Daily Loaf

The Table Restaurant in St. Pete, which has flirted with two new names recently — The Place and St. Pete Brasserie — as well as different culinary themes, will begin serving its French-inspired menu this weekend, according to GM Andrew Wilkins. Almost all the prices, excepting a ribeye and bigger portions of lamb and filet mignon, are decidedly under $16. Wilkins is also planning to offer a free cocktail with the purchase of an entree, as well as a 4-course prix fixe menu from 5-7 p.m. for $19.

The menu lists the name of the restaurant as The Table Brasserie, so that back-and-forth saga is obviously still ongoing. Wilkins says that his funding still hasn’t come through, so he’s just moving ahead with the changes he can make in the short term. Hence, the new menu. Check it out.

Full menu after the break (be aware that details may change before this weekend): Read the rest of this entry »

Avocado Café n’ Bakery
14941 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., Tampa, 813-631-9703‎
Hours: Mon.-Fri. 10 a.m-7 p.m., Sat. 9 a.m.-6 p.m.

As if Acropolis and Mr. Dunderbak’s weren’t big enough draws to this little North Tampa strip center, there’s also tasty Venezuelan fare at Avocado Café n’ Bakery. If you have ever tasted an arepa con queso at a local art festival and thought it was the best thing ever, you’ll love this place. There are seven arepa variations offered — all at $5.49 each or less — though you may need two of them. One of the best is the Pabellon arepa: mildly seasoned shredded beef, black beans and cheese on the white corn cake.

There’s also Read the rest of this entry »

Cafe Dufrain
3 stars
707 Harbour Post Drive, Tampa, 813-275-9701 or cafedufrain.com

One glance at Cafe Dufrain’s new menu — which is still evolving — and you can see where new chef Ferrell Alvarez has come from. Alvarez spent the last seven years next to Marty Blitz in the kitchens of Mise En Place, Chef de Cuisine in Tampa’s grande dame of modern American dining. He moved over the bridge to Harbour Island this summer to serve his own brand of cuisine in the casually elegant restaurant with expansive views across the water, at prices that are much more comfortable to the pocketbook than his former home.

I can recognize Blitz’s influence, though, just by reading Alvarez’s entree list, each entry topped by a bland protein — veal flank steak, Korean short ribs — followed by a procession of fabulous-sounding concoctions that always seem more interesting than the headliner. Polenta sandwich, duo of kimchi, “loaded” frites. Ordering becomes a gut-wrenching choice between groups of side dishes you don’t want to miss. Can I order several plates of accompaniments, hold the protein?

Those sides, which list ingredients and techniques that range from North African preserved lemon to the aforementioned kimchi, illustrate Alavarez’s excitement and vision. It’s modern food that flirts with trends without being trendy, unique enough to stand out in Tampa’s stifled dining scene, with a flair for gorgeous presentation on the table. All of that sets the bar rather high, however, for when you finally put fork to mouth. Read the rest of this entry »

Gratzzi’s not dead yet! CineBistro ups the ante on beer and fries theaters! The Table will not be The Spot, or will it? Primi changes owners, but not much else!

Read on for all the details!

Gratzzi closed up shop in Baywatch a few weeks back, right around the same time that Pacific Wave closed on the other side of Downtown St. Pete. For Pacific Wave, the closure was about revenue, and the economy, and being tired of struggling in an industry that’s tough in the best of times. For Gratzzi, though, it was more about the fact that Baywalk is on life-support, with relatives eager to pull the plug and divide its meager posessions. Don’t count Gratzzi out. The Italian restaurant is planning to re-open in the former home of Pacific Wave before the end of the year, if things go well. Owner Domenic D’Angelo will scale back his upscale menu to concentrate on homier dishes that cater to diners’ reduced budgets, with the smaller space a better match for the more casual fare. Read the rest of this entry »

World Pasta Day? Sheesh, another holiday rammed through the legal system by those Hallmark lobbyists. I guess I better start working on my homemade dried pasta sheets printed with happy pasta day sentiments now, so they’ll make it through the mail system in time for the big day. How will you be celebrating this important holiday.

You could just send people over to Buca Di Beppo in Brandon and let them do the work for you.

