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And the specials are ...

Bay area food fortunes continue to rise as we survey the culinary landscape.

By CHRIS SHERMAN
Published January 12, 2006

[Times photo (2005)]

Belgian and Polish beers are among the draughts on tap at the Independent in downtown St. Petersburg.

	New American by way of Hawaii makes Roy’s in Tampa Chris Sherman’s No. 1 restaurant. Its eclectic offerings include this porcini-crusted rack of Australian lamb.
	[Times photo: Stefanie Boyar]
	[Times photo (2005): Ted McLaren]
	Maggie Mae’s serves down-home flavor with a view of the Intracoastal Waterway in Clearwater.
	[Times photo (2005): Cherie Diez]
	Italian cooking gets a tasty update at downtown St. Petersburg’s Bella Brava New World Trattoria, where the menu is accompanied by a heaping helping of style.
	[Times photo (2005): Melissa Lyttle]
	Grilled beef tenderloin crostini with oven-roasted tomatoes and blue cheese was a summer feature at Tampa’s Opium, where creative food is the addiction.
	Chef and co-owner Doug Bebell serves up fresh seafood and ideas at Mystic Fish in Palm Harbor.
	[Times photo (2005): Scott Keeler]
	[Times photo (2004): Douglas R. Clifford]
	The decor at Pelagia Trattoria in Tampa is an eye-popping frame for the Greek, Italian and Provencal food, including these crunchy fried olives.
	And the specials are ... Bay area food fortunes continue to rise as we survey the culinary landscape. The makings of a good meal Whenever I'm asked the most important aspect of a restaurant, I never hesitate to say the food, of course. It's a purist answer, and incomplete. Last meals Restaurants die every year because of changing tastes and corporate competition, but the 2005 obituaries contained more than a few old names claimed by development.

I was a witness. I was 2 feet away and had already been sent to the bar to eat when it happened: A restaurant in downtown St. Petersburg turned away two diners for lack of a table. On a Tuesday night.

A Tuesday.

Wonders never cease.

Okay, it was a holiday week when people were out celebrating. And in 20 to 30 minutes, the pair could have had a table. Still, this happened on a weeknight in a downtown that was, not so long ago, all but dead.

The scene at 7:30 p.m. in Cafe Alma wasn't an anomaly. Two blocks south, at the same time, Pacific Wave was packed. To the west, at the new Bella Brava, the evening crowd bubbled up to the mezzanine and was about to spill onto the balcony. Good groups were building at Redwoods and the just-opened branch of Tampa's Ceviche, too.

These are all good restaurants, not cheap, and with fine cooking, from risotto to sashimi to tapas. The diners were not an after-concert crowd or Christmas shoppers. No, this was just the slow simmer of a new market for good food, gently brewing in downtown St. Petersburg and around Tampa Bay. It has been talked about for years, and Chef Jason Orchards of Redwoods is a believer. He drifted away briefly but came back because "St. Pete has the best potential to become a dining destination."

Perhaps, but there are other hot burners in the bay area. And each year we inch closer to the critical mass of diners and chefs of taste needed to make good eating the modern pleasure in the Tampa Bay area that it is in other areas.

As with a good soup stock, our culinary progress was - and will be - measured by dashes, pinches and smidgens, seasoning corrections and long, slow cooking rather than quick flash. For the most part last year, veteran chefs stuck close to revamped recipes or simply set bigger tables, often keeping an eye on modern corporate restauranting.

The biggest dramas of 2005 in Tampa were expansion and relocations of two favorites, Pane Rustica and Cafe B.T. (now Restaurant B.T.). Both gambled on moving to large quarters - and won. In Pinellas, Matt Geiger's Courtside Grille and Bella Brava opened with neon flash and "green" building tricks. Both may turn into chains of their own. Even the U.S. 19 landscape in Clearwater got a flash of imagination in Wild Fish.

Ceviche, a Tampa tapas star, and Catch 23, a yupscale fishery from Westchase, crossed the bay to open their first spinoffs in Pinellas.

Out-of-town corporations sent in their clones, too, the first of McDonald's Chipotle Grille, the clubby Capitol Grille, Paul Lee's Chinese Kitchen, Timpano's Chophouse, Harry's Grille and Houlihan's.

Expect that to continue.

Mitchell's Fish Market from Columbus, Ohio, will open its first location at WestShore Plaza, and GrillSmith, the homegrown bistro with chef Marty Blitz in the test kitchen, will open a branch in South Tampa. Chris Ponte, the chef who brought gourmet style from Paris and New York to Ulmerton Road in mid Pinellas will bring similar magic to the former Bracci space in Safety Harbor's Northwood Commons. The Blue Heron in Palm Harbor has taken over a neighboring Tribeca Pizza Grille and will also expand into a sleek new bar next to the main restaurants. The Six Tables intimate dining chain founded in Dunedin has expanded to Las Vegas. The Salt Rock Grill team of Frank Chivas and Tom Pritchard is busy polishing Marlin Darlin' in Jupiter on Florida's east coast, and a branch of the concept could surface here.

Last year, the new national online reservation service OpenTable.com added its first 20 or so local restaurants.

Options for those who prefer to dine at home are evolving even faster. A half-dozen outfits, such as Let's Eat, Weekday Gourmet and Supper Club, now provide space, food and recipes to pack and prep meals by the batch.

