It’s quite a time to live in Tampa Bay. The city that once struggled to find its foothold in arts and culture has changed a lot over the past 20 years. Now, Tampa Bay is home to a lively beer brewing industry and a flourishing restaurant scene that offers up local flavor and puts the city on the map for regional cuisine.
What exactly is Tampa cuisine? Tampa flavors are inspired, in part, by Latin culture. After all, we are the region of Cigar City. Cuban sandwiches, deviled crab and some of the best Latin-owned restaurants in the state are also found in central. Because of access to fresh seafood, Tampa menus often include fish, crab, oysters or shrimp in traditional southern-style preparations. Tampa-inspired foods often use fresh, local ingredients like strawberries, citrus, avocado and more.
If you’re looking to get a taste of Tampa, here are the five best places to eat and drink in the Bay Area:
Armature Works
Armature Works is a scenic venue on Tampa’s waterfront. The building is a relic from the early 20th-century and was previously used to host storage and maintenance for TECO’s electric trolley system during that time. Today, it’s a SoHo staple in the Heights area of Tampa, consisting of open seating in a dining hall type environment where restauranteurs showcase local flavors in vendor spaces around the building.
Hall on Franklin
The Hall on Franklin is another shared eatery space for chefs to Flex their creative muscles. Just a short walk away from the historic University of Tampa, The Hall mixes contemporary street food with a dining experience that makes sense for the upscale area. Get nachos at XILO or a sleazy brownie at BakeN’Babes, at Hall on Franklin you can indulge in all of your cravings.
Oxford Exchange
“Oxford Exchange is is a restaurant, bookstore, lifestyle gift store, coworking space, design studio and event venue in Tampa, Florida.” Oxford Exchange is one of my favorite places to photograph weddings as well as one of my favorite brunch spot in Tampa. They have so many great and healthy options. It’s also a fun place to go and grab coffee while getting some work done. It’s a win, win.
Intermezzo
Intermezzo combines art, luxury, coffee and craft cocktails. If it sounds heavenly, it’s because it is. The St.Pete bar and coffee shop offers the kind of low-key cool ambiance that is such a hallmark of the area.
Fresh Kitchen
Fresh Kitchen is designed to fill the gap of quick, convenient and healthy food. Fresh Kitchen offers bowls that can be eaten on the go or stored and heated at a later time. In a city like Tampa, Fresk Kitchen offers fresh, fast food that meets the needs of a community of business people, apartment dwellers and high-rise leasers.
If you’re in Tampa or St.Petersburg, you won’t be disappointed when you check out the local fare at these five interesting places. They combine ambiance, flavor and local flare to offer a variety of Tampa’s best bites. Need a taste of wedding photography in Tampa Bay? Contact me today.