Diners will find the casual digs of Paramount Lebanese Kitchen, which debuted Nov. 19, at 18089 Highwoods Preserve Parkway near New Tampa. The menu spotlights offerings like shawarma, tabbouleh and create-your-own options that are billed as GMO-free, hormone-free and farm to table, as well as a dessert case. On the drinks end, there are fresh smoothies, juices and fountain drinks to choose from.
Paramount has additional Tampa locations planned for Hyde Park and the USF area.
• Time Space Cafe is highlighting "ice flakes," or shaved ice, at 5321 E. Fowler Ave. The Tampa cafe's desserts come topped with ingredients such as mixed fruit, Oreos and candy. Coffee and tea are on hand, too.
• In Brandon, Black Rock Bar & Grill opened its second outpost locally two weeks or so ago. The spacious eatery at 804 Providence Road showcases its classic lineup of steakhouse signatures, which get served up on a piping hot table-top stone. Everything from New York strip to lobster tails embrace the expanding restaurant brand’s rock-style cooking.
Another growing restaurant chain, the fast-casual Rubio’s Coastal Grill, has followed up the opening of its Tampa restaurant with one in St. Petersburg.
At 2456 Tyrone Blvd. N., the Tyrone Square Mall Rubio’s specializes in responsibly sourced seafood and coastal-influenced Mexican food. Its selection includes chicken tortilla soup, a wild mahi mahi burrito, cheese enchilada plate and beloved fish tacos, whose American phenomenon is credited to the SoCal brand.
• Last month, downtown Tampa saw the launch of SoFresh at 512 N. Franklin St. In addition to its namesake, the health-conscious restaurant’s seasonal kitchen offers made-to-order wraps and bowls.
Salads come packed with greens like spinach, romaine and kale, while bowls highlight zoodles, quinoa and brown rice, among other items. Each are topped with a guest’s choice of sauce and a protein (think organic tofu and flax seed-crusted ahi tuna).
Downtown marks the third Tampa location for the 3-year-old SoFresh, whose tagline is “healthy just got delicious.”
• Just when CL thought Tampa was the only one with stir-fried ice cream, we heard about Mr. Ice Cream. Opened Nov. 1, the Madeira Beach ice cream parlor at 14995 Gulf Blvd. is putting a refreshing twist on traditional beach sweets.
Combos such as key lime pie (graham cracker and lime) and S’mores Galore (marshmallow and chocolate chip) get spread, chopped, smashed, flipped and scraped — Thai-style — on a chilled pan before they’re assembled in Mr. Ice Cream bowls with various toppings, including banana, whipped cream and Fruity Pebbles.
This article appears in Dec 8-15, 2016.