Picasso's Palate, 3430 East Lake Road, East Lake Woodlands Shopping Center) (727-772-0707). This arty cafe serves up eye-opening breakfasts that are worth getting out of bed for seven days a week. Good omelets and eggs Benedict, fresh fruit and yogurt parfaits, or indulgences, like cream cheese and fruit stuffed between slices of French toast. $
St. Larry's, 34980 U.S. 19 (727-786-0077). St. Larry's feels like a chummy private club, with small, intimate dining spaces, a great bar and plenty of hobnobbing among the patrons, but don't worry; they'll be only too glad to have you join the fun. An eclectic menu that changes daily can offer anything from smoked lobster egg roll with fresh blueberry sauce to angus filet sauteed with cultivated and wild mushrooms in a brandy brown sauce and topped with Maytag Blue Cheese. Fish lovers can look for dry-packed scallops and large shrimp sauteed in a rich Asiago cream sauce or authentic Maryland crab cakes. The extensive bar offers a great wine list and a huge collection of single malt scotch. $$
A Taste Of Tokyo Sushi and Yakitori Bar, 3428 Tampa Road (State Road 584) in The Village at Lake St. George (727-787-6235). Closed Monday. Like a visit to Japan. If you've never tried sushi before, this is the place to start. Superior sushi bar, yakitori bar, old faves like tempura, new faves like gyoza, pan-fried Japanese dumplings. $
Pinellas Park
Athenian's Famous Gyros and Chicken, 5320 Park Blvd. N. (727-544-5740). This longtime favorite serves up meal-size sandwiches of fluffy pita bread folded over a fragrant mound of spiced, grilled meat, onions, tomatoes and tzatziki, a cooling sauce made of non fat yogurt and cucumbers. Great grilled chicken, too, and all at bargain prices. $
Cajun Cafe, 8285 Park Blvd. (727-546-6732). Drive past Wagon Wheel Flea Market and pull off onto the dirt road where Cajun Cafe sits on a backwater bayou. There you will find tattooed men and darlin' women playing zydeco tunes on the jukebox and washing down fiery gumbo or jambalaya with Dixie beer. Don't miss the searing barbecue shrimp or the crawfish cornbread, full of fire and mudbugs. Good po-boy sandwiches, gator bites and boudin sausage served with beans and rice. $$
Hickory Smoke House Barbecue, 6769 34th St. N. (727-526-8072). A mainstay for decades, this popular barbecue restaurant serves up succulent pork, chicken and beef entrees with all the fixings. Baked beans are a local favorite, and the chunky pork sandwiches should not be overlooked. Sampler platters are the best meal deals. Breakfast, lunch and dinner. $$
La Teresita Restaurant, 7101 66th St. (727-447-4240). Stepchild of Tampa's famous eatery since 1976, this local Cuban coffee and sandwich shop features quick meals at rock bottom prices. There's the requisite Cuban sandwich and plenty of classic dishes, like picadillo, roast pork, Russian trout and liver done Italian style; all for under a fiver. $$
Regina's Philippine Cuisine, 9727 66th St. N. (727-544-6182). Ever tried this flavorful cuisine? If not, you're in for a culinary awakening. There are plenty of daily specials made with fresh, crunchy veggies and perfectly cooked noodles. A range of sweet, sour, salty, etc. Cash only. $$
Safety Harbor
Safety Harbor Resort Cafe, 105 N. Bayshore Drive (727-726-1161). If you think eating healthy means giving up delicious flavor, then you need to try the spa meals at this renowned resort. The casual cafe offers imaginative appetizers, like grilled portobello mushroom with candied figs and Maytag bleu cheese drizzled with aged balsamic vinegar or try pan-fried lump crab cakes with mango and scotch bonnet aioli garnished with carrot hair and frizzled leeks. Dinners range from guava-glazed and grilled duck breast served with sweet potato pancakes and sauteed greens with chili-vinegar drizzle to a rich seafood bouillabaisse seasoned with allspice and sherry. Lunch entrees 7.50-$9.95, dinners $11.50-$16.50. $$
St. Petersburg
Central St. Pete/Tyrone
Ajanta Indian Cuisine, 5005 34 St. N., inside Mirage Hotel (727-525-1181). Once upon a time, you had to drive to the far side of Tampa to taste the savory, seductive flavors of Indian cuisine, but no more. Ajanta serves up a fine feast of dishes that celebrate the Indian tradition of using a large variety of very fresh spices to turn foods as simple as lentils or potatoes into surprisingly sophisticated dishes. Be sure and try tandoori chicken, or jinga masala, shrimps bathed in a subtly spicy sauce. Check out daily lunch specials and the Sunday buffet. $$
Athenian Gardens, 6940 22nd Ave. N. (727-345-7040). You probably can't get more delicious family-style Greek food at affordable prices without driving to Tarpon Springs. This is the exception. Swift, efficient service and tasty food. The hefty gyros sandwich is a feast. Full dinner menu. $
