Food Fieldtrip to.... Tampa!

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:

quick favorites round up!

 Summer is in full effect. Here are some of the things to love right now:

1. Homemade Caprese Salad

It doesn't get any better, simpler, or more quintessentially summer than sliced tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and basil leaves. I like to use beefsteak and large heirloom varieties for this dish. Right before you serve, sprinkle on plenty of sea salt and course ground black pepper; drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar. I usually reduce the balsamic to thicken it up and intensify the flavor (just put 1/2 c. in a small sauce pan and simmer until reduced by half... it only takes a few minutes and it makes a huge difference!).