The popular Hot Tomato bakery and cafe’s second location has bloomed in Riverview. Started three years ago in Ruskin, Hot Tomato is known for its tomato pie, strawberry shortcake and Cuban sandwich — three eats that don’t particularly go together, but, hey, customers dig ’em.
Next door to Liquor & Cigar, the new outpost at 10451 Gibsonton Drive opened back in December. A dessert display of freshly made goodies is on hand, alongside a hot case featuring Ybor City-style devil crab, potato balls and that oft-ordered tomato pie.
Though sandwiches — the breakfast, cold and warm varieties — are Hot Tomato’s main attraction, the menu also boasts dinner entrees like country fried steak and gravy, salads, soups and loaded fries. A selection of beer and wine helps wash it all down in a casual setting.
• Residents of Riverview are slated to get their first brewery, too. Underway at 11238 Boyette Road, Leaven Brewing plans to debut with a grand opening on March 30. However, soft-launch festivities should take place before that, according to husband-and-wife owners KJ and Jillian Lynch.
KJ has been brewing at Lakeland’s Brew Hub and Fort Myers Brewing Company for the last six years, but he and Jillian are equally passionate about beer.
• On Dec. 15, artisan doughnuts rolled out to the Largo community. South Florida’s Jupiter Donuts — not to be confused with Jupiter Donut Company in Palm Harbor — premiered its first Tampa Bay store at 13002 Seminole Blvd., where doughnut “engineers” work through the night to prepare batches on masterful batches daily.
Chocolate banana, maple bacon, apple fritter, s’mores, powdered jelly, and Kronut (yes, really) are among the gourmet doughnut combos. Other breakfast options include bagels and croissants used for an array of sandwiches, plus coffee.
With six locations spread out across SoFlo, Jupiter Donuts’ latest store is set to open in Boca Raton sometime this year.
• The nostalgia-inducing home cooking of Cello’s Charhouse might be gone. But the former funky home of the downtown Safety Harbor restaurant — which opened its doors at 143 Seventh Ave. N. in 1998 — has a new occupant in Daydreamers Cafe & Grill.
A go-to for breakfast and lunch, Daydreamers is doing grub that’s as relaxed as its surroundings — picture wraps, grouper bites, flatbreads and tacos, to name a few.
The club sandwich (turkey, ham, cherrywood bacon, Swiss, avocado, sundried tomato mayo, pesto mayo, tomatoes and greens on sourdough) is a signature offering, as is the seared grouper and seared salmon served atop colorful salads. There’s even a scrambled eggs and waffle hybrid called the “womelette.”
• Finally (and prepare yourself): Sprouts Farmers Market celebrates its Valrico grand opening at 7 a.m. Feb. 21. Nearby in Brandon, bubble tea and coffee are served up in the cozy digs of Quickly, while Ben’s Family Diner is breathing fresh life into the former home of Ben’s Family Restaurant, a landmark restaurant that was devastated by a fire in 2014. Apollo Beach-based Zpan debuted with a dine-in and takeout lineup of hibachi, sushi and teriyaki dishes. More boba and Vietnamese specialties — including bánh mì and vegan tofu rolls — have hit Pinellas Park thanks to Moonlight Teahouse. Mastry’s Brewing Co. received approval from the city of St. Pete Beach to host food trucks on a regular basis. Opened in 1983, South Tampa institution Pach’s Place is relocating to the Tahitian Inn from 2909 W. Bay to Bay Blvd. And World Liquors says farewell to St. Petersburg after 62 years with a 50 percent off liquidation sale, which began Thursday and is still goin'.
This article appears in Feb 15-22, 2018.