 |
| the bottle we drank at Catch 23 |
Tampa. Honestly, I've never thought of it as a food destination, a mecca of culinary amazement, or even a good place to eat. Tampa people, please accept my sincerest apology; I was wrong.... oh so very wrong!
On the flight down to Tampa I had the rare experience of meeting a Tampa native (just recently and happily relocated to Indy). He wanted to know all about the Indy food scene. I think it's fair to say he got all he bargained for and more. His head was spinning after I rattled on and on (and on) about all my favorite Indy eateries and drinkeries.** The flip side of this was that he let me know all the best places in Tampa to eat on my whirlwind adventure.
For the sake of brevity, I will only highlight some of my experiences. I was in Tampa for a variety of missions, and I literally went all over the Bay area, so this list covers some serious geography:
 |
| Le Macaron St. Petersburg |
Catch 23 (West Chase, North Tampa): Delicious seafood and sushi with a fusion feel. The West Chase roll (tuna, avocado, cucumber, spicy sauce) and the paella were notables. The Garlicky Shrimp appetizer was to die for. It had a nice little wine list and great service. We drank a bottle of The Whip from Murrietta's Well. It was awesome. The atmosphere is urban and bustling, and the crowd is definitely local. We paid about $80 with tax and tip for the above.
Le Macaron (downtown St. Pete): Wow- this place was unbelievable. French mod from head to toe, it had a bevvy of fresh macarons, amazing gelato and a host of little confections and chocolates. When I talked to the owner (handsome, young, adorable and French), he said they have a Facebook page but not yet "Tweeeeter." I'm guessing the Twittosphere will catch on quickly. We each got a macaron (Caramel Salted Butter and Belgium Chocolate) and shared coconut gelato for a total of about $8. They have six stores all over Florida, from Boca Raton to Sarasoata to Winter Park (Orlando area). Find them here.
www.lemacaron-us.com C'est la vie!
 |
| Datz - the restaurant side |
Datz (South Tampa, near Hyde Park): I'm not even sure what to call Datz. The tagline is "Pure Culinary Bliss," and I don't disagree. Datz is a machine. It looks unassuming from the street, but inside it is a multi-floored extravaganza: gourmet food store, espresso bar, dessert counter, full-service tap room with 40 local and craft beer drafts, full-service restaurant. Outdoor space and indoor space alike, eye-candy is everywhere, from wine bottle chandeliers to industrial railings to pop-art. It is completely overwhelming but not in a bad way. And the food! The cocktails! We ate Migas and a Mexican inspired Caesar Salad with avocado and pico de gallo. We tried the Italian Greyhound, a grown-up Popsicle (flavored with bittersweet Florida citrus and chili powder) served in a snifter of Prosecco, and a fabulous glass of Sauvignon Blanc. Service was on the slow side but very attentive and knowledgeable. Menus are daily newspapers. Everything about this place is playful, high-energy, and evolving. I get the impression that they switch things up all the time. If I lived in Tampa, I would frequent this place. They also serve a prix fixe "family-style" menu every Sunday night with things like Southern Friend Chicken, Smoked Brisket, and homemade cobblers.
 |
| Refinery wine list (changes weekly) |
The Refinery (Seminole Heights, South[ish] Tampa): This came highly recommended. The menu is an affordable, innovative, farm-to-table concept. They have gobs of craft and local beer on tap. The crowd is young, hipster, non-pretentious, craft-beer-freakish. Nothing about this place is designed to highlight anything but the food. Plates are mismatched, actually everything is mismatched. The food is the star, and the scene exists for this sole reason. We ate on the rooftop, getting very lucky and scoring a table with no reservation on a Saturday night (it was 9pm and hopping). Right after our soup course, the temperamental Florida sky graced us with a full-on dump shower. It was reminiscent of the aftermath of a chemical lab accident. The owner immediately took charge. Our bottle of Rose (La Flor Rose Malbec 2009 for $22) was salvaged, and we patiently waited inside. Clearly this happens a lot, and she informed us that a pergola and canopy will be installed next week. In a weird sort of way, actually added to the experience. Everyone was congenial, giving up their chairs, huddling together over drinks meeting, greeting, and story-telling. This was a very different side of Tampa than I had seen on my many visits. The food was extremely interesting: chilled carrot-coriander soup, duxelle "frites," and a pan roasted half of chicken full of wonderful surprises. It was definitely worth going often to see what they cook up next. Oh yeah, and Chef Greg Baker is a James Beard nominee. Not too shabby!
Crabby's (Clearwater Beach): This is the quintessential beach bar. Full of the requisite vacationers, but also packed with locals (a good sign), they have prime real estate for people watching and sunset ooohhing and ahhhing. The cover band when we were there did steel-drum and guitar renditions of Louis Armstrong and Sublime, and the peel and eat shrimp (boiled in beer and Old Bay) were outstanding and extremely fresh. Oh yeah, and we drank $2.50 glasses of Pinot Grigio. It wasn't incredible juice, but at $2.50, who cares?!? It was perfectly fine for the occasion. I did see the same wine served elsewhere for $7.50, and it made me laugh and feel a little bit smarter for not ordering it. I love a friendly beach bar with great entertainment and fresh food, especially one that doesn't gouge its patrons.
Cheers to Tampa, another foodie destination on my map.
**Sorry Ryan! I can't help it... And no, "drinkeries" probably isn't a real word, but it works for the sentence.
