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The appeal of TV serials like Cheers, Friends and Always Sunny in Philadelphia, is having a tight group of buddies who are willing to exalt in your victories, commiserate in your setbacks, and, of course give you a rousting birthday celebration every year. Lacking a favorite watering hole and posse of pals, where can you go to pick up a little cheer on your birthday? A few restaurateurs value your big day and offer you an entrée (you may need to register ahead). With the economy faltering, even a free dreamy dessert, works as a treat. Just remember to BYOL (bring your own license). Read more: It’s great to celebrate your birthday with these Tampa Bay deals A wisecracking critic could have a field day mocking a restaurant during the first week during a dreadful economy. A writer with a chip on her shoulder could make mincemeat of a new enterprise that acknowledges her reservation but still doesn’t have a table available. Still, there is hope for Knife & Co. One of its defining features is the chef’s commitment to prepare almost everything in-house, from hot biscuits and grape jam to curing their bacon. Read more: Restaurant review: Knife and Co. in Tampa still needs a little sharpening Stumbling upon a deal at a favorite restaurant makes dining sweeter. While Groupon, Eversave and other marketing companies offer deals, there are places that have secrets that insiders feed on. The key to savings is eating early, on slow days, or with other night owls. Check out these super savory savings. Read more: Where to get great deals on food in Tampa restaurants Although I don’t live there anymore, my heart still belongs to Tampa. And I follow the resto news pretty obsessively. A few tidbits you might have missed like the food truck frenzy, food swaps and restaurant openings and closures. Read more: Tampa food scene news: Food truck frenzy, Epcot Food Festival, restaurant openings My love affair with Thai food started years ago. From the hottest bird’s eye peppers to a classic cucumber/jicama slaw, I’m in awe at the clever cleavers and hands that prepare simple-to-seriously-involved dishes. Chefs take advantage of their carving skills to make entrees more indulgent with crafty, carved pineapples, watermelons, apples and other profuse produce. Many country and cultures influence Thai cuisine, including a strong Indian presence. Traditional sweet ingredients (hoisin sauce), sour (tamarind), salty (oyster sauce), bitter (saw leaf herb) and hot (chili peppers) offer the right ying and yang. Best of all, everyone wins because it is conducive to poke around each others’ entrees and share all. I offer up my top ten Thai in Tampa Bay. Read more: Top Ten Thai Restaurants to try in the Tampa Bay area The Good Humor men probably started the trend, but fast food addicts and kitchen sleuths are now finding diverse dishes from phenomenally popular food trucks. With a sour economy, more and more people look for sweetly affordable, convenient grub at a nearby lunch wagon, dinner cantina, or taco truck. The traveling meals-on-wheels are on college campuses, office complexes, weekend street markets and neighborhoods near you. It’s one of the hottest trends in the restaurant business, especially out West. But they’ve arrived in Tampa Bay. Read more: Tampa food truck roundup: The diverse food keeps on truckin’ We dined inside in one of Sculley’s ramshackle, nautical themed, but noisy dining rooms. Our sweet waitress was friendly enough but didn’t know her stuff. When I asked if the mashed potatoes were the real deal, she said they didn’t tell her such information. OMG. As our dinners ranged from OK to downright dreary, Sculley’s seems content to simply coast on a collective tourist base. Read more: Restaurant review: Tourist-happy Sculley’s in St. Petersburg Renzo Menzerotolo is from Venezuela, his dad is from Uruguay, and he lived in Argentina. He has bestowed his Latin accent on the Westshore business district with Renzo’s Gourmet Argentine Steakhouse. And he thinks everyone likes Argentinean beef. “We sell a ton of meats for the Spanish population, a ton of wine and lots of pastries,’’ says Renzo, who opened his eatery two years ago. It’s unpretentious, with an almost bare-bones cafeteria (by day), restaurant (at night), and a bakery, meat market and new a Vinotecca that holds 500 bottles of wine. Read more: Tampa restaurant review: Renzo’s raises the steaks |
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