Mexican$$palma-ceiaMon-Thu 11:30-21:00, Fri-Sat 11:30-22:00, Sun 11:30-21:00
Streetlight Taco on Henderson Boulevard is Chef Michael Brannock's Bib Gourmand taqueria, nixtamalizing heirloom corn in house for every tortilla.
Order: Three tacos on house-nixtamalized tortillas and a side of esquites.
Tip: Counter service with a small bar; arrive before 7pm to avoid the queue.
Nepalese$$carrollwoodMon 11:00-21:30, Tue closed, Wed-Thu 11:00-21:30, Fri 11:00-22:00, Sun 11:00-22:00
Gorkhali Kitchen in New Tampa holds a Michelin Bib Gourmand for Himalayan and Nepalese cooking, with steamed buff momos and thali platters built tableside.
Order: Buff momos with chili sauce and the chicken thali platter.
Tip: Strip-mall room with no frills; bring a group and order across the thali, momo and biryani sections.
New American$$$seminole-heightsMon-Sat 17:00-22:00
Rooster and the Till in Seminole Heights holds a Michelin Bib Gourmand for Chef Ferrell Alvarez's modern American small plates with Asian and Italian accents.
Order: Pork belly steam buns and the night's hand-cut pasta.
Tip: Intimate dining room; book through Resy and ask for the chef's counter if available.
American Gastropub$$palma-ceiaMon-Thu 11:00-21:00, Fri 11:00-22:00, Sat 8:30-22:00, Sun 8:30-21:00
Datz in South Tampa is Tampa's bacon-hoarding comfort-food gastropub since 2009, with the city's biggest brunch and a 100-tap craft beer wall.
Order: Biscuits and Crazy at brunch or the Cheesy Todd burger at dinner.
Tip: Brunch Saturday and Sunday from 8:30am to 3pm; the patio fills first.
American$$north-hyde-parkMon-Fri 7:30-17:30, Sat-Sun 8:00-17:30
Oxford Exchange on Kennedy Boulevard runs a bookstore, restaurant, coffee bar and TeBella tea bar in a sunlit conservatory with a retractable glass roof.
Order: Buttermilk pancakes at brunch with the maple butter and a flight of TeBella teas.
Tip: Toast named Oxford Exchange among America's top 20 brunch spots; arrive before 9am on weekends.
Caribbean$$ybor-cityWed-Thu 17:00-22:00, Fri-Sat 16:00-01:00, Sun 16:00-22:00
Madame Fortune in Ybor City runs Caribbean food and a vinyl record bar from a back room of Roast Deli and Bakery on East Seventh Avenue. The room fills.
Order: Jerk chicken roti plus a glass of rum punch and the rum cake.
Tip: Find the entrance through Roast Deli's back hallway; the HiFi parlour plays vinyl most nights.