Best Lunch Pig-Out: Wright’s Gourmet Café 1200 S. Dale Mabry
[map]
813-253-3838
http://www.wrightsgourmet.com
Wright’s sandwiches are plenty good, of course. Tasty, fresh and made to order, but the selection is still much the same as any number of area lunch stops. To qualify as best pig-out, there has to be more than some meat between two pieces of bread and a side of chips. It’s the cake that puts Wright’s over as a lunchtime gorge heaven. Each slice — make that wedge — is a huge honkin’ chunk of dessert bliss. Try the chocolate cake with peanut butter chocolate-chip icing, then spend the afternoon slumped over your desk in post-feast coma. Don’t say we didn’t warn you.
Most Surprisingly Good Buffet: Golden Corral
Most of us go to buffets to, let’s face it, gorge. No matter how much we lecture ourselves not to overindulge, we still do. And most of the time, it’s not because the food is good; we just get caught up in this get-your-money’s-worth frenzy of gluttonous shoveling. Same goes for Golden Corral, but the big difference with this down-home place is that it’s the food that actually keeps pulling us back to the line. The restaurant serves the usual hearty American standards — meatloaf, pot roast, burgers, all kinds of chicken, ribs, pulled pork, along with potatoes, vegetables and other basics — and it’s all uniformly good in that no-frills, home-cookin’ kind of way. Really, surprisingly, good. Oh, and don’t forget this, which may be easier said than done: Leave room for dessert. Various area locations, www.goldencorral.net.
Best Neighborhood Mix: Peg’s Pizza-Cantina
Every neighborhood craves a great pizza joint, an authentic Mexican spot, and a convivial little hole-in-the-wall where the service is warm and the food is fresh. Most places are lucky if they get one of these. Gulfport, lucky Gulfport, has all three. In one restaurant. The menu at Peg’s Pizza-Cantina says everything’s made to order, and you can taste it –- in the creamy guac, the fresh salsa fuega, the extraordinarily tasty (and non-gloppy) burritos mojados, and the homemade pizza dough. Owners Tony Dodson and Peg Wesselink are former Tampa academics who migrated to SUNY-Potsdam, then gave up tenure and long winters to open Peg’s two years ago in a nondescript spot in a Gulfport strip mall. Terra cotta walls, original art, Tony’s experience learning how to cook in Mexico, son Doug’s insistence on exactly the right pizza ingredients, Peg’s genuine warmth…. Eat your heart out, corporate hydra-heads (yes, we mean you TacoBellPizzaHutKFC); this is a combo platter that really works. 5010 Gulfport Blvd. S, Gulfport, (727) 328-2720.
Best Chicken Wings: The Italian Way
This little pizza ’n’ subs delivery joint/sort-of sports bar in St. Pete has quietly become a mainstay with lazy Old Southeast munchers. The pizza is great, and there’s beer on tap for those who want to hang out a bit, but The Italian Way’s secret weapon is its Buffalo wings. Forget the plethora of exotic sauces and heat indexes most chicken wing merchants are offering these days. The Italian Way’s straight-up hot wings are the perfect size (not so big as to raise suspicions of genetic enhancement), the perfect color (that neon orange hardcore wing aficionados recognize as the real deal), and the perfect flavor — namely, HOT, much hotter than most restaurants’ regular “hot” wings, but not quite at the choke-on-snot threshold. Get back to basics, and be more than satisfied. 400 45th Ave. S., St. Petersburg, 727-867-4300, www.theitalianway.com.
Best New Wine Concept: Vino 100
A wine newbie playground, Vino 100 makes it easy to be thirsty. It offers 100 wines under $25, and a “Taste Barometer” that simplifies the choice. The Barometer reports on the characteristics of the juice, with body (light to full) and flavor (sweet to dry), so you can figure out what pleases your palate. The frequent free tastings don’t hurt either. 5056 Fourth Street N., St. Petersburg 727-522-8466. www.vino100tampabay.com.
Best Wine Shop That's Isn't Vintage Wine Cellars: Wine Warehouse 14341 N. Dale Mabry
[map]
813-264-7273
We frickin’ love Jimmy, Michael and David at Vintage Wine Cellars (winners in one wine category or another for five years), but others need love too, so we’re retiring Vintage this year. Homegrown in Florida, the Wine Warehouse is a chain concept that buys its wine in bulk in Jacksonville, then sends it out to the soon-to-be 20 satellite locations around the state. Its prices are consistently lower than many other wine shops, and each location is owner-operated, so the selection varies according to palate. Great prices and great help — we can’t ask for much more.
