, 813-879-1357.

Bamboozle Café

Wildly popular with the downtown Tampa lunch crowd, Bamboozle has a fresh take on Vietnamese fast food that's healthy and different from the usual midday haunts. There are noodle salads and fresh spring rolls, prepared to order with ingredients you choose from the salad-bar line, along with a few hot prepared items for people in need of heartier stuff. 516 N Tampa St., Tampa, 813-223-7320, bamboozlecafe.com.

Donatello

Donatello is the grande dame of Bay area Italian dining, long a denizen of Best Of and Top Restaurant lists. And there's a good reason for that, reflected in the consistent and accomplished classic Italian cuisine this restaurant serves year after year. 232 N. Dale Mabry Hwy., Tampa, 813-200-7701, donatellorestaurant.com.

El Taconazo

The Taco Bus is a Tampa institution for some, a religion for others. Now a permanent building with the old truck permanently affixed to the back, Taconazo serves its incredible tacos at tables inside, or you can belly up to the bus and take your bounty to one of the covered outside tables. 913 E. Hillsborough Ave., Tampa, 813-232-5889.

Fly Bar and Restaurant

Fly's spot on this list is partly due to the place's interesting take on bar food -- which is quite good -- and partly due to what it represents. When it opened in downtown Tampa a couple years back, it was one of a few trailblazers aiming to show the promise of business-district mixed-use development. Now, with several new restaurants braving the same area, Fly's great restaurant-bar dining room and rooftop deck is still the best of what downtown can offer. 1202 N. Franklin St., Tampa, 813-275-5000.

La Teresita

La Teresita is the serious Cuban restaurant in Tampa, the first mentioned by locals, the first stop by visitors. It also represents the true American success story of the Capdevila family, who immigrated to Florida in 1962 on the Freedom Flights to Miami. Hard work in a plating factory and a textile company by Maximino and Coralia Capdevila led to an SBA loan for a Cuban market in 1972. Now, the family market is a giant restaurant and banquet center that serves the iconic food of Tampa's Cuban culture. 3204 W Columbus Dr., Tampa, 813-879-9704, lateresitarestaurant.com.

Mise En Place

While other Tampa restaurants were focusing on the working class and suburban diners, Marty Blitz and Maryann Ferenc were ahead of the trends. They opened Mise in 1986, bringing one of the first chef-driven, experimental restaurants to the Bay area, and ever since the duo have managed to stay on the cusp of that wave. The space underwent a redesign a couple years back, and Blitz's menu still changes with the times to keep Mise at the forefront of Tampa's fine-dining scene. 442 W. Kennedy Blvd., Tampa, 813-254-5373, miseonline.com.

Ocean Prime

This new, high-end steakhouse chain entered an already beef-saturated Tampa market this year and quickly carved out its own space. The food is better than that at most grill and seafood restaurants, but the cocktail and bar scene is the star. Be sure to start with one of the innovative martinis before you order a bottle of red wine. 2205 S. West Shore Blvd., Tampa, 813-490-5288 or ocean-prime.com.

Pelagia Trattoria

Renaissance Hotels brought Fabrizio Schenardi to Tampa to open a signature restaurant in its International Plaza property. A few years later, he had taken over the entire food and beverage operation with his modern take on Ital-Med cuisine, from Pelagia to room service. From house-made pasta to deconstructed grilled romaine Caesar salads, Schenardi's touch is light, letting the ingredients speak for themselves. 4200 Jim Walter Blvd., Tampa, 813-313-3235, pelagiatrattoria.com.

Roy's Hawaiian Fusion

Somehow, Roy's has made the formula of high-end chain dining work better and more consistently than any other. Partly, that's due to hiring accomplished chefs and giving them a piece of ownership, but it also has a lot to do with the guiding genius of founder Roy Yamaguchi. Best chain ever. 4342 W. Boy Scout Blvd., Tampa, 813-873-7697, roysrestaurant.com.

Greater Pinellas

ABC Seafood

For some, ABC is the third seat at the Bay area's Chinese restaurant triumvirate -- along with China Yuan and Yummy House. Here you'll find an utter devotion to fish and shellfish -- pulled squirming from the restaurant's tanks -- with preparations taken from Hong Kong and Cantonese traditions. 2705 54th Ave. N, St. Petersburg, 727-522-1888.

Cabana Del Tio

This tiny spot won CL's 2009 Tournament of Tacos Critic's Bracket, thanks to tortillas pressed and griddled to order, incredible pastor and barbacoa, and plenty of fresh cilantro. Cabana also serves the kind of Mexican cuisine you won't find at a combo-plate joint, cooked and served right in front of the tiny lunch-counter seating. 1709 Drew St., Clearwater, 727-466-0504.

Café Ponte

Café Ponte is the Bay area's finest upscale restaurant, thanks largely to the man on the marquee. Chef Chris Ponte's largely mainstream take on modern American cuisine is near-perfect in execution, day in and day out, and served in an elegant setting that belies its heavily trafficked strip mall location. 13505 Icot Blvd., Clearwater, 727-538-5768, cafeponte.com.

Caretta on the Gulf

An enormous by-the-glass wine list, giant raw bar, menu loaded with seafood dishes laced with Asian and American touches, and an exquisite dining room located on Clearwater Beach is a tough formula to beat. Spend a night upstairs at the Sandpearl and you can call it a weekend. 500 Mandalay Ave., Clearwater, 727-674-4171.

Floridian

Harold Seltzer -- the man formerly behind the Sam Seltzer's chain -- recently partnered with the decade-old Floridian to begin bringing Cuban sandwiches to the world. The first expansion location serves great pressed sandwiches and fries in Tampa, and garnered enough votes to be a Readers' Choice pick. 4424 W. Kennedy Blvd., Tampa, 813-287-6662; 230 Treasure Island Causeway, Treasure Island, 727-367-6662; floridianrestaurant.com.

Greektown Grille

Greektown Grille is the kind of place that makes it difficult to justify driving all the way to Hellenic spots up in Tarpon Springs. The menu features all those typical treats that Americans expect at lesser Greek spots, along with more traditional items that will expand a novice's Mediterranean palate. 1222 Cleveland St., Clearwater, 727-443-0520, greektown-grille.com.

Guppy's on the Beach

Chef Scott Bebell's Indian Rocks restaurant serves some of the best seafood on the beaches, much of it at prices that are well below the quality of the dishes. He doesn't play with his food, just lets the fresh ingredients express their flavor with little fuss beyond perfect preparation. 1701 Gulf Blvd., Indian Rocks Beach, 727-593-2032, 3bestchefs.com.

Kelly's For Just About... Anything

It's difficult to categorize a place that uses the tagline "for just about... anything," especially a place like Kelly's where you can eat a burger at one of the several bars, or sit down to a more refined dinner in the dining room. Wherever and whatever you eat, though, you'll find that Kelly's food reflects the always vibrant, occasionally chaotic, atmosphere of this Dunedin standard. 319 Main St., Dunedin, 727-736-5284, kellyschicaboom.com.

Maritana Grill

Don Cesar's flagship restaurant lives up to the promise of a grand hotel eatery while simultaneously reflecting the Florida and Cuban culture that surrounds it. There aren't many surprises on the menu, but Maritana does classic very, very well. 3400 Gulf Blvd., St. Pete Beach, 727-360-1881.

Savant Fine Dining

Chef David Miller has his hands full with a chocolate shop, a restaurant opening in the Caribbean and his new Cities restaurant just opened next door to Savant, but he's talented enough to pull it off. Savant's prix fixe menu reflects his style -- exquisite presentation, powerful but balanced flavors, and dessert creations that can surprise and delight the most jaded diners. 2551 Drew St., Clearwater, 727-421-9975, savantfinedining.com.

Greater Tampa

China Yuan

For many Bay area diners, China Yuan is the only place for traditional Chinese cuisine. Barbecued whole ducks and sections of pig hang in the back, the skins stained in shades of honey and mahogany by heat and five-spice powder, while the menu offers hot pots and Cantonese seafood. You can pick your own fish straight from the aquarium. 8502 N. Armenia Ave., Tampa, 813-936-7388, chinayuanrestaurant.com.

Council Oak

Although Bern's is the most well-known Bay area steakhouse, Council Oak may be the best. The beef -- on display behind a giant glass wall in the entry, often with a butcher hacking away -- is exquisite, but the extras on this menu are just as accomplished as the meat. The place looks spectacular, too, although you will have to walk through the Hard Rock's jangling symphony to get there. 5223 Orient Rd., Tampa, 813-627-7625, seminolehardrock.com.

First Choice Southern BBQ

Walk in to this strip mall spot and your clothes will be imbued with hardwood smoke for days. Considering how good the barbecue is at First Choice, you'll be happy for the reminder. 10113 Adamo Dr., Tampa, 813-621-7434, firstchoicebbq.com.

Grass Root Organic Restaurant

One of the only vegetarian/vegan/raw restaurants in the Bay area, Grass Root's food is tasty enough to convert meat-eaters to some of their refined and thoughtful dishes. The miso soup, when it's available, can compete with the finest bowls at any Tampa restaurant. 2702 N. Florida Ave., Tampa, 813-221-7668, thegrassrootlife.com.

Oystercatchers

Part of Oystercatchers' appeal is the fresh, expertly prepared seafood and great weekend brunch spread, but the biggest draw is the locale. Inside, it looks like a fancy lighthouse suitable for a billionaire's getaway, while the outside deck has one of Tampa's most spectacular waterfront views. 2900 Bayport Blvd., Tampa, 813-207-6815, oystercatchersrestaurant.com.

Pho Quyen

Pho Quyen may have a humble appearance, but it's the spot people flock to for traditional Vietnamese cuisine. Pho is great here, but it's best to branch out and try items like the intense roast duck broken rice, or the best seafood congee in town. 8404 Hillsborough Ave., Tampa, 813-885-9424, phoquyen.com.

Rice Korean Restaurant

There are several fine Korean restaurants in Tampa, but Rice offers a little extra on the formula. There's the usual astounding array of powerful pickles and condiments -- including excellent fresh kimchi -- served with dishes like fiery tripe stew. Rice is also the only spot in town for tableside BBQ. 7525 W. Hillsborough Ave., Tampa, 813-889-7766, ricekoreanrest.com.

