Not to start another my-side-of-the-bay-is-better-than-yours argument, but we’re going there.
This year’s Food Issue has CL Restaurant Critic Jon Palmer Claridge celebrating his favorite Tampa Bay restaurants. His 40 top picks extend from east to west, offering everything from dining spots that won’t break the bank to sophisticated finds you won’t mind spending a little dough on. Plus, he reveals 10 unforgettable tastes from another deee-licious year of restaurant reviewing.
We also highlight our own 10 most memorable dishes and drinks (with a bonus thrown in because it’s that good). Claridge gives Hyde Park Village’s new On Swann restaurant a try, while we follow a Dunedin chef as he preps for a big-deal, farm-to-table dinner later this month. Plus, Mark Leib reviews 5 Lesbians Eating a Quiche (about ladies who really love their egg pies). And in Music, Leilani Polk dishes about Turntable Kitchen, an online ’zine aimed at food and music lovers.
Get ready to fall in love with your food all over again — no matter what side of the bay you call home.
—Meaghan Habuda, CL Food & Drink Editor
This article appears in Jun 16-23, 2016.