BEST UNOFFICIAL LIVE MUSIC SERIES/BASIC GOOD TIME
Weekends at Pipo's

More than one person will tell you that the building housing Pipo's Latin Café is cursed. Many a good restaurant has come and gone on the corner where Pipo's now stands (remember Mojo?), at one end of the block of family-run stores and restaurants that dot Davis Islands' "business district." The location's string of bad luck may have finally been broken, though, because it looks like Pipo's is here to stay. Good vibes and even better, cheap food are behind the success, of course, but an even bigger reason might just be the extraordinary live music happenings that take place each weekend in the restaurant's courtyard. Every Friday and Saturday night, Pipo's transforms sleepy Davis Islands into Party Central, Havana-style, when a Cuban charenga band takes to the stage and performs from dusk till whenever for throngs of appreciative al fresco diners. The sangria flows, the band sizzles, and the regulars jam the tiny dance floor, making their hips do all sorts of inexplicable things in time to the music's slow burn. Gringos tend to account for a slightly heftier portion of the Friday evening audience, while Saturday crowds often have a more authentically Cubano feel, but there really are no rules here. Come with an appetite, check your inhibitions at the door and prepare to have fun.

Pipo's Latin Café, 238 Davis Blvd E., Davis Islands, 813-258-8100.

BEST CHEAP, SEMI-SOPHISTICATED DATE
Maxtini

It's funny how different a place can look when the sun goes down — especially a place as well behaved as the Museum of Science and Industry. But when the lights dim and you've got a martini glass in your hand, watch out. Nighttime is the right time at MOSI, at least on Fridays, when the museum lets loose with its Maxtini events. The museum does its best Jekyll-Hyde impersonation during these soirees, transforming from mild-mannered temple of education into a highly animated party animal. The museum's second floor concession area becomes your own private nightclub, complete with a bartender in mandatory chic black cocktail dress mixing up the martinis, and a pianist tinkling away in the background. A surprisingly sophisticated crowd (barely a single pair of shorts among them) grazes on perfectly grilled legumes and other groovy snacks. Ten bucks gets you dinner (you can make a meal of the bountiful appetizers or pay to order a la carte off the menu) and a sneak peak at an upcoming IMAX movie. The drinks are extra but the overall experience, surprisingly enough, is priceless. The Maxtini evenings are currently on hiatus, but MOSI expects the series to be up and running again shortly.

Museum of Science and Industry, 4801 E. Fowler, 813-987-6300 or www.mosi.org.

BEST SECRET BEACH
The little stretch of beach between Peter Knight airport and Davis Islands Yacht Club

It's not exactly the white sands of Jamaica's Negril, or even the miles and miles of fun and sun available on the shores of Clearwater, but my favorite beach beats both of them on several fronts. Unlike Negril, this is not the sort of place where someone will be constantly trying to sell you a hand-woven basket or some ganja. And unlike Clearwater Beach, the little stretch of sand and surf hidden away at the very tip of Davis Islands offers that rarest of commodities in today's world — privacy. Despite the well-populated, fenced-in dog park just across the road, I can't recall ever sharing beach space with more people than I could count on one hand. There are no showers or any other sorts of facilities around, but don't let that hold you back. Just bring your own supplies, a couple of towels, and an extra change of clothes. The view is great, the sand is fine, and the water clean and warm enough for summer swimming. My 4-year-old jumps in every chance he gets, and will probably never forgive me for getting the word out on this place.

BEST PLACE TO PICK UP ALL MANNER OF ASIAN EXOTICA
Oceanic Oriental Supermarket

I love Oceanic Supermarket. Part of the reason I love it is simple nostalgia, I suppose, since it reminds me of the bustling ethnic shops I frequented once upon a time in New York and, before that, in San Francisco. Mostly, though, I love Oceanic because it offers me things I want that are simply unavailable anywhere else in this area. And because it rarely fails to surprise me with at least one thing that I never even knew existed, but suddenly find I just can't live without. The store's movie selection was what first hooked me — a sprawling collection of mostly Hong Kong-manufactured DVDs and videos for sale or rent — but I gradually came to depend upon the fresher-than-fresh seafood and the curious Chinese produce, of which bok choy is only the beginning. From there it was only a short step to becoming addicted to the tasty dumplings, Day-Glo red ducks and other quick-fix readymade treats, as well as the countless cans and packets of mysterious items that mix sweet and savory in all sorts of unexpected ways. Oceanic has expanded over the years, and now includes a series of back rooms stocking everything from elaborate Asian art, to home furnishings to those cool little Chinese slippers that look great but wear out after they've been worn a half dozen times. Don't forget to rub the belly of the big golden Buddha on the way in or out, for luck.

Oceanic Oriental Supermarket, 1609 N. Tampa St., Tampa, 813-228-8110.

BEST PLACE TO GET WILD
Castellano & Pizzo

If you're really looking to get wild — wild game, that is, as in ducks, pheasant, venison, wild boar — you'll want to begin and probably end your search at Castellano & Pizzo. This funky but smoothly functioning Italian deli offers a staggering selection of homemade and imported foods, all of it fresh and all of it excellent. There are pastas and salads, fresh sardines and anchovies, olives of all types, small, tasty artichokes direct from Italy, various grades of prosciutto (the Italian and Spanish varieties are like night and day), and more good, sturdy sheep-milk cheeses than you probably knew existed. Best of all, Castellano & Pizzo almost always has all sorts of game items on hand to satisfy those special hungers, like when you're in exactly the mood for some nice, grilled quail or a rabbit in mustard sauce, and nothing else will do. The place is as authentic as they come, offering gourmet and specialty items at reasonable prices and in an unpretentious, down-home setting that's worlds away from a yuppie food boutique. For lovers of the dark, rich, meaty bounty of the forest, this is pretty much the only game in town. (Sorry, couldn't help myself.)

Castellano & Pizzo, 4200 Henderson Blvd., Tampa, 813-289-5275 or www.tampasgourmet.com.

BEST (NON-CHAIN) RESTAURANT FOR KIDS
Viva La Frida Café y Galeria

Angelica Diaz's culinary haven for the hip and the hungry might be the last place you'd expect a little kid to love, but nothing could be further from the truth. The ever evolving art jammed on the walls and in every nook and cranny of the café is usually heavy on the Day of the Dead imagery, and after all, what self-respecting 4-year-old doesn't revere spooks and ghastliness above all other things? (Lord knows, mine does.) There's always something interesting to check out at Frida's (although some of the art objects are fragile or otherwise un-kid-friendly, so watch those little hands). And if your young one's attention span is especially gnat-like, you can also hit up Alegra, Angelica's young daughter and resident troubleshooter, to do some on-site babysitting while you pretend to be a nonfrazzled parent for a few minutes (just remember to tip her). The restaurant's chips are just as addictive for kids as they are for adults, by the way, and Frida's is now offering a Sunday brunch, complete with face painting, storytelling and other entertainment specifically designed for the young and, as they say, the young at heart. Runner Up: Old Meeting House.

Viva La Frida Café y Galeria, 5901 N. Florida Ave., Tampa, 813-231-9199.

This article appears in Sep 25 – Oct 1, 2003.