An American izakaya is breathing new life into a Hyde Park storefront.

Noble Rice, billed as “American-inspired Japanese comfort food,” opened about two weeks ago at 807 W. Platt St. CL reported on the soon-to-open Buya, another izakaya concept coming to St. Petersburg, on July 8, and Noble Rice will be the first of its kind for Tampa.

Chef and owner Eric Fralick has translated his memories of time spent at neighborhood pubs in Japan into approachable eats like sushi, four kinds of ramen and six variations on yakitori (avocado, chicken heart and pork belly among them).

The menu also offers small plates (think sake steamed clams or tempura shishito peppers), gyoza for meat eaters and vegheads, steamed buns, and specialties that include sweet-and-sticky General Tso’s Noble Wings, beer-braised Brussels sprouts and a signature fried chicken sandwich with habanero pineapple jam.

“Across cultures the one element that remains constant is that food holds a powerful nostalgia for all of us,” Fralick writes on the Noble Rice website. “This is what I wanted Noble Rice to be.”

• At 500 16th St. S., The Fantastic Crab Shack now specializes in fresh seafood, everything from blue crab to mussels, in St. Pete.

Patrons may enjoy made-to-order plates such as shrimp trays with butter-garlic sauce and potatoes, hard-boiled Alaskan snow crab and gumbo trays in a relaxing environment, or purchase items to cook at home themselves. Daily specials highlight deals like buy a dozen blue crabs, get a dozen at half price.

• Miss Hazel’s Kitchen, offering dine-in or takeout, has been cooking authentic Jamaican cuisine in Safety Harbor since before July 4.

Inside, the 603 Elm St. space has a home-style, casual feel, which fits Miss Hazel’s hefty portions of staples like curry chicken, jerk pork, ox tails and steamed fish. The proteins accompany your choice of one side (including rice and peas, yams or sweet plantains), and there’s a selection of soups and salads, snacks, desserts and specialty drinks (carrot juice, anyone?) as well.

• Mediterranean delicacies await at Tampa’s recently launched Gyro Zone. Next to Paddywagon Irish Pub, the restaurant made its way to 2709 University Square Drive five weeks or so ago. Its menu offers hummus shawarma, grape leaves, tabbouleh and kibbe balls, plus meat-heavy pita wraps (though a veg-friendly falafel option is listed), dinners driven by kebabs and platters, and seafood items like basil butter prawns for patrons to enjoy in a casual setting.

• Grassroots Kava House, a kava bar meets coffee house at 957 Central Ave., is headed for St. Pete’s booming EDGE District. At 17677 N. Dale Mabry Highway, Umami Sushi has opened with sushi bar favorites and cooked entrees in Lutz. Bollywood Spice Indian Cuisine is heating up Clearwater at 25000 U.S. Highway 19 N. Tarpon Springs has gained a fresh dining spot at 900 N. Pinellas Ave. for steak and seafood in Eliza. A second location for St. Pete’s Brewburgers is making progress at 5861 54th Ave. N. for its tentative Aug. 7 opening in Kenneth City. And those looking for a different kind of coffee shop experience: check out The Bikery — which is, yes, part bike shop — in St. Pete at 2222 First Ave. S.