Best Bloody Mary Bar: Café Alma 260 First Ave. S., Suite 100
[map]
727-502-5002
http://www.cafealma.com
This hip St. Pete day- and nightspot is hands-down the best place to get a little hair of the dog on a late, lazy Saturday morning that’s more like an early Saturday afternoon. They bring you the vodka of your choice iced down in a pint glass, and you make your own medicine from a spread that typically features two very original Bloody Mary mixes (the one made with a splash of Guinness is a widespread favorite), along with everything from Tabasco sauce and horseradish to pickled okra and baby corn. Plus, the brunch menu is uniformly excellent.
» See full Good Eats listing
Upcoming Events at Cafe Alma – John Shannon – Saturdays – Chad Neiro – Wednesdays
Best Morning Muffin: Village Health Market
It’s called Top of the Day, which is apt because after a muffin this good, you may feel like it’s all downhill as far as the rest of the day’s meals are concerned. Crusty on top, moist throughout and chock full of raisins and nuts, it’s way too scrumptious to be believable as health food, but hey, the place is a “Health Market” — it says so on the sign. And if you get there in the morning just after they’ve finished baking, the muffins will be warm. The smell may wake you up all by itself. (And the coffee ain’t bad either.) 3225 S. MacDill Ave., Tampa, 813-831-6065.
Best Morning Muffin (Human): Channel 8’s Denise Moore
Baked flour, sugar and various fruits and nuts are one thing. But the real morning muffin is Denise Moore, the traffic hottie on News Channel 8. There’s nothing like leering at her just as you awake, safe in the knowledge that she’ll protect you from the Howard Frankland Bridge, which is, as always, backed up to Fourth Street N.
Best Alternative to an Egg McMuffin: Baked egg soufflés at Panera
The best thing to happen to fast-food breakfasts since the Heart Attack Eggwich or whatever that gigundo thing is called at Burger King, Panera’s soufflés are savory little pies in three flavors (four cheeses, spinach and artichoke, and the champ: spinach and bacon) that taste like they’re good for you — or at least they taste much better than the stuff that’s bad for you at the other chains. Sure, the name’s a little redundant — soufflés are always baked, and we’re pretty sure they always contain eggs — but hell, they’re great with coffee. Various area locations.
Best Ice Cream: Tanya & Matt’s Ice Creamiest 15742 N. Dale Mabry
[map]
813-963-2766
This ice cream parlor has been scooping its way into the hearts of Bay area folks since the early ’90s, when owners Tanya and Matt Walsh first set up shop in a busy Carrollwood strip mall. With success and a few years, the couple’s business has expanded to include a location in the Westshore Plaza food court, so South Tampans don’t have to drive a half-hour to enjoy a taste of the creamiest, most delicious homemade ice cream in town. From the more popular flavors like Strawberry Cheesecake, Coconut Cream and Swiss Chocolate Almond, to decadent choices ranging from Coffee Liqueur Crunch to Peanut Butter Blast, each velvety indulgence is made fresh within the shop. For those attempting to watch their waistlines and with the willpower to resist the more enticing treats, there’s no fat/no sugar alternatives and gourmet low-fat frozen yogurt.
Best Place to Get Orange Twist Soft Serve: Sun Grove Inc.
Have you ever tasted the sugary purity of sparkling sunshine as it dances in whimsical patterns across the buds of your tongue? No? Here’s what you need to do. Go to the fabled land of Safety Harbor, get on S.R. 580, and keep your eyes peeled for a warehouse disguised as a fruit stand. Go in, put $1.25 down on the counter and say these exact words, “I’ll have an orange twist cone, please.” Take a seat at one of the tables and take a lick. Don’t be surprised if any of the following ensues: a fervent belief in God, undertaking 45-minute drives from across the county for a buck and a quarter soft-serve cone, sleepless nights because the cones doing conga lines in your dreams creep you out. 3393 S.R. 580, Safety Harbor, 727-726-8484.
Best Shake: Snack City 2506 W. Columbus Dr.
[map]
813-872-7502
This West Tampa institution for ice cream and Cuban fare mixes the best shakes in town. Despite news that Snack City may be closing in the near future, for now it maintains its status as one of the best places around for authentic, homemade ice creams and truly delicious malted shakes. In a milkshake taste test for our Summer Guide this year, Snack City rose to the top of the pack for its quality ingredients and malty goodness. Owner and ice cream man extraordinaire Alfredo Naranjo has been whipping up his creations for over 40 years. He’ll personally prepare your shake, and at $1.63, you just can’t beat the price.
