The Simple Greek, ICYMI, made its debut to Tampa in February. The Carrollwood restaurant at 12908 N. Dale Mabry Highway is part of the larger franchise focused on build-your-own bowls and pitas (plus Greek yogurts and salads), which has a similar assembly line-style process as its fast-casual counterparts.
Patrons choose from bases, proteins, toppings, sauces and “imported finishes” like sea salt and olive oil to create their ideal no-frills meals, which can be enjoyed inside or out. The restaurant’s new outdoor seating area, added last month, also welcomes four-legged friends. Additional Simple Greeks are headed for St. Petersburg (330 Third St. S.) and Clearwater (to be announced).
• Previously Gengiz Khan Turkish Grill, Bayshore Mediterranean Grill opened its doors April 25. The South Tampa Turkish restaurant, newly remodeled and located at 6102 S. MacDill Ave., serves a lineup of hot and cold starters, kebabs, wraps and sandwiches (think chicken gyro and falafel), and entrees that include oven-baked moussaka and chicken sauté. There are even a few pastas for the less-adventurous diner in your group.
• Vuelo Mexican Grill and Original Brooklyn Water Bagel Co. have joined the region’s other recently shuttered restaurants. The South Tampa location for Brooklyn Water Bagel opened at 111 S. Dale Mabry Highway a little over a year ago, while Vuelo — specializing in a menu of “classic Mexican with Latin/South American flavors and twists” created by James Beard Award semifinalist and chef Mark Estee — debuted to New Tampa back in October.
“Vuelo is closed, effective 5/8/17,” reads a Facebook post from the Mexican restaurant on Monday. “Thank you for your patronage.”
https://www.facebook.com/VueloMexicanGrill/posts/1109920079111807:0
• The Clearwater restaurant space once home to Cafe Milano is now Pisa Pasta Healthy Ristorante Italiano. Casual with tables dressed in white tablecloths, Pisa Pasta offers gluten-free, vegan and vegetarian alternatives for most of the regular menu items (that includes pizza and pasta, folks) at 105 N. Fort Harrison Ave.
Among the lunch and dinner plates, which are made with organic ingredients whenever possible: hearty salads, pasta favorites like potato gnocchi, personal-size specialty pizzas, and desserts like pound cake tiramisu.
• Bakery Mélange closed in December, but a new Tampa bakery called Sweet Magnolia launched in its place — at last — on April 11. Pastries and desserts made fresh daily are showcased inside Sweet Magnolia Bakery, part of Westchase’s West Park Village Shops at 10112 Montague St. There’s a varied selection of everything from a raspberry cigar and assorted cake bites to butterscotch blondies and a key lime bar.
Other April openings include Tampa’s Dolce Enigma, Thai-Viet fusion restaurant Singha in Temple Terrace, and Largo’s Saigon Cafe, a family-run Vietnamese spot.
This article appears in May 4-11, 2017.
