Post your favorite restaurants/eateries that you've been to or admire for several reasons:

the architecture
setting
price
close proximity to your home or place of employment
location near entertainment areas, plazas, parks, and other venues
a combination of any of the above
any other reasons?

Your restaurant can include all types of eating establishments (i.e.: bar/grills, fast food, reservation only, and chains found only in Hillsborough and Pinnellas Counties, and in the state of Florida). Also, if possible, include the type of food and beverages that are serve at these establishments.

GYRO (http://www.geocities.com/wordzes/index.htm)

La Teresita, Ho Ho Choy, Pipo's Cafe, Alessi's, Chicago Pizza (in Largo). They're all cheap prices...

Zapata's in Clearwater, on Drew Street near Saturn. Goooooood foood! The best Media Noche (hot pressed Cuban) in all of Clearwater! It's a Columbian deli/restaurant.

Oh yeah, and the Columbia Restaurant. Obviously, the one in Ybor is a legand, but I kinda prefer the views from the one in St Pete. Armani's is definitely my favorite restaurant overall, but it is way too expensive for me to go to more than like once every 2 years it seems.

I like Saffran's on Park Street in St. Pete. I just like the tropical setting, and they have live music there. It feels very Caribbean, and gets you in the mood for the Caribbean food.

Skyway Jack's on 34th Street South has some of the best breakfast I've ever had at a restaurant.

Spain, downtown on Tampa St.
Carmine's, in Ybor
Wine & Cheese in Hyde Park
La Teresita
Viva La Frida, in Seminole Heights

Teresita (of Course)
Jackson's on Harbour Island (gotta sit outside - great environment, and will only get better)
Tropicana (Ybor) - ok, so the building sucks, but it is a classic
Valencia Garden (on Kennedy) (you can see where this list is going, I think)
Bombay Masala (in a strip store on Waters, but great Indian - as good as any I've had, including in NYC and London)
Vallarta's (on Dale Mabry in Carrollwood - the best Mexican around here - actually cooked by Mexicans not shipped from some warehouse outside atlanta in huge microwavable plastic containers)

I'll think about it some more. . .

Ah yes, I forgot about Vallartas. I remember the first time going there, thinking "why am I in this place?". Then I ate the food... Mexican food that actually tastes good! Prior to Vallartas, I swear I always thought the point of Mexican food was to be as cheap as possible, with taste more of an afterthought.


And to hit some of the Pinellas places I enjoyed when living in Pinellas Park for a few years...

Salt Rock Grill (indian rocks beach. Great food, good atmosphere, decent prices)

Lobster Pot (a bit pricey for my cheap ass, but the best seafood around IMO)

Spoto's Steak Joint (was very close to where I lived. Outback prices, better food)

Coney Island (really cheap, rundown, old hole in the wall in dt St Pete. reminds me so much of a place I LOVED as a child in pennsylvania)

The Hurricane (a legend for their grouper)




btw, does anyone know of a GOOD Puerto Rican restaurant? I'm dying to have some good mofongo and churrasco, and I don't want to have to go back to PR to get it.

I suugest you cruise West Tampa (particularly Armenia Ave) and you are sure to find a spot.

I dont really look at architecture in a restaurant, as opposed to looking at the food - my favorites are:

Bella's Italian Cafe (on Howard)
Water (sushi place also on Howard)
Sukkothai
La Teresita ... obviously
and
Oystercatcher's on Sunday mornings

Cheers
Justin
www.bayciti.net

La Teresita, Ho Ho Choy, Pipo's Cafe, Alessi's, Chicago Pizza (in Largo). They're all cheap prices...

Wait.. I thought Chicago Pizza was closed, years ago. Did they reopen in a different location? That place was one of the few places I've been to in this area with good pizza.

^I wonder if we're thinking of the same place. I'm talking about this old dive that was on Walsingham. The road widening project forced them to close (for about a year), and they reopened in a different location on Walsingham. They moved into the old place where Angellino's used to be (they also closed and moved when Walsingham widened, but they moved to US19 in Palm Harbor). Chicago Pizza is on Walsingham, between Vonn and Oakhurst, in the parking lot of an old Scotty's.

