Food & Drink

This is the food and drink page

The Dish on BBQ Sides

Meat is the star of any barbecue meal—that much is undisputed. But while carefully cooked pork, brisket, ribs, and chicken garner the most attention, side dishes are anything but ephemeral. These accompaniments add flavor and dimension to the meal, subduing a sweet heat or lightening a rich, fatty sauce. In the words of Matthew Statham, general manager of SAW’s BBQ, “if your barbecue is just meat, it’s missing something.”

The Best Places to Catch & eat Fish on the Gulf

The ocean reminds us of the natural connections that bind us together. Beneath the waves of the Gulf of Mexico’s sugar-sanded beaches, the cycle of life begins anew each spring, as millions of organisms are spawned in the estuaries of the Mississippi River Delta before spreading into the sea. Once there, a bounty awaits fishermen—both commercial and hobby—looking forward to a plentiful haul on summer days.

Meat. Cheese. Repeat.

The omnipresent cheese platter has remained a fixture at holiday parties, urbane social gatherings and haphazard wine nights for years — centuries, to be specific. At the height of the French aristocracy, chefs who maintained the royal food perfected the art of charcuterie by preserving and preparing various meat and cheese platters for the royal court.

Forks in the Road

Appetite for adventure or adventurous appetite? Satisfy both with these one-hour dining detours just north, south, east and west of Tampa.

Mad for Margaritas

No one is entirely sure who inspired the name of one of the world’s most popular cocktails, but the margarita is still being served up around town with unique spins on the original ingredients: tequila, triple sec and lime juice.

What's Brewing, Tampa?

There’s “coffee” — the generic office brew that tastes stale even when it’s fresh — and then there’s coffee, and experience worth driving a few miles for.

Street Tacos

While the structure of the taco has remained relatively unchanged, the innovation of Tampa’s taco scene has elevated this one-time street food to new gastronomic heights.

Ramen the Right Way

It’s time to stop associating ramen — Chinese wheat noodles, served in a meat-based broth, flavored with soy sauce or miso — with the cheap snack ubiquitous to college dorms.

Eating and Instagramming

It may not necessarily be polite to take photos during a meal, but some dishes are too good to keep secret. TAMPA Magazine looks at what delectable dishes Tampa’s online foodies are sharing in Instagram.

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Rise & Dine

Whether you’re a busy professional or a laid-back late-riser, we’re all united by the most important meal of the day: breakfast (and brunch if necessary).

Healthy Appetite

We live in a complex world where anything can be personalized — especially dieting. While nothing burns fat and builds muscle like ol’ fashioned exercise, supplementing your workout with body-boosting natural foods and vitamins can elevate your results.

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Kindled Spirits

Rare stogies. Exclusive elixirs. Cigar aficionado Jeff Borysiewicz, owner of Corona Cigars and Davidoff of Geneva since 1911 cigar lounge in Tampa, rolls out seven expertly curated cigar and spirit pairings for every palate.

Hook, Line & Dinner

The fish don’t take off during winter, and neither should you.

Mornings Over Easy

Breakfast and brunch in South Tampa isn’t like most mid-morning meals. The pace is unhurried, the menu a tad more adventurous.

Near the Water, On the Rocks

You don’t need a thermometer to tell that summer’s back. Maybe it’s global warming, or maybe spring took the year off, but one way or another beach season is here. Cool off with these island-inspired cocktails, served at some of the Bay area’s best lounges on or near the waterfront.

Best Thing Not In My Restaurant: Seafood

Just like the ocean, Tampa’s seafood community is complex, diverse and always unpredictable. On any given night the same species of fish can be cooked a dozen different ways, a reflection of the city’s growing taste buds and tastemakers.

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