On Monday, Oct. 26, diners will receive a free Read the rest of this entry »

Do not use the word inexpensive. It conveys entirely the wrong sentiment. Inexpensive is a word marketing gurus spout when selling low-end versions of high-end products. It’s a tool the wealthy use to determine socio-economic pecking order, to know when to sneer or raise an insouciant eyebrow, to peg poseurs striving for more than they can afford.

Inexpensive implies reduced quality.

Cheap, on the other hand, is a bargain. Getting something for less than it’s worth. The hallmark of value. And a prime criterion for students in search of dinner.

All three of these restaurants, scattered conveniently across the Bay area near local campuses, proudly serve flavorful, filling and — most importantly — cheap food. Nothing inexpensive about them.

Reviews after the break:

Ricky P’s Po Boys
3.5 stars
6521 4th St. N., St. Petersburg, 727-525-2023 or rickyps.com

Damn, if Ricky P’s Po’ Boys ($5.99-8.99) doesn’t just look the part. The tiny storefront on N. Fourth Street in St. Pete has barely enough parking to accommodate a lunch rush, a counter that’s so close to the front door you’ll likely be lining up outside, and just enough tables to tease you into thinking you’ll be able to eat your sandwich in comfort. It feels exquisitely cheap.

For a po’ boy joint, Ricky P’s has a fairly expansive selection of non-po’ sandwiches and hot dishes, including better than average gumbo based on a seriously expressive roux, beans and rice spiced by a prodigious amount of cayenne-infused andouille sausage, and the best jambalaya I’ve had in the Bay area. Maybe that’s not saying much, considering the lack of Big Easy eateries around town, but this moist, tomatoey rice would likely compete on equal footing with non-cheap options.

Ricky P’s sloppy roast beef is loaded with salty gravy that’ll soak the bun by the time you get your take-out home, like a Chicago beef dip that’s soaked from the inside out. Get it “ferdi”-style — with added ham and melted cheese — because, well, why not? The muffuletta is slathered in a damn fine spicy olive salad, the Cuban is typical and the cochon de lait — pulled pork topped by “cajun” slaw — is a backyard barbecue treat with almost enough juice to compete with the drippy beef sandwich.

Ricky P’s eponymous traditional po’ boys, although tasty, are actually the least exciting items on the menu. Stacked with lettuce and tomato and slathered in dressing, the fried shrimp or oysters are often cooked a little earlier to be ready for the lunch rush. When the seafood is fresh, hot and crunchy, the sandwiches are excellent. After a short rest in a steam tray, however, the sandwiches are merely good. Still cheap, though.

Tun-Du-Ree
3 stars
1506 W. Kennedy Blvd., Tampa, 813-251-2111 or tunduree.com

We originally wrote about Tun-Du-Ree ($3.99-7.99) several years ago, back when the little Indian take-out joint was still housed in a trailer in an empty lot near Interbay. Owner Bhava “Pat” Saravana spent a year looking for a permament spot, eventually finding one to his liking on Kennedy, between SoHo and Downtown. Gone was quaint and rustic in favor of Tun-Du-Ree’s new look: vibrant, well-designed and positively chain-like. The website even has a tab for “locations.” Plural.

The menu expanded as well, but on the whole the changes were more physical than culinary. Tun-Du-Ree’s food is still simple, tasty and cheap.

The restaurant’s heartier entrees — like vindaloo or korma — are stripped-down versions of what you’ll find at your neighborhood sit-down Indian spot, flavorful enough, but without the depth. Fast food.

You’re better off ordering the kinds of dishes that fast food joints do best, like Tun-Du-Ree’s deep-fried samosas, the dumplings covered in a crackling-crisp shell and stuffed with deeply spiced potatoes, or spinach and cheese. Parantha — a flatbread stuffed with lentils and griddled — is flaky and rich, with an immense amount of spicy heat that works wonders with bright mint sauces.

Tun-Du-Ree’s real bargains are the “snack” wraps loaded with seasoned and stewed chick peas, or the restaurant’s trademark roast chicken, stacked with fresh veggies and slathered in more of that mint sauce. Those are the kinds of sandwiches that’ll keep you from driving through the McD drive-through next door.

