Rooster and the Till is a new american restaurant in Seminole Heights, Tampa.
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.
Signature dishes: Pork belly steam buns, Hand-cut tagliatelle, Crispy duck
Must order: The pork belly steam buns and whatever pasta is on the chalkboard that night.
Tip: Co-owner Chef Ferrell Alvarez is a 2017 James Beard Foundation Best Chef South semifinalist; the room is intimate, book through Resy.
Address: 6500 N Florida Ave, Tampa, FL 33604
Psomi on North Howard Avenue in Tampa holds a Michelin Bib Gourmand for Chef Christina Theofilos' Greek daytime kitchen and bakery. The patio fills first.
Signature: Octopus ceviche, House-made dolmades, Pastitsio
Order: Octopus ceviche, house-made dolmades, and a Greek coffee with the bougatsa.
Tip: Theofilos runs a daytime-only kitchen: breakfast and lunch Wednesday through Friday, brunch on weekends; closed Monday and Tuesday.
Streetlight Taco on Henderson Boulevard in South Tampa is Chef Michael Brannock's Bib Gourmand taqueria, nixtamalizing heirloom corn in house for its tacos.
Signature: Nixtamalized corn tacos, Esquites, Carne asada tostada
Order: Three tacos on house-nixtamalized corn tortillas plus a side of esquites and the chile de arbol salsa.
Tip: Brannock travels through Mexico annually for menu R&D; the open kitchen runs counter service plus a small bar for walk-ins.
Gorkhali Kitchen in New Tampa holds a Michelin Bib Gourmand for Himalayan and Nepalese cooking, with steamed momos and big-bowl thalis the table builds.
Signature: Momos, Chicken chowmein, Thali platter
Order: A plate of steamed buff momos with chili sauce and the chicken thali platter for two.
Tip: The strip-mall room is unassuming; bring a group and order across the thali, momo and biryani sections to taste range.
La Teresita on Columbus Drive in West Tampa has run a Cuban counter and dining room since 1972, owned by the Capdevila family across two generations.
Signature: Palomilla steak, Roast pork sandwich, Cafe con leche
Order: Palomilla steak with yellow rice and black beans, a side of yuca fries, and a cafe con leche at the counter.
Tip: The counter (west door) runs 6am to midnight Friday and Saturday; the dining room next door takes reservations.
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.
Signature: Jerk chicken roti, Plantain tostones, Rum cake
Order: The jerk chicken roti plus a glass of rum punch, with the rum cake as the late finish.
Tip: Find the entrance through Roast Deli's back hallway; the HiFi parlour plays vinyl most nights and the back-patio seating fills first.
Bavaro's in downtown Tampa opened in 2009 as Florida's first traditional Neapolitan pizzeria, with wood-fired ovens and pastas from a Ferrara family recipe.
Signature: Margherita pizza, Quattro formaggi, Carbonara
Order: Margherita pizza out of the wood-fired oven, the carbonara, and a Negroni at the bar before the wait clears.
Tip: The corner room at Franklin and Twiggs takes walk-ins; the bar seats are first-come for solo diners.
