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 salads, like the fresh and sizable Avocado Delight with avocado, tomato, onions, palmetto hearts and lettuce. There’s also Cubans and Palomilla steak sandwiches, empanadas and mandocas (a tasty plantain and corn meal “donut”). Check it out for some casual, fresh South American cuisine.
This article appears in Oct 29 – Nov 4, 2009.