Dining Guide
A selective guide to restaurants around the Bay, encapsulated from previous reviews by TBI dining editor Julie W. Martin.
ST. PETE BEACH
Fetishes
Those familiar with Fetishes' award-winning fare know to look beyond its storefront exterior and think fabulous food instead. Owner Bruce Caplan has created an intimate setting offering a well-crafted range of epicurean treats, from goose liver pâté to almond-crusted lobster. A consecutive four-time recipient of Wine Spectator magazine's Award of Excellence, the restaurant’s wine offerings are equally notable. 6690 Gulf Boulevard, 727-363-3700
Snapper Sea Grill
Savvy metro diners will appreciate the fusion-flair cuisine, while the most sentimental Florida visitor will be gratified with seemingly greaseless battered shrimp, oysters, haddock and clam strips for a meal reminiscent of the old Madeira Beach days. 5895 Gulf Boulevard, St. Pete Beach, 727-367-3350
Don CeSar's Maritana Grille
Cheese presentations have become a rarity in Florida, and the Maritana is one of the few restaurants offering some unique choices. For a totally indulgent finish (or beginning), give the Chef's International Cheese Tasting a try. The Don CeSar Resort & Spa, 3400 Gulf Boulevard, St. Pete Beach, 727-360-1881
CLEARWATER BEACH
Bua Luang Thai
Inside Bua Luang Thai’s menu are choices that will make any Thai food enthusiast swoon, including 13 appetizers, nine soups, noodles galore, squid, frog legs and sea scallops prepared six different ways. In true Thai tradition, all the ingredients are fresh and vibrant, the herbs aromatic, the presentation pure Technicolor. 608 Mandalay Boulevard, Clearwater Beach, 727-443-4801
Kiku Japanese Restaurant
Forget all-you-can eat buffets of pre-cooked tempura and teriyaki dishes. Chef Daniel Chong’s innovative offerings promise a refreshing mind-changing authenticity to the American palate. Seasonal, market-priced omakase (chef's choice) gives adventuresome gourmands captivating combinations of fresh sushi. 483 Mandalay Avenue, Clearwater Beach, 727-461-2633
Rusty’s Bistro
Much more than a respectable-only-on-vacation eatery, thanks in part to Executive Chef John Harris, who diligently works to create some of the most sophisticated eating in the Bay area. Harris also offers a nightly soufflé that’s worth the drive to the beach. 1160 Gulf Boulevard, Clearwater Beach, 727-593-6000 ext. 7001
TIERRA VERDE
Crazy Conch Café
Chef and owner Michael Peel’s menu is dedicated to culinary influences found along the Gulf coast. Terra-cotta tile, white tablecloths, black chairs and a shiny copper-topped bar add polish to this nine-table eatery within a glimpse of Pass-a-Grille channel. 1110 Pinellas Bayway South, Tierra Verde, 727-865-0633
NORTH TAMPA
Michael’s Grill
Irish Chef Michael Reilly prepares authentic Italian and French cuisine in a pleasant neighborhood pub atmosphere where regulars act like good friends. Reilly's eclectic menu of Wasabi-Crusted Tuna and pasta namesake Seafood Michael keep them coming back. 11720 North Dale Mabry Highway, Tampa, 813-964-8334
Splash! An Ocean Grill
Splash exclaims its enthusiasm for fresh fish with a menu overflowing with seafood choices. Once inside, Splash's color scheme submits a blue iridescence over the dining and bar area, which sits like an island in a sea of white-clothed tables. 3973 Van Dyke Road, Lutz, 813-269-8611
Vizcaya Restaurante
Chef and owner Felix Piedra offers more than 28 tapas and authentic Basque cuisine in this garden-bright eatery. Though not quite as extravagant as the dinner entrees, the noontime fare at Vizcaya is still worthy of gourmand consideration, and at a lesser price. 10905 North Dale Mabry Highway, Tampa, 813-968-7400
WESTSHORE
Boizao
Portuguese for large buffalo or bull, Boizao is a first-class “ churrasco” feast, set in a twilight room of paneled wood, bamboo accents and white tablecloths. Its proposition of an all-you-can-eat dinner includes unlimited visits to the salad bar for fresh vegetables, aged cheeses and rustic breads, plus 14 cuts of meat — personally carved tableside by handsome Brazilian gauchos. 4604 Boy Scout Boulevard, Tampa 813-286-7100.
Capital Grille
Polished woodwork and ornate portraiture whisper wealth and privilege — and the Capital Grille delivers service to match. Both lunch and dinner menus offer generous allowances to indulge in dishes typical to restaurants of this genre, including dry-aged steaks, veal and lamb chops, and lobster tails measured by the pound. International Plaza, 2223 North WestShore Boulevard, Tampa, 813-830-9433
Pelagia Trattoria
Pelagia Trattoria swoons diners with its modern Italian cuisine under the guidance of Executive Chef Fabrizio Shcenardi, whose genuine accent is filled with passion for creating one of the area’s most coveted menus. Try the octopus cured with garlic and mint, and the sautéed thin-sliced parmesan-crusted veal. Renaissance Tampa Hotel International Plaza, 4200 Jim Walter Boulevard, Tampa, 813-313-3235.
DOWNTOWN TAMPA
Café Dufrain
This small bistro, located on the metropolitan outpost of Harbour Island in Tampa, brings vibrancy to lunch and dinner standards in the form of robust New Mexican chilies, Asian spices and an abundance of Indian-influenced vanilla curry glazes. Its bright Mardi Gras motif and view of Tampa’s Seddon Channel make Café Dufrain a natural for scenic dining on the waterfront. 707 Harbour Post Drive, Tampa, 813-275-9701
Fly Bar & Restaurant
Fly’s menu offers a keen medley of small plates infused with imagination and worldly flair, in a hip, urban environment complete with a rooftop bar. House favorites include Truffled Mac and Cheese and the Kobe Beef Sliders, which we envision fueling memories of midnight cravings of little White Castle burgers — but the comparison stops there. A great addition to Tampa’s emerging downtown landscape. 1202 North Franklin Street, Tampa, 813-275-5000
Malio’s Prime Steakhouse
Malio’s prime organic steaks are perfectly seared, then topped with a signature pat of butter and served with a lemon wedge. Equally impressive are the outside views of the Hillsborough River and inside glimpses of Tampa’s local dignitaries and celebrities. 400 North Ashley Drive, Tampa, 813-223-7746
SOUTH TAMPA
Water Sushi Restaurant
Water is all about beauty: Its food, its chef, even its patrons strike an image of trend-setting good looks. Their “water bowl” is an edible art form of fresh seafood, exotic vegetables and succulent romantic fruit. Lots of low-carb fare for the Atkins crowd. 1015 South Howard Avenue, Tampa, 813-251-8406
Byblos Café
A bronzed and yellow interior creates an aura of sublime Mediterranean pleasures, including savory Greek-influenced selections of marinated beef, chicken, lamb and seafood. Separate dining alcoves provide an opportunity for large private parties to comfortably sample and share up to 16 Mezahs — traditional Lebanese appetizers. 2832 South MacDill Avenue, Tampa, 813-805-7977
Sangria’s
A welcoming hot spot on Howard Avenue's restaurant row, serving authentic Spanish small plates to the rhythm of world-beat music. More than 40 choices of both caliente (hot) and frias (cold) tapas, and, of course, their thirst-quenching sangria. 315 South Howard Avenue, Tampa, 813-258-0393
717 South
This dual-minded restaurant serves Italian and Pacific Rim dishes with equal flourish in a clubby art deco atmosphere. Think seafood manicotti and pupu platters for the best of both worlds. 717 South Howard Avenue, Tampa, 813-250-1661
YBOR CITY
Bernini of Ybor
Few restaurants epitomize the big-city experience as well as Bernini, where superb service and classic Italian cuisine are cranked out in an almost frenetic atmosphere. Try celebrity favorites: Tony’s Baby Calamari or the Pescatore Fra Diavolo. 1702 East 7th Avenue, Tampa, 813-248-0099
BELLEAIR BLUFFS
Le Bouchon Bistro
A French bistro in the truest sense, its casual menu satisfies a range of appetites with a level of sophistication reserved for well-traveled palates. Pâtés, pizzas à la Provencal and delicate crêpes keep regulars coming back. 796 Indian Rocks Road, Belleair Bluffs, 727-585-9777
Marlin Darlin
Marlin Darlin captures all the ambiance of a cushy yacht, with the nautical cuisine to match. An abundance of fresh seafood catches, daily ceviche and boutique oysters combined with creative sides of fruit salsas, island rice and coconut spinach make a breezy tropical experience. If you’re lucky, you might be able to land the Hogfish Snapper, served whole and crisp with a light tempura-like batter. 2819 West Bay Drive, Belleair Bluffs, 727-584-1700
PALM HARBOR
Mystic Fish
Owners Eugen Fuhrmann and Chef Doug Bebell are true shaman for fresh fish. But meat lovers won’t feel like a fish out of water when ordering entrees. Bebell wisely tempers his seafood selections with Australian Rack of Lamb, Pork Ossobucco, and the house favorite — a 16-ounce Kona and Spice Crusted Rib Eye. 3253 Tampa Road, Palm Harbor, 727-771-1800
SAFETY HARBOR
Green Springs Bistro
This 1930s bungalow-turned-eatery is a charming spot to sample Chef Paul Kapsalis’ regional classics from Louisiana and the Carolinas, including the Sausage, Shrimp and Grits, and homemade Black and Blue Berry Cobbler. 156 Fourth Avenue North, Safety Harbor, 727-669-6762
DUNEDIN
The Black Pearl
The Black Pearl bills its fare as New American cuisine, though its service is steeped in the tradition of fine dining that flourished in the 1950s and '60s. Here, timeless culinary favorites such as escargot and duck liver pâté easily mingle with such new-age companions as butternut squash ravioli with sun-dried cranberry butter sauce. 315 Main Street, Dunedin, 727-734-3463
CLEARWATER
Café Ponte
Chef Chris Ponte’s Euro/Asian-influenced cuisine has captured the attention of gourmets and mesmerized food critics since its August 2002 opening. Sit back and watch efficient waiters deliver some of the Bay area’s most elegant entrees from the open kitchen. 13505 Icot Blvd., Suite 214, Clearwater, 727-538-5768
Savant Fine Dining
Its cubbyhole location off Drew Street and Highway 19 makes it a sure miss for casual passersby, but owner and Executive Chef David Miller likes it that way. With a seven-course fixed price menu and only one nightly dinner seating, those who stumble in looking for a slice of pizza from the past proprietor are in for a big surprise. 2551 Drew St., Clearwater, 727-421-9975
Tío Pepe Restaurant
No doubt such famous diners as baseball great Ted Williams and Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf have noshed on Tío Pepe’s rustic European black bread, baked on the premises. The restaurant’s rich heritage and ties to the Iberian Peninsula extend to the wine cellar, where more than 800 bottles are stored. 2930 Gulf to Bay Boulevard, Clearwater, 727-799-3082
GULFPORT
Backfin Blue Café
If there were an award for best comfort food served in a time warp, Backfin Blue Café, in historic Gulfport, would receive highest honors. Despite its namesake, diners can expect gourmet meatloaf and hefty prime rib and still get their fill of sweet jumbo crab cakes. 2913 Beach Boulevard South, Gulfport, 727-343-2583
LARGO
Café Largo
Chef Dominique Christini has captured the hearts of area gourmands who know and appreciate fine French haute cuisine prepared the old-fashioned way — with all the attention to detail and technique the French have made their culinary trademark. Galleria Plaza, 12551 Indian Rocks Road, Largo, 727-596-6282
ST. PETERSBURG (DOWNTOWN)
Café Alma
With fresh table flowers, crisp black-and-white linens and an attentive staff, this 160-seat hot spot greets customers with distinct Old World charm. While focusing on "heart healthy" ingredients from Greece, Italy and Morocco, Café Alma still offers ample opportunities to indulge in baskets of buttery, curried cranberry bread and aromatic homemade soups. 260 1st Avenue South, St. Petersburg, 727-502-5002
Bella Brava
Bella Brava is all about new world Italian cuisine. With al fresco dining on two levels, it’s a great spot to soak in the subculture of the city’s emerging young and hip while enjoying one of the restaurant’s signature martinis. 515 Central Avenue, St. Petersburg, 727-895-5515
Pacific Wave
Far from the cookie-cutter menu of many Asian restaurants, this Zagat-rated and Mobil three-star eatery in downtown St. Petersburg creates gourmet dishes with a unique blend of fresh ingredients paired with innovative sauces. 211 2nd Street South, St. Petersburg, 727-822-5235
