Category: Vittles – Places to Eat

Tampiz Pizzeria Bar, Tampa

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What comes to mind when I say “French pizza”? Frozen halves of bread topped with hard splinters of icy cheese embedded in an arctic sheet of red? My misgivings weren’t so grim. When I’m feeling particularly dogmatic, I think of the pizza as one of those things you don’t mess with beyond the original: A Neapolitan yeast dough topped with simple seasoned tomato sauce, buffalo mozzarella, and fresh basil and olive oil, baked in a searingly hot oven. “French pizza” invoked a froufrou version of simple perfection that was wholly unnecessary.

But I’m no Francophobe. And I should know better, being trained in the French culinary method—French cuisine exemplifies superfluous as much as American cuisine exemplifies barbarian. Tampiz pizza could be bad or good on its own merits irrespective of the culinary roots. How would I know if I didn’t try it?

Continue reading “Pizza, Pastries, and Pralines by Way of Lyon”

The Recipe Box, Brandon

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There are two kinds of breakfasts if you want to view things binarily: Sustenance providing square meal and stomach stuffing gorp fare. One can be exemplified by a plate of bacon and eggs with toast and potatoes…and…grapefruit, I guess.  The other features things like cream cheese stuffed french toast, saucy eggs benedict, cheesy sausage and egg casseroles, biscuits and sausage gravy, and chocolate chip pancakes with whipped cream. A week’s worth of calories devoured in one meal with hot lashings of cream and sugared coffee followed by a cinnamon roll the size of your head. Continue reading “A Great Breakfast Every Time”

Chicago’s Best Burgers, Brandon

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Where do you go when you get that craving for seared ground beef and melty cheese in a bun? Do you head to the local Choke N’ Puke, or do you find that prized destination, that one place where they do it right every time, treating the simple hot sandwich with the honor and love it deserves, not merely in exchange for your dough, but because they appreciate a good hamburger and enjoy selling them to those who share the love? Continue reading “An Agreeable Answer to Hamburger Hankering”

Sunflower Cafe, Valrico

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How do you commit to eating a healthy lunch when you’ve got a cooler full of freshly picked peaches and blueberries in your car? “But, Peaches and blueberries are healthy.” In limited quantities, yes. But as delicious as those fruits were, sweet and warm from the summer sun, I knew I wouldn’t stop at a reasonable amount. It took everything we had to not simply go home and gobble them all up.

On our path home there was a place I had been wanting to try and I thought the light and simple nature of fresh fish and rice would be a pleasant follow up to a day in the sun plucking unadulterated fruits from their burdened branches, as well as being less filling, thus leave room for some dessert berries, peaches and whipped cream.

Continue reading “Absorb an Edible Gallery of Japanese Fusion”

Old Castle Restaurant, Sun City Center

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Did you know the Tampa area hosts fifteen German eateries? I’ve gone on rants before about experiencing a dearth of German restaurants, but now I must cope with an abundance. (Damn you universe for not giving me exactly what I want.) Some of the places get good reviews, others…not so much. Of course, some ignorance may taint those opinions. Many people just don’t understand the cuisine.

Advertising “Exceptional German cuisine from a family owned restaurant,” is an excellent way to grab my attention. Delivering the promised goods is a great way to keep my attention. The Old Castle Restaurant had accomplished the first. During our visit in search of delicious German comfort food, would it succeed at the second?

Continue reading “Have Fun Gormandizing the Castle”

Down to the Bone, Brandon

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That place. You know it. You passed it once in a while and thought to yourself, “If I had the time-,” or “If I was hungry-,” or “If I hadn’t just eaten, I’d stop. I’ll remember it next time I’m looking for a place to eat.” Next time comes, but you forget. “Next time,” you say. But it never comes to mind, because you only saw it for a moment when distracted by other things. Then one day you’re at home, in the mood for what that place has and it hits you. “Let’s go to that place.” So you do, and afterward, you kick yourself for never having made the time before.

We went to that place.

Continue reading “Behold Bodacious Barbecue in Brandon”

Skipper’s Smokehouse, University

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Some places are just fine for one thing and downright bad for another. I don’t mean in the way that the gym is fine for pumping iron but bad for cruising for hookups. I mean how a place that hypes itself as several things may excel at one or two of those, but could downright suck at a third or fourth. This seems to be the case for Skipper’s Smokehouse.

I found Skipper’s while Google Mapping restaurants in the region of northeast Tampa. My wife is employed in that area and there were a few nearby spots we’d be visiting, so I thought I’d see what vittles could be dug up as well, should we find ourselves hungry when en roam. They are a college town watering hole known for outstanding food, a wacky architectural layout, and live music acts.

Continue reading “Don’t Feed Sad—Two Out of Three ain’t Bad”

White’s Gourmet House

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When planning our walking trip to the Hyde Park area of Tampa, it was with an aim toward something simple, comforting and inexpensive that inspired me to seek out a delicatessen for our lunch. Aside from famished, we’d be hot, weary and impatient after our trek and a deli sandwich could be just the prescription to cure our ills. Some internetting revealed that Wright’s Gourmet House was a short drive from Hyde Park and it was on our Must Eat Vittles shortlist for the area.

I had been wanting to visit White’s Gourmet for a few months since discovering it on Tripadvisor. The problem was that there was nothing else of interest drawing me into the vicinity of White’s (obviously I am not a golfer). So, I took the opportunity of being in Hyde Park to hop over to Palma Ceia West for a lunch of succulent sandwiches—made with house-roasted meats—and tongue tantalizing layer cake.

Continue reading “Grub on a Gourmet Sandwich and a Big Ol’ Wedge of Cake”