So I'm in town for all of two days and have a couple Tampa Bay Must-Dos to knock off my list. First up? Lunch at Café Con Trey, Kennedy Boulevard's venerable breakfast/sandwich shop. Just down the street from CL's Tampa office, Con Trey dishes up above-average food for below-average prices. But the real draw, the reason the place wins awards, is father-son team Carlos L. Nieves Jr. and Sr. Here's what I wrote about Carlos the Second back in '05:
He's the anti-telemarketer, full of personality and warmer than your grandma. When he asks how you're doing, he genuinely wants to know. When he says good luck, he actually means it.
That's not a knock on my grandma. The guy's just nice. And he and his dad were still nice when I walked in today, even as they talked about closing Con Trey after 18 years.
According to Nieves Sr., the building has been sold and the new owner wants him out. He's looked around for new locations, but rents are too steep, so there are no plans for a Con Trey 2. He's not planning a farewell celebration, either.
"The way it came about," Sr. says, "we're just gonna wave goodbye."
Make sure you grab a Cuban before they do.
This article appears in May 14-20, 2008.