Inspired by the rich cultural heritage of West Tampa, Tampeño Fish and Meat Market opened its doors this fall at 3413 W Tampa Bay Blvd., taking over the former Stadium Cafe spot near Raymond James Stadium. Nestled among rows of older homes, the location seems unlikely,  but it pays homage to the area's past when family-run businesses often thrived in the heart of neighborhoods before zoning regulations reshaped the landscape.

We visited Nepal a few years back and loved the variety of food there, especially from street vendors. When I heard about Gorkahli Kitchen, I was anxious to sample Nepali cuisine again. It’s a hike. Located in Cross Creek, New Tampa, the temptation was enough to break me and a crew out of our typical bubble.  And a thirty-minute drive is much better than a 24-hour plane ride to Nepal!

I attended the Tampa Bay Times 2024 announcement of the top 10 restaurants as determined by food critic Helen Freund. The Times selected their pick for the top 30 restaurants in the area and have printed the bottom 20 in the past two weeks. They reserved revealing the top ten for this event. I secretly wanted a big surprise for the number one spot…

My crew and I were looking for a new gem on Water Street. The Pearl is one of the newer eateries in the Channelside District, gaining accolades in this fashionable neighborhood. Sporting a chef-driven gastropub menu, as the name “Pearl” hints, it specializes in oysters. House-made pies are also a specialty.

You’re a chef, and someone goes online and writes a blistering review. What should you do? Or, you’re a dissatisfied customer reeling from a terrible experience. What’s your best move?

Octoberfest starts in September, you know? Schiller’s German Delicatessen is a one-stop shop for everything Octoberfest. It has been around 70 years and has stacked up a loyal following. It’s easy to see why. Their sandwiches, meats, cheeses, and beer are all Bavarian-influenced and tough to beat.

Places to eat in Beech Mountain, North Carolina, are limited. But it’s a seasonal town with around 700 residents, busy during a brief snow ski season and heavily reliant on tourism the rest of the year. Holy Smokes BBQ, located in the White Wolf Lodge, and is surprisingly good. One would expect a run-of-the-mill barbeque place here, but North Carolinians take their que seriously!

Located in Valle Crucis, N.C., the Civil War-era house started as a two-room farmhouse and was expanded to nearly 5,000 square feet in 1895. It is on the National Register of Historic Places. Serving Louisiana inspired dishes, Chef Andy Long hails from Baton Rouge and has embraced Appalachian food and cookery since moving to North Carolina in 2005.

With a name like Gamekeeper in Banner Elk, especially since it calls itself an adventure in fine dining and mountain cuisine, one would expect a non-traditional menu. They do not disappoint. The drive down winding mountain roads is beautiful. The restaurant is tucked up in the trees on a hill, with a multi-level dining deck visible from the road.

Artisanal, designed in a charming converted barn, offers a unique visual experience from driving down a picturesque winding road past horse pastures and farmhouses to get there to the dark exterior walls blending with the mountains' finesse, creating a serene scene.

La Segunda Bakery was established in 1915 after the end of the Spanish-American War. Spaniard Juan Moré' fought in the war. While in Cuba, he discovered his love of traditional Cuban Bread and brought that recipe to the Cuban District of Ybor City.

Mariano Cardona opened Antojitos Latin Cravings restaurant in 1995. It moved twice before eventually landing in its current location at Howard and Columbus. Antojitos is loosely translated to yummy small bites or little cravings, usually Latin street food. The menu offers a cross-section of Latin dishes, including Mexican and Cuban, but Columbian food is its core offering.

Ash, a 2400 sq. ft. restaurant with a 1,000 sq. ft. outdoor dining space and attached music-forward cocktail lounge called Alter Ego, opened its doors in April. The fare is Italian-ish, as the kitchen doesn’t limit itself to traditional Italian dishes and explores the edges of the cuisine with creativity and risk.

This year, in honor of Ybor City and a favorite meal of cigar factory workers, the J.C. Newman Cigar Co. sponsored a Cuban sandwich-eating contest. It was held in their Cigar Workers' Park, an area constructed by the company to honor the legacy of laborers who produced their product for over a century.

Tampa has recently witnessed a hot dog revolution, with several eateries offering high-end craft wieners. In my quest to find Tampa's top hot dog king, I visited places that are known for their gourmet hot dogs. While there are popular versions of craft dogs like kimchi dogs, local kitchens are experimenting with handcrafting this comfort food. Here's Tampa's top craft hot dog

The mighty hot dog has been around for centuries in some form. Still, recently, besides sporting venues, street vendors, and backyard BBQs, it has mostly been relegated to the kid’s menu at restaurants. join me as I do a deep 2-month hard-hitting investigative journalistic dive into the world of the Tampa tube steak to find Tampa’s top dog. It wasn’t easy, and there were some surprising results.

You’ve heard many restaurants being called authentic. Sometimes, it’s because the owners hail from the same region of the world as the food, and sometimes, because you leave feeling as though you experienced the ethnic soul of the place. At Streetlight Tacos, Chef-partner Michael Brannock, who has long wanted to open a Mexican restaurant, visited Mexico eight times in two years to learn the food, ingredients and processes unique to that country

Books and Records opened in September 2023 and has quickly established a following. It has a good social vibe, with an active bar, live music, and top-notch food

Boulon Brasserie and Bakery, a stunning location taking up the northeast corner of Water Street and Channelside Drive. It offers a menu of French classics most with an American twist.

I ventured out on my annual Florida State Fair food junket on opening day, but this year, Tampa Bay Times Events and Travel reporter Sharon Kennedy Wynne and Video Producer Aya Diab joined me this time. The intent was to find the best, possible, most outlandish fair food for 2024.