Some Say Tampa Offers Incomparable Fine Dining
Tampa, Florida is the perfect place for vacationers and travelers any time of year. The weather superb, and the city offers a variety of attractions, beautiful views, and plenty of beaches. But nothing compares to Tampa’s delicious restaurants and fine dining experiences.
Growing up in Tampa has shown me how amazing the food is and how much effort the restaurant owners put into ensuring quality, consistency, and ambiance.
Daily Eats is one of the best breakfast places off Bayshore in the heart of South Tampa. It is an all day breakfast place offering upscale and modern dining. Daily Eats is family- and pet-friendly, so little ones are happily welcomed.
Some of the interesting dishes they offer include breakfast bowls called The Monday Morning, The Meaty, The Tijuana and The Lox. The Lox includes scrambled eggs with scallion, diced red onion and tomato served over home fries topped with smoked salmon and a side of scallion cream cheese.
The Broad Street & Bully Benedict is made with two poached eggs on top of shaved, grilled New York strip, sauteed mushrooms, caramelized onion and American cheese over a crispy English muffin with creamy hollandaise. You can read the entire menu here.
Daily Eats is part of the Ciccio Restaurant Group, a family-owned chain in the South Tampa community. If you have visited South Howard in Tampa, chances are you’ve eaten at of their restaurants. The Ciccio Restaurant Group owns other successful restaurants including Fresh Kitchen, The Lodge, Green Lemon and more. My favorite is Fresh Kitchen because of the fresh, healthy food and fast quality service. The Ciccio Restaurant Group’s establishments all have a youthful, clean vibe, and many customers are young adults and college students.
If you are in the mood for a fancy, upscale meal, head to Bern’s Steakhouse for a delicious steak or seafood dinner. It is one of the nicest restaurants in town and has been a Tampa tradition for more than 60 years. Bern’s Steakhouse is known for its dry-aged steaks and enormous wine list.
Shrimp, oysters, scallops, lobster, crab cakes, escargot, and caviar are some of the foods offered along with a variety of fish, steak and other meat options. Read the full menu here. Take a look at their wine collection, one of the biggest in the world. After dinner, head to the dessert room where you and guests can try their tasty desserts and Irish coffee.
Sherrie Edwards, a Tampa native for 60 years, said Bern’s is her favorite restaurant because the servers are professional and knowledgeable about wines and get to know you by your first name. “They serve dry-aged beef, and the lobster is incredible,” she said.
Columbia restaurant is also a “must taste” if you visit. The restaurant has been around more than 100 years and is deeply rooted in Tampa tradition. I have Spanish roots, and since I was a little girl, my family has brought me to Columbia because it is a Spanish restaurant with spectacular food that serves classic Spanish dishes like black bean soup, flan, and yellow and chicken rice. I recommend the Cuban sandwich.
Many dishes have historical roots, and you can read about them on the restaurant menu. For example, Red Snapper “Alacante” was created in 1938 by Casimiro Hernandez Jr. It is a boneless fillet of red snapper, the “King of Gulf Fish,” baked in a casserole with sweet Spanish onions, green peppers, a rich gravy, olive oil, fresh garlic and white wine topped with sliced roasted almonds. It is served with yellow rice, fried eggplant and shrimp supreme.
For dessert, try Chocolate Brazo Gitano, a family favorite often baked by the restaurant owners’ mother and grandmother, Adela Hernandez Gonzmart, for family gatherings. It’s chocolate cake rolled with a rich chocolate filling, topped with chocolate mousse. Read the full menu here.
Columbia restaurant is Florida’s oldest restaurant, and it is known as the largest Spanish restaurant in the world. It has also won many awards for its historic and traditional Spanish food and culture, the website reports. It was named one of America’s most historic restaurants by USA TODAY and one of the 21 most legendary restaurants in America by Full Service Restaurant News magazine.
From classic to modern cuisine, you are sure to find a delicious meal and fine dining experience in Tampa.
