Expecting this issue to be driven by butt-ass nakedness captured through iPhones in good taste? Gotcha!

The CL editorial staff and I have honed in on another variety of noodz for our annual Food Issue — as in, like, the edible kind (though how y’all choose to consume your actual noodz is none of my business) served up at the innumerable amount of great restaurants we’re lucky enough to patronize across Tampa Bay.

Throughout these pages, you’ll discover 16 delicious, unforgettable dining spots worth hitting up the next time you get a hankering for Asian noodles or Italian pastas — the two categories we decided first come to mind when you hear the words “Tasteful Noodz” — plus four indescribable joints in a class of their own. Think of the last quartet as little side trips that’re not to be missed during whatever pasta and noodz adventure you intend to embark on, especially if you’re vegan or abstain from consuming gluten.

I also reminisce, thanks to Mom, about the nostalgic noodz I grew up eating; A&E Editor Cathy Salustri explores why wheat matters when it comes to noodles and pasta, then breaks down how she does noodz — celiac-style; Music Editor Ray Roa takes a trip down memory lane with his ma, too, by whipping up a classic Filipino seafood pasta; and Edior-in-Chief Scott Harrell gives you a rundown on our favorite local restaurants that send noodz.

You can snag a copy of the Food Issue during Meet the Chefs, the yearly kickoff to CL’s Restaurant Week. The culinary celebration goes down June 14 at The Vault.

Now, go twirl and slurp away. —Meaghan Habuda

This article appears in Jun 14-21, 2018.