Jerk Hut
3 stars
207 E. Twiggs St., Tampa, 813-223-4473; 926 E. Fowler Ave., Tampa, 813-977-5777 or jerkhut.com

The Jerk Hut ($5.99-12.99) was always a hidden gem in Tampa’s downtown business district, a dark den of flavorful foods stocked with rickety furniture and colorful characters. Then, they moved their northern location — out by USF — to a big new spot. Suddenly, that Jerk Hut has a mojito bar. Sunday brunch. Regular live music in a festive party-atmosphere.

Thankfully, the food is the same cafeteria-style Jamaican stews and curries that still make the downtown location a non-secretive secret hang-out.

At both spots, jerk is a worthy choice, the Hut’s take on the classic spice rub uncompromisingly potent in both spice and herbaceous punch, conveyed by chicken that manages to be juicy and tender no matter how long it appears to have sat in a steam tray.

Venture away from the chicken and you’ll find luscious oxtail stewed slowly until the bones’ gelatin infuses the tender meat and veggies; curried goat coated in fragrant spices that temper the pungent meat; and stewed veggies that make you understand how Rastafarians can endure being vegetarian.

Although the $15 cover charge almost breaks the “cheap” barrier, the Sunday brunch at the Fowler location is still an incredible deal if you plan on hanging out and eating all that you can eat.

(Want to follow all of CL’s Food, Drink and Restaurant news? Bookmark the food section of the blog, add the CL Food RSS feed to your reader of choice, follow @BrianRies on Twitter, or check out the Food Section page multiple times daily.)

I consider myself a fairly patient person, especially when it comes to service in restaurants. I, along with millions of others, toiled in commercial kitchens and dining rooms across the country, and certainly understand the often horrific treatment endured by smarmy scumbags masking as diners. But enough is enough. I must kvetch about wine service in restaurants. Wine is conceivably the most lucrative cash cow a server has at his/her disposal, yet so many abuse the privilege of potentially making 15 percent for simply opening and pouring a bottle. To futz this up is ludicrous.

My least favorite flubs: Read the rest of this entry »

WineBurgers
3 stars
1110 Pinellas Bayway, Tierra Verde, 727-865-0633 or wineburgers.com

If you want to eat out on Tierra Verde, there’s just one place to go. Smack dab in the middle of the island, right on the Pinellas Bayway, is downtown Verde, a strip mall and a half of restaurants that run the gamut from Chinese take-out to German schnitzel. And tucked into a hidden corner on the second floor of one of the buildings, next to a realtor and a spa, is WineBurgers.

It used to be Crazy Conch, a typical island-fine-dining spot most well-known (to me, anyway) for crab cakes good enough to win a Best of the Bay Award back in ‘08. Earlier this year, owners Michael Peel and Sally Herb closed down their seven-year old restaurant, rebranded, refocused and re-opened as WineBurgers.

It’s a simple concept — take hamburger standards, mix with great ingredients, execute well and serve with a wide variety of adult beverages. The formula has worked well over in Tampa at Square One, and has been all the rage in big cities for well over a decade. And WineBurgers has the basics of the concept down pat. Read the rest of this entry »

St. Pete’s The Table has ridden a rollercoaster of ups and (mostly) downs since it opened just two years ago. (The long tale, in chronological order: here, here, here, and here.) The original owners walked away from the place, then a new team of owners stepped in, chefs came and went, then the ownership shifted again.

It looks like more change is on the way. According to newish operating partner Andrew “Wilko” Wilkins, the restaurant will cease using The Table as its moniker after tomorrow night, and will close for approximately one week before re-opening as a “new restaurant tentatively named ‘THE’ Place, along side its new companion ‘THE’ Place To Go.”

Chef J. Ward will remain in the kitchen, and will spearhead a menu change that will Read the rest of this entry »

Marrakech Restaurant
2.5 stars
2402 S. MacDill Ave., Tampa, 813-258-9100

Philippe and Nassira Coriou, husband and wife owners of Marrakech Restaurant in Tampa, come from separate continents, across the Mediterranean Sea. She’s Moroccan, he’s French, two nationalities that have an entwined history apparent to anyone who’s seen Casablanca. And, although Philippe is a classically trained French chef, the menu at Marrakech is almost entirely devoted to the cuisine of his wife’s homeland.