Thai Sweet Basil

Thai places are a dime a dozen these days, but rarely do they represent the grace and power of Thai cooking the way that Thai Sweet Basil can. Here, the kitchen is masterful at producing profound, rustic flavors that still manage to come across as elegant to Western palates, all at the same price as your local joint. 3875 Northdale Blvd., Tampa, 813-961-8898.

Udipi Café

Udipi is strictly vegetarian, strictly no-alcohol, but this Carrollwood Indian restaurant still draws all kinds of people for its traditional cuisine. You won't think about what you're missing after tasting Udipi's tender rice crepes stuffed with brightly seasoned veggies, or the wide selection of classic breads. 14422 N. Dale Mabry Hwy., Tampa, 813-962-7300.

Yummy House

Always mentioned in the same breath with China Yuan as Tampa's top Chinese, Yummy is just as good and very different. It has barbecue, too, but the menu is largely focused on Hong Kong cuisine, like potent XO sauce over fish or salt-and-pepper tofu that will have you craving more before you get to your car. 2202 W. Waters Ave., Tampa, 813-915-2828.

DINING HIGHLIGHTS

TAMPA'S TOP  LANDMARK RESTAURANTS

 

CONEY ISLAND'S
 That’s a long time to be the alpha dog, but
 Coney Island’s Michigan-style chili dog is the coin of the realm, especially when eaten atop a brown vinyl stool at the counter with an impossibly thick chocolate shake at your elbow. The franks cost more than the nickel that owner Pete Barlas charged back in the day (well, and he added a 5-cent extra charge for anyone who ordered — sacrilege — ketchup on their chili dog), but son Hank and grandson Pete Barlas II haven’t let prices get out of hand. 250 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. St. N, St. Petersburg; (727) 822-4493.

COLONADE
 There, on Bayshore Boulevard with the ahh­some views of Hillsborough Bay, they’ve been serving seafood to Tampa’s well­off for as long as most people can remember. The Col­onnade Restaurant
  property has been in the Whiteside family for more than 100 years, through five generations, each one adding to the long menu. Some dishes are homey (cornflake-coated grouper), other just odd (Cokes served with an olive), but everyone agrees that the window seats are prime downtown real estate. 3401 Bayshore Blvd., Tampa; (813) 839-7558.
  

WOODYS
 Woody’s Waterfront started as a tiny bait house for anglers doing their thing along Blind Pass, a rocky little inlet carved out by a fero­cious hurricane in 1928. Back then it was burgers and such. It’s still burgers and such, only now they are accompanied by margaritas and live music six nights a week. Servers hustle through the patio, tight-set with high-gloss picnic tables and turquoise sun umbrellas, hefting paper-lined baskets of fried shrimp and the ultimate Woody burger (mushrooms, fried onions, bacon, cheese). But be forewarned: Their tagline is “We’re so close to the water, your burger will get wet.” 7308 Sunset Way, St. Pete Beach; (727) 360-9165.

 

HEILMANS BEACHCOMBER

1948 Robert Edson Heilman may have passed away in 2007, but his legacy, Bob Heilman’s Beach­comber,
  witness to countless birthdays and anniversaries, lives on. Pinot noir fanatics love it for their own reasons (Burgundy, Oregon, even his own FoxyRock — don’t get them started), fried chicken fans for another. But what people hold dear are the thick steaks, the soft piano music and the clubby conviviality. 447 Mandalay Ave., Clearwater Beach; (727) 442-4144.

TED PETERS  FAMOUS SMOKED FISH

 
 It’s been featured on the Food Network, but that hasn’t made Ted Peters Famous Smoked Fish uppity. Prized for its laid-back style and inviting picnic tables, the big-time draw is, of course, the smoked fish: Smoked fish spread with saltines is fabled, the salmon is excellent, the mullet is an intensely fishy acquired taste.
  But Ted Peters also produces some beloved cheeseburgers and German potato salad that is balanced precariously between the zing of vinegar and the smoke of bacon. This is a beer­drinking establishment, it closes early and, for a price, they will smoke your catch for you (they can even make kingfish taste good, and that’s saying something). 1350 Pasadena Ave., South Pasadena; (727) 381-7931.

CHATTAWAY


 Big bathtub planters outside, froufrou English collectibles inside, and it’s dog friendly: The
 Chattaway in the Old Southeast neighborhood is a quirky bird with legion followers who have the bumper stickers to prove it. The central draw is the burger, a dry cleaner’s nightmare, but Chattaway is also cherished for its historic, ramshackle glory (it started as a general store with a gas pump back in the early 1920s).
  What you need to know: Cash only and there’s a special every day: Monday Cubans, Tuesday catfish, Wednesday Sloppy Joe’s, Thursday spaghetti with meat sauce and Friday Juanita’s Choice (which, mysterious, seems to be stuck on shrimp salad or tuna salad). 358 22nd Ave. S., St. Petersburg, (727) 823-1594.
 


 

 

WINE CELLAR  


 It started as a teeny spot in Gulfport.
  Success brought change, and the Wine Cellar moved to bigger digs in North Redington Beach. Despite the grander 200-seat location, Karl Klumpp, Ted Sonnenshein and Peter Shuckert set about creating the same warmth and intimacy in this moodily lit setting. The culinary landscape is an oft-trammeled continental path, but with forks that lead one off toward Germany with sauerbraten, schnitzel and braised red cabbage. Large banquet rooms have made it a favorite for catering and fancy to-dos and a Monday night buffet is beloved by those of sizeable appe­tites. 17307 Gulf Blvd., North Redington Beach; (727) 393-3491.
 

HURICANE


 When locals talk about the Hurri­cane,
  they almost always get a little grouchy and/or wistful about how it used to be, back when it was small and uncomplicated. After a mas­sive renovation in 1991, it’s neither now. There’s the outside deck on the ground floor with its picnic tables, crisscrossed fishing line overhead to thwart opportunistic gulls, the gulf right across the street. Stormy’s, a more upscale dining room, is upstairs. There’s a third-floor rooftop club, and the bustling indoor dining room downstairs is done up in a comfort­able, shambling Florida Keys style.
  But that doesn’t mean the culinary focus has shifted much. Still a solid grouper sandwich, fried, grilled, broiled, blackened or jerked. 807 Gulf Way, St. Pete Beach; (727) 360-9558.

KOJAKS


 The third generation of the Forney family now oversees the proceedings at Kojak’s House of Ribs. A white house with the barbecue sauce-colored trim, its wide front porch and knotty pine-paneled dining room as comfy as a ’70s rec room. It has built its reputa­tion on all-natural Oklahoma-style pork spareribs, dry rubbed overnight, smoked for two to three hours, then served in the buff. They don’t need any embellish­ment, but there’s a hot ’cue sauce (red bottle) and a mild sauce (clear bottle) on the table. Pace yourself, because the house chocolate cake brings a square of sweet nostalgia struggling under the weight of molten fudge. 2808 Gandy Blvd, Tampa; (813) 837-3774.
  1980

 Skipper’s Smokehouse

has the ambi­ence of a place 10 times its age. It’s Tampa’s most atmospheric live music venue (blues, alt rock, Tuvan throat singers, the gamut), with concerts held outdoors under the canopy of a huge, moss-festooned live oak. It has a lively 30s-and-up bar scene and a ram­shackle restaurant serving wonderful grouper Rueben sandwiches, gator nuggets and black beans. 910 Skipper Road, Tampa; (813) 977-6474.
  1981
 There are four, count ’em four, casual

 Frenchy’s

locations crowding the Clearwater Beach landscape, each a little different but all fueled by their own fleet of commercial fishing boats.
  Frenchy’s Original Café is the smallest and maybe the quietest. Beyond the annual stone crab madness that occurs each October, Frenchy’s supporters come back for the thick seafood gumbo, fish spread, grouper sandwiches and take-no-prisoners desserts (fried Oreos, crunchy peanut butter pie). 41 Baymont St., Clearwater Beach; (727) 446-3607.
 



 


 Williams Lunch on Limoges

started a full 73 years after the Williams family opened their little dry goods store in Dade City. The dry goods gave way to giftware, stationery and notions, and it is smack-dab in the middle of all this that the local ladies who lunch get down to business.
  And, yes, the chicken salad croissants and bacon quiches are served on Limoges china. Everyone swears by the fruit muffins (Chef Skip Mize is mum about the recipe) and the sweet old waitresses in their sensible shoes peddle huge wedges of chocolate cake to the day-trippers and tour groups that show up with regularity for a little antiques-addled adventure in East Pasco. 14139 Seventh St., Dade City; (352) 567-5685.
  1983

HOOTERS

Owl fans everywhere know of Clearwater’s crowning achievement.
 Hooters has spawned a worldwide empire, incubated and nurtured by a whole bunch of hard-working women in suntan pantyhose and orange short­shorts. Built on the site of a former dumpster washing facility, the original location is going strong, continuing its pledge to be “delightfully tacky yet unrefined.” Once the ogling is over, there’s the food: Wings are the thing, best not battered, and the spicy Buffalo chicken sandwich (which we believe is affectionately ordered as a “hot buff chick”). 2800 Gulf-To-Bay Blvd., Clearwater; (727) 797-4008.
  

SUKHOTHAI


 It’s an appropriate name. Sukhothai means the “Dawn of Happiness” and was the first independent Thai kingdom, founded in the 13th century. Sukhothai Restaurant in Tampa didn’t open until a little later, but it still represented the first giddily exotic Asian food for a lot of us. Sure, we’d had chow mein and eggrolls, but aromatic curries, tom ka gai lush with coconut milk and pad Thai with its rice noodles and crushed pea­nuts seemed all new. The restaurant’s location was no accident — world travelers from nearby MacDill Air Force Base represented the first stalwart cus­tomers. 8201 N Dale Mabry Highway, Tampa; (813) 933-7990.


Emma’s Rose Tea Room and Gift Shoppe

 Owner Linda Davis has created a rarefied little world at Emma’s Rose, one with a Victoriana giftware shop at the front and three themed dining rooms, one room stocked with froufrou tea hats you can don if the mood strikes. And the mood will strike. Chef Gabi Ford turns out to-die-for scones, baby quiches and finger sand­wiches, all perfect foils for a fancy china pot of tea. Davis equips diners with hourglass-like “tea timers,” the grains of sand ticking out the proper steep. The big splurge is the fancy royal tea ($19). 911 Central Ave., St. Petersburg. (727) 895-2211.

