Dining out: Tampa’s unexpected pleasures
Sunny Tampa, my longtime home, “hasn't always been seen as a destination for dining,” said Annalise Mabe in Bon Appétit. But the food culture here “blends diverse influences,” and you can eat well if you know where to look. The cigar industry long ago pulled in Cuban, Spanish, and Italian culinary traditions, and Tampa has since folded in Vietnamese, Colombian, and Puerto Rican influences. The food at these three destinations is “sure to surprise you—in the best way.” La Segunda Bakery “No visit to Tampa is complete” without a visit to this “small, bustling” bakery in Ybor City, Tampa's Cuban district. Start your morning with freshly baked Cuban bread and a café con leche, or maybe some guava and cheese pastelitos or coconut turnovers. “There's no seating, so plan to take your food to go.” 2512 N. 15th St.
Columbia Restaurant You could easily get lost wandering the 15 grand dining rooms of Florida's oldest continuously operating restaurant, which is also the largest Spanish restaurant in the world. Count on “very good sangria” and “excellent tapas,” such as scallops baked in a buttery wine sauce. If you're lucky, you might also catch a flamenco performance. 2117 E. 7th Ave.
Rooster & the Till This “charmingly loud and busy” restaurant draws on influences from around the globe. Begin your evening with a “Spare the Dead” cocktail, featuring pineapple-árbol tepache, a fermented drink made from pineapple rinds. The small plates are great, especially the “succulent” cobia collar topped with “a nuoc cham sauce you'll want to drink.” The mochi doughnut holes, served in a bowl of miso fivespice yuzu butterscotch, are a must for dessert. 6500 N. Florida Ave.