That means rich dishes that blend sweet and savory on the same plate, often using dried fruit like prunes, aromatic spices like cinnamon and less common ingredients like preserved lemon. Entrees are divided between humble couscous topped with rich meats and stewed vegetables; elegant pastry pockets called pastilla, stuffed with vegetables, chicken or seafood; and an array of dishes served in the impressive, portable clay ovens called tagine.

And, like Tampa’s recent flirtation with Ethiopian food at Queen of Sheba and the defunct Abol Bunna, it’s traditional. Perhaps too traditional. Read the rest of this entry »

400 Beach Seafood and Tap House
3 stars
400 Beach Dr., St. Petersburg, 727-896-2400

An estimated 2,000 people reportedly showed up for the opening celebration at 400 Beach, suggesting that this new restaurant on Beach Drive in St. Pete was destined to become a hip, upscale mecca for movers and shakers, not for the hoi polloi. But the latest project of Parkshore Grill’s Steve Westphal — housed in a bayfront spot briefly infamous as the aborted home of a restaurant from lying Food Network chef Robert Irvine — isn’t that kind of place. A few weeks after the opening, on a typical weekday night, there are young kids bouncing in booths, strollers parked next to outdoor tables, and a wide gamut of St. Pete residents drinking beer and downing fish in a spot that is suprisingly more mid-range than chic.

The biggest surprise is the price: dinner entrees range from $12 to $30 with most firmly in the mid-teens. When it comes to the decor and the drinks, the surprises are a tad less happy. Read the rest of this entry »

India Grill — the popular St. Pete Indian restaurant — is back in downtown, on Central Ave. in the spot formerly occupied by Leafy Greens Cafe and The Kitchen. It’s the same as before, just moved a few blocks. Check out some of the dishes below (many more pictures — by jamesostrand.com — after the break):

Read the rest of this entry »

400 Beach Seafood and Tap House (400 Beach Dr., St. Petersburg, 727-896-2400)
This new restaurant by Steve Westphal (of Parkshore Grill), is in the the spot made famous as the potential home of a restaurant by lying Food Network chef Robert Irvine. 400 Beach’s focus is on seafood in almost all its forms, from baskets of fried clams to raw oysters to fish en papilote.

Take a look. (Pictures by jamesostrand.com.)

Many more pictures after the break: Read the rest of this entry »

Nola Cafe
2 Stars
301 W. Platt St., Tampa, 813-258-8778 or nolacafe.com
(See all recent restaurant reviews.)

You can see Nola Cafe from the Crosstown Expressway, if you’re looking at the right spot, but finding it while cruising down Platt is tough unless you happen to see the rustic, handpainted signs promising “Po’ Boys!” and “Jambalaya!” The little cafe is hidden in an awkward strip mall facing the pharmacy drive-through of a Walgreens, tucked into the back, the kind of spot you hear about and track down. In the Bay area, New Orleans cuisine is like that — rare, almost secret, with little of the fanfare that sprang up a few years ago after Katrina.

In unfortunate good timing, Nola opened a year before the hurricane devastated owner Louis Robert Jr.’s Louisiana home town. After the storm, the restaurant easily turned into a hub for New Orleans expats and well-wishers who wanted to eat and talk their way through the tragedy. It has the right vibe for that, with a newsstand tucked into a former closet, well-worn furniture and jazz standards playing through the speakers. Robert works his way through the closely arranged tables, talking up his restaurant’s inspiration and letting “le bon temps rouler.” With his help, Nola feels like the Morning Call Coffee Stand that was the restaurant’s New Orleans inspiration.

The food, however, is a much paler homage to New Orleans. Read the rest of this entry »

Toasted Pheasant Bistro (14445 N. Dale Mabry Hwy., Tampa, 813-265-6700 or toastedpheasant.com) has always been generous when it comes to wine dinners, but this one reaches new lows. Or highs? The only caveat is that the wines are all from Virginia — Kluge Estate, to be exact — which may be either a positive or a negative, depending on your personal level of wine snobbery.