 Frenchy’s Cafe
 Cuisine: Local Flavor, Seafood
 Forget fancy settings. This cozy, hole-in-the-wall favorite on Clearwater Beach, one of four Fren­chy’s, serves up seafood fresh from the boat at bargain prices. This tiny spot is the original. Try the specialty crabby shrimp sandwich. Served with cold beer, good humor and modest fixings (plus great desserts). 41 Baymont St., Clear­water Beach. (727) 446-3607. frenchysonline.com 

 Four Green Fields
 Cuisine: Pub
 It’s not home brew, but Guinness from the auld sod is revered here. With Irish stew, corned beef, and shepherd’s pie to match. Few places draw it with as much style, and no others serve it under a thatch roof. 205 W Platt St., Tampa. (813) 254-4444. fourgreenfields.com 

 Green Iguana
 Cuisine: American, Casual Dining
 Some great beer food is here: monstrous burgers, world-class onion straws and sturdy red chili that tastes as if it has been simmering for days. The Iguana is less successful with fern-bar fare. All the Iguanas have a unique charm, but the Anderson Road location boasts the “ultimate and largest climate-controlled tiki hut in Florida.” We think we’re in love. 4029 S West Shore Blvd., Tampa. (813) 837-1234.
  8790 Bay Pines Blvd., St. Petersburg. (727) 209-1234.
  9202 Anderson Road, Tampa. (813) 288-9076.
  1708 E Seventh Ave., Ybor City. (813) 248-9555. greeniguana.com 

Kojak’s House of Ribs
 Cuisine: Barbecue
 This is strictly a come-as-you-are place. Your fingers will get messy, and the hot sauce will show your taste buds a good time. Sit inside the old house or outside under the big trees. Nothing fancy, but the red-and-white checked tablecloths make you feel at home, or at least on a picnic.
  The barbecue is no-nonsense, too — filling and fun. 2808 Gandy Blvd., Tampa. (813) 837-3774.

 Mad Dogs and Englishmen
 Cuisine: Brunches, Pub
 Tampa Bay is blessed with a variety of pubs, and this one has the most charm on tap, fine beers, rosy-cheeked publicans and smart pub eating with the spice of the colonies at every meal, including brunch. Very pet friendly. 4115 S Mac­Dill Ave., Tampa. (813) 832-3037. maddogs.com 

Yoko’s Japanese Restaurant
 Cuisine: Asian, Japanese, Sushi
 One of the reliable suppliers is this quiet but busy spot in the MacDill gourmet cluster. Stu­dents, professors, military brass and locals fill the small bar, snare tables or sit shoeless at tatami for tempura, bento boxes and clever sushi. 3217 S MacDill Ave., Tampa. (813) 835-4311. yokosres­taurant. com
 MOST ENTREES $20 OR MORE
 Armani’s
 Cuisine: Fine Dining, Italian, Seafood
 One of Tampa’s top special-occasion and I-need­to- clinch-this-deal restaurants, Armani’s has welcomed a new executive chef but some of the traditions at the top of the Grand Hyatt remain unchanged: the antipasto offerings still have an almost cult following. At the long bar that contains dozens of Italophile dreams (marinated eggplant, velvety roasted peppers), you point and the nice lady loads up your plate. A la carte items are equally worthwhile: from an absolute knockout parsnip soup to a delicate fillet of sea bass in a porcini crust paired with a seafood potato cake atop a seafood cream sauce dotted with parsley oil. 2900 Bayport Drive, Tampa.
  (813) 207-6800. armanisrestaurant.com
 Bernini
 Cuisine: Fine Dining, Italian
 Back in the ‘90s, Bernini’s lionhead roared with hipness, and it’s still king of this jungle. The old gold interior is comfy now, the service is both old-pro and young. The menu’s modern standards of crisp pizzas, rustic pastas and smart salads make it a fine room for dealmaking dinners or urbane lunches. 1702 E Seventh Ave., Ybor City.
  (813) 248-0099. berniniofybor.com
 Charley’s Steak House
 Cuisine: Seafood, Steaks
 The great American steakhouse wars are going hot and heavy Morton’s, Sullivan’s Steakhouse, Don Shula’s, Fleming’s (and its more middlebrow parent, Outback), The Palm, and Ruth’s Chris.
  Charley’s in a teeny chain among giants, beloved for its fat, grilled steaks and sturdy California cabs, served in a warren of formal, but a little tired looking, rooms. 4444 W Cypress St., Tampa. (813) 353-9706. charleyssteakhouse.com 

Laughing Cat
 Cuisine: Italian
 The Laughing Cat calls itself “New Progressive Italian,” but don’t hold that against it. The charm lies in the opposite, older direction, when Italian food was hefty and lusty. The menu lists more than 150 dishes, and it’s hard to characterize the style except as too much. It is perhaps best at the modestly priced lunch buffet, where more than a dozen dishes are laid out on steam tables right in front of the kitchen. 1820 N 15th St., Ybor City. (813) 241-2998.
  Malio’s Prime
 Cuisine: Italian
 Malio Iavarone was the consummate restaura­teur and showman, his restaurant, Malio’s, an iconic dining destination. It closed in 2005. And now it’s back, kind of. Malio’s son, Derek, and his buddy Jason Fernandez, owner of Ybor City’s Bernini, launched Malio’s Prime in downtown Tampa’s 31-story Rivergate Tower. The new Malio’s fills a void in a restaurant-impoverished area, especially at lunchtime when it’s thick with downtown business folk wheeling and dealing as they indulge in fat steaks and chops. 400 N Ashley Drive, Tampa. (813) 223-7746. malio­sprime. com
 Maritana Grille
 Cuisine: Fine Dining, New American
 In the Don CeSar Beach Resort. The pink wed­ding cake of a hotel appeals to Gatsby memories, and meals in the Maritana Grille are indeed fan­tasies of the rich and famous. Foie gras, lobster, veal and duck get dolled up with the latest micro greens, truffle oil and clever gnocchis, risotto and polenta. 3400 Gulf Blvd., St. Pete Beach. (727) 360-1881. 

NEW RESTAURANTS

Two new restaurants in the heart of Ybor City — L’Olivier and the Nest — are giving diners a reason to hit the district’s main drag.


 Two fabulous new dining destinations smack dab in party-hearty Ybor City. Put down the Jaeger bomb and put off that next tattoo — there’s grownup fun to be had in Tampa’s historic district.
  Washington, D.C., restaurateurs Sidney Sakho and Sam Brownell fell under the spell of the restaurant space that housed Las Novedades Restau­rant all the way back in 1890, later renamed El Goya, and where Angelo Cacciatore opened the Silver Ring Cafe in 1947. On Jan. 21, they opened the Nest.
  Meanwhile, St. Petersburg restau­rateur Olivier Cuevas and partner Mike Edmondson were eyeballing Ybor as well, settling on the glorious downstairs space in Centro Ybor that used to house a furniture store as the site for their L’Olivier Restaurant and Cabaret, opened Jan. 31.
  Sakho and Brownell, former own­ers of Le Mistral, Corner Bistro and Evo Bistro in Washington, aren’t the only heavy-hitters involved in the Nest. Much-decorated chef Tino Bug­gio came from the Mayflower Hotel in D.C. to unveil his brand of hip tapas that draws inspiration from his home­land of Italy and on through Spain, France and Morocco. .
  Sakho is a gracious presence in the Nest’s dining room, describing a dish or bringing a little extra something for guests to try. Over at L’Olivier, general manager Ricky Ali performs some of the same functions, acting as ringmaster for the huge and bustling space that gets even more frenetic on show nights (8:30 and 10 p.m. Thurs­day to Saturday). An 18-foot-tall Eiffel Tower sets the mood — strictly Mou­lin Rouge.
  The menu at L’Olivier echoes that at L’Olivier in St. Petersburg, a dozen or so savory crepes paired with a lovely spinach salad, a very few oh­so- French entrees (coq au vin, boeuf Bourguignon) and another big hand­ful of dessert crepes.
  I’m more enthusiastic about the food at the Nest, most of it affordable, flavorful and sophisticated. Grilled shrimp ($9) are marinated in pesto and tossed over an avocado pico de gallo; pesto appears again (fresh and homemade-tasting) dabbed on a trio of baby lamb chops ($12), rosy-cen­tered and tender, perched on a bed of tomatoey chickpeas. The best dish we had was a debonair arugula salad ($9) studded with warm duck confit, tart matchstick apples, toasted walnut halves and wide shaves of Manchego. Perfect, and a generous portion.
  Buggio’s signature dish speaks vol­umes about what the Nest is doing right: A polenta crab cake is full of sweet jumbo lumps, crunchiness imparted by a burnished crust of po­lenta, the whole thing sitting atop a roasted corn salsa at a fair-minded $8. The Nest’s wine list is smart and excit­ing, albeit short, and desserts are not to be missed.
  Nutella crops up on the dessert list at L’Olivier — the crepes unfortunate­ly much more variable in quality than at the flagship restaurant in St. Peters­burg. A tarte tatin ($8.95) needs to be rethought, the classic upside-down dessert reading more like plain-ole sauteed apples, and the crepe mas­ters need to be more attentive with cooking times and filling quantities. Still, many of the savory crepes are worth a go (chicken medallions in a creamy mushroom sauce, $18.95), as are a couple of sturdy quiche wedges served with an even more filling po­tato gratin.
  The food needs a little more at­tention, but L’Olivier is nonethe­less a welcome addition, a super-fun and modish destination for cocktails and maybe a cheese tray ($20) be­fore watching the area’s only Moulin Rouge-style, 45-minute cabaret show. Maybe this is the beginning of Ybor City’s own Belle Epoque.
 




 The new L’Olivier Restaurant and Cabaret in Ybor features Eiffel Tower replica and cabaret shows.
 


