The recent demise of late-night favorite Mema's Alaskan Tacos in Ybor prompted us to wax poetic — and then got us thinking about other late, mostly lamented eateries deserving of commemoration.
Mema's Alaskan Tacos
Deep fried meat pucks
Beloved by Ybor drunks.
Alaskan tacos, they claimed.
This week, only an empty building remained.
Chateau France
Chic and beloved, Chateau France craved attention,
But Carrollwood and Tampa rejected its Gallic pretension.
In St. Pete, its demise was announced,
But it rose again, defeat averted.
Until this year, a sign. Closed again. Merde.
Streetcar Charlie's
A raucous restaurant when it opened
Until the owners' debt deepened.
GaYbor's glamour reduced by one,
Middling restaurant amidst all the fun.
Now, lunch fans have a place to hang their hat
Thanks to Ybor's Italian pussycat.
Baywalk
It offered downtown St. Pete a shining light,
Movies, restaurants and shops galore,
Plenty of parking in the city core,
An upscale destination, its future bright.
Then came surly youths, a shooting, a fight.
Customers and politicos flipped their lids.
If it weren't for those meddling kids,
Baywalk shops wouldn't be closed tonight. Right.
Savannah's
Today we remember dear departed Savannah's
Whose Southern food won hosannahs.
The boneless fried chicken was hearty
But the crowds of diners were tardy.
So say farewell; it's just good mannahs.
La Fogata Churrascaria
Modern and bold, with rotisseried meat,
Hated by locals, it wouldn't retreat.
Fogata survived the Gulfport grumbling
Until $50 dinners left restaurants crumbling.
Oldsmar Tap House
A temple to the golden brew, with a mighty pour,
But even craft beers succumb to chain restaurants' roar.
When Falso announced last call,
Beer geeks wept for a fine beer hall.
Banyan Coffee
On wood benches here
Bagel and coffee in hand
St. Pete passes by
This article appears in Oct 20-26, 2011.