Full details and menu after the break: Read the rest of this entry »

There’s only one of Harold Seltzer’s (of Sam Seltzer fame) new Cuban sandwich chain concept, but it’s already good enough — and authentic enough — to put Tampa’s handheld icon on the map the way Outback popularized Australia’s traditional deep-fried whole onion.

4424 W. Kennedy Blvd., Tampa, 813-287-6662, finestcubansandwich.com.

Really, just take the time to step a half-block off your downtown St. Pete Central Avenue restaurant crawl and you’ll find, or rediscover, one of the best restaurants in the Bay area. Primi’s inexpensive, classic Italian cuisine — filtered through the South African heritage of owners Arno and Irene Von Waltsleben —­­ is simple stuff, founded on chef Arno’s ability to squeeze deep flavor into every sauce. The sun-dried tomato tapenade is worth killing for. We’ve done it. 27 Fourth St. N., St. Petersburg, 727-895-4909, primiurbancafe.com.

Although chef/owner Zack Gross has dished up fine food at Z Grille for years, this year saw such a quantum shift in the downtown St. Pete restaurant that it deserves rookie status. First, a move down the street and around the corner to beautiful digs in the Signature Place building, where artful interpretations of Gross’ love for tattoos and skateboards give the place a casual but refined vibe. Then, the food, which has morphed from Baja-Mex to imaginative, modern American cuisine that ranges from elegant to playful. With those changes, Z Grille has become the destination for foodies in the crowded St. Pete restaurant market.

104 Second St. St. Petersburg, 727-822-9600 or zgrille.net.

He’s been profiled in Southern Living, garnered the highest Zagat food rating in the Bay area, and owns three restaurants and a chocolate-making facility. But have you ever heard of David Miller? He is a humble culinary wunderkind still in his 20s who produces exceptionally beautiful and tasty fare at his high-end prix-fixe Savant Fine Dining and the more casual Cities Restaurant next door in Clearwater. Check him out and you’ll start singing his praises, too.

The meat at Council Oak — stacked in a gigantic, glass-walled room in the foyer — is prime, aged and exquisite. Here, though, that’s just a starting point. The rest of the food, from subtle, brothy soups to classic steakhouse sides, easily competes with the finest non-steakhouse restaurants. And once you navigate past the obstacle course of Hard Rock slots, Council Oak will soothe your soul with a modern dining room that few non-casino restaurants in the area can compete with.

5223 Orient Rd., Tampa, 813-627-7625 or hardrockhotelcasinotampa.com.

Great sushi- now closer to home (for me, anyway).

I was introduced to Origami’s Hillsborough Avenue location about a year ago.  They have a new location on Waters Avenue and a recent move to a new residence put me dangerously close to this location.

There’s a huge selection of makimono, my favorite being Read the rest of this entry »

• The Table is in the midst of another shake-up, with 717 South Michael Stewart, former GM Joe Moledo out and Andrew Wilkins (formerly of Mad Fish and Ceviche) in as GM. This comes after a long history of turmoil, including the loss of chef Pedro Flores earlier this year. Looks like the restaurant’s new thrust will be for lower price points and fewer staff changes. (Mouth)

• Ella’s Folk Art Cafe, the first of a new generation of restaurant slated to open in Tampa and Seminole Heights, started serving this past weekend.

The Columbia, OktoBEERfest, Domenica Macchia, and Grattzi’s after the break: Read the rest of this entry »

After a long wait, the first in a series of new restaurants slated for Seminole Heights and Tampa Heights opened over this past weekend.

Ella’s Folk Art Cafe (5119 N. Nebraska Ave., Tampa, 813-234-1000) looks like it has the right funky vibe to fit in with the Seminole Heights crowd, along with outdoor seating (albeit next to Nebraska) and an eclectic American menu that ranges from beer-battered, deep-fried jalapenos stuffed with pulled pork, cheddar and cream cheese to “beet box and veggie pot pie”, whatever that is. There’s also pizza, salad, and soups; a small but very capable beer list; and a Sunday brunch/neighborhood barbecue.

Open for dinner, Tuesday-Saturday, with daylight hourse on Sunday.