 

NEW DINING IN  YBOR &SOUTH TAMPA

A guide to Tampa’s newest joints


 A handful of restaurants have opened in South Tampa and in Ybor City since November. Here are a few of the highlights.
 Bin 27 bistro
 2702 W Kennedy Blvd.; (813) 878-2700; bin27bistro. com
  Cuisine: trendy Latin-, Italian- and Asian-influenced menu tops out at $28.
  The Lodge Restaurant & Bar
 516 S Howard Ave.; (813) 251-5634, lodgetampa.com
  Cuisine: American sushi, sliders, TV dinners; $7 to $15.
  L’Olivier Restaurant & Cabaret
 1600 E Eighth Ave., Centro Ybor; (813) 247-5307, loliviercabaret.com
  Cuisine: French bistro crepes, quiche, panini and plats du jours such as coq au vin and beef bourguignon.
  Nest
 1430 E Seventh Ave., Ybor City; (813) 247-7500, thepastanest.com
  Cuisine: Mediterranean tapas and pasta bar, from France, Spain, Italy and Morooco, $6 to $12; open lunch and dinner, seating 85 inside and 40 outside cafe; valet parking.
  Teatro on Seventh
 1600 E Eighth Ave., Ybor City; (813) 248-9400, teatroonseventh.com
  Cuisine: New American, international dishes such as Moroccan lamb shanks, Asian tuna and New England rack of lamb; lunch and dinner, $18 to $27.
  Cork
 406 S Howard Ave. (813) 251-4433, cork.com
  Cuisine: Italian-style tapas, salami platter, handcrafted pizza, salad, desserts; $6 to 12.
  Tun-Du-Ree, Magic of the Indian Grill
 1506 W Kennedy Blvd.; (813) 251-2111
  Cuisine: Curries, biryanis, wraps, papadums, samosas — all prepared according to Ayurvedic principles and less than $10.
  Hula Bay Club
 5210 W Tyson Ave., Tampa; (813) 837-4852, hulabay­club. com
 Cuisine: Burgers, seafood, sushi, $8 to $13.
 
 

 
 

 

THE BEST TAMPA HAS TO OFFER

Best barbecue
Smoke  is new and wow..., especially for its anything-but-perfunctory side dishes (braised red cabbage, crispy lemon kugel) and smoked Texas brisket. In a totally different ’cue camp,  roasting pork over an open grill, chopping it and settling it into a tangy bath of vinegar and red pepper sauce.Georgia-style pork ribs and spicy pork sausage 
 • Smoke Barbeque and Grill, 901 W Platt St., Tampa; (813) 254-7070, smokeonplatt.com

Best breakfast or brunch
 Oystercatchers at the Grand Hyatt rein­vented itself a year ago. With a beautiful view of the Tampa Bay.  Awesome incredible brunchs.
 • Oystercatchers, Grand Hyatt Tampa Bay, 2900 Bay­port Drive, Tampa; (813) 207-6815, oystercatchersrestaurant.com

 Best desserts
 Harry Waugh Des­sert Room at Bern’s Steak House more contemporary, and it still reigns supreme as the romantic date-night’s ace in the hole. For when you need to serve a whole dessert, Wright’s Gourmet House has a red velvet cake and a pecan pie to bring a tear to the eye. For my money, Bryce Whittlesey’s classical French desserts at Davis Islands’s Chez Bryce are worth at least a couple gallons of gas, extra for the chocolate espresso pot de creme and the lemon curd tart.
  • Harry Waugh Dessert Room, Bern’s Steak House, 1208 S Howard Ave., Tampa; (813) 251-2421, bernssteakhouse.com
 • Wright’s Gourmet House, 1200 S Dale Mabry Highway, Tampa; (813) 253-3838, wrightsgourmet.com
 • Chez Bryce, 238 E Davis Blvd., Tampa; (813) 258-8100, chez­bryce. com

 

Best Ethiopian
 Queen of Sheba
 traditional, communal-style array of fairly mild meat and legume stews scooped atop elastic injera bread.
  Queen of Sheba has the edge for warm and effusive servers willing to guide the newbie. a great  range of tastes and offers a lovely tradi­tional coffee ceremony.
  • Queen of Sheba, 3636 Henderson Blvd., Tampa; (813) 872-6000, ethiopianrestauranttampa.com

Best Indian
 My favorite of the moment is Cilantro, a lovely sprawling eatery opened in October 2007. The food has punch and heat, with especially good vegetable dishes and breads.
  But Medhu and Naresh Sharma’s Raga Asian Indian Restaurant offers a Northern Indian buffet during the week, a Sunday grand buffet showcasing the lesser­known vegetarian delights from Southern India, and Saturday morning cooking classes. In the category of Indian food you’d find in England, I have two favorites: St. Petersburg’s long-standing Moon Under Water and over in Tampa Mad Dogs and Englishmen serves nice
 masala cod and chicken curry, with several other slow­burn dishes.
 • Cilantro Indian Cuisine, 11009 N 56th St., Tampa; (813) 983-8220, cilantrojax.com
 • Raga Asian Indian Restaurant, 16080 U.S. 19 N, Clearwater; (727) 531-6400
 • Moon Under Water, 332 Beach Drive NE, St. Pete; (727) 896-6160, tmuw.net or themoonunderwater.com
 • Mad Dogs and Englishmen, 4115 S MacDill Ave., Tampa; (813) 832-3037, maddogs.com

Best hamburger
 A hotly contested category, but I’m throwing down. In order of excellence, it’s Square One and Tampa Bay Brewing Company, both in Tampa, with
 El Cap in St. Petersburg a distant third, but it makes it out of deference to longtime owner Steve Bonfili, who died last May. Bill Shumate and Joanie Corneil’s Square One offers nine basic burger types (including Meyer Angus beef, Kobe, sashimi tuna, portobello) with a whole passel of toppers (teri­yaki ginger sauce, roasted black bean and corn salsa) and three types of buns. Since moving to its new Centro Ybor crib, Tampa Bay Brewing has a lot to distract one from the suds: Kobe sliders, a froufrou burger topped with baked goat cheese and roasted red pepper, and the brewer’s choice with melted blue cheese and crispy fried onion strings.
  • Square One Burgers, 3701 N Henderson Blvd., Tampa; (813) 414­0101, square1burgers.com
 • Tampa Bay Brewing Company, 1600 E Eighth Ave., Tampa; (813) 247-1422, tampabaybrewingcompany.com
 • El Cap, 3500 Fourth St. N, St. Petersburg; (727) 521-1314

Best grouper sandwich
 Two years after the St. Petersburg Times exposed fake grouper in Tampa Bay restaurants, many establishments have decided to punt. Fine, they say, we’ll serve a more circumspect “fish sandwich” instead. Dockside Dave’s Grill is still doing it right. Snowy white locally caught grouper — battered and fried and served with drippy red tomato, crisp lettuce, a few rounds of white onion and a fairly soft roll — is worth sticking to your guns about. Add in a sassy order of onion rings. Walt’z Fish Shak has a similar commit­ment to the real deal — scamp, black grouper, they’ll tell you exactly what’s on hand.
  • Dockside Dave’s, 14701 Gulf Blvd., Madeira Beach; (727) 392­9399, docksidedavesgrill.com
 • Walt’z Fish Shak, 224 Boardwalk Place E, Madeira Beach; (727) 395-0732

Best Greek
 Hellas Restaurant has remained stalwart in its commitment to flaming cheese and lamb shanks with spaghetti since 1970 in Tarpon Springs. In 2008, the Karamountzos family brought the real deal a little farther south to an enormous space in Clearwater: Greektown Grille has been an instant hit with live Greek music, chargrilled octopus, moussaka wedges the size of cinder blocks and lots of “opa” cheer. Athenian Garden moved to new digs in downtown St.
  Petersburg, but the number of eat-in tables is a little slim, so think more grab-a-Greek-salad (heavy on the hidden potato salad).
  • Hellas Restaurant, 785 Dodeca­nese Blvd., Tarpon Springs; (727) 943-2400, hellas-restaurant.com • Greektown Grille, 1230 Cleveland St., Clearwater; (727) 447-7800
 • Athenian Garden, 21 Third St.
  N, St. Petersburg; (727) 822-2000, atheniangarden.com • Abol Bunna, 3644 W Kennedy Blvd., Tampa; (813) 964­6889

Best seafood
 I like Walt Wickman’s approach. See what’s fresh, get some, figure out what to do with it tonight. Get up tomorrow, repeat. He grew up in Dunedin, so his Walt’s Seasonal Cuisine seems to have a special affinity for Gulf goods — jumbo stone crabs, grilled hogfish with key lime vinaigrette, he knows what he’s doing. One of my favorite finds of the year was Wild Shrimp Company, a little fish shack adjacent to Haslam’s bookstore that specializes in sweet, wild gulf shrimp, sometimes deep-fried, sometimes studding a gumbo or jambalaya. Tom Pritchard and his partner Frank Chivas never seem far from these best-of lists, their Salt Rock Grill and Marlin Darlin spoken of reverently by seafood fans, the former also prized for its front deck and its aged steaks, the latter for its Key West good-times cheer. The Sandpearl’s Carretta on the Gulf has a raw bar and seafood-savvy menu that almost makes one forget the gorgeous beach views and swanky decor. The kitchen globe-trots through Szechuan prawn to crisp-skinned snapper and a delicate brown-butter sauteed skate, never missing a step.
  • Walt’s Seasonal Cuisine, 1140 Main St., Dunedin; (727) 733-1909, waltscuisine.com
 • Wild Shrimp Company, 2005 Central Ave., St. Petersburg; (727) 209-0813
 • Salt Rock Grill, 19325 Gulf Blvd., Indian Shores; (727) 593-7625, saltrockgrill.com
 • Marlin Darlin, 2819 W Bay Drive, Belleair Bluffs; (727) 584-1700, baystarrestaurants.com
 • Caretta on the Gulf, Sandpearl Resort, 500 Mandalay Ave., Clearwater Beach; (727) 441­2425, sandpearl.com

 

Best Cuban sandwich
 Richard Gonzmart of the Columbia res­taurants is on a mission to recreate the great Cuban sandwich. He’s importing salami from Italy. He’s bought an expen­sive steam convection oven to roast pork without a loss of moisture. The fruits of his labor have just gone on the menu and, as he says, “Heads will roll if I cannot produce the best Cuban in the world!”
  Those in the know have also directed my attentions to Brocato’s Sandwich Shop.
  Crowded at lunch, it indeed offers an excellent Cuban, generous on the meats, pressed aggressively. But my attentions also wandered to this Tampa landmark’s very good deviled crab and the eats-like­a- meal stuffed potato.
  • Columbia Restaurant, 2117 E Seventh Ave., Ybor City, other locations also; (813) 248-4961, columbiarestaurant.com
 • Brocato’s Sandwich Shop, 5021 E Columbus Drive, Tampa; (813) 248-9977

