El Cap - St Petersburg, FL

In search of "the perfect burger," my son and I headed to El Cap for lunch. We had heard it is one of those places in the Tampa Bay area that is famous for their burgers. According to their menu, El Cap has been around since 1963. I figure if a restaurant is able to stick around that long, there must be something good going on there. We entered the restaurant through the outdoor seating area, and seated ourselves inside. It had one of those nice, hole in the wall atmospheres. The wall was plastered with numerous and various best burger awards, along with other memorabilia. If you don't want a table, there are a few chairs at the bar.

After studying the menu, my son and I had our orders ready. For drinks, we chose IBC root beer. For burgers, I ordered the "World Champ" hamburger. This was a plain burger and for a little extra, I added grilled onions. My son chose the "World Champ" cheeseburger. Along with the burgers, I ordered a basket of fries. After a short wait, our burgers arrived. I liked the size of the burger because it reminded me of the patties my mom used to make that were not to big or not too small. And the taste impressed with the toasted bun, juicy burger, and grilled onions combining for a great burger. I tried my son's cheese burger, which was also quite tasty. The fries themselves were quite good, but nothing extraordinary.

So, did I find "the perfect burger." Well, it was pretty, pretty, good. But, I don't know if it is the best burger. I am looking for that elusive taste and experience that I remember from my childhood. I guess I have keep on exploring the Bay area and let you all know how that works out. As for service at El Cap, it was friendly, but no nonsense. They had a lot of customers there that were all waiting to order their burger. This is definitely a place I would return and as an added plus, it is budget friendly.

El Cap
3500 4th Street North
St Petersburg, FL 33704
727-521-1314

Anghiti Indian Cuisine - Tampa, FL

My husband had to head north of Tampa for a photo shoot, so my son and I decided to come along because I wanted to try an Indian Restaurant that was in the vicinity. After dropping off my husband, my son and I headed over to Anghiti which was located on Fowler Avenue. Located in a strip mall, the inside was simply decorated with a Indian theme running throughout. We were quickly given a table. At that point, all we needed to decide is if we wanted to order from the menu, or try the lunch buffet. A quick look at the buffet that everyone in the restaurant was eating from made the decision for us, we would eat from the buffet.

The buffet had a nice selection of choices, more than I would have been able to try if I had ordered off of the main menu. There were chutneys, appetizers, meat entrees, vegetarian entrees, rice, and naan. For an appetizer, I chose the potato samosa along with some chutney. A samosa is a flaky pastry that is filled and then deep-fried, and it was very tasty along with the chutney. For meat I tried the curry chicken, tandoori chicken, and the lamb biryani (a rice pilaf). For the vegetarian entrees, I tried the dahl(lentils) and the aloo palak(spinach with potatoes). For dessert, I tried the Gulab Jamun and the ras malai, both were excellent. The buffet even included hot chai. Everything was beautifully spiced and to date, this is the best Indian restaurant I have tried in the area. We cook this food in our home, so I know when I have found something really good. Sometimes, I go to some Indian restaurants, and the food is somewhat bland and the spices have been tamed down to much. However, at this restaurant all of the dishes had a nice blend of spices with just the right touch of heat, and yet not too overwhelming.

After finishing the meal, I ordered some palak paneer(spinach and cheese) to go for my husband. He too was impressed with the quality of the food, and he can't wait to go back and sample more dishes. The only disappointment was that the owners of the restaurant wouldn't let me take any pictures of the restaurant's interior. They have a nice restaurant, so it is a pity that I do not have pictures for their restaurant, as is the case with other restaurants I have visited. Although I don't have any pictures of the restaurant, I do have a picture of the food I ate that day, but that does not begin to describe the taste of the food. Overall, it was great food and polite service.

Anghiti Indian Cuisine
2047 East Fowler Avenue
Tampa, FL 33612
813-979-4889

Taps Wine and Beer Merchants - Tampa, FL

What a wonderful evening of great food and music. We headed over to Tampa to hear a local singer that we follow, Meredith Marsh, perform at this downtown spot. We had never been there before, but we dearly wanted to hear Meredith perform. We arrived downtown and found a pay parking lot across the street from the restaurant. If you are lucky enough to find a spot, metered parking is free in the evenings. The restaurant has a hip vibe with bar tables and a long low couch towards the back with cool skeleton pillows on the couch. We dined at one of the tables outside on the sidewalk, where Meredith was singing. Outside, there is also a low couch and tables for those who want to get a little more comfortable. Outside is beautiful with views across the street of the University of Tampa.

When seated, our server brought us an extensive beer list and a wine list. The wine list had a number of nice choices, but I would have loved to have seen a few more international choices. The evening was warm, so I decided to go for a Rose, a favorite warm weather wine of mine. Rose wines were something I didn't care to try in the past, but this last year, I have developed quite the love for them. My husband chose the Sauvignon Blanc, which was quite nice. Like I said, the beer list was quite extensive with a large draft and bottled beer selection. Next time, I would like to go there and try some of the beers.

For food, we started with the beer queso nachos. This was a generous plate of nachos with sour cream, guacamole, and salsa on top. They were delicious and the guacamole was some of the best I have had in a long time. My son ordered the Roast Beef sliders Au Jus. These come on a baguette sliced into three portions with provolone cheese and they were quite tasty. My husband chose the vegetarian sandwich, which was roasted vegetables including mushrooms, peppers, onions, roasted asparagus, Gorgonzola cheese, and garlic mayo on a baguette. The roasted vegetable sandwich was my favorite out of our three orders. The strong cheese with the roasted vegetables was absolutely wonderful. For myself, I chose the turkey and brie sandwich with pear chutney and arugula on a baguette. This was very good and the pear chutney along with the brie really brought the sandwich together. Along with our sandwich was a nice salad with a strawberry on top that was quite lovely.

