Seafood rules inside Tampa's Frankie's Lobstah Trap, which recently launched at 2223 N. Westshore Blvd. The raw bar and grill is the latest restaurant addition for International Plaza and Bay Street, where coming-soon banners and construction noises from Rocco's Tacos & Tequila Bar, next-door neighbors with Doc B's Fresh Kitchen, can be seen and heard.
Of course, Frankie's features crowd-pleasing selections for seafood lovers — steamers, pan-seared crab cakes and snapper Francese among them, plus lobstah-inflected selections like lobster fried rice and the traditional Maine lobster roll. But there are also some dishes that forego the ocean's bounty, including the signature Cuban quesadilla, short rib burger and citrus-marinated charbroiled airline chicken.
If you're thirsty for booze, choose from classic cocktails, wine and beer in bottles and cans.
• Looking for quick eats in Hyde Park? Get a taste of Don Rigatoni (I love this name), an express pasta bar that made its June 12 debut in a small plaza at 219 S. Packwood Ave.
Spotlighting create-your-own pasta dishes, the speedy eatery's bill of fare — driven by recipes from Italy's southern Puglia region — lists 20 kinds of artisan noodles, house-made sauces and several accompaniments, including grilled chicken, roasted veggies and spicy sausage. Salads, soup and desserts are on hand, too, for those who decide to sit and enjoy, or get their orders to go.
• Last month, Westchase's Nabruzzi Trattoria rebranded as Enzo's Pizzeria & Pasta, with a focus on New York Italian cuisine. The family-friendly restaurant highlights everything from various pastas and chicken Siciliani to thin-crust pies at 11653 Countryway Blvd. Nabruzzi Trattoria's original location in Lutz remains open.
• Sofry Chicken, whose tagline is "Southern Hospitality in Every Bite," has brought its Southern-style fried chicken to South Tampa. The restaurant at 3336 S. Dale Mabry Highway does fried and grilled chicken sandwiches, sides such as coleslaw and deep-fried mac 'n' cheese, and "snacks" like two pieces of white or dark meat served with your choice of side.
There's also a lineup of chicken-only menu offerings, including four- and eight-piece orders, plus pieces like wings, legs and thighs that come a la carte.
• Tampa folks can now get their Puerto Rican fix at the newly opened Nilsa's. Near Busch Gardens at 9002 N. 40th St., the Puerto Rican bistro spotlights pasteles (a beloved dish similar to tamales), tostones, arroz con gandules y pernil (rice with pigeon peas and pork shoulder), mofongo and house-made flan, among other items, on its menu, alongside daily specials and the Puerto Rican soda Coco Rico.
This article appears in Jun 22-29, 2017.