Best old-timey
 cheap eats
open-faced hot turkey sandwiches with all the fixings ($6.45). Add in a chocolate milk shake and you’ll feel like the snake that’s eaten the ostrich egg. Munch’s ritual Tuesday fried chicken feast is $6.25 for three pieces, mashed potatoes, gravy and a quick draw on the sweet tea refills. But for resolute price-capping, head to Mid Peninsula Seafood on Mondays, Tuesdays or Wednesdays for a $1.99 fish sandwich.
  • Chatterbox Grill, 56 Dr. Martin Luther King St. S, St. Petersburg; (727) 823-0605 • Munch’s Sundries & Restaurant,
 3920 Sixth St. S, St. Petersburg; (727) 896-5972
 • Mid Peninsula Seafood Market & Restaurant, 400 49th St. S, St.
  Petersburg; (727) 327-8309

Best Japanese
 In Clearwater Beach at Kiku Japanese Fine Dining you can put yourself in the hands of chef Daniel Chong for wagu tartare, ahi carpaccio and delicate swaths of striped marlin, abalone and giant clam rolled, draped and wasabi-ed to perfection. On the other hand, an evening spent chasing a Signature Place roll or a Central Avenue roll around with a pair of chopsticks is a good one, making Pacific Wave still one of the smartest calls in downtown St. Petersburg. New chef Javier De Jesus has broadened the menu somewhat, adding Latin and Caribbean flavors to the Pacific Rim lineup.
  • Kiku Japanese Fine Dining, 483 Mandalay Ave., Clearwater Beach; (727) 461-2633, clearwaterbeachkiku.com
 • Pacific Wave, 211 Second St. S, St. Petersburg; (727) 822-5235, pacificwaverestaurant.com

Best lunch
 BellaBrava launched a new lunch menu recently, nothing over $10, with panini, piadina (a pressed flatbread sandwich) and flatbread pizzas that make the noonday meal something of a party. And in Tampa the West Shore district has a compelling reason to sneak away from the office: Roy’s has begun offering lunch for the first time, from the $22 prix-fixe “power lunch” splurge (short ribs, blackened ahi or grilled salmon with a salad, rice and other fixings) to a more economical “canoe for two” sampler ($18, with pot stickers, beef and gor­gonzola sui mai, shrimp cocktail and Szechwan ribs).
  • BellaBrava, 515 Central Ave., St.
  Petersburg; (727) 895-5515, bellabrava.net

• Roy’s Restaurant, 4342 W Boy Scout Blvd., Tampa; (813) 873-7697.
  roysrestaurant.com

Best Italian

 Pane Rustica’s dinner menu continues to be swoon­worthy, from gnocchi with tenderloin, mushrooms and fava beans to lobster ravioli with lump crab, neither of which will break the bank. And for all the Italian staples — good olive oil or paper-thin slices of prosciutto, not to mention the country’s largest aged provolone — Mazzaro’s Italian Market pre­vails.
 • Pelagia Trattoria, 4200 Jim Walter Blvd., Tampa; (813) 313-3235, pelagiatrattoria.com
• Pane Rustica, 3225 S MacDill Ave., Tampa; (813) 902-8828, panerusticabakery.com
 • Mazzaro’s Italian Market, 2909 22nd Ave. N, St. Petersburg; (727) 321-2400, mazzarosmarket.com

Best Mexican
 Despite a little bobble on the name last year (Mariposa Mexican Grille became
 Mekenita Mexican Grille after a restaurant of the same name in Colorado started grousing), Rand Packer’s cozy regional Mexican hot spot is going strong, with a second location slated to open in Trinity in 2009. The former Roy’s chef devotes his time now to family-friendly tacos, sopes and agua frescas. Chef Chris Fernandez continues to bring the area nuanced Oaxacan cuisine at the long-standing Red Mesa, as co-owner Peter Veytia gets his next venture up and running at Red Mesa Cantina. The new locale will feature affordably priced tacos and ceviches, while the flagship has loftier culinary aims. Casa Tina moved into a bigger, more luxurious space early last year and continues to especially delight the vegetarian community with its veggie and even vegan spins on casual, affordable, fun Mex.
  • Mekenita Mexican Grille, 17623 N Dale Mabry Highway, Lutz; (813) 264­1212, mekenitamexicangrill.com
 • Red Mesa, 4912 Fourth St. N, St. Petersburg; (727) 527-8728, redmesares­taurant. com
 • Casa Tina, 365 Main St., Dunedin; (727) 734-9226, casatina.com

Best romantic
Armani’s atop the Hyatt has the views and the tuxedoes in reckless abundance, still serving antipasti and posh Northern Italian. New creperie L’Olivier and Carrollwood independent Toasted Pheasant Bistro are rich with all those French food words. Tampa’s Six Tables, owned by the lovely couple Amy and Richard Bottini, sends out six courses to diners, amorous or otherwise. All four offer chocolate in plenty of guises — L’Olivier’s can­dlelit patio is where to go when the weather is lovely, Six Tables for when it’s got to be special (the evening’s menu is $90, the table is yours for the night), Toasted Pheasant for fan­ning the flames without burning too much cash, and Armani’s for when you and your sweetie need to feel on top of the world.
  • Armani’s, 2900 Bayport Drive, Tampa; (813) 207-6800, armanisrestaurant.com • L’Olivier, 111 Second Ave. NE, St.
  Petersburg; (727) 821-3846, lolivierbistro.com • Toasted Pheasant Bistro, 14445 N Dale Mabry Highway, Tampa; (813) 265-6700, toastedpheasant.com • Six Tables, 4267 Henderson Blvd., Tampa; (813) 207-0527, sixtablestampa.com

Best pizza
 It’s not known for its pizza, certainly, but Mise en Place
 does a rock shrimp, poblanos and chorizo pizza that is hard to beat. Matthew McClellan, owner of Tour de Pizza, wins the prize for thinking big. Thin-crust pizzas, lots of cheese, not too much sauce. The coal oven at
 Cristino’s can cook a pizza in five minutes, rendering it crisp but tooth-resistant, with those black bubbles and perfectly gooey cheese. Order a pie without too much stuff on it, and save room for gelato.
 • Mise en Place, 442 W. Kennedy Blvd., Tampa; (813) 254-5373, miseonline.com
 • Tour de Pizza, 212 37th Ave. N, St. Petersburg; (727) 898-5555, tourdepizzaonline.com
 • Cristino’s Coal Oven Pizza, 1101 S. Fort Harrison Ave., Clearwater; (727) 443-4900, cristinospizzeria.com

 Best Mediterranean/ Middle Eastern
 Temple Terrace has a number of laud­able Lebanese restaurants. For sheer falafel splendor, visit Petra, which also houses a friendly Middle Eastern gro­cery (good pickles and hummus). The sandwich is a fair-priced $3.49, three crunchy spheres drizzled with tahini and tucked into pita. Based on initial visits, the just-opened Zekos Mediter­ranean Grill in St. Petersburg is also a winner. Khaled El Jamal’s order-at­the- counter quick-serve specializes in gyros, shawarma and addictive deep­fried veggies and plank-style fries.
  Finding SoHo Oasis Cafe has been a boon: a phalanx of hookahs at the ready, delicious vegetarian mezze with lick-the-plate-clean versions of labneh and baba ghanoush, and lots of fun people-watching.
 • Petra Restaurant, 4812 E Busch Blvd., Tampa; (813) 984-9800
 • Zekos Mediterranean Grill, 4880 54th Ave. N, St. Petersburg; (727) 525-9356 • SoHo Oasis Cafe, 410 S Howard Ave., Tampa; (813) 849-7482, sohooasis.com

Best steakhouse
dry-aged . (grass-fed beef ). Still, it’s also about ambiance, care with sauces and side dishes and what else is on the plate. In 2008, my most memorab(le steaks included a bone-in filet at the glamorous Council Oak at the Seminole Hard
 Rock, a Pittsburgh-rare bone-in rib eye at Malio’s Prime and another rib eye, this one topped with a riot of juicy sauteed sweet onions and roma tomato wedges at Bob Spoto’s new Grill 131.
  • Council Oak Steaks & Seafood, Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Tampa, 5223 N Orient Road, Tampa; (813) 627-7628,
 seminolehardrock.com
 • Malio’s Prime, 400 N Ashley Drive, Tampa; (813) 223-7746, maliosprime.com
 • Grill 131, 13079 Park Blvd., Seminole; (727) 393-1703, grill131. com

 

 

 

TAMPA DINING HIGHLIGHTS

HhIGHTLIGHTS OF TAMPA BAY.......
 
APPETIZERS
 
Yummy House, 2202 W Waters Ave., Tampa, (813) 915-2828. This newcomer has made waves with its authentic Hong Kong-style (but affordable) Chinese. Vegetarians and carnivores can wholeheartedly agree upon the salt and pepper tofu, which comes soft centered and crunchy on the outside, spicy-salty and sitting on a bed of crisply roasted garlic bits, ginger and scallion.
 
Ceviche, 2109 Bay­shore Blvd., Tampa, (813) 250-0134; or 10 Beach Drive, St Petersburg, (727) 209-2302. The king of tapas wins plaudits for these deli­cious little veal, chorizo and pork meatballs bobbing in an addictively rich tomato sauce.

Pepin Restaurant, 4125 Fourth St. N, St Petersburg, (727) 821-3773. Who says you can’t teach an old dog new tricks? The long-esteemed Pepin added new tastes in July, including fat sea scallops dressed in parsley and white wine, and tenderloin empanadillas with tamarind mango sauce.

 
The Butlers Barbecue, 1100 94th Ave. N, St. Petersburg, (727) 577-3294. Pure eastern North Caro­lina ’cue: pork roasted over an open grill, chopped, and then settled into a tangy bath of vinegar and red pepper sauce.
 
