The atmosphere is fun, and the waitstaff is both cordial and attentive. When I asked if I could take a few pictures of the bar, the staff gathered together so I could get a group photo as well. This is the kind of place that everyone seems happy to be, including those who work there.

Since we had a long night ahead of us, we decided to stuff ourselves. Given the large portion sizes and reasonable prices, this wasn’t a difficult thing to do. We started out with the gator tails, which were just as I expected them to be. Big meaty pieces topped a plate of fries, all fried to a golden brown. The portions weren’t chewy and the sauce was just right. My only real complaint is that I ended up eating so much of these that I didn’t get to enjoy very much of my main course.

For the main course, Dereck and I opted for fully loaded nachos. These nachos went beyond standard nacho fair, particularly with the inclusion of sweet pulled pork. Normally, I don’t like sweet and salty combined, but the sugar glazes pork made a powerful combination with the two kinds of cheese, chips, chicken, chili, black olives, green onions and tomatoes. Every bite was well saturated with toppings, so there weren’t a lot of lost chips in the pile.

After eating half of the nachos, I ended up taking the rest home. They weren’t too bad reheated, which is a rarity amongst chip dishes. I think it was all the meat and cheese, as the chips really became a side note to the rest of the meal.

Since they do full liquor, Kara ordered a margarita. It was a strong drink, so kudos for the value. It wasn’t half bad tasting either.

The food is typical bar food, whatever can be deep fried or thrown together quickly. This leads to relatively quick service and the food is alright, but nothing I’d marvel over. Since I had a coupon from the Entertainment Book for Buy One Get One Entrees, Kara and I ended up getting a Buffalo Wrap and a Patty Melt, both with fries.

The patty melt wasn’t bad. It was stacked pretty thick, still greasy and filled with the sauteed onions that make a patty melt so delicious. This was pretty fulfilling.

The wrap, on the other hand, was kind of weak. There was very little actual chicken in the wrap. A bed of lettuce provided most of the volume, small slivers of chicken particles doused in sauce made up the rest. The sauce was good, somewhere around a Frank’s Red Hot in flavor.

The fries were sub-par. Not only were they flavorless, but they were cold inside and gooey. Some were better than others, but as a whole the fries I definitely could have done without.

The atmosphere reminded me a lot of a 1950 diner. Neon lights lit up the bar. Black, white and red colors were used throughout, giving it that fun soda shop feel.

I am curious to try their wings and their half pound burgers, so I’ll make another trip to report at some later date.

Located in the Embassy Suites (2nd floor of the hotel), this bar-formal diner-outside pavillion has a wonderful view of the pool and is just high enough to see a good distance over the Westshore area. The view is as nice as you’d expect from any hotel balcony.

The service wasn’t bad once we were able to attract attention. Our server, Melissa, was friendly and cordial, knowing well enough to bring us a pitcher of Diet Coke instead of continually running out to fill up our glasses.

The food was average restaurant quality, but at a much higher price tag. Dereck had a grouper sandwich and potato salad, which came to $14, about twice what I paid for a Grouper sandwich from Rick’s on the River just a few days before. The sandwich was quite large, but with no tartar sauce or anything to pull the dish together other than what looked to be wilted lettuce and a tomato, there was nothing stunning about it.

I elected for the Grouper Plate, a blackened grouper fillet with salad, vegetables and rice. The grouper was good, well flavored with a crispy blackened top and bottom. The vegetables were sauteed in butter and seasoned lightly. A good mix, without overpowering the fish. My disappointment was mostly in the rice, which was dry, hard and unappetizing. Again the dish was priced substantially higher than I thought it would be at $20, but the food quality wasn’t bad overall.

I decided to finish my dinner with an $8 slice of key lime pie. It was beautifully plated with a nice side of strawberries, whip cream and lime wedges. Creamy and fluffy and light all the way through, this was a nice finish. Was it worth eight bucks? Probably not. But it was good. Our meal came out to approximately $50. Even with the $25 gift certificate, we still paid a good chunk out of pocket more than we were planning to.

What’s the lesson learned? Don’t eat in hotels unless you’re staying there or really like paying for overpriced food.

The restaurant is more than just food and fond memories, as there are car shows and other events held here regularly. On the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month, a classic car show is help that often brings out 100 or more cars.

Since I was there for breakfast, I decided to order the Ham Steak. The waitress advised me, “That’s a big piece of ham, you know. You may be taking some with you.” I felt I was up to the challenge. The food arrived in about 10 minutes, just enough time for me to fully take in all of the neon wall art and the packed dining room.

The ham steak really was as big as she said. I’m guestimating the platter at 12″ x 8″ and it filled the whole platter at about a 1/4″ thick. This bone-in ham was deliciously cooked with just enough blackened spots to bring the sweet ham some sizzle. The eggs and hashbrowns I ordered with it are pretty standard for a diner like this. The chef got the over-easy call on the eggs right and whatever oil they cook the potatoes in was flavorful. I’d imagine their pans or skillet are good and seasoned from so many years of cooking this great comfort food that everything tastes a bit like everything made before it. I’m definitely not complaining.

Kathy’s is all classic diner, filled with old booths of various colors, pictures all over the walls, random bobbleheads and news clippings throughout. Many of the clippings and powers have to do with New York City, paying homage to firefighters, policemen and famous New Yorkers.

