'Pint And A Pocket'
Ron DeSantis’ lack of a plan to combat, track and contain coronavirus is extremely bad news for bars and breweries, and while many of them are still navigating the governor’s fuck up, several took Halsey Beshears (DeSantis’ Secretary of the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation since Jan. 2019) upon his 509 restaurant license loophole that basically let any bar open if it served food. None pointed out the ludicrousness of the 509 gimmick louder than Dissent Craft Brewing Company which offered a Hot Pocket and pint of beer special to patrons both desperate to get out of the house and pour money into one of their favorite breweries. dissentcraftbrewing.com —Ray Roa
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Gourmet Pizza Co.
Netflix and chillin’ with your vegan or gluten-free boo might be a bit cumbersome when you don’t know what takeout to order. Gourmet Pizza Company’s menu is flush with delish options literally anyone can enjoy, and it’s constantly adding new allergy-friendly ingredients. Plus, you can add vegan cheese to just about anything, and you might feel a little less guilty about your carb coma if you opt for the cauliflower crust. gourmetpizza-company.com —Alexis Chamberlain
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7th + Grove, Oxtails
“Rude Boy” is a comfort food supernova. Perhaps because my late mother introduced me to them in my youth, braised oxtails hold a special place in my heart. If you’re a fan of lamb shanks, you’ll be delighted with these. There’s so much collagen that the meat is the lushest imaginable. It sits on a creamy, balanced sage and garlic mash with some braised veggies and crispy cornbread nuggets that have soaked up all the juices, but maintain their crunch. A sprinkling of thin green onions on top finishes off this wonder in style. 7thandgrove.com —Jon Palmer Claridge
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Curious Cat Bakery
Curious Cat Bakery owner and one-woman band, Natalia Lima, got crafty once coronavirus forced a switch-up in the small business game. The vegan baker began offering free virtual lessons via Instagram live for all of her bored and ambitious fans practicing social distancing in their homes. On top of lessons, Lima began offering free delivery and weekly pop-up menus for customers (she could safely whip up in her commercial kitchen in St. Pete). Lima also made headlines back in October for making vegan versions of dishes from Netflix's “Great British Bake Off.” Talk about a bakery boss up. curiouscatbakery.com —Jenna Rimensnyder
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Beans & Barlour
In March when grocery store shelves were being cleared out like never before, locals were getting anxious about how they were going to keep their tailpipes clean during self-quarantine. Lucky for them, Beans & Barlour came to the rescue. The boozy ice cream shop hosted a free toilet paper “drive-thru.” The restaurant donated commercial-sized toilet paper rolls, which are nine inches in diameter, or approximately five times larger than a standard residential roll. The locals who arrived early and secured their roll were saved from skidmarks for days and hopefully weeks to come while in their bubble. beansandbarlour.com—Jenna Rimensnyder
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Sonder Social Club, Goat Cheese Cake
The individual goat cheese cake is baked in a faceted mold to resemble an ancient Aztec temple. There’s an almond crust and lemon zest to give citrus notes to the goat cheese. The plate looks like a concrete skate park for Smurfs; it’s not quite a half pipe, but the curved edges cradle the cake and fresh whipped cream garnished with candied zest and mint. Thin slices of tiny Adriatic figs look like a school of fish swimming up a thin stream of port wine reduction. All the tastes meld beautifully. sondersocial.club —Jon Palmer Claridge
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TacoSon Drive-Thru
Tampa’s TacoSon serves up delicious food. Tacos! burritos! Tortas! Vegan flautas! And you never have to leave your car to get any of it. You can go inside and eat it if you want. But if you don’t feel like putting on a bra when going to get your cochinitas, head to this pretty efficient drive-thru. No shirts, no shoes, no problem. Don’t forget to ask for extra red sauce. tacosonmexicangrill.com —Stephanie Powers
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Bryce Bonsack, Rocca
What propels someone to greatness? Passion bordering on obsession, keen attention to detail, the element of surprise? Whether shaken or stirred, these qualities make for an impressive cocktail of habits. The heart of Bonsack’s menu is a fixation on pasta, based on extensive travels around Italy to learn authentic, uncompromising techniques. The results are magnificent; excellence suffuses the entire experience. Chef Bonsack’s Michelin roots show in the service, wine, decor, and, of course, the ethereal pastas. Rocca is an essential pilgrimage for Tampa Bay foodies. roccatampa.com —Jon Palmer Claridge
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Sarah Weaver at Bandit Coffee
In March, Bandit Coffee co-founder Sarah Weaver wrote a letter about her new job and boss. Her duties included processing orders, answering phones, and texting customers when Bandit had a pick-up station assigned to them. She did all that all while doing her best to keep everyone distanced, cycling through the table rotation—then sanitizing and repeating. The note was all to say that her effort was not unique and that she—plus other responsible business owners—was doing it to keep the community safe. The world got even more complicated after Weaver’s letter arrived, but the words served as a reminder that while there’s still a lot of fighting (and cleaning) left to do, we’re certainly not alone in the effort. banditcoffee.co —Ray Roa
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Old School Bar & Grill, Wagyu Corn Dogs
Wagyu is the ultimate artisan gourmet beef, while corn dogs are simple county fair comfort food. But the combo created bewitching alchemy. The six hand-dipped mini wagyu beef corn dogs were the size of fat skewered golf balls. I didn’t even care to use the house ketchup or chipotle mustard. The juicy dogs had complex, layered beefy flavor highlighted by corn batter that wasn’t at all grainy. They’re absolutely sensational, and now extinct since Old School closed to make way for a, get this, dog bar. —Jon Palmer Claridge
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