Kojak’s House of Ribs, 2808 Gandy Blvd., Tampa, (813) 837-3774.
  A sign outside says, “Please don’t feed the squirrels.” A rookie Kojak’s­goer may wonder if a squirrel would eat barbecued ribs, followed by the thought, “Well, I’m not sharing these ribs (pork, dry rubbed overnight, smoked for 2 to 3 hours, then served in the buff) with the dang squirrels ... or anybody else.”
 
CHEAP EATS
 
Five Guys Famous Burgers and Fries, with seven Tampa Bay loca­tions and more coming soon. The Virginia-based chain is gaining market share locally due to its free in-the-shell peanuts, spectacular fries and burgers lavishly accessorized, then packaged in no­frills, no-logos, brown-paper bags, like in the olden days.
 
Pollo Tropical,
3900 Park Blvd., Pinellas Park, (727) 362-9600. The Miami-based chain, which had disappeared from the area for several years, also fol­lows the healthy fast-food formula, trafficking in Caribbean-style, citrus­marinated grilled chicken served in a clean, bright environment.
Chipotle, with seven Tampa Bay locations (www.chipotle.com).
 
Vegetarian
 
GRASS ROOTS
11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Tuesday through Saturday
Amex, V, MC; reserva­tions accepted; no liquor
Entrees $7-$13.50
Root around for something healthy

Not just vegetarian, but 100 per­cent vegan. Not just vegan, but much of the menu upholds the tenets of raw foodism, where nothing is heated above 110 degrees, which keeps ben­eficial enzymes alive. Still, this funky outpost in a slightly sketchy neigh­borhood is not at all about asceticism. At Grass Root Organic Restaurant, diners can dive into platters of “live spaghetti with treatballs,” raw sushi, exotic wraps and lush miso “sipp” with sliced coconut noodles. Hardly the food of deprivation and hippie delirium,
colorful, flavorful and satisfying, even for the unrecon­structed carnivore. I went to lunch the first time prepped for a medicinal, eat-your­vegetables experience. No one would say the service is fast, but the foods that slowly made their way to my table for the next two hours were nothing short of incredible. Sabrina’s Favorite Sandwich ($7), and mine, too, brought a stunning wrap-style onion bread (get this: not cooked, but air-dried in a dehydrator that serves to “caramelize” the onions) with raw “hummus” (made of zucchini and Brazil nuts with raw tahini, garlic and lemon), avocado, sprouts and some­thing called sheeze (a cheese made of raw cashews). Sounding kooky? It’s delicious and indulgent, defying all health-food pitfalls.
  The live spaghetti ($13.50) is equal­ly lush, spirals of zucchini “noodles” paired with mushroom-dense meat­balls and two sauces, one a beguil­ing “rawsome” vinaigrette. It doesn’t take long to realize that “raw” doesn’t mean green salads and carrot sticks, but clearly some of this food requires labor-intensive preparations. A kale salad, $8, is “massaged” to relax the fibers in the greens, resulting in a dish that seems sauteed but with brighter flavors. Even the non-raw vegan food has vibrancy and panache, from the rice-paper rolled sprout wraps ($7 for 2) served with a sweet/salty shoyu dipping sauce, to a sturdy veggie burger ($6).
  Sophisticated juice combos pair elegantly with the food. I had two fa­vorites: a spicy combo of carrot, apple and ginger ($6), and a scary-green sludge called the Incredible Hulk ($7.75) that tastes of exotic fruits and just-mown grass. If anything has raw power, it’s the Hulk.


SMOKE BBQ
Smoke
901 W Platt St.,
(813) 254-7070
Upscale barbecue
11 a.m. to midnight
Beer and wine will be served as soon as the space gets its wet zoning approval.
Entrees: $12-$20
  There’s history in Gordon Davis’ new restaurant, and not just because the 1926 building housing it was a gas station for its first 35 years.
  The old chalkboard menus from Davis’ much-loved first venture, Le Bordeaux, line the walls above the bar. The chefs are people Davis has known for nearly as long as he has been in the business. Then there is the food at Smoke Barbecue and Grill, which opened Monday and is designed to be unlike any other barbecue joint in Tampa. Davis’ idea was to take what he’s learned and cooked over the years and throw it into the smoker, on the grill, or in the rotisserie oven.
A “world barbe­cue concept,” with influences from Asia, Europe, Hawaii, Texas and Can­ada. The menu features slow-smoked brisket, pork shoulder and pork ribs; braised beef ribs; Southern fried cat­fish; sugar glazed corned beef; Ha­waiian style chicken; grilled salmon — and even duck, grilled, with an or­ange and bourbon glaze.
  The “flying smokehouse kabobs” are served on upright, oversized racks. Priced from about $4 to $8, they fea­ture shrimp, trout, scallops, sausages, chicken or vegetables with a variety of glazes.
  Sides are plentiful, and range from the expected (rough cut fries, grilled corn, macaroni and cheese) to unusu­al items like Italian grilled grit cakes (polenta in disguise), twice baked sweet potatoes, and a Jewish lemon kugel made with egg noodles. One of the bread offerings is a cheese roll made with yucca flour.
  Smoke’s decor is rustic and South­ern, with reclaimed cypress lining the walls and new-but-distressed pine on the floors of the main dining room.
 
Schiller’s Delicatessen
Cuisine: Deli and Cafe, German
For 50 years, you have been able to get sturdy breads, lusty wurst, hams and cold cuts, fine imported jams,chocolates and artisanal Eur­popean ways here. Three generations pitch in to make sauerkraut, potato salad and great sandwiches for breakfast and lunch. 4327 W El Prado Blvd., Tampa. (813) 839-6666

Brasa Grill
Cuisine: Barbecue, Latin American, Steaks
Many of the area’s growing number of all-you­can- eat churrascarias (that’s shoo-HOSS-ka­REE-ahs) are pricey opportunities to experience the barbecuing style of the Gaucha region in the Brazilian highlands. Brasa Grill, on the other hand, offers 18 cuts of grilled meat, plus a buffet, for $21.99 -- a bargain. The basic idea is that, once seated, diners are treated to a parade of hearty roasted meats, carved tableside from long skewers. Small laminated tabletop cards have a green side ( go ) and a red side ( please, I can’t eat more meat ). Flip accordingly. 6507 W Waters Ave., Tampa. (813) 886-7858

THE FLY BAR & RESAURANT
California style cuisine
1202 N. Franklin St.
Fly is open late every day of the week, with pretty décor as a backdrop for pretty people, the whole place noisy and vibrant with human interaction. But as a restaurant, Fly has problems.
Each piece of food that hits our table is perfectly cooked -- the corvina is moist and translucent with a crisp flour crust; mini Kobe burgers are pink at the center; short ribs are luscious and falling off of big, beefy bones. Sounds great, except that along with this masterful application of heat are broken sauces and haphazard seasoning. Think of bar food that's all grown up or small plates meant for sharing and grazing (at least Fly avoids calling them "tapas"). There's obviously some skill in the kitchen.
That corvina ($12) is paired with an incredibly simple mushroom and potato hash that I could eat a whole plate of. My companions' eyes light up when I encourage them to take another bite -- from the part of the dish opposite a red wine reduction that manages to taste raw and burned at the same time. Forget that poor puddle of pinot noir, and this could be an exceptional dish.
Fly's skewered shrimp ($9) are monsters, plump and juicy and tinted with a peachy glow. They may be the best-cooked shrimp I've had this year. They are also nigh flavorless, completely devoid of seasoning, with nothing on the plate for a savory rescue. Same with short ribs ($12), so tender the meat pulls from the giant bones with almost no effort. But in my mouth it's just a barely beefy bit of soft chew. Where's the flava, yo?
It's not all bad. Roasted oysters ($11) are flawless, a puddle of subtle milky sauce and bits of smoky bacon accenting the mild nuggets. And the sauce drizzled alongside organic pressed chicken ($10) -- two medallions of moist breast meat and a petite drumstick -- is flavorless instead of offensive, so we can enjoy the fowl in peace.
One of the best things Fly has going for it are its hours.
It's open until 3 a.m. every  day of the week, with food until 2 and drinks until 2:30. Late night Kobe beef sliders ($12), three to a plate, and a dirty gin martini at 1 a.m. go a long way toward compensating for the burgers' lack of salt and burned onions. Fly's frites three ways ($8) -- crispy sweet potato shoestrings, chunky Idaho hand-cut fries and cumin-scented Peruvian blue chips -- may be the best bar food in town, any time of day or night.
Fly is just a few blocks north of The Hyatt Regency and a few blocks from The Tampa Theatre, by 10 on Friday night, the place is standing room only,  a room lined with jazzy art, exposed brick and industrial accents. Whenever you get a bunch of young professionals out on the town, there is the inevitable whiff of meat-market desperation, but there's more here at Fly than meets the eye.

10 top CHINESE IN THE BAY AREA

1.  YUMMY HOUSE, TAMPA It doesn’t look (or sound) like much, but this unassuming strip-mall joint produces authentic, amazing Hong Kong-style cuisine. The Peking duck and salt and pepper tofu are absolute winners, plus you can bring your own wine or beer and drink without a corkage fee. Trust us: The name fits. 2202 W Waters Ave., Suite 1, Tampa; (813) 915-2828.

2.  CHINA YUAN, TAMPA It’s cheap, it’s simple, it’s been incredibly popular for years — and last fall, it got even better, with an expansion and remodeling. The duck is the draw here, pan-fried or Peking, but feel free to go nuts with some sea cucumber, jellyfish  8502 N Armenia Ave., No. 1A, Tampa; (813) 936-7388, chinayuan­restaurant.com

3.   ABC SEAFOOD, ST. PETERS­BURG One of us has a mother­in- law who is Vietnamese, with plenty of Hoa Chinese influence in the family, and she loves it. Fresh fish in the tanks (including eel!), poly­glot menus, mandatory chopsticks and huge tables complete with lazy susans for family-style gorging. Get there very early or very late in the evening, lest you are forced to battle for a seat with the throngs who show up to eat, drink and be merry in languages not often heard Tampa Bay eateries. 2705 54th Ave. N, St.
  Petersburg, (727) 522 1888.

4.  T.C. CHOY’S ASIAN BISTRO, TAMPA This South Tampa favorite boasts a fantastic array dim sum and elegant entrees, with fresh seafood (it’s a partner of the Oceanic Trading Supermarket north of down­town Tampa) filling out a neverending menu. And though its prices are affordable, its decor is as snazzy as its SoHo address would suggest. A great date destination. 301 S Howard Ave., Tampa. (813) 251-1191.

