What to skip? Tampa's trendy South Howard Avenue stretch, known as "SoHo," where promises of uber-stylish decor and inventive, internationally influenced menus fall short. Aside from the nationally-recognized Bern's Steakhouse, the restaurants in this area are overpriced and over-hyped. Below are a sampling of our Insider favorites:
Zest Archives
Since moving to Tampa, there have been a handful of times where I’ve been certifiably homesick. Those pangs usually come when I’m missing out on my out of town family’s weekly Sunday suppers. Of course, those dinners are as much about the company as the food that is being served, but when the blues hit, [...]
Last month, Mister M and I completed a Tampa foodie’s rite of passage by stuffing ourselves like little pigs in a blanket at Oystercatchers Champagne Brunch. Our expectations were high. After all, Oystercatchers was one of our favorite Tampa seafood restaurants and we considered ourselves brunch professionals- with brunch bonanzas at the Biltmore in Coral [...]
If you head to South Tampa’s legendary Bern’s Steak House, you may find yourself at a crossroads of sorts. With one foot in the 1950’s and another in the present, you are immediately bombarded with the restaurant’s aesthetic- dark paneled with gilded chandeliers and an old school waitstaff serving french onion soup in pewter bowls. [...]
The la carte menu at Tampa’s Council Oak at the Seminole Hard Rock Casino ups the ante on what a steakhouse should be-which is why it’s included in our list of Zest’s Best Florida Steakhouses. Luxe seafood choices, like the gargantuan (yet remarkably tender) shrimp cocktail, a variety of cuts of dry aged beef and [...]
This new Seminole Heights eatery focuses on what’s local and sustainable– but you don’t have to be a locavore to appreciate what’s being served here. Housed in The Bungalow Bistro’s old spot, Refinery owners Michelle and Greg Baker (of Culinary Sherpas fame) have mastered the delicate balance of serving edgy fare in an eclectic, unpretentious [...]
Since opening in 2009, Datz Delicatessen has refined their space on MacDill Avenue to become a full-blown foodie experience. Besides offering extensive breakfast, lunch and dinner menus featuring some of the best ingredients available (their sandwich menu alone tops 40 selections!), Datz is a gourmet market, a full service bakery and they sell boutique wines [...]
The Tampa steakhouse long regarded as having the largest wine selection in the country is set to host four days of dinners, parties and a grand tasting at both their Bern’s Steakhouse and Sidebern’s properties in Tampa this weekend. Winemaker dinners anchor Bern’s Winefest No. 13, with parties and a tented grand tasting in between. [...]
Does anyone really need an excuse to indulge in the highlight of American breakfast? Interestingly enough, “Pancake Day” or “Pancake Tuesday” didn’t get its name in America. A colloquial term originating in the United Kingdom and Ireland for Shrove Tuesday, i.e. Fat Tuesday or the Tuesday before Lent begins, Christians coined the phrase “Pancake Day” [...]
The Cuban/Chinese combo at this Tampa restaurant may make you step back for a second and say “huh,” but you will leave Arco Iris Cafe saying nothing but “yum.” Located off of North Dale Mabry on West Columbus Drive on what some call “Boliche Boulevard,” Arco Iris Café is favorite haunt of Cuban locals, serving [...]
Insiders go to Red Mesa Cantina (the sister establishment to St. Petersburg’s beloved Red Mesa) for their modern take on Mexican cuisine. We love the duck tacos, and coconut-infused ceviches—but now have another reason to go. RMC is launching its first Tequila Tasting on January 26th. From 7 to 9 pm, the Cantina will be [...]
About Gina Melton
I live in Tampa by way of Miami and I created this resource for resident foodies and Florida visitors alike. My goal is to give readers easy access to delicious food that's a little bit off the beaten path and miles away... moreGrab My Button
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