At the recommendation of the counter person, I ordered the Classic Cuban Sandwich and macaroni salad. This simple lunch came in at just under $10 and came out in just under 10 minutes. The cuban was as expected, being creamy and and hot with cheesy goodness throughout with a crunchy cuban bread. The meats were high quality, as I expect from Boar’s Head. This sandwich was also quite good size, around a 14″ in length and 4″ wide.

The real surprise was the Macaroni Salad. While the noodles were what I expected, the substrate of cheese and mayo was very good. They put something in with it to make it a little spicy and very rich tasting. I’ve seen been back to try their Philly Steak (very good!) and their Club Sandwich (also quite good), but always remember to order the Macaroni Salad because it’s that good.

If you’re there to watch a game on one of their many televisions, see one of the live bands that play there almost every night or enjoy some beers with friends, it’s your typical sports bar. The staff is attentive if not overly busy most of the time. The atmosphere is lively but not overly crowded. They have a good selection of beers and they’re served cold. If you’re looking for a bar, Dakota’s is a bar first and they do a good job at it.

As for the Grill side of the equation, they’re average at best. I had the Shepard’s Pie, which was not as good as I had expected. The potatoes came out cold. I expect them to be piping hot and filled with meat. The meat itself was your basic taco meat, nothing exceptional. While I expected carrots and corn to overwhelm the dish, there was very little to be seen. The taste was greasy and there wasn’t much else to it than the taste of the taco meat. All and all disappointing, even for bar food.

That said, I’ve been back to Dakota’s a few times since for the drinks and atmosphere and it’s good at being a bar. I’ll just be sure not to confuse myself with the Grill part any further.

I was in a bit of a hurry, so I ordered what I know to be both quick and tasty, a Reuben Sandwich. They make their Reuben a la carte, everything comes on the side except the meat, cheese and bread. They do this to both give you some options and also to keep the lunch crowd from spilling hot sauces all over themselves. It makes sense, and I like the control.

The sandwich itself is decent, and as to be expected. The rye is butter-soaked all the way through and grilled, making the whole sandwich hot throughout. They don’t use a lot of meat or a lot of sauerkraut, but what they do provide serves the purpose. This isn’t he quality or quantity that you’d find in a New York Style deli, but it’s also substantially less expensive. My whole lunch, including drink and tip was only about $10. French fries and cole slaw were unremarkable, but prepared properly.

Since eating there originally, I’ve gone back twice for the Reuben (both times to go) and it’s been consistently good. Since it’s so close to work I can bet there and back inside of 15 minutes, thus cutting my lunches short and making the most of my 11 hour work day. If you’re in Largo and want quick dining on a budget, give Boris Family Restaurant a try.

Kara and I went there for breakfast on a Saturday morning, one of their busiest times. Luckily, we were able to get right in. We literally found the last open table that had just been bussed and sat down. Despite the hustle and bustle of people talking and eating all around us, this place has the kind of atmosphere that causes you to just breathe slower, talk a little lower and enjoy the moment. Some might refer to this as “grandma’s syndrome”, as you feel like a lazy Sunday at your grandma’s house.

The waitress came quickly to get our drink order and bring menus. She was your typical mid 50s diner gal, the kind of woman who’s been doing this for so long that she could do it in her sleep. She was so graceful in her movement, pouring coffee here while taking notes there, asking questions she asks dozens of times every hour. It’s this kind of diner automation that’s amazing to watch, and she pulled it off so well.

Kara ordered the Ham Steak and I ordered the Greek Omelette. My Greek Omelette had my favorite (and often neglected) ingredient, gyro meat. In so many places, a Greek Omelette is only feta and vegetables in eggs.  It’s pathetic at best. At Mom’s Place, they take Greek to the next level. Gyro, feta, Tzatziki sauce, tomatoes, onions, peppers and potatoes fill the three egg omelette. It’s a hearty breakfast and one I could barely finish. It was flavorful throughout and the side of home fries were exactly as I like them, golden brown on one side and cooked just well enough to be firm but done. This was about as close to a perfect breakfast as I’ve had.

Kara’s breakfast was about as big of a portion of ham as you could ask for, served with two eggs and hashborowns. The ham but they gave was a large steak, probably 1/2″ thick and it filled a whole plate. After she ate all that she could and I ate all that I could from it, there were still scraps left in the plate. There was easily 2 pounds of ham in this serving. Kara commented that the eggs were done well and the hashbrowns were good as well. We left so full that she and I both waddled to the car.

Mom’s Place lives up to it’s name, being the kind of food and atmosphere many of us remember from being a kid at our grandmother’s place, watching her slave over the stove to prepare food just as full of calories and cholesterol as they were full of love. While this food isn’t something I would want to eat every day, it’s something I make a ritual of every Sunday morning, be it at Mom’s or another diner serving similar odes to traditional country breakfast.

When I walked in, I was immediately met with a mix of smells that is equal parts Cracker Barrel and neighborhood diner. I could smell bacon sizzling and potatoes frying and steak being seered. It was a good smell to walk in to. I was promptly met by a sassy waitress who sat me and came back with my drink order. Service was quick, with a smile and exactly as requested.

I ordered the Philly Chicken sandwich, which came with an option of either fries or salad bar. Knowing I was hungry, I thought the salad bar would make a better choice. As she left to put in my order, I went up to the salad bar and began piling up favorites. The salad bar had all of the standard fair, though none of it seemed overly exciting. I piled up a bit of lettuce with cucumbers, tomatoes, bacon bits, chickpees, onions and italian dressing, sided with some potato salad and cole slaw. I sat down and worked my way through it, unimpressed for the most part. The potato salad was fresh and inviting, though nothing out of the ordinary. The coleslaw was far too watery and looked like it had been out in the sun. The rest of the plate was average, at best.