Best Cafe con Leche (and Espresso in General): El Molino
For the newcomers: Café con leche is the Spanish version of Café Au Lait, requiring nearly a quarter cup of sugar placed underneath the grounds of a strong, finely ground espresso coffee, then drip-brewed and topped with heated milk. The result is a strong, sweet brew that titillates the senses as much as the brain. And although Tampa has its share of great Cuban cafés offering the drink, the key to any café con leche is the espresso, and no espresso beats El Molino’s. Unlike most of the chain coffee shops in the area, El Molino roasts its beans on premises at the 85-year-old Naviera Coffee Mills, creating a fresh, unique espresso shot with much more kick than anything Starbucks could ever create. 2012 E. Seventh Ave., Ybor City, 800-531-9587, www.elmolinocoffee.com.
Best Empanada: Mr. Empanada
Among the several styles Mr. Empananda serves, we’ll take the traditional, tangy beef, a half-moon of greasy, meaty deliciousness. The shell usually gets juicy from the innards, while still somehow remaining golden brown and crunchy. The best part lies within — the beef is vibrant with spices and pepper, and the inclusion of olive bits is a nod to the cultures that originated this treat.
Best Grouper Variation: Athenian Grouper at Acropolis
If you’ve lived in Tampa Bay for any period of time, the grouper mystique has probably worn thin. Flaky, white, nice. What else ya got? We don’t know exactly what Acropolis does to its Athenian grouper, but the breading is more like a dusting, the flesh is always tender, the seasoning superb. The green pesto sauce completes a sublime dish. There are a couple of nice sides, too, but right at the moment, we can’t recall what they are — the fish is that good. 1833 E. Seventh Ave., Tampa, 813-242-4545, www.acropolistaverna.com.
See full Good Eats listing.
Best Potato Salad: Louis Pappas Market Café
This well-regarded, fast casual Greek restaurant is famed for its high-quality fare, and the Pappas potato salad is no exception. The potatoes are soft and savory, the mayo light, and the ingredients — parsley, onion, and a pinch of salt — balance out the flavor nicely while a splash of red wine vinegar gives it just the right amount of zing. Simply delicious. Various Bay area locations; to find one near you, visit www.louispappas.com.
Best Place to Eat at the Bar: Restaurant BT
The bar in this oasis of chic serenity offers the same precise food, same delicious (if faintly medicinal) martinis, even the same elegant service as the dining room — watch, for instance, the graceful way the barkeep rolls out the bamboo place mats — but the atmosphere is still casual enough for a light meal and a drink. And while you’re sitting there you can make a study of the photos behind the bar — portraits of BT friends and staffers captured in mid-sip by co-owner/ photographer Norman Batley, who’s just as good at shooting people as he is at serving them. 1633 W. Snow Ave. Tampa, 813-831-9254.
Best Local Winery: Florida Orange Groves Winery
The look is decidedly Florida kitsch, loaded with pink flamingos and every wine gadget on the planet. It also maintains the dubious distinction of being the only citrus winery on the planet. But FOGW’s wine made from citrus juice is worth a taste. Get over yourself and try grapefruit, cranberry or strawberry cream sherry. You just might be shocked. We were. 1500 Pasadena Ave. S., St. Petersburg, 800-338-7923, www.floridawine.com.
Hippest Wine Tastings: Tampa Bay Uncorked
Every month, Tampa Bay Uncorked throws down some fun, casual wine dinners, happy hours and tastings for the young professionals crowd. The events are created and hosted by a bunch of dedicated, wine-obsessed volunteers, making their to-dos approachable and cool. Many events benefit local charities, so drink with a guilt-free conscience and enjoy the attractive crowds. www.tampbayuncorked.org.
Best Place to Make a Friend at a Tasting: Charlie’s Wine Cellar
The intimate, smallish space upstairs from this SoHo wine shop entices people to talk with each other. Sit at the bar and get the goods from the wine rep or share a cocktail table and chat up your neighbors. Every Friday, the themed wine tastings make it easy to get your drink on as well as your social. 533 S. Howard Ave. #2, Tampa, 813-250-1967, www.charlieswine.com.
Best Sushi: Jo-To Japanese Restaurant 310 S. Dale Mabry
[map]
813-875-4842
Associated with but still independent of the Jo-To Japanese Steakhouses that are scattered around town, this South Tampa mainstay has stockpiled its own fair share of Weekly Planet Best Of the Bays, attracting the notice of pundits and readers alike by serving consistently superior sushi for more than two decades. Presented on rice, in seaweed-wrapped rolls or as sashimi — without any accompaniment — each piece of Jo-To sushi possesses all the qualities that fresh and well-prepared sushi should: The salmon is firm but melts on your tongue; the tuna is a deep, healthy pink; the octopus is chewy and free of sliminess; and the grilled eel is crispy but tender, its basting sauce delicately sweet. The prices are reasonable (for $16.50, you can enjoy a deluxe sushi dinner complete with soup and salad), the atmosphere is tranquil, the traditional Japanese décor is tasteful and elegant, and the kimono-wearing waitresses are pleasant and courteous at all times. Jo-To unquestionably lives up to its name, which, in Japanese, means “superior” or “the best.”