Domenica Macchia is on the move. Again. This week, my favorite fast-talking, passionate chef will take over the kitchen at Bella Brava, replacing outgoing chef  Trevor Lyman at the modern Italian restaurant on downtown St. Pete’s Central Avenue.

New Bella Brava co-owner Mike Harting (fresh from a long career with Outback Steakhouse), started looking for a new chef a couple of months ago. Macchia — who’s first generation Italian, and tried to get a job at Bella Brava in the restaurant’s early days — was the right fit. She left Diner 437 this past weekend, after opening the gastro-diner to pretty much universal local acclaim a few months back.

So, of course, I woke her up this morning to get her thoughts. She’s worried about people thinking she’s switching jobs too much, and doesn’t want to say anything bad about her previous employers, but most of all she’s happy. Excited. Even when she’s groggy from sleep, talking to Macchia is like talking to a culinary machine-gun:

Why’d you leave Diner 437? Read the rest of this entry »

Six Tampa chowhounds. Two restaurants. Two and a half hours of stir-fried bliss.

Competition sure tastes good.

Tampa is lucky to be home to two excellent Chinese restaurants — China Yuan and Yummy House — both near the intersection of Armenia and Waters. I already knew that both restaurants served the best Chinese food in the city, and was curious to gauge the differences. So last Sunday, six of the area’s most enthusiastic eaters met at Yummy House with open minds and empty stomachs. Boy, were we in for a treat.

Five of us, including myself, were already China Yuan devotees, while the sixth preferred Yummy House. We met through online food musings on Chowhound.com’s Florida message board, some of us had never seen one another in person, and our discussions about eating, cooking, and dining out were pleasant and lively. We never intended to play kingmaker, and after two excellent meals, Read the rest of this entry »

Voting is hot and heavy whenever hardwood smoke and succulent pork get into the mix. After a lot of votes cast, Best Barbecue is still up in the air, with two frontrunners and a whole lot of possible upset contenders close behind. Voting ends monday, so get on the ball, wipe your hands, and vote for the ribs you can’t live without!

Leaders and vote tallies after the break: Read the rest of this entry »

Unlike many of the races in our ongoing Best of the Bay Readers’ Poll, this one isn’t all that close. With an astounding 200+ votes, Cappy’s is running away with the prize. However, there’s still time for the other big vote-getters — like Sally O’Neal’s, Mellow Mushroom, Joey Brooklyn’s, and Westshore – or even spots who haven’t tried, to mobilize support and get the vote out over the weekend, before voting ends Monday.

Just three days left to support your favorite pizza joint — plenty of time to tip the scales. Vote now!

I reviewed the new Queenshead Eurobar — essentially more a gastropub than a bar, Euro or otherwise — yesterday, and liked the place quite a bit, thanks to food from chef Chris Greer and gregarious owners Paul Smith and Darren Conner. It’s a great addition to the Grand Central district with a distinctly neighborhood vibe to the clientele, although the place is good enough to become a destination for other St. Pete residents.

Here’s a more expansive look at the new place, and its food, thanks to photographer jamesostrand.com and amateur videographer David Warner:

Queenshead is housed in a '50s era gas station, which means covered seating in the former home of the pumps.

Read the rest of this entry »

Jackson Street Bistro
2.5 stars
401 E. Jackson St., Tampa, 813-412-5777

People have long lamented downtown Tampa’s forlorn nighttime dining scene, but now that dinner is on a comeback thanks to places like Rawbar, what’s next for urban dining? Jackson Street Bistro — a new spot recently opened in the SunTrust building by the owners of East Lake Cafe in Palm Harbor — might hold the answer.

Although casual downtown restaurant options have been on the rise over the past few years, there are few spots for a classy breakfast or lunch unless you want to head to a hotel. That may explain the sort of shocked surprise on my face the first time I stepped into Jackson Street Bistro. I expected a simple salad-and-sandwich cafe and found a place that was chic enough to be fine-dining, with a long bar, floor-to-ceiling windows and a nice outdoor courtyard. It was loud, the kitchen was in the weeds, and the servers were scrambling to stay ahead of the tide of people that mobbed the place. On a Tuesday. At noon.