The philly chicken came quickly and it was better than expected. The chicken chunks are marinaded in something that gives them a slight bite. The grilled onions, peppers and mushrooms perfectly round out the seasoning of the chicken. The one thing they don’t do is provide any kind of sauce, so I put a bit of mayo on the bun and used a fork to distribute the cheese a bit better. This sandwich wasn’t overly greasy or complicated but still remained a very satisfying take on a chicken sandwich I had eaten many times before in many other restaurants.

Widow Brown’s is a decent deal, especially at lunch time. I think my total meal with sandwich, salad bar and soda with tip was under $15. I’m going to make a trip back next week to try their BBQ Chicken and Rib Combo, which the waitress assured me was, “The best you’ll find in Pinellas County.”

I’ve been there twice now, firstly for drinks and secondly for the fish and chips. The trip for drinks was with the Miata guys, and it was a good little meet. The environment is surprisingly kid-friendly for a bar, and you get a lot of Davis Island regulars in.

They have all of your standard beers, but a good selection of off-the-wall and hard to find brew. I asked for, “Something amazingly ridiculous” and was presented with a bottle of “La Fin Du Monde”, features an explosion on the label. It was really good! It had the bitter resonance of a much darker beer and was pretty good for the price (around $5). The bartendress even served it to me in a fancy goblet.

The bar itself isn’t just well stocked, but a collection of different artifacts from various cultures. It’s a lot like Boneyard in that respect, and I love it. You’ll see mardi gras style artifacts, beer advertisements, pictures of patrons and more throughout the bar. It’s a very hometown-bar kind of feel with a catalog and inventory to match any big city establishment.

It is a laid back establishment. So laid back that I caught the cook asleep in the back, easily seen from the dining room area.

Everyone there seemed happy and in good spirits.

What can be said about the fish and chips? Pretty darn good. The fish piece they serve is good size, probably atleast a pound. The little lemon wedges do little for flavor or presentation, but it’s good old fashion pub food. The fries are a little dry, but that’s easily fixed by drowning them in ketchup. While not the best fish and chips I’ve ever had, I’d say it was good enough to soak up the excellent beer selection and good company I always find at Yeoman’s.

I’m partial to this pub and grill, if only because one of my co-workers owns it with her husband. At the urging of Courtney, I went there for lunch one day to try their hamburgers. I had all but written off the premium hamburger scene, as it’s so overdone, overpriced and under-delivered. Every time I hear about another premium burger joint coming up with something, I think, “I can make this at home…” and it’s true. Willies broke that barrier for me, as their hamburger is really something to talk about.

While I was waiting for my burger, I tried their cajun peanuts. Imagine a cajun stew or sauce that slow cooks a peanut until it’s shell is so soft that you eat it whole. It’s spicy, but not so spicy that you’ll be running for the water. The texture is very surprising and there’s still a definitive taste of peanut within, though it’s a taste and texture experience I didn’t expect.

The service is quick, especially because we sat at the bar. Burger was out within a few minutes and the sheer scale of this thing is ridiculous. Imagine a big, big patty. I’d say the patty was at least half a pound. Then imagine a fresh kaiser roll, cheese and stacks upon stacks of vegetables. The burger stands taller than it does round, and it’s definitely a handful.

Quality is very high on the burger, owing that quality to fresh meat and cheese. I’d grown so used to eating crappy drive through burgers that I forgot what a real homemade burger tastes like. This one was exceptional. They use just enough cheese too, and it’s piled high with fresh onions, tomatoes and lettuce. Throw in some hot sauce and jalapenos and you have a burger that bites back. Even when compressed down, the burger is too big to put in your mouth.

The burger is incredibly fulfilling, but I forced the fries down too. They were good, but I was so full by the time I got done with the peanuts and burger that I barely got them down.

If you’re looking for more than just food, Willies is the kind of place that you’ll have a good time drinking. The crowd is diverse and everyone is friendly, laced with a soundtrack from Country Classics to the Sex Pistols to new rock. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone there that wasn’t having a good time.

The owner isn’t an absentee landlord. You’ll see him (and his wife Courtney) slinging drinks and mingling with the crowd. They run the kind of joint that keeps the regulars coming back and you can see that in how they react with everyone.

Here’s some photos from a typical Friday night at Wild Willies:

I found myself there to celebrate the departure of a military friend who was being transferred out west. When I got there, I was a little confused by the layout, a seemingly standard deli to the left with refined seating and wine all around me. We were seated upstairs, which has it’s own bar and a buzz of people running around. From what I hear from regular patrons, this is pretty normal. Datz never really slows down. This is evident in their service, which is a little slow but does get it right when they aren’t being overwhelmed.

The menu is comprehensive, from simple sandwiches you’d expect through complex favorites like Brisket and seafood. Want something other than a sandwich? Their menu includes many salads, 75+ specialty beers, 150+ kinds of cheese, 1700+ bottles of wine to choose from and 20 kinds of artisan breads. I doubt anyone would find Datz to be inadequate when it comes to selection. That said, I was here for what they do best… the sandwiches.