Acropolis Greek Taverna...four forks for sure...best food, urban atmosphere, and great entertainment
Big City Tavern...great decor and atmosphere
Laughing Cat...very urban, good food too
Oh and that "new" re-opened Argentinean restaurant in Ybor (don't remember the name)...great great churasco and fries to die for...heard that on Tuesday through Thursday you get free wine...

And my new favorite is Don Pancho Villa in Fiesta Plaza...this is real mexican food..and cheap too...usually I'm the only gringo in the place

^I wonder if we're thinking of the same place. I'm talking about this old dive that was on Walsingham. The road widening project forced them to close (for about a year), and they reopened in a different location on Walsingham. They moved into the old place where Angellino's used to be (they also closed and moved when Walsingham widened, but they moved to US19 in Palm Harbor). Chicago Pizza is on Walsingham, between Vonn and Oakhurst, in the parking lot of an old Scotty's.

Yeah that's the place I was thinking of, I'm quite familiar with the area, I used to live a couple of miles away and work right next door to their old location. I just wasn't informed they had moved. Speaking of that road widening project though, that sure is a bitch. I almost smashed into the concrete barriers just last week because I didn't expect the construction and well, wasn't paying all that much attention to the road at the time I either. The section of Ulmerton from US19 to Seminole Blvd is in much more need of widening than Walsingham is, but I don't think they would have been able to acquire the amount of right of way needed.

Acropolis Greek Taverna
Oh and that "new" re-opened Argentinean restaurant in Ybor (don't remember the name)...great great churasco and fries to die for...heard that on Tuesday through Thursday you get free wine...


I just drove by that place the other day, I want to check it out but I'm damn near broke at the moment. How are the prices?

Acropolis is reasonably priced, not a La Teresita mind you...but the food has always been excellent

The Argentinean restaurant on the other hand can be a little pricey...but apparently they are open for lunch and that might be a little bit more reasonable. The grill is in the attached building and you can hang out there and watch them cook your meat...guess this is where you would order lunch too. Haven't been there for lunch yet but want to check it out.

Agent Orange... You should go to Chicago Pizza then... The Pizza is as good as ever, and now their dining room is much nicer and now segregated from the bar area. They even have a better wait staff now, who wear uniforms. The same pictures and maps and street signs adorn the walls though. :)

Funny thing, I've been a regular at that place for years now, and when they were closing, I hooked them up with another buddy of mine who was looking to buy a pizza shop. He came *this close* to buying their recipes to open his own place in Tampa... As it turned out, they decided not to sell out, so he opened a Westshore Pizza in NE St Pete instead.

Windy City at Fletcher and Dale Mabry - fine Za, as well as Mamas - near the entrance to old Carrollwood.

As you can see, I get around my sort of fair city.

I've been to Mamas a few times... Not too bad...It's one of the few restaurants around that cooks the kind of food normally associated with "homecooking", especially up north. Meatloaf, pot pies, pork chops, catfish and so on.

But I categorically don't eat at Windy City Pizza (or NYPD carryout; same owner), because one of my best friends worked in the kitchen there while going to school. I heard to many stories about the stoner kitchen help spitting in food and worse.

Interesting. I will keep that in mind next time - or rather I will keep that in mind so that there is not a next time.

I think if we really knew what happens in the kitchens of our favorite eateries, including many on this list, it would scare me back into the kitchen that I never use!

By the way, two thumbs up for the Acropolis in Ybor. I go there a couple times a month, and have never had a bad meal. The wait staff has always been very friendly as well. Only drawback for me is the loud Greek music indoors on weekend nights. Can't hear myself think.

It's Custard Mon! On 49th Street and 38th Avenue in St. Pete.....I love the custard-ice cream and the sundaes not to mention the Caribbean atmosphere. :) :cheers:

my cousin's house... damn thats some mighty tastey cuban food!