5.  HO HO CHOY, TAMPA Relo­cating from a spot on Dale Mabry, Ho Ho Choy is a purveyor of appealing and straightforward Chinese dishes as well as an array of less familiar dim sum. The fried and steamed dumplings are served all day (whereas in China the small dishes are served primarily for lunch), offered in small, individual portions. Dishes feature lean meats and still-crisp vegetables in simple preparations that are easy to eat for the chopstick-impaired (read: non­Asians). The food is health-conscious, clean and unfussy. 1441 E Fletcher Ave., Tampa; (813) 962-2159.
  CHINA CITY, ST. PETERS­BURG 6Its prime Fourth Street real estate has for decades given
Kathleen

6.   China City a leg up on its competi­tors near downtown St. Pete, but the buffet remains a draw for those looking for a smorgasbord of Chinese dishes in an unfussy dinerlike setting. Where else can you get sweet and sour grouper, a Sino-Floridian dish if ever there was one? 1221 Fourth St.
  N, St. Petersburg; (727) 822-3713, chinacitystpete.com.

7.  PEI WEI ASIAN DINER (THREE LOCATIONS) This little sis of P.F. Chang’s is a chain, yes, but it’s increasingly popular thanks to quick, contemporary pan-Asian dishes like rice and noodle bowls and entrees that come in under $10. Tampa: 217 S Dale Mabry Highway, (813) 207-1190. Carrollwood: 12927 N Dale Mabry Highway, (813) 960­2031. St. Petersburg: 1402 66th St., (727) 347-1351. peiwei.com.

8.  ZEN FORREST, NEW PORT RICHEY This Asian fusion eatery does a good job with the Chinese basics (pot stickers, General Tso’s Chicken, Crab Rangoon), but it also pays homage to Korea, Singa­pore, Thailand, Japan and Vietnam.
  The Taiwanese mussels and Korean bul go gi (sliced sirloin) are popular.
  4148 Rowan Road, New Port Richey; (727) 372-9545, zenforrest.com.

9.    BIG BOK CHOY, OLDSMAR 9It’s more of a pan-Asian food­fest than a strictly Chinese joint, but the veggie-heavy Big Bok Choy offers a diverse array of flavorful soups, sauces and sushi. The teriyaki chicken and mu shu veggies with pancakes and plum sauce make great takeout options. 3730 Tampa Road, No. 6, Oldsmar. (813) 854-1961.

10.  IVORY MANDARIN BISTRO, DUNEDIN It might not be authentically Chinese, but it’s authentically Cantonese­American — that means familiarities like chow mein, fried prawns, orange beef and hot and sour soup are all solidly prepared and unlikely to throw off crowds used to plain-jane fried rice. The 15-year-old restaurant has a cadre of devoted North Pinellas regu­lars. 2192 Main St., Dunedin; (727) 734-3998, ivorybistro.com.
 
 NEW DINING IN TAMPA BAY
 
Jasmine Thai

  3333 S. West Shore Blvd., Tampa, 813-831-8881, and two other Bay area locations.

 jasminetampa.com

 Jasmine has gone the way of so many Thai restaurants over the past decade, taking a belt-sander to the rustic and powerful nature of this vibrant Asian cuisine until what’s left is entirely agreeable, rather tasty and a bit dull. Eating here is like going out with your safety date for an enjoyable, if not passionate, evening.

Larb gai ($8.95) and yum beef ($8.95) both fall well short of the blazing heat and bright acidity that can elevate these simple salads to the realm of true greatness. The meat in both is still cooked well and seasoned with fish sauce, though, and the veggies are assembled competently enough to create a couple of fine little dishes, but I’m left thinking about what’s missing.

Dumplings ($5.95) are dense and bland, and the summer rolls ($5.95) come out tired and a bit dry. Fried appetizers do a better job, especially the hand-wrapped spring rolls ($5.95) loaded with pork and mushroom, and wonton shells ($5.95) stuffed with a profusion of ground peanuts and more pork. None of the sauces on the side add much, but you can ask for the caddy of spicy seasoning to jazz everything up a tad.

It almost seems that Jasmine Thai wants to tease the average consumer by hiding the most recognizable and ordered dish in the Thai repertoire — pad Thai ($9.95) — under a flap in the back of the menu. Although the restaurant uses a surfeit of bright tamarind that tinges the noodles in this national dish red, it’s a one-trick pony with little else going on. Better, although still subdued in flavor, are thick, stir-fried egg noodles ($9.95) coated in an oily sauce punctuated with black pepper.

Curries are where Jasmine, and every other decent Thai restaurant that aims to please the masses, excels. There’s something about the comforting, flavor-intensifying richness of coconut milk that makes everything seem better. Throw some nicely cooked shrimp and deep-fried soft-shell crab into a rich Panang curry ($14.95) dotted by bell peppers and you have a hearty dish that’s almost aromatic enough to satisfy a Thai junkie.

Jasmine’s pad prig ($9.95), on the other hand, lacks the herbaceous punch of massive basil infusion needed to accent this milkless curry. That fundamental green herb was also nigh absent from a plate of hot pepper basil stir-fry ($9.95). Wasn’t noticeably spicy, either.

Sometimes the tendency to hack off the rusticity of traditional dishes pays surprising dividends, like in Jasmine’s volcano shrimp ($13.95). At first taste, the thick blanket of sweet tomato sauce over veggies and shrimp seems incongruous. A few bites later, though, and I’m digging the slow burn of spice, obvious sugar and subtle herb. It’s not a dish I’d expect to like, but it grows on me along with the tingling heat.

The Bungalow

2202 W. Kennedy Blvd., Tampa, 813-253-3663

  thebungalowtampa.com.

The Bungalow in question is a 1919 example of the Bay area's most sought-after residential architecture, complete with an extended patio overlooking the teeming Kennedy traffic. The plentiful wood accents are dark enough to be sumptuous, with plenty of windows in the two main rooms to fill the place with sun or mood, depending on the time. It's as pretty as the people.

Thing is, there's also some substance coming out of the kitchen to go with the window dressing. Although nothing the Bungalow produces is exceptional, the casual, vaguely Floridian fare is consistently equal -- or even a tad superior -- to the premise.

Like a group of four surf and turf sliders constructed from tuna, grouper, crab cake and beef ($12.95). The grouper doesn't stack up to most Tampa fish sandwiches, but tuna seared rare and doused in cilantro oil meshes perfectly with the gooey mini-bun. The burger and crab cake both have a noticeable crust, with seasonings that complement the fillings.

Bungalow's fish and chips ($9.95) construction needs some work, with breading that extends a good inch or so thick at points that it's like eating hamburger helper without the beef. Fritters packed with big chunks of conch ($6.95) have a better seafood-to-breading ratio, but the massive size of the conch bits turn the little balls into extended chew sessions.

Sandwiches are Bungalow's strongest suit, ranging from good to exceptional across the line. The BLT ($5.95) is classic; chicken coated in subdued jerk ($8.95) is moist; and the Cuban ($7.95), while atypical thanks to the use of pulled pork, is still damn tasty. Even an oddly labeled grilled vegetable Cuban ($8.95) -- which is not pressed and basically contains no traditional Cuban ingredients -- is well worth the order, the sweet balsamic and gorgonzola crumbles meshing perfectly with oily, charred veggies.

Take the pulled pork off the sandwich, and you find Bungalow's best entrée. The massive pile of chunks and shreds ($12.95) are moist, subtly seasoned with the garlic and citrus of mojo, and bear a tinge of spicy heat. Black beans on the side are bland, but the stack of thick-cut yucca fries has the fluffy, almost custardy center and crisp exterior that makes the root the only fry better than a potato.

Pastas are forgettable, and the seafood options are adequate but rarely exciting. Better to stick with more casual fare that matches the laid-back décor and televisions scattered around the place. That type of food also fits with the bar scene.

The Bungalow's bar may be one of the biggest draws of this place. It's a homey setup that's more relaxed than a lot of typical SoHo meat markets and scenester joints, with a decent beer selection, full liquor and well-priced wines.

 

  BIN 27 BISTRO
Just a few blocks down Kennedy, Bin 27 Bistro (2702 W. Kennedy Blvd., Tampa, 813-878-2700) -- located in the much-transformed former home of South Tampa icon Café Con Trey -- recently opened its doors. Like the Bungalow, it offers lunch, dinner and a full bar, but the feel is starkly different. An elaborate onyx bar, decidedly upscale furnishings and elegant interior make it more a destination spot than a casual restaurant.

Bin 27 chef Jason Cline cut his teeth with an internship at Bern's during cooking school at Johnson & Wales, then worked a few high-end spots throughout Florida before heading to Hollywood, Calif., to helm a Cuban-influenced restaurant called Paladar and a Mexican joint.

Some of that experience finds its way into items like sofrito rock shrimp and ropa viejo, but there's also a big hit of subtle worldwide fusion, with a smattering of Italian, Asian and Middle Eastern ingredients on the modern menu.

As the name implies, wine is a big focus of Bin 27, found in the extensive bottle and glass list.

Red Mesa Cantina (128 Third St. S, St. Petersburg, 727-510-0034) -- a new endeavor in the former home of DeSanto by the longtime St. Pete Southwest/Mex Restaurant -- had a surprise opening on New Year's Eve. Announced just a day or two before the event, the restaurant held two seatings that clocked in at $100 and $125, respectively. Drinks extra.

That's much more pricy than the regular menu promises, which is loaded with tasty bites from around Central and South America, as well as many of Mesa's Mexican standards. Most of the dishes are discrete small-plates, quick to come out of the kitchen, geared to accompany the Cantina's array of Latin American drinks.

ABOL BUNNA ETHIOPIAN

VEGGIE DELIGHT: Abol Bunna's vegetable platter, which includes spiced cabbage, tomato and onion salad, peas stewed with garlic and jalapeno, and beans and potatoes stewed in tomato sauce.
3644 W. Kennedy Blvd., Tampa,
813-964-6889.
  Abol Bunna is the handiwork of husband-and-wife team Teddy Habtemariam and Azeb Bezabeh. Both have extensive careers in hospitality management in Ethiopia and the States. Habtemariam ran several restaurants and is an accomplished cook. After working for hotel chains since they came to the U.S. seven years ago, Bezebeh convinced Habtemariam that it was time to get back into the restaurant business.  Both of those groups are coming for the traditional meat and vegetable stews that make Ethiopian such a comforting and attractive cuisine. Dishes can be dressed up, sure, but at its heart, this food tastes and acts like you're eating at home. Someone else's home, most likely.

