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$$ybor-cityWed-Thu 17:00-22:00, Fri-Sat 16:00-01:00, Sun 16:00-22:00
Madame Fortune in Ybor City runs Caribbean food and a vinyl record bar from a back room of Roast Deli and Bakery on East Seventh Avenue. The room fills.
Order: Jerk chicken roti plus a glass of rum punch and the rum cake.
Tip: Find the entrance through Roast Deli's back hallway; the HiFi parlour plays vinyl most nights.
Italian$$$hyde-parkMon-Wed 11:00-22:00, Thu 11:00-23:00, Fri 11:00-00:00, Sat 10:00-00:00, Sun 10:00-22:00
Forbici in Hyde Park Village runs modern Italian from a Roman pizza al taglio angle, with handmade pasta and a bistecca alla fiorentina that serves two.
Order: Roman-style pizza al taglio (cut with scissors), cacio e pepe and the bistecca for two.
Tip: Patio facing Village Circle; weekday happy hour 4 to 6pm at the bar.
Italian$$carrollwoodMon closed, Tue-Thu 16:00-21:00, Fri 16:00-23:00, Sat 10:30-23:00, Sun 10:30-21:00
Noble Crust in Carrollwood runs neighborhood Italian-American with wood-fired pizzas, fresh pasta and a Southern-Italian heritage on the entree side.
Order: Wood-fired sausage pizza and the Sunday gravy with meatballs.
Tip: Family-friendly; the Sunday gravy special runs all weekend Walk-ins usually OK.
Mediterranean$$north-hyde-parkSun-Thu 11:00-21:30, Fri-Sat 11:00-22:00
Petra on Kennedy Boulevard has served halal-certified Jordanian and Palestinian dishes since 2004, with mansaf lamb shank and shawarma as the table builders.
Order: Mansaf lamb shank with yogurt sauce and the chicken shawarma wrap.
Tip: Halal-certified; gluten-free menu available except for the pita; lunch special runs until 3pm.