Open for about a month, Fuku Japanese Cafe is a newcomer to downtown Clearwater. The restaurant, located at 530 Cleveland St., has a simple, lovely interior that highlights a sushi bar, Edison bulb light fixtures and Japanese artwork, including a piece that reads, "You can't make everyone happy. You aren't sushi."
The menu offers bento box, sushi and noodle lunch specials, nigiri and sashimi, appetizers, and main courses like saba yaki, barbecue Japanese mackerel with rice. There's also ramen, an item that Tampa Bay's dining scene has started to see more of.
In Dunedin, a spot called Umai Japanese Cuisine is serving up reasonably priced sushi as well as hibachi dishes. The restaurant at 2632 Bayshore Blvd., near the start of the Dunedin Causeway, features a large dining room with a black and red decor theme. Wine and beer are available, too.
• Alma Llanera Venezuelan Food is the region's latest answer to homestyle tastes from Venezuela. At 6571 102nd Ave. N., a grand opening for the casual Pinellas Park restaurant was held in November, and its lineup lists staples such as arepas, cachapas (corn pancakes), tequeños (fried, cheese-filled appetizers), asado negro and mondongo (tripe soup).
• Downtown St. Pete's Vom Fass, a specialty retail chain that carries gourmet ingredients, debuted at 300 Beach Drive NE in November as well. A selection of oils, vinegars, spirits, wine and liqueurs are on hand, and patrons may sample products while shopping.
With a nationwide reach, the Vom Fass brand has five other Florida franchises in Winter Garden, Sarasota, The Villages, Naples and Boca Raton.
• Ice cream, shakes, smoothies and more are now churning out of Martha's Family Restaurant. The Seffner eatery at 12019 U.S. Highway 92 recently expanded into the former home of a vape shop next door.
The additional space has allowed for more restaurant seating, and other nostalgic sweets — think chocolate-dipped coconut patties, rock candy and Olde Brooklyn sodas — are also available for purchase.
• In case you missed it, Riverview's Boca Kitchen Bar and Market (11206 Sullivan St.) and Jimmy Hula's in Brandon (312 E. Brandon Blvd.) have opened their doors. Earlier this month, Urban Brew and BBQ, which operates at 1939 Central Ave. in downtown St. Pete, announced that its moving into the neighboring space at 1937 Central Ave.
This article appears in Jan 14-20, 2016.