Traditionally, almost everything is served on big platters covered in injera -- the bubbly, soft flatbread that acts as plate, utensil and side dish all in one. They'll give you a fork if you ask, but the proper way is to rip a piece of injera and reach across the table to scoop up some food, family-style.

Starters are mostly salads of chopped veggies ($3.99) dressed in surprisingly accomplished vinaigrette -- the vinegar bite meshes well with the hint of sourdough in the injera. There is also injera stuffed with oily chile paste ($3.99) that packs a subtle burn, and cold lentils ($3.99) laced with more vinegar.

Usually, your best choices when it comes to entrees at Ethiopian restaurants are the platters that combine small portions of multiple dishes. At Abol Bunna, the veggie platter ($9.99) comes with rich spiced cabbage, a dollop of tomato and onion salad, peas stewed with garlic and jalapeno, beans and potatoes stewed in tomato sauce and more lentils. Garlic and spice -- usually in the form of either fresh jalapenos or berbere sauce loaded with dried herbs -- prevails across the dishes, along with Habtemariam's generous hand with vinegar.

The meat platter ($15.99) features the classics, with dooro wet front-and-center on the platter. This simple dish -- a stewed chicken leg coated in a decadent, buttery sauce of cardamom, ginger, garlic and berbere -- is easily my favorite dish at Ethiopian restaurants, and Abol Bunna's dark, deeply flavored version is better than many.

Lamb and beef are also common meats, but at Abol Bunna you should be ready for tougher cuts riddled with connective tissue. That works on slow-cooked dishes like siga wet ($9.99), where that tissue is rendered into luscious gelatin, but most of the dishes are sautés that make the little cubes of meat tighten up.

If you are a true carnivore, there's nothing better than Ethiopian kitfo ($12.99). Essentially African tartare, kitfo is ground beef tossed with clarified butter and a spice blend of chile, cardamom, cumin, cloves and ginger. Traditionally, it's served warm, but raw, which leaves the excellent beef pillowy soft and rich. Abol Bunna will cook it for you, if you'd like, but you might as well ask for a bun and some ketchup while you're at it.

 

YBOR CITY

Bernini of Ybor

  813-248-0099 

Carmine's Restaurant & Demmi's Market

 1802 7th Avenue
  813-248-3834 

Centro Cantina

 1600 E 8th Avenue, Suite D204
  813-241-8588


Cinco de Mayo Mexican Restaurant

  1919 E. 7th Ave.
  813-374-2222
 

Columbia Restaurant Group

 2025 E 7th Avenue
 813-248-3000

Double Decker

  1721 East 7th Avenue
  813-248-2099

 

El Puerto Restaurant & Grille

  1623 East 5th Avenue
  813-248-8222

 

Fresh Mouth

  1600 E 8th Avenue, Suite D101
   813-241-8845 

Gaspar's Grotto

  1805 E. 7th Avenue
  813-248-5900 

Good Luck Cafe

1910 E. 7th Ave. 

Green Iguana Bar & Grill

  1708 E. 7th Avenue
  813-248-9555 

Improv Comedy Theater & Restaurant

  1600 E 8th Avenue, C112
  813-864-4000

 

Jalapenos De Ybor

1604 North 17th Street
  813-241-8226 

James Joyce Irish Pub

  1704 1/2 E 7th Avenue
  813-247-1896 

La Creperia Cafe, Inc.

1729 East 7th Avenue
  813-248-9700
 

La Terrazza Ristorante

  1727 E 7th Avenue
  813-248-1326 

La Tropicana Cafe'

  1822 E 7th Avenue
  813 247-4040

Marble Slab Company

  1600 East 8th Avenue - E-108
  813-247-4406 

  New World Brewery

  1313 E. 8th Ave.
  813-248-4969 

New York New York Pizza Bar & Grill


1512 E. 7th Avenue
  813-248-1845 

Rock-n-Sports Bar & Grille

 1600 E. 8th Ave., E200
  813-242-6220 

Roma Pizza

1724 E. 7th Avenue
  813-241-2240
 

Spaghetti Warehouse

  1911 N 13th Street
 813 248-1720 

Tampa Bay Brewing Company

 1600 East 8th Ave., #A123
 813-247-1422 

Teatro on Seventh

  813-248-9400 
The Blue Shark

George W. Wilds
1502 E. 7th Avenue
 : 813-248-3499 

The Laughing Cat Restaurant

  1820 N 15th Street
 813-241-2998

The Nest


1430 E. 7th Ave.
  813-247-7503
 

 

The Rare Olive

  1601 E 7th Avenue
  813-476-3869 

The Reservoir Bar


1518 E. 7th Avenue
  813-248-1442
 

Tony's Ybor Restaurant, Inc.

2001 N 22nd Street
  813-247-7283
 

 

TEATRO*YBOR CITY

Teatro inherited one of the most at­tractive restaurant spaces in Tampa. Perched atop Centro Ybor, the Big Easy runs through its veins. Wrought­iron balconies flank it, 20-foot win­dows showcasing the charms of La Septima below. A high, pressed-tin ceiling and thick columns lend the dining room historic refinement. It has a long, inviting bar and lots of left­over appointments from when it was the ballroom of the historic 1912 Cen­tro Espanol.
  Fre­quent Asian, Mediterranean and even Middle Eastern fillips lend razzle-daz­zle; the price point is such that it’s not a post-Bacchanalian impulse buy, but not “special occasion” (entrees in the low $20s, sandwiches and salads that can tamp the bill down to about $10).
The single most exciting dish is  an appetizer of tem­pura- battered portobello slices ($9) given a whisper of truffle oil and a flurry of pecorino shavings and paired with a housemade tomato jam .A “gateau” of roasted toma­toes, chevre and spinach ($8) reads like an appetizer-sized lasagna layered with Italian crespelle (crepes), very tasty. (Bill Haines won a master chef competition in Key West once with this dish.) And the house Caesar ($6) is in the increasingly popular style in which the romaine heart is left whole, grilled until just smoky-flavorful

Meatloaf ($18), elevated by its sophis­ticated mix of beef, veal and pork (a little more pate-style than Mama’s). A roasted “Euro” chicken (this means a breast with drummette attached) is paired with braised short rib ($19), a mound of skin-on mashed spuds sporting little cubes of roasted beet and a buttery pool of creamed corn. The dish reflected obvious skill in the kitchen.
 
 



  
 tuna Tataki Napoleon appetizer.
 

 

HYDE PARK VILLAGE

Indigo Coffee
Indigo Coffeehouse brings to the area a unique combination of good coffee, good music, and good food. Indigo Specialty Blend coffee is made with the finest and most favorable South American coffee beans. Indigo Coffeehouse also offers a full line of flavored and espresso coffees, teas and other drinks.
Phone: 813-250-0345

Store Hours:
Monday through Thursday - 6am to 10pm
Friday - 6 am to 11 pm
Saturday - 8 am to 11 pm
Sunday - 8 am to 10 pm
Nature's Table Cafe
Fresh fruit smoothies, healthful sandwiches, and an award-winning vegetarian chili.
Phone: 813-254-9288
Website: http://www.naturestable.com
Restaurant BT
Experience the culinary genius of BT, serving French-Vietnamese and Asian-inspired cuisine.
Phone: 813-258-1916
Website: www.restaurantbt.com (visit to see a copy of the menu)
Timpano Italian Chophouse
Reminiscent of the classic restaurants and clubs of Chicago and New York, Timpano Italian Chophouse revives the bity city dining experience with big flavor steaks, chops and pasta, matched by full-bodied red wines in a sophisticated setting while intimate torch songs and ballads echo though the lounge and dining room.
Phone: 813-254-5870
Website: http://www.timpanochophouse.net/

Wine Exchange

A gourmet menu and wine list influenced by the cuisines of California and Italy.
Phone: 813-254-9463
Website: www.wineexchangetampa.com
Click here for the menu

 

DOWNTOWN DINING MAP

GRASS ROOTS

A CONCEPT TAKES ROOT
At first glance, the menu items at Grass Root in Tampa Heights seem common enough — a burrito, pizza, spaghetti and “treatballs.”
But look closer.
Sprouted sunflower seeds replace the refried beans you usually find in burritos. The “spaghetti” is really shredded zucchini. These and some other dishes include only raw ingredients.
This Tampa Heights restaurant is one of few in the area to draw a steady clientele with its raw food dishes, picking up on a growing trend in recent years. Such restaurants have popped up not only at the Grass Root’s Tampa and Lakeland locations, but also at Leafy Greens Cafe in St. Peters­burg and at restaurants in New York, Los Angeles and Atlanta.
Raw foodists eat a plant-based diet of food that hasn’t been heat­ed to more than about 115 de­grees. Proponents say it’s health­ier than food that is cooked.
Everything on the small, eclectic restaurant’s menu is veg­etarian friendly — and some of it cooked — but to her most health conscious customers, Greene recommends the raw dishes.
Greene , the owner and chef is still a believer. In her native New York City, raw food restaurants were much more common. Tired of the big city grind, Greene moved to Florida in 2005 with her husband, Spencer.
 Figuring they weren’t the only ones in Tampa who would benefit, the Greenes soon started a catering business, featuring vegetarian and vegan dishes.
Later that year, the couple discovered raw food on a trip to Puerto Rico, where they visited the Ann Wigmore Institute, a natural health education center. Upon their return, they added raw dishes to their list of specialities and, in 2006, opened the Grass Root.
Now, in an historic building at a corner of Columbus Drive and Florida Avenue, c ustomers eat between bright orange walls, under dim yellow lights, over the whir of a blender in the kitchen.
Most dishes are from recipes Greene made for her family first. T he raw food at Grass Root gives customers energy.



Grass Root’s Vegan Fisherman’s Salad: A tuna-free tuna salad on greens with assorted veggies drizzled with vinaigrette.