I ordered the Cue the Brisket, a hand-sliced pile of smoked beef brisket, cole slaw, bbq sauce all on a sweet sourdough bun. It came with a side of homemade potato chips covered in this creamy, slightly sweet ranch dressing. Everything about this sandwich was top notch. The brisket, and I say this is a bbq guy, was just right. It was actually smoked, and properly. It fell apart as soon as I pushed the hearty sandwich together, compacted so I can put it in my mouth. The coleslaw was chunky and a bit spicy, not runny and pasteurized as I’ve seen before. The BBQ sauce was a semi sweet concoction and they used just enough to enhance the meat without overwhelming it’s smokey essence. The bun, a meal all of it’s own, did it’s best to hold everything in place. At $9.95, this isn’t a cheap sandwich. That said, it’s a great value. There’s probably a half pound of meat here.

Along with the sandwich, I decided to try some of their fried pickle spears. I haven’t had a good fried pickle since I left New Orleans. Datz gets it right with a light tempura crust and ranch sauce for dipping. Like any good fried pickle, the crunch was intact and the sweet and salty within stayed within. Every bite was fresh and flavorful, just as it should be. At $2 (on special!) these were a bargain as well.

Drew wanted to split a desert, so we ended up doing a four-way split of a piece of their red velvet cake. Stacked 5″ tall and as decadent as you can get without chocolate, this cake was creamy throughout with a series of cream cheese layers stacked on moist cake layers. Every fork full very well could have sent me into diabetic shock, but it would have been totally worth it.

Datz offers weekend brunch from 8:30AM to 3PM. That will be my next review of them, elbow deep in whatever wonderful breakfast concoctions they’ll be serving up.

The server came quickly to me and brought me an orange soda. She managed to have it filled three more times inside of 10 minutes, as it’s been hot as hell outside and I was going through soda. Wings were up within 20 minutes. While I waited, a ordered a hookah with jasmine and orange shisha. It arrived right after the wings did.

The wings were really good, probably some of the better wings I’ve had in a while. They were meaty and tender, with a slight crunch but not overly done or oily. The sauces, I chose 10 each of General Tsos, Spicy Thai, Medium and Garlic, were right on the money and could easily compete with Buffalo Wild Wings or any of the other chains.

I was especially impressed with the Spicy Thai and the General Tsos. The thai wasn’t really that spicy, but it did have a hint of ginger and a slight warm burn. It’s definitely not what I would consider to be hot, but was very flavorful. The Tsos was a much sweeter, much thicker take on the teriyaki wings I’ve had at other places. Not only were the wings “fall-off-the-bone” tender with that night crust, but also so sweet when spun in this sauce that you get the one-two punch of flavor. These are definitely some of the best wings I’ve had in a while.

When I was done eating, I smoked the hookah for about a while. The jasmine was a pretty powerful taste, almost souring the smoke. This mellowed as it burned and it ended up being a very satisfying hookah experience. At only $6.75, it’s also one of the cheapest hookah experiences you can have in the Tampa Bay area.

Overall, Legends is a good value and a fun place to be. I’m hoping the owner, a friendly and eager young man who I met last night, can keep it together in this tough economy. He’s in a strange location and it was rather dead inside, but I’m hoping the food and music will draw the crowd before it’s forced to shut down like so many other great local places.

Since it’s in Centro Ybor, you will see all kinds of patrons here. The diverse crowd all seemed to be in good spirits and the food all looked good, so we dove right in to ordering the Chicken Philly, a large cheddar cheese fries and club sandwich.

Service was pretty quick. We had our drinks inside of 5 minutes and our food within 10 minutes. Kara’s club sandwich was pretty large, and swelled out of the bread. When she broke it open, piles of tomatoes and lettuce and meat spilled out. This is a good sign, as many clubs I’ve tried skimp out on meat and load up on mayo to compensate. When asked what she thought, she said, “Oh, it’s good.” The big shit eating grin on her face confirmed her response.

The chicken philly steak sub was alright. The chicken itself was a little dry and they skimped on the onions and peppers in favor of more cheese. While I love cheese, I really wish this was a more complete sandwich with more vegetables and tender chunks of meat. That said, the sandwich was bland. Most chicken phillies are seasoned so they compliment the sharp cheese. This needed hot sauce, and it got it.

We shared a basket of chili cheese fries, and it’s a good thing we did. There’s no way one person could eat all of these, even it’s their only meal. The sheer quantity of cheese, starch and grease would either kill you dead or at least dislodge your lower bowel. It’s a lot to take in. All of that said, it was extremely tasty. The fries were the crinkle cut variety, covered in nacho cheese and a very hearty chili. Most of the time when I order chili fries, I end up with a watery chili that doesn’t have much texture. This chili had chunks of meat and more than enough spice to make it taste very good. This is my guilty pleasure food, and I love it.

I can see a place like Fresh Mouth being the perfect late night post-drinking session spot to wind down and pound down some alcohol soaking starch. The reasonable price, average service and relatively tasty food will encourage you to come back, if only for the chili cheese fries and people watching.

Diner 437 is a mix of elements, both simple and refined. A long bar lined with bar stools makes for easy come and go dining. Tables line the opposing wall and are planted throughout the back, where we sat. The menus are simple, neat and feature a mish-mash of foods that very well could fit into a higher end restaurant. The prices were reasonably low, and matched the portion sizes.

Our waitress was friendly, even though she looked irritated by my insistant banter. We arrived just a bit before closing time and ended up hanging out way past final call, so I can’t blame her for that.

The food came out pretty quickly, and was better than I expected. I ordered the Grilled Skirt Steak with mashed potatoes and sauteed spinach. The steak itself marinated with an interesting and unexpected glaze, a bit sweet and a bit sour. It had overtones of citrus in it. The meat was exceptionally tender for skirt steak and pre-cut into strips. It was overall enjoyable, though I wish I had a larger cut. What can I complain about for $12?

With the steak came some of the best cooked spinach that I have ever had. It was cooked, but not overcooked. No wilting, no frayed or mushy edges and no bunching of leaves. There was a buttery essence to them and they were warm throughout while still maintaining the structure that spinach should have. The potatoes were uninspiring, but fulfilling.

While I can’t speak for everyone else, they all seemed to enjoy themselves. The overall sentiment was, “This is good.” Hopefully, Diner 437 sticks around long enough for me to go back and give it a second try.

The premium burger scene is a difficult one to break into, if only because loyalty to burgers tends to run deep with people like loyalty to sports teams or loyalty to their friends. In this arena, you have Five Guys Burgers and Fries, Fuddruckers, Ruby Tuesday and a few others that share the title of “great premium burgers”. How can someone relatively new to the game break into this market and gain share? I hope Jake’s has this figured out, as my experience with them was less than stellar.

Let’s start with all of the good things, and there are quite a few good things.

Firstly, they have a pretty busy intersection to contend with. Even though they are far off the road, I can see a lot of drivers seeing the big blowup JAKE’S Milkshake out front and want to come in and try it. They also have a lot of parking and a nice new looking building facade, so at least on the surface they have potential for natural growth.

Secondly, they have really good milkshakes, and a good selection of flavors. Chocolate, Vanilla, Black and White, Strawberry, Chocolate Strawberry, Banana, Strawberry Banana, Chocolate Banana, Orange Creme, Mint, Chocolate Mint and the Milkshake of the Month. We had the Orange Creme and it was delicious, crossing an orange creamcicle with a milkshake. It was thick and rich and delicious, even if it was very expensive at almost $5.

Beyond those good points, the trouble begins.

This whole place feels like a low end fast food place, and in a lot of ways it is, but at premium sit down prices. Kara and I had two burgers, one order of fries (which we split), one soda and one milkshake and it was $24. I could have had the same thing at Checkers for less than $10. Why the difference? Because this was a premium burger place.

The burgers are pretty tasty, but they have a number of faults. For instance, the buns are completely saturated with grease by the time they arrive in your hands. Most places drain their burgers so the buns hold up, but these buns were literally caked through in grease both top and bottom. Biting into one of these soggy buns is akin to eating a wad of paper towels used to clean up a stove. Greasy, unappealing, gross.

The meat itself is fine, though not what I’d consider a large burger. Even with ordering the Big Jake triple with cheese and bacon (9.9 oz before cooking), I didn’t feel like I had a half pound hamburger. The patties were thin and uninspired, though consistent with the taste I’d expect from a premium burger. The rest of the burger is as you’d expect it. Bacon was crisp, cheese was slightly melted, vegetables were fresh. Considering I paid over $7 for this burger, I felt like I deserved more for the price.

The fries were disappointing, but only in presentation. When you order Chili Cheese Fries, what do you expect? I know I expect fries, crisp and hot, covered in chili and cheese. What I got what fries, crisp and hot, with two small containers on the side of chili and cheese. Doesn’t that eliminate the whole “chili cheese fries” deal if you have to do the construction yourself and there is neither enough chili or cheese to compliment the quantity of fries? Again, for almost $4, I expected a finished product, not a “Choose your own adventure” meal. After some digging with a few fries made into a makeshift spoon, I was able to dislodge all of the cheese and chili from the cups and onto the mass of fries. They tasted fine, but the ordeal to make them that way was off-putting.

My Rootbeer tasted fine. It’s a Pepsi fountain, so I got what I was expecting. No complaints on the drink.

I’d like to think that a place like Jakes Hamburgers could survive in the premium market, but I don’t have high hopes. The food would be a bargain at $10 or even $13, put spending $24 for what we got is outrageous. I won’t be going back to Jake’s again.

There are a number of things that Centro Cantina gets right, especially considering it’s a permanent outside restaurant. The breeze coming though the open-air layout makes for very comfortable dining. Even in the summer, it isn’t bad because the air at this level is cooler than street level and there’s no buildings to block it. A cool breeze envelopes you between sips of any of their specialty margaritas. It was also nice that you could both buy cigarettes and smoke them here. Finding a place that will let you smoke while you eat is nearly impossible in Florida, so I appreciate it when I find it.

A fully stocked bar carries all of your favorites, though the definite onus is on frozen island drinks. Many tumbling ice machines keep the contents of your drink of choice flowing cold before being served in a souvenir bikini glass. It all seems a bit forced and commercial, but still enjoyable.

The service is good all around. We sat ourselves and a waitress came to take our drink order in about 7 minutes. From there, the drinks came back out in about another 6 minutes. We ordered both an appetizer and two entrees and turnaround on them was about another 15 minutes. While this is an average turnaround time, I was pleased that the waitress continued to come back to refill our drinks and check on us. She had a great attitude.

The appetizer arrived and I was surprised. I’ve had Southwest Eggrolls in many other restaurants, but none quite like these. These were not deep fried, as many are. Since they used a tortilla wrapper and no frying, the texture was more spring roll than egg roll. The insides were hot and creamy, as they should be. The chips better than average and multicolored, giving the plate a nice presentation. While it wasn’t what I expected, I did enjoy it.

The entrees came out shortly after. My mother opted for the Chicken and Spinach White Pizza, a tortilla-based take on a thin crust pie. The spinach was the predominant taste and it was exactly as it should be. The sauce was a cream base and really pulled the pizza together. The cheese was light, the crust was crisp and it was a good size to fill one person at about 12″.

At the suggestion of the waitress, I opted for the chicken quesadilla. It was acceptable, but not anything special. Chicken pieces were small an unremarkable. The crust and cheese were average, as to be expected. The dish was saved by more of the great chips and an abundance of sour cream, something that many restaurants scrimp on unnecessarily. Overall, I’d rate the quesadilla as fair to good. No complaints.

The overall cost for an appetizer, two entrees and two drinks ran about $35. Not too bad considering everything we ate. As we were leaving, we noticed that Centro Ybor was starting to fill in. I can imagine this place would be crazy busy at night, so if you want a quiet dinner you’ll want to come early.

Even with the crowd, service was pretty quick. My root beer was out on the table within 5 minutes. My breakfast was out in less than 10. As I looked around, I noticed that all of the tables were served equally quick and everyone seemed to be happy with their meals.

Since I knew I was going to be at the Airfest and a number of other activities all through the day, I decided to load up on comfort food early on so I’d be full of energy throughout the day. The obvious choices for me included the corn beef hash and the Greek Omelette. I actually ended up ordering more than I needed, as all of the portions were larger than I expected.

The Greek omelette was above average. The things I look for in a Greek omelette include a large quantity of feta cheese, crisp vegetables and a well done and thick consistency to the omelette. This one was spot-on. If I had to wave a magic wand, I’d have added gyro meat, but I forgot to even ask for it. The omelette was extra large in every way, filling a large platter and thus my belly.

I was really expecting the corned beef hash in place of the hashbrowns with my omelette and thus was surprised when they brought out a heaping pile of hashbrowns that I couldn’t finish. They were just the way I like them too, crispy and brown on one side with a cooked through bottom that wasn’t oily or burned. They also salted it just enough to where I didn’t need to add any. A splash of hot sauce and ketchup made them near perfect. To round off the plate, the rye toast was adequate, if not a little dry.

The corned beef hash was the star of the show, even though I ordered it as a side dish. Based on mass alone, it was probably the same size as the omelette. The hash was meaty and had that great corned beef smell that you can only get from fried corn beef hash. It was aromatic and hit the spot. When I got up from the table, I felt 10 pounds heavier because of the all the starch and carbs, but I knew I was good for the day.

Even leaving and going directly into the hot sun for the next several hours, the breakfast kept me feeling full and happy. The next time I’m down near the base, I’ll have to pop in for lunch and see how consistently good it is.

The place itself like just like every other little bar in the middle of nowhere. Dark inside. Lots of semi-comfortable seating. A nice big island of booze and food in the middle. What more could you ask, really, out of a place to drown your sorrows and fill your belly?

The bartender was very sweet and attentive, and was quick with both drinks and food. She also did what every good wingstress should do, in asking right away if we wanted blue cheese, ranch and celery. In addition to being a great value, they had a few different flavors to choose from (teriyaki, 3 levels of hot, mild and garlic, and all are available naked or breaded). The other great thing, as with any good all-you-can-eat wing place, is that you can mix and match and do half orders of anything you want. The ability to have so much choice and variety for a price like that seemed like I had found my Wing Mecca. So far, so good.

The wings arrived quickly, and were overwhelming in count. There were probably 20 in each basket, and all were drumsticks. On the surface, all seemed perfect. Then, I bit into them.

The wings themselves were tougher, crunchier and greasier than any wings I had before. Granted, this was the garlic wings, done naked. They were chewy, and overdone. Looks like someone left them in the fryer too long and then went nuts with the garlic sauce. After eating about 10 of them, I started feeling sick from the oil, so I backed off a bit and drank a few diet cokes to wash it down. The pile of oil and garlic left in the bottom of the basket was a good indication of what my arteries would look like if I continued to eat these.

The mild wings were better, though still very greasy and oily. The actual mild sauce was a bit sweet which helped both the flavor and texture.

My favorite were the teriyaki wings. These weren’t greasy at all, and the teriyaki sauce complimented the crunchy texture perfectly. They also weren’t overdone like the garlic wings were.

All in all, if you like your wings crunchy and cheap, Elmer’s on Monday night is a good value. If you’re at all worried about the health consequences, or you don’t like greasy wings, or you have an uneasy stomach, you may want to pass.

One of my favorite local in-and-out breakfast spots is the Gold Ring Cafe (2510 N Tampa St, Tampa, FL 33602, (813) 224-0986). Sitting at the corner of North Tampa Street and Columbus, this little diner is best known for it’s catering (as seen by their website), but as a cheap sandwich shop and breakfast eatery, it hits the spot.

When it comes to value in breakfast, you can’t go wrong with the Regular Breakfast. Two eggs, any way you want them. I take them scrambled because it makes for easier consumption while trying to get started in my day. A big chunk of ham, easily a quarter inch thick, is more than enough. Compliment this with a couple of hash browns and toast, all for under four bucks. For the truly hungry, they have a Big Breakfast that clocks in at more than twice the food and still under seven bucks. If Value is what you want, you’d be hard pressed to find more value in food that is palatable.

My main complaint is that this place doesn’t take credit cards. Who doesn’t take credit cards these days? I assume that’s a lot of the reason they can keep the prices down, as there’s no overhead going into Visa’s pocket every time someone buys a cup of coffee or a couple dollar sandwich.

My only other complaint is that I’ve never dined in, as the place doesn’t come off as comfortable. Hard, cramps seats. Dark greasy spoon atmosphere. Not my idea of a good time, but their food is decent and the price is low so get it to go and enjoy.

Many of the dishes at Central Park focus around the lunch crowd favorites of sandwiches, soups and salad. Everything looked and smelled delicious, as you would expect from a Deli-style restaurant. The place was very clean and the seats were as comfortable as a casual dining place could be. Before we even ordered, everything seemed right. Aside from the inside dining, they also have an outside area with umbrellas for those beautiful spring Florida days.

As I opened the menu, I realized that this place was really geared towards value. Most every dish was $8 or less. Knowing we had a $35 gift certificate, we actually over-ordered to meet that minimum and ended up taking quite a bit of it home. Truth be told, two people can get full for under $20 here, including drinks.

We ended up starting with a round of fried mushrooms and cheese sticks. Standard bar-quality fried foods. Nothing exceptional, but a good start.

Then came the main courses. Sharon ended up ordering two entrees to meet the cost of the gift certificate, the Manicotti and the Egglplant Parmesan. With those, came a salad and a beef-based soup. As they came out a bit quicker than my entree, I took a few bites.

Here’s Sharon dipping salad into soup. She’s a special girl.

The Eggplant was done very well. Crispy outside, red sauce permeating it’s soft middle. The Manicotti was much the same with a large portion of noodle and cheese and the same good red sauce. The quality of the ingredients and presentation was on par with Olive Garden at a much lower price.

I ordered the “King Maximus Greek Platter”. Imagine every Greek Favorite on one plate. The gyro slices were thick and wide. They were probably twice as wide as I was expecting, and a I received 6 of them totalling probably half a pound or more of lamb. A marinated chicken souvlaki skewer filled the of the plate. The chicken was moist and flavorful without being greasy. The pita bread, a standard in any Greek dish, was warm and tender.

My favorite part, the Spinach Pie, was amongst the best spinach pie I have eaten. Flakey crust, smooth spinach insides, piping hot and consistently good throughout. The whole dish sat on a pile of rice and a greek salad. My only complaint was that the feta in the salad was a bit runny. I’m used to large blocks of feta in my salad, while this was a scoop of mushy feta. This did not affect the taste, and overall I was very happy with the meal. I didn’t even get half of it down before taking the rest home. The portions are gigantic, even if you only order one!

When you walk in, the restaurant breaks into three separate areas. In the middle, you’ll find an aged-looking bar. Lots of dark woods and crystal and a mixed crowd, everyone seeming to really enjoy themselves. To the right, you have a more private dining area. To the left, where we sat, is the open wing. By day, they open up all the floor-to-ceiling windows and this becomes an open-air restaurant. At night, it reverts to an elegant dining area.

When we came in, we were greeted by a hostess that reminded me of a fashionista. She was stern, but sweet. We gave her our name (reservations welcome!) and she sat us immediately. The room we sat in was a mix of themes that didn’t seem to mesh at first, but they all made sense as I took a look around at the crowd. On the televisions, we had sports on one TV and the rest turned to dance music videos. The tables had fine linens with a paper cover. Every table had a delicate piece of stemware on it. Even the soda cups were made of high quality glass, none of that polycarbonate garbage that some restaurants try to pass off as drinkware.

Our server came out very quickly. She was also quite sweet, continually calling me “baby” and making sure we had enough to drink. It’s personalities like this that make dining out a true pleasure and I gladly left her a 30% tip because she was exceptional.

The appetizer course was the Latin Quarter, a mix of Wonton Chips with Mojo marinated chicken or chorizo, seasoned black beans, poblano, Manchego – jack cheese served with salsa, guava lime sour creme). It sounds strangely inviting, but it can only be described as one word: delicious. I never thought I’d mix wonton chips with anything outside of Asia, but this was a pleasant mix of cultures. Chorizo sausage mixed with the cheese and beans have a distinct latin flavor while the sauce (oh my god, the sauce!) was savory and sweet to the tastebuds while completely complimenting the dish. I honestly could have lived with just the appetizer, as it was not only tasty but a very large portion for $8.95.

Then the main dishes came out. I opted for a dinner Greek Salad. Kara got the Crispy Mojo Chicken. My salad was on par with anything I’ve had in Tarpon Springs. Lots of feta, a thick serving of beets, delicious red onions and a garnish of shrimp. The deciding factor of a good greek salad for me is in the extras, and Charlie’s served up the extras include a glob of Greek Potato salad at the core. My only complaint was the large leaves of lettuce they used for the bottom, but it didn’t stop me from making an empty bowl quickly.

I tasted a bit of Kara’s Mojo chicken as well. It was a nicely glazed chicken, juicy throughout without being greasy. The lemon-butter gravy is a nice touch, being a bit unexpected by still good. She continually praised, “This chicken is so juicy! We need to come here again!”. I definitely agree with her.

After the meal, our server brought us the check. It was less than $60 (before the coupon), including my top shelf Ketel One Martini and her Long Island Ice Tea, which were both incredibly potent. It’s difficult to get the note of a dirty martini, but Charlies landed it.

All in all, I couldn’t recommend this place more. Everyone was so friendly. The atmosphere was fun. We didn’t stick out like sore thumbs, though we’re definitely not the standard guests. If you find yourself in Gaybor, take a walk into Charlies. You’ll leave satisfied.

The Hip Hop Soda Shop (1241 E Fowler Ave Tampa, FL 33612, (813) 977-1200) is a collection of genres in a relatively seamless collaboration. Part arcade, part bar, part nightclub, part comedy stage, part hangout, part recording studio… you get the idea. It’s as if a group of kids got together in New York in the late 80s or early 90s and said, “We want to have a place all our own.” and somehow that idea ended up in Tampa.

The outside is simple enough. Lots of neon, lots of parking, and what looks like perhaps a Bennigans or TGI Fridays or something similar once was housed here. You can easily see both the sign and the custom flag as you drive by, making the trip here easy enough.

When you walk in, you are instantly overwhelmed. Master Chief from Halo stands you down with guns in hand.

An entire hallway filled with swag reminds you that this is more than just a fun place to be, this is consumerism in motion. Lots of XBOX-related gear and hip-hoppity accessories fill the showcases.

To the right, you see an all digital recording studio.

As you enter the main area, you have a dance floor with break dancers and a DJ working tracks for the crowd.

In the middle, a full bar with everything you need to get your party on. You know a place is off the hook if they have a Jagermeister Dispenser.

A stage for comedy, music and other live entertainment.

Private/VIP rooms off to the sides, a full kitchen and DOZENS of Xbox 360s, all plugged into XBOX Live, for you to play (for free!) while you dine or hang out.

Food was typical bar-room food, though we were told they have the “best chicken and waffles anywhere.” Kara and I ended up getting The Collaboration, which is a hip-hop take on the standard mix of appetizers you can find anywhere. Food was good, as all bar food staples tend to be.

At the door price of $10, you get the live show (see our next post about the Got Jokes? Variety Show), comfortable surroundings, good atmosphere and a chill place to hang with your friends and play XBOX. The music isn’t too loud or too risque, and the environment is welcoming to people of all ages, backgrounds and (most likely) any mainstream music interest. What more could you ask out of a low-key night out in Tampa?

There are a number of things that ABC gets right. It’s in a nice location, just south of I-275, next to the Hillsborough river. This makes it easy to get to and convenient. There’s lots of parking and the atmosphere is warm, friendly and open.

When you get inside, it’s half Pizza Hut and half small-town diner. Nothing serious. Nothing elegant. Just a decent place to eat, where you can take your whole family without worry of them being too loud or breaking anything. You seat yourself, and the waitstaff is pretty quick and full of smiles.

Once there, you get the staple of all mid-grade pizza places: the advertiser’s placemat:

They serve coke products, and it’s all very… well, average. Again, nothing exceptional, but nothing bad either. The appetizer menu is a bargain, bringing out a large slab of cheese bread for just $3.

Soon enough, the pizza arrived. Total wait time from the time we ordered until we had the bread was less than 10 minutes, and probably another 10 for the pizza. Definitely reasonable. The pizza reminded me a lot of the classic pizza from Pizza Hut – a collection of pepperoni, sausage, peppers, onions, sauce and cheese. Crust was chewy but not greasy. Toppings were mediocre but satisfying. Cheese was cheese. Again, if there’s one thing that can some up this place, it’s “average”.

All of this said, if a family friendly pizza place with other greek favorites is what you’re looking for, ABC isn’t a bad call. Now I continue my quest for pizza better than NYPD.

I started going to Rick’s about a year ago when I joined the Tampa Bay Miatas. This was their regular meeting place after the Chick-Fil-A they were meeting at booted them. Rick’s has a lot going for it for car clubs. Lots of outside seating with views of the cars. Beer. Cool Marina with lots of boats in and out to look at. Cold Beer in pitches. Good looking waitresses, most of which are decently quick with your order. Food isn’t bad either.

There are a few things about the place that will drive you crazy though. The nightly musician is atrocious. Imagine a cat being slammed around in a dryer with a microphone playing your favorite 70s, 80s and 90s hits in a way that makes you want to poke out your own ears with a rusty nail. He’s THAT BAD. I’m sure they get him at a bargain and I’m sure he sounds great if you’re so drunk you can’t stand up, but for me he’s a major annoyance. Secondly, there are a few waitresses there that feel they are “above it all”. I can name one in particular that takes 30 minutes to bring you a beer because she’s always off on her cell phone or not paying attention. Lastly, it has all the charms and cavets of any bar, so be prepared for drunkies and other morons behaving with the charm and grace of a meth-addicted grizzlybear. That’s all par for the course, but definitely not worth missing the good stuff about Rick’s.

Over the last year, I’ve seen Rick’s evolve quite a bit. The food is a bit more expensive and you get less of it, but it’s coming out warm and quickly with a smile most of the time. They’ve done a lot to improve the outside atmosphere as well. New large tents cover the tables, a nice “I need service” flag system is now in place and they’d done a lot to make sure the parking lot is clean.

So, the next time you find yourself near Columbus and Rome, stop on into Rick’s. It’s a good time to be had for all, especially on nice days with the warm breeze coming off the Hillsborough River.