One of the reasons for the crowd might be Read the rest of this entry »

Saigon Deli’s four varieties of Vietnamese Banh Mi — meatball, beef, roast pork, pate — all have the same garnish piled on crusty French-style bread: lightly pickled carrots, cucumber and daikon radish; a heaping mass of bright green cilantro; sliced, fresh jalapenos. A simple combination, but those ingredients contain three of the four fundamental facets of most Southeast Asian cuisine: spice from the jalapeno, sour from the pickle, sweet from the veggies. Add savory and salty meat, and you’ve hit the jackpot, all for a mere $2.99. It almost justifies the years of French colonial influence over Vietnam.

Saigon Deli, 3692 W. Waters Ave., Tampa, 813-932-0300

[About Daily Best of the Bay: Creative Loafing is posting writers' and editors' picks for Best of the Bay 2009 each day until the BOTB issue is released on Sept. 16. Vote now for your own BOTB choices in our Readers' Poll!]

Although Lenny’s (in Clearwater) has dominated this Best of the Bay Readers’ Poll category in recent years, current vote totals peg this race as one of the closest in the Food and Drink category. Lenny’s, Frog Pond, Daily Eats, Nicko’s, Pach’s Place, Pink Flamingo, Pinky’s, Skyway Jack’s, and Village Inn are all neck-and-neck for second place, while national chain First Watch has a commanding (but beatable) lead.

Are Tampa Bay’s morning-food fans going to let a chain (albeit one that started in Florida) win this award? And where is Lenny’s notorious get-out-the-vote campaign?

There’s still two weeks to propel your favorite spot to the top in this hotly contested race (the poll ends Aug. 31).

Vote now, and tell your personal Best Breakfast restaurant to get out the vote!

(Photo from Fin Fahey/Flickr.)

If you are ever frustrated with the lack of parking at the USF-area Panera Bread on Bruce B. Downs (and the nearby bank security guard who will threaten your vehicle’s integrity if you dare park in their lot), drive down the street a little further and eat instead at Byblos Pitas.

Decor: Ikea. Food: fast, fresh Lebanese for under $10.

It’s a strip mall treasure which opened about a year ago. Despite the restaurant’s name, the owners are not related to the family that runs the long-standing Byblos Cafe in south Tampa, but are good friends.

Choose a stuffing for your pita: maybe deliciously seasoned steak shawarma, chicken kabob or falafel. Pick your vegetables and sauces to fill it: hummus, labneh, tomatoes, and more. Watch them expertly fold it like a giant burrito and heat it on a sandwich press. Try a side of baba ghanouj, red lentil soup, or go for the Greek or Caesar salad.

Fresh, tasty and inexpensive, Byblos is a bright spot to sit with some good grub and your laptop. Leave the hipsters to their Panera.

Byblos Pitas
2734 University Square Dr,, Tampa, 813-849-5050
www.byblospitas.com

This week, Brian and Taylor invite CL editor David Warner in to talk about his bandwagon-jumping Beef Bourgignon experiment — and why the Bourgignon part should be ignored. Brian raves over Wood Fired Pizza Wine Bar — despite the lack of wine — and Taylor goes stream of consciousness about a chardonnay and steak matchup.

Download the episode here.

Wood Fired Pizza Wine Bar
4 stars
2822 E. Bearss Ave., Tampa, 813-341-2900

It’s tough to maintain a passion for food when confronted with the daily grind of running a restaurant. But some people manage to maintain the joy that comes with working in something as artistic, useful and necessary as food, even amidst the nagging details of the business. Usually, that passion is reflected in what comes out of the kitchen.

You can taste it in every pie served at the new Wood Fired Pizza Wine Bar in northeast Tampa. Owner and pizza-maker Peter Taylor has a stock phrase to sum up his goal in starting the small shop: “I’m monetizing my passion.” Read the rest of this entry »

This week, Brian and Taylor invite PoHo Wayne Garcia in for a special food-related recession session. We drink vodka flavored with baby aspirin and discuss the reduction in creamy splooge at Dunkin Donuts, SoHo Sushi’s so so sushi, Taylor’s list of recession wines, and the problems restaurants are having in this economy.

Download the episode here.