Foodies demanding top ingredients crowd specialty stores such as Mazzaro's in St. Petersburg and the expanded Alessi's in Tampa, make pilgrimages to Whole Foods in Sarasota and await the opening soon of Wild Oats in Tampa. With the arrival of Total Wines & More in Tampa and Tastings in St. Petersburg, the expansion of the Cork & Olive and Wine Warehouse chains, and continued growth of independent wine and beer stores on both sides of the bay, it was easier to match and toast better dining.

As part of this progress, it's worth noting that corporations have learned as much as independent restaurateurs, and the best taste of that is at Roy's, the marriage of Hawaii's Roy Yamaguchi and Tampa's own Outback Steakhouse.

He's a celebrity chef from far away, and it's a huge corporation, but they make beautiful meals together. In my experience, it is the best dining of 2005.

(AND BEST PINEAPPLE UPSIDE DOWN CAKE IN A SUSHI BAR)

Roy's, 4342 W Boy Scout Blvd., Tampa; 813 873-7697 or www.roysrestaurant.com

The spark that created New American cooking came from Japan: fresh, simple flavor in beautiful presentations. The chef who translated that deliciously for Tampa's Outback Steakhouse chain is Hawaii's Roy Yamaguchi. It is a lesson that is now enjoyed in 20 cities, most far from the islands and some with their own local cuisines. Here, under chef Rand Packer, Asian tastes of lemon grass, miso and yuzu citrus combine with air-freight fresh fish, a garden of pumpkins, lentils and shiitakes, and old French saucemaking to create a standout.

In sushi, potstickers or revisionist surf 'n' turf, Hawaiian fish (ono is a big yes), great lamb and beef, duck, monster scallops and tiger shrimp delight the eye as much as the palate. Even a shared platter of beef dumplings and a glass of sake are exceptional.

Others can, and do, cook this well; polished, welcoming service sets Roy's above. Credit a level of staffing at the door, on the floor and in the kitchen few independents can afford and chains rarely pop for. Is it a shame or a treat that a chain and a celebrity chef create dining that is consistently original, lively and gracious? I say aloha, our ship has come in and we're invited to the captain's table.

SideBern's, 1002 S Howard Ave., Tampa; 813 258-2233 or www.sideberns.com

The little sister to a world-famous steakhouse knows there's more to life than beef. Not that there's anything wrong with what Jeannie Pierola and crew do with steaks or Kobe short ribs. You'll still get exotic mushrooms, pumpkins and beans with red meat. But more rare and appealing is the global hitchhiker seasoning in every dish: an appetizer of scallops, white beans and lamb sausage in a sauce of syrah and dates, or halibut with chanterelles and tiny heirloom tomatoes. If the menu stumps you, order the tower of dim sum, a Babel of flavor itself, and go straight to the wide variety of fine French chocolate.

Cafe Ponte, 13505 Icot Blvd. facing Ulmerton Road, Clearwater; (727) 538-5768 or www.cafeponte.com

After three years, the big dogs know this is where to close the deal or celebrate a grand occasion. It doesn't take much of a nose to find the luxuries here, starting with truffled cream soup or curried soup of pumpkin and crab and going on to foie gras burgers and masterpieces of quail and lamb. In the European-trained hands of Chris Ponte and his polished crew, demanding diners are at ease, including Home Shopping Network's Wolfgang Puck.

Redwoods, 247 Central Ave., St Petersburg; (727) 896-5118.

You want lobster or truffle oil with that mash? The grand pioneer of good cooking in downtown St. Petersburg dining is back in top form, mixing uptown presentation with luxurious cuisine. Chef Jason Orchard is a smart forager who finds Ocala rabbit, heirloom tomatoes and fresh seafood and pairs them stylishly. He's not afraid of pork chops, either.

Kiku Japanese Fine Dining, 483 Mandalay Ave., Suite 214, Clearwater Beach; 727 461-2633 or www.clearwaterbeachkiku.com

You might as well give chef Daniel Chong carte blanche to assemble your meal. You won't be able to make up your mind from the best classic sushi selection around Tampa Bay. He has luscious, big scallops from Japan, fatty bluefin toro that's worth $5 a slice, snook from Australia and, of course, precious uni. Plus there's his Asian Alfredo, prawns wrapped in phyllo and other whimsies, all served overlooking the tourist haven of Clearwater Beach.

Pane Rustica, 3225 S MacDill Ave., Tampa; (813) 902-8828.

South Tampa won again when its beloved eat-in bakery moved to a brave new bistro and added sit-down dinners as high-end as you wish. A big, wood-fired oven cranks out the same wild assortment of crisp pizzas and roast chickens, monster pork chops and robust pastas. Plus there are brilliant salads, irresistible pastries and monster sandwiches, made by hand and with no fear of flavor.

717 South, 717 S Howard Ave., Tampa; 813 250-1661 or www.seven17south.com

Under its fourth or fifth culinary boss, Rob Masson, this flashy boite balances several lines - Italian-Asian and supper club-drink spot - with style and fun. Masson's gentle magic is visible in the open kitchen and tangible on the plates of pistachioed lamb and pesto'ed penne.

Pacific Wave, 211 Second St. S, St. Petersburg; 727 822-5235 or www.pacificwaveonline.com

They don't need the pu pu platter; the whole menu is a kaleidoscope of flavors from most of Asia. In the kitchen, Peter Tanhnavong and Robert Huffnagle pair Pacific fish, duck and steaks handsomely with Hawaiian vegetables, Kaffir limes, ginger and hints of old