This was a truly lovely evening with good food and great music. The service was polite, but a bit slow at times. This is a place I would love to play a repeat visit to, especially if Meredith is playing. Good food, good drinks, and good music. It couldn't get any better.

Taps Wine and Beer Merchants
777 North Ashley Drive
Tampa, FL 33602
813-463-1968

Craftsman House - St Petersburg, FL

If you don't keep your eyes wide open, you just might drive past the Craftsman House craft and art gallery that is located in the Grand Central District. I know the first time we went looking for it, we drove past it. The Craftsman House is located in a 1918 renovated bungalow (This information can be found on the Craftsman House website). Local artists and craftsman display and and sell their work there, which is quite beautiful. Tucked in the back of the bungalow is a cute little cafe where you can order coffee, wine, beer, wraps, sandwiches, salads, soup, and bakery items. If you order a coffee or hot drink, they serve it in handmade pottery, which is a lovely touch.

On the day we were there, we went to the counter and placed our order. We ordered three Boylan's Root beers that just hit the spot that day. An added plus is that they were made with real sugar versus corn syrup, yay! For eating, we chose the hummus wrap, the pesto chicken wrap, and the roast beef and focaccia sandwich. With our orders, we also got to choose from chips or salad, but we all went for the chips that day. After ordering our food, we chose a table on the front porch. In addition to the tables and chairs scattered around, there is a quaint little porch swing. After a short wait, our food arrived. The wraps and sandwiches come in generous portion sizes, and I really could have shared a sandwich with my son because it was too much to finish. However, we were all in agreement that the food was very good and this is definitely a place to make repeat visits. Also, this is a good place to keep track of upcoming events on their website because they have music playing sometimes in the evening, plus other events. A winner for us!

Craftsman House
2955 Central Avenue
St Petersburg, FL 33713
727-323-2787

Chappy's - downtown St Petersburg, FL

For lunch one weekday, my son and I decided to head over to Chappy's for lunch. My husband declined to join us for this one because we could not really find anything for vegetarians on the menu, as far as entrees went. And we don't really count salads as a meal option. So, my son and I walked in and seated ourselves as the sign up front indicated. I liked the looks of the place. It was a long room with mostly bar tables along the sides and a couple of regular tables by the windows up front. We both liked the cool art on the walls.

Our waiter was very prompt in bringing us drinks and taking our orders, but I am afraid to say that was the only thing that was prompt that day. For lunch, we ordered a burger and the Shrimp Po Boy. My son's burger was good, but nothing special. I loved the battered shrimp that was in my Po Boy and I was happy with my selection. Both the burger and po boy came with big cut fries that were lightly dusted with seasoning, and which we both liked.

So, we enjoyed our food, but it did not arrive promptly. After ordering a burger and a Shrimp Po Boy sandwich, we waited about an hour for our food. While waiting, I saw a table of two get up and leave because they couldn't wait for their food any longer. Another table behind me complained to their server that they had already waited too long and that if the food didn't arrive in 5 minutes, they were leaving. Their food did not arrive in five minutes, and they all got up and left. I did hear the server tell another party that was waiting for their food that they had gotten behind due to a large party they had been there earlier. I understand these things can happen. However, before taking orders, they could have advised customers that they were behind by a certain amount of time and asked if customers would still like to order, or if they would like to dine there another day. This was a weekday lunch time, and a lot of people there were taking a lunch during their workday and needed to eat in a hurry. Give people a choice, so as not to lose customers in the long run. Again, good food, but need to communicate with the customers.

Chappy's

247 Central Avenue

St Petersburg, FL 33701

727-896-5118

the Cupcake Spot - downtown St Petersburg, FL

When in the grip of a cupcake craving, and no time to bake some at home, I like to head over to the Cupcake Spot that is located on Central Avenue in St. Pete. A cute little spot, with a big display case filled with delicious options. The hardest thing that there is about going in there is how to decide which cupcake I want to eat. I take almost as long as my son to decide. Just the other day, I enjoyed the Better Than cupcake. This was a chocolate chip cupcake topped with cream cheese frosting and a few small chocolate chips on top. I love cream cheese frosting, so I was very happy with that selection. I also, tried the Tuxedo cupcake, which was a yellow cupcake topped with vanilla frosting on one side, and chocolate frosting on the other side. The Tuxedo was very good, but I still like the Better Thans cupcake best. There is only a couple of tables inside, but most people do what we do and just grab a cupcake and eat it as they walk along on the sidewalk. Or they can pack it up for you to take home. If you need something to drink, they offer milk and coffee.

the Cupcake Spot

405 Central Avenue, #102

St Petersburg, FL 33701

727-825-0572

The City Pier Restaurant - Anna Maria Island, FL

If you ever make it to the north end of Anna Maria Island, a must place to stop in for the novelty and fresh grouper is The City Pier Restaurant. At the end of a long pier, this lone restaurant offers a great view of the gulf. Of course, it helps that the gulf is all around you and under the restaurant you are eating in. When my family and I dine there, I always go for the grouper, just because it is very fresh, which is not always the case at a lot of places. I always have my grouper fried, but they also offer it grilled or blackened. The dinner comes with a choice of two sides, and I always opt for the fries and coleslaw. Seafood seems to have a starring role on the menu, but they do offer other choices, such as, beef, chicken, and pasta. Also, they have a few sandwich and pasta options for vegetarians, which is always great for our family. There is a house wine and a few beer choices on the menu, too. When done enjoying the meal, hop outside and put some coins in the telescope to get a look at the skyway bridge that one can see from the City Pier Restaurant.

The City Pier Restaurant

100 South Bay Blvd

Anna Maria Island, FL

941-779-1667