Enough with the butter, enough with the refined sugars, enough with all the saturated fats. The time of festive gluttony has ended (at least for now) and your body is in need of some nourishing fare. Drop that stale snowman-shaped sprinkle cookie (or eat it really quickly) and feed your body something good. Here’s the lowdown on where to score a good-for-you breakfast, second breakfast, lunch, dinner, and more.
BAMBOOZLE CAFÉ AND BAMBOOZLE TEA LOUNGE 516 N. Tampa St., 813-223-7320, 109 N. 12th St. Suite 1101, Tampa, 813-228-7500, bamboozlecafe.com. If you work in downtown Tampa, Bamboozle’s rolls should already be on your radar. The clear rice-paper-wrapped rolls come with rice noodles and your choice of fresh veggies, prawns, lemongrass beef, pork, or grilled chicken. They’re deceptively filling and yet incredibly light. Also, be sure to try both locations’ noodle bowls and fresh salads.
BEIRUT CAFÉ 5281 Park St. N., St Petersburg, 727-541-4488, thebeirutcafe.blogsport.com. Owners Hana Lakkis and Fisal Houssein bring their Lebanese and Syrian foodways to St. Petersburg. It doesn’t get any fresher than homemade taboule, hummus, fatoush, and falafel. The sheer amount of fresh garlic is sure to cleanse your body of any toxins. All the dishes are so light and healthy, it's kind of impossible to overeat fresh parsley, tomatoes, chickpeas and fava beans.
BODEGA ON CENTRAL 1120 Central Ave., St Petersburg, 727-623-0942, bodegaoncentral.com. Yes, Bodega on Central is known for its Miami-Style Cubans but they’ve got an incredible menu of light and fresh fare as well. Look out for their homemade tempeh specials, bean and rice boxes with roasted peppers, and homemade fresh fruit sodas.
BULA KAFÉ 2500 Fifth Ave. N., St. Petersburg, 727-498-8913, bulakava.com. Ever tried kava? Why not take a sip of the potent herbal shot known for its relaxing effects. There’s no better spot to take kava for a test drive than St. Pete’s Bula Kafe.
BUDDY BREW 2020 W. Kennedy Blvd., Tampa, 813-258-2739, buddybrewcoffee.com. Stopping in for a cup of Buddy Brew? Is that stomach grumbling for something more substantial than a croissant? Try Buddy Brew’s eggs and toast, two eggs poached sous vie, served atop a hearty hunk of multigrain bread (with or without hot sauce) for around $4. It’s filling without being harmful and you’ll wonder how they get those eggs so perfectly poached.
CAFÉ HEY 1540 N. Franklin St., Tampa, 813-221-5150, cafehey.com. Café Hey is where punk rock meets home cooking. And when it comes to eating good on the go, it doesn’t get much better than their variety of homemade quiche, soup, sammies, salads and more. Don’t miss vintage soup, day-old soup made from scratch and sold on the cheap (and cold) for busy lunchgoers hungry for a healthy/cheap fix. Keep an eye out for the monthly Omnivore’s Brunch with vegan, veggie, and meaty brunch offerings.
CASA TINA’S MEXICAN RESTAURANT 365 Main St., Dunedin, 727-734-9226, casatinas.com. One of the healthy and fresh staples of downtown Dunedin’s dining scene, Casa Tina’s prides itself on serving up light and healthy cuisine. Try one of the many veggie dishes, homemade soups, salads, and more. The veggie-filled chile rellenos are so good, they’ll make the carnivores jealous.
DUCKWEED URBAN MARKET 803 N. Tampa St., Tampa, 813-221-3825, duckweedurbanmarket.com. Downtown Tampa’s expanded natural and gourmet market is a mecca for à la carte (and healthy) meals and specialty ingredients. Macrobiotic noodle dishes, healthy food for Fido, and a very nice grab-and-go produce section. Stock up on raw nuts, vegan and gluten-free snacks and more.
EVOS 2631 Fourth St. N., St Petersburg, 727-571-3867, evos.com. Before any of the other “healthy” to-go chains, there was Evos. The locally founded company continues to serve up fast food with a conscience. Air-baked fries, hormone-free meat and more.
FITLIFE FOODS 3047 Fourth St. N., St Petersburg, 727-892-2010, eatfitlifefoods.com. Pick up some light and fresh fare to go from Fitlife Foods in St. Petersburg. Get one meal at a time, or pick up several lunches and dinners all at once. Let them take care of the healthy ingredients and recipes, while you sit back and enjoy every bite.
I.C. SHARKS SEAFOOD MARKET 13040 Gandy Blvd. N., St. Petersburg, 727-578-5117, icsharks.com. Good food starts with good ingredients so be sure to stop by I.C. Sharks for fresh and local seafood. Boats are literally pulling up and unloading fresh catches all day long. This is the place to find Florida seafood you can’t find anywhere else.
LEAFY GREENS CAFÉ 1431 Central Ave., St.Petersburg, 727-289-7087, leafygreenscafe.com. Try out the entirely raw vegan menu; what they “cook” up might surprise you. Sample one of the teas or fresh juices. And don’t miss the zucchini sphaghetti and veggie “burger.”
OHANA CAFÉ 306 Orange St. N., Palm Harbor, 727-787-1234, theohanacafe.com. Their site proclaims “healthy fare with island flair.” Ohana Café specializes in serving up hot plates for those with gluten allergies. The gluten-free pancakes, the unicorn of gluten-free fare, are something of a legend for those in the know.
THE REFINERY 5137 N. Florida Ave., Tampa, 813-237-2000, thetamparefinery.com. Some things remain the same on the Refinery’s constantly evolving menu: fresh ingredients and perfect preparation. While the entrees are always stunning, the salads made with locally sourced ingredients constantly catch this writer’s eye. Veggies and salads are often half-assed but not here. The thoughtful preparation and creative combinations will make you sing about spinach like Popeye the Sailor Man.
THE SOCIAL 5226 Fourth St. N., St. Petersburg, 727-525-4589. Known for its craft cocktail menu, you may not know that the Social (formerly World of Beer) has a killer menu of healthy and local dishes. Order up the flatbreads with local sprouts, cheese and balsamic for a delicious and light meal.
Z GRILLE 104 Second St. S., St. Petersburg, 727-822-9600, zgrille.net. Too often, restaurants treat salads as an after-thought. But you’ll find no wilted iceberg side dishes at St. Petersburg’s Z Grille. Lovingly dubbed “roughage,” these salads really are a main event. Try the spinach salad with shaved fennel (who doesn’t love fennel?), manchego, almonds, figs, chorizo and smoked paprika vinaigrette.
This article appears in Jan 1-8, 2014.