The Seminole Heights Asian food favorite Chop Chop Shop opened in its new digs in late October. Originally an Ayre's Diner (there were several around Tampa in the '50s and '60s) it's a place where Elvis Presley reportedly ate, tying it to local folklore. If you listen closely you may still be able to hear Blue Christmas  echoing in the background. The diner housed Nicko's Fine Foods from the 1980's until it closed in late 2017.

I'm pretty sure, at least for the foodies that I know, a positive review for Farmtable Cucina is a no-brainer. It is a known quantity to the  local food world and was established by culinary rock stars Michael Mina and Don Pintabona in 2014. The overall consistent quality and variety of Locale Market, home to Farmtable Cucina in downtown St. Petersburg, is pretty much unmatched in these parts. I have reviewed some of the other stations in the market like the Poke bowl and the Hamburger counters, as well as their seafood low country boil last year. They are all consistently well done.

In the former home of Your Pie, The Nest Neighborhood Kitchen opened it's doors on November 26 to little fanfare. According to co-owner Perry Dube (who was working the front counter) they are keeping the noise down about being open while they work out the kinks (invariably a smart move). I just happened to see the "open" sign  when driving by went in. The store has been in the planning since at least May 1, 2018 when the "opening soon" sign appeared. It worth the wait. The Nest offers a creative menu putting their own spin on traditional and unique dishes using some in-vogue ingredients (e.g.pimento cheese, and impossible burger meat) and it's really good. ​

There's a new Giant in South Tampa. Hey Giant little biscuits started serving their small portion delights from their new shop on South Dale Hwy this week. The buttermilk two-bite morsels were perfected in the Seminole Heights store before bringing them to the new location. Owners Jesse Thompson and  Lee Valenti started their food venture as a community based learning center and grew in to serving biscuits and waffles during the day. As the food enterprise gained traction they began doing pop-up events which garnered even more popularity, culminating in opening a second location. The Seminole Heights location continues as a learning center in the evenings.

According to its website, Mad Dogs and Englishmen is dedicated to London celebrating the end of the postwar mid 60 's turmoil. Indeed it has been a staple in British pub fare in South Tampa on MacDill Avenue for over 25 years. They serve a righteous fish and chips, a decent Shepherd's pie, and always have an ample supply of Guinness for thirsty pub crawlers.

I was lecturing in St Pete for the day job and was introduced to a brand new and beautiful eatery. The Peabody was developed in partnership with the hospital and the folks who own the uber popular Oxford Exchange in Tampa. It opened recently in the  new Johns Hopkins All Children's Research and Education Building. It is the cornerstone of the $95 million, 225,000-square-foot building across the street from the main hospital. With the OE pedigree it was too tempting not to try. The dining room is a bright space modeled after a large library and is peppered with blue books of many genres, comfortable large chair and tufted fabric booths. There's also a pastry counter and a full-service liquor bar. The latter seems oddly out of place for a hospital campus restaurant, yet somehow fits here. Offering a nice respite for families dealing with childhood illness as well as comfortable space for researchers and doctors in residence just makes a lot of sense. 

Wow! Take a run down property in an up-and-coming neighborhood in Seminole Heights, add in creatives like Ty Rodriguez and Chef Ferrell Alvarez, mix it with a CRA (Community Redevelopment Area) grant, and you get  a whole new concept in family-friendly dining.  The Nebraska Mini Mart was built as an adult playground mixed with dazzling bar food and opened in mid August. It's a pretty cool concept. Shuffleboard, bocce ball, and ping pong all set up in a huge grassy courtyard with thumpy dance music filling the air make for a unique, albeit retro feeling, experience. It's a throwback to simpler times when families got together in the neighborhood to socialize, eat, and play a little. It's like someones  mom yelled, "Put down those damn video games and go outside to play!"

Billing itself as "That Mexican Place", Nueva Cantina opened its South Tampa location in June where the former Love's Artifacts Bar and Grill once stood. The form factor inside didn't change much but the space is much more functional. It's decked out with colorful Aztec and Mexican inspired decor and paintings. An exterior patio bar that includes a small stage is under the oaks in the rear for cooler weather. 

Ciccio Restaurant Group opened it's latest concept eatery on August 1st in the SOHO district of South Tampa. Taco Dirty, Juice, Bowls, Mexican Things is another iteration of the health conscious  leaning food offered up at their Fresh Kitchen and Better Byrd locations.Each location offers bowls with many of the same veggie and protein starters as the Dirty. Better Byrd, like Taco Dirty, has tacos and bowls and adds wings and sandwiches. Fresh Kitchen only has bowls. No matter, the owners clearly know their audience and provide crowd generating pleasing menus and environments. 
On Friday afternoon the place is crowded and parking is really tight. There are a total of 12ish parking spots in the dedicated lot with 4 of them reserved for pick up. Most spaces are labeled compact only (door dingers). There are 2 spots on the street in front and a couple on the side. Welcome to SOHO.

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When I heard a new Italian tapas bar was taking over the space where The Bake and Noi once lived I was excited. I love Italian food and having it tapas style, meaning I get to try several several dishes in one sitting, is a great concept. Upon opening they offered dinner every night except Monday and offer brunch from 10 - 2 on weekends.​

I really hope I don't start sounding like one of those snotty food snobs. Many of them feign contempt or use the word unctuous too much. But, I just really love experiencing culinary arts! I recently visited the Blue Hill restaurant in New York City and every bite of every taste of every course is scrutinized and developed to perfection. I'm not sure that I have the sophistication to pick up every nuance the chef intended with that six course dinner, but it was the best food experience I've ever had. I returned to Tampa preoccupied with finding a similar experience.
I've been to Rooster & the Till before, and have photographed their uber talented James Beard award-winning chef Farrell Alvarez. That was years ago and my appreciation for food has increased significantly. On our recent visit, as we did at Blue Hill, we ordered the Chef's Tasting Menu where the kitchen prepares a six course dinner of their choosing. We also chose the wine pairing option as well.

Home made. It's what happens here in this hidden gem on Henderson Blvd. The interior of Healthy and Fresh Cafe has a Mom and Pop feel to it, being a cross between country and industrial. The counter tops are coated in thick polyurethane and the ceiling tinned in corrugated galvanized steel. The look isn't refined but that's not what this place is about.

Do you remember that concert  where two of your favorite bands played and at the end they jammed together and shook the house down? Take that same dynamic and apply it to a couple of rock star restaurants. That's what happened at The Bricks in Ybor city on Saturday night when Ichicoro took over half the kitchen for a ramen pop-up night of Japanese flavor deliciousness. The chefs and bartenders from The Bricks and the three different Ichicoro locations unleashed their talents in a culinary concert that featured specialty dishes along with craft cocktails developed just for the evening. 

Food trends have been a part of the food scene for as long as there has been a food scene. An article in The Daily Meal is a testament to that. (Check the link to see what peculiar trend was happening in the decade you were born). Recently poke (pronounced POH-keh) acai' bowls have jumped on the trend train and  have emerged as a thing. They followed Ramen two years ago, matcha, and tapas before that, all a part of the burgeoning Tampa food scene. Recent bowl eateries include Fresh Kitchen, Vale Food Co. in Tampa and Karma in St Pete. It's such a strong category that Laura Reiley, Tampa Bay Times food critic, recently wrote a top ten list to help cull the long list locally. ​