Best Pricey Mexican: Algusto Tortilla & Salsa 912 W. Kennedy Blvd.
[map]
813-250-3500
As a rule, Mexican restaurants are pretty inexpensive and dining during lunch is an especially good way to get a hearty (and cheap) Mexican meal. But you won’t find these refried value meals at Algusto. In fact, the place doesn’t even have a lunch menu, making its somewhat inflated prices seem even more staggering. For instance, a “farmer style” burrito costs $9.45. The place does boast fresh, quality ingredients (the shredded chicken in the chimichanga is all white meat), and yes, we do admit that each entrée is cooked to perfection. It’s definitely not the place to go if you’re looking for the usual quick, cheap Mexican.
Best Pub to Hate On Out of Reverse Snobery: The Independent 3rd St. N.
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We are so totally hypocritical. We bitch and whine about how people are so arbitrarily judgmental, lumping folks into various pat categories with barely a glance. But we do the same thing. Case in point: the crowd at upscale downtown St. Pete tavern The Independent. We used to go there when it first opened. Then we overheard some idiot hitting on a blonde girl, mispronouncing the names of various imported beers while spouting reams of misinformation about the brewing process, and we decided then and there that we were never going back. We’re sure that plenty of the affluent folks drinking at the Independent and superficially resembling the aforementioned cretin are smart, friendly human beings, and wholly worth knowing. But then again, a lot of them actually refer to themselves as “Indies,” so maybe we’ll just keep on drinking at dive bars, with only our spiteful, deeply contradictory personality to keep us company.
Best Way to Win Friends and Lose Customers at the Same Time: Opening day at Chipotle in SoHo
Chipotle burritos are so good and fresh it’s hard to believe the chain is owned by McDonald’s. But on opening day this summer at the new SoHo branch, management decided to give them away for free — and free-burrito fans poured in at such a rate that anyone in need of faster food eschewed the lines and headed elsewhere. (Evo’s, anyone?) Nowadays the lines are no longer out the door — but the burritos are still good (even if you do have to pay for them). 533 S. Howard Ave., 813-254-6450.
Best Late-Night Gyro: Angie's
There’s not much better than topping off a night of boozing in downtown St. Pete than a trip to Angie’s. This stand next door to Jannus Landing serves up prime drunk fare into the wee hours of the night on weekends. The line might be long and the loiterers sometimes unsavory, but Angie knows how to satisfy your munchies. The limited late-night menu usually consists of French fries, a random assortment of sandwiches and, of course, the famous gyros. Just make sure you don’t spend all your money at the bar, Angie’s is cash only. 200 First Ave. N., St. Petersburg, 727-823-6437.
Best Spanish Grocery: El Grande One Stop Supermarket
El Grande — the “big one” — really says it all. Yeah, this place is big. It also happens that El Grande’s super size is what makes it so great; it has the best variety of imported Spanish food products in the city. The store imports food (including fresh fruits and vegetables) from Peru, Honduras, Puerto Rico and Columbia, just to name a handful. It has a small botanical section for all your effigy-candle and rose-hip-water needs — to, you know, drive the bad spirits away. Maybe even better than the grocery itself is the little cart attached to the building where they fry up Spanish-style steak sandwiches and Churros. A pipin’ hot slab of beef and a sugary stick of fried dough? Doesn’t get much better. 8413 Hanley Road, Tampa, 813-202-8163.
Best Produce Stand: Josh Adams Produce, St. Petersburg
It isn’t much to look at, sort of a covered front porch, but then again, the real test of a produce stand isn’t its aesthetics — it’s the tomatoes. In this regard, Josh Adams Produce is the Taj Mahal. The tomatoes are juicy, acidic and just slightly sweet — and affordable. That’s another selling point for this stand. A recent trip produced a bag of produce that included tomatoes, peaches, baby carrots, romaine lettuce and strawberries — for $6. Bring cash, because that’s all they take. 6681 54th Ave. N., St. Petersburg, 727-548-5926.
Best Wurst: Schiller’s German Delicatessen
We still love this little converted convenience store of a deli tucked into residential South Tampa. The owners, the Trunk family, are as authentic as the food here, with your order often greeted by a thick German accent. Sure, we could rave about the sandwiches, the rye bread that envelops the thin-sliced Westphalian ham. But it is the wurst that is the best. Schiller’s gets them from three suppliers in Long Island, Milwaukee and Chicago: garlic knockwurst, bratwurst, weisswurst (veal and parsley) and German weiners. 4327 El Prado Blvd., Tampa, 813-839-6666.
This article appears in Sep 20-26, 2006.