Food News Archives - Creative Loafing Tampa

A stacked oyster burger topped with creamy sauce sits on a sesame-seed bun in a blue basket, served with fries and a small metal cup of dipping sauce on a red tabletop.

St. Petersburg fish camp and raw bar Cheeky’s now offers lunch

Frozen espresso martinis are better than lunch coffees, right?

by Ray Roa January 7, 2026January 7, 2026

Cheeky’s is already a good reason to skip a trip to the beach, and now the St. Petersburg seafood spot wants you to ditch a pack lunch, too. This afternoon, Nate Siegel’s Best of the Bay-winning fish and raw bar at 2823 Central Ave. announced plans to serve lunch Wednesday-Friday from noon-3 p.m. and noon-5 […]

17 picturesque places to grab a drink in Tampa Bay

Tampa Bay bars are constantly serving Instagram-worthy views.

by CL Staff November 14, 2025November 14, 2025

A smiling man wearing glasses and a white button-up shirt stands next to an open vehicle door and holds a sign that reads: "OUR MOST IMPORTANT TO DO LIST: ENJOY YOUR LIFE, HELP OTHERS" against a city street backdrop.

Andrew Ashmeade built Tampa’s Jerk Hut into a celebration of Caribbean culture—and he’s looking to expand

He opened the first Jerk Hut on N Nebraska Avenue in 1993, and currently operates four locations between South Tampa and the university area hotspot.

by Emily McLaughlin November 5, 2025November 5, 2025

A close-up shot of a Thanksgiving dinner table, with a large, golden-brown roasted turkey in a copper pan as the centerpiece. The turkey is surrounded by side dishes, including Brussels sprouts and macaroni and cheese, and glasses of red and white wine are placed at various settings on the wooden table.

All the Tampa Bay restaurants offering Thanksgiving specials and takeout orders

Cooking is so chopped. Chopping is so cooked.

by CL Staff November 4, 2025November 9, 2025

Exterior view of a bright yellow and turquoise restaurant building named "JERK HUT," with tall palm trees lining the front patio and a blue sky overhead.

Owner of Tampa restaurant Jerk Hut is collecting items for hurricane-ravaged Jamaican

Andrew Ashmeade joined forces with CANDU and the Caribbean Cultural Association to accept donations at the Jerk Hut location on E Fowler Avenue.

by Chris Young and WMNF News November 3, 2025November 3, 2025

Another Aldi converted from a Winn-Dixie opens in St. Pete next week

The chain is giving away freebies for its opening day.

by Alisha Durosier October 30, 2025October 30, 2025

A low-angle, exterior shot of a two-story restaurant named "Ella's." The building is painted bright red with black trim, and a black metal sign with "Ella's" in a distinctive font juts out from the wall. A dark awning covers a front patio area, which is accessed by stairs and enclosed by a rustic, dark-colored fence. Lush green foliage and trees surround the entrance, and a lit torch-style lamp is visible near the stairs.

A former Tampa chef is saving the recipes of bygone restaurants

Eric Hipol has recreated more than 20 local dishes for his Recipe Preservation Project

by Alisha Durosier October 28, 2025November 3, 2025

Promotional portrait of Hell's Kitchen Season 24 contestant Jada Vidal, wearing a chef coat and smiling.

Tampa Chef Jada Vidal represents Florida on new season of ‘Hell’s Kitchen’

The Chef de Cuisine of new Itameshi restaurant Kinjo is no stranger to national cooking competitions.

by Kyla Fields October 27, 2025October 30, 2025

Where to get National Coffee Day deals around Tampa Bay

Don’t talk to me til I’ve had my free coffee.

by Emily McLaughlin and Selene San Felice September 26, 2025September 27, 2025

Smiling man with a red beard and mustache wears a patterned shirt and sun visor, holding a large green fruit up to the camera. A partly cloudy sky fills the background.

Eric Law is St. Pete’s scrappy, resilient, and indomitable farmer by the interstate

Greens N Things Urban Farm is just one of several farms developed on unused plots of land.

by Arielle Stevenson September 24, 2025September 24, 2025

A low-angle exterior shot of a white building with light blue shutters and a red door. Above the door, the business name "CHEEKY'S" is prominently displayed in a red, textured font, with "Famous Fish & Raw Bar" written beneath it in a lighter blue script. The number "2823" is visible to the left of the door. A black awning or beam runs across the top of the building facade. To the right, green foliage and tree branches are visible against a clear blue sky.

St. Pete seafood restaurant Cheeky’s finally has air conditioning

But when the weather cools down this winter, its open-air dining room will return.

by Kyla Fields September 3, 2025September 5, 2025

Tampa’s Chicago Paulie’s is America’s sixth-best sandwich shop, according to new Yelp list

Tampa’s Gulf Coast Sourdough and Box of Cubans also landed in the top 50.

by Jani Burden July 29, 2025September 1, 2025

Forthcoming tariff on Mexican tomatoes benefits Florida growers

U.S. importers in Arizona and Texas they say the tariffs will result in higher costs for them, leading to higher prices for consumers.

by Mitch Perry and Florida Phoenix July 7, 2025August 25, 2025

Hall of Fame Columbia Restaurant waiter Felipe Núñez returns to Ybor City for 97th birthday

He’ll be joined once again by his wife Carmen and their son.

by Marleigh Brown June 27, 2025August 3, 2025

‘Free food from here would be the best NIL deal in the world’: Bucs rookie Shilo Sanders has deep thoughts about this Tampa restaurant

The sparkling-water-loving football star ordered a little bit of everything and had a four-top table covered in plates at one point

by Jani Burden June 23, 2025August 4, 2025

Tampa shop lands on Yelp list of ‘Top 50 donut shops in the US’

Just three Florida doughnut shops made the cut.

by Ray Roa June 19, 2025August 1, 2025

Meet the Tampa Bay chefs and small business owners keeping the beauty of local cooking classes and workshops alive

Get offline and into the kitchen with these local legends.

by Kyla Fields June 12, 2025August 5, 2025

Monterrey, Mexico native Rene Valenzuela has been teaching cooking classes in Tampa for the past 25 years

Valenzuela grew up in a family of teachers, so classes are integral to his approach to cooking as a whole.

by Kyla Fields June 9, 2025August 5, 2025

Tampa food critic shares their mom’s recipe for Jersey-style Filipino beef caldereta

My mother’s take—as a Filipino woman in suburban South Jersey—usually featured liverwurst from a deli counter.

by Kyla Fields June 9, 2025October 22, 2025

Artisan teahouse Noisy Crane Tea is looking for another Tampa Bay home

The local tea spot was previously located at St. Pete’s In between Days.

by Kyla Fields May 2, 2025July 25, 2025