Tampa — Ybor City
Carlino's, 1915 14th St., Ybor City (813-241-4646). Adult dining does exist in Ybor. You'll find it at Carlino's, tucked away inside the restored Don Vicente de Ybor Historic Inn. Chef John Eric Kern tempts mature taste buds with fully defined flavors in dishes like pan-seared Chilean sea bass with creamy mushroom risotto, chestnut-crusted rack of lamb and filet au poivre with foie gras. An excellent wine list offers an array of choices for first-rate food and wine pairings. $$$
Cafe Creole, 1330 Ninth Ave. E. (813-247-6283). If you're into Cajun or Creole cuisine, this is perhaps the very best Tampa has to offer. Whether it's Andouille sausage or one of the best etouffees and gumbos in town, you can find it at this popular spot in Ybor. Great bar and lots of fun to boot. Louisiana oysters and crawfish are among the very best. $$
Ovo Cafe, 1901 E. Seventh Ave. (813-248-6979). Dessert waffles, salads and pierogi are best bets, but don't pass up the savory soups and smoked Gouda sandwich. Have an espresso or cappuccino to top it all off before grabbin' that late night stogie and scotch. $$
Sushi on Seventh, 1919 E. Seventh Ave. (813-247-8744). Leave the tatami mats at home. There's nothing traditional about the neon atmosphere of this Ybor City sushi bar. Browse through a large menu of sushi rolls with names like Screaming Orgasm, salmon rolled in seaweed with shrimp, crab, cream cheese, asparagus, avocado, scallions and smelt roe, topped with Japanese mayo and baked or try the Tampa roll, breaded grouper, cucumber and spicy mayo rolled in seaweed, topped with smelt roe and sesame seeds. $$
Tampa Bay Brewing Co., 1812 N. 15th St. (813-247-1422). One of the best microbreweries in the Tampa Bay area is also one of the best restaurants. Choose from good-quality pub grub like huge sandwiches or crusty pizzas (there's ale in the dough). For dinner entrees, choose from regular menu offerings like savory roasted prime rib, shrimp pasta with Creole seasonings and bronzed salmon flavored with ale or explore the daily specials for beer-infused New American cuisine like duck breast risotto with a sauce of cask stout-balsamic reduction. Sandwiches range from $5.95 to $7.95. Entrees range from $6.95 to $15.95. Open seven days a week. $$
PINELLAS
Clearwater
Bunny Hop Cafe & Nature's Food Patch, 1225 Cleveland St. (727-443-6703). If you're craving fresh, healthy foods, try this combination of natural foods market, deli and cafe. Graze at the 50-item salad bar, order a sandwich on fresh-baked bread or a smoothie made with just-squeezed juices, or pick from the deli's huge selection of good, and good-for-you foods to go. Choose individual entrees like fresh sushi, tofu "egg" salad sandwiches and free-range turkey breast sandwiches, or complete dinners like teriyaki tofu with brown rice and mixed veggies, or lentil loaf with mushroom gravy, garlic mashed potatoes and mixed veggies. Complete dinners average $5 to $6. $$
Caramba's Restaurante Mexicano, 1842 Drew St. (727-446-7469). There's a new menu and it's better than ever. This former Best of the Bay recipient features Mexican cuisine at its authentic best. On arrival, one should immediately turn to the pescados y mariscos portion of the menu and order one or more of their awesome fresh fish creations. Grouper a la Veracruzano, a traditional favorite, is done in true Mexican style. $$
Jillian's Bistro & Piano Bar, 13575 58th St. N., in the Icot Center Summit Building (727-538-7776). You work hard. Reward yourself at Jillian's, where diners are spoiled with rich, intensely-flavored cuisine served in casually elegant, but romantically delicious surroundings. Must-haves are the Bay area's best filet mignon, crispy, spicy Szechwan duck and herb-rubbed rack of lamb, or you can just make a meal from fabulous appetizers, like venison tenderloin, sealed seared scallops, or tuna carpaccio. $$$
North Clearwater/Countryside
Sukhothai, 2569 Countryside Blvd. #3 (727-724-2995). Thai dishes and an elegant Eastern ambiance combine to create a romantic adventure. A class operation. $$
Travis Bistro, 28530 U.S. 19 N. , 1.2 miles south of Curlew Road (727-712-9101). Travis is an elegant little oasis amid the nightmare traffic of U.S. 19, where Robert Masson, one of the Bay area's best chefs, presents a menu filled with dishes that will lure you back again and again. Beef lovers will be smitten with the succulent filet mignon stuffed with crab meat and Saga blue cheese, for $22.95, while seafood lovers will swoon over the award winning seafood lasagna, blending spinach pasta, shrimp, scallops and crab meat stuffing with four cheeses and tomato butter sauce for $18.95. Not enough? Try lamb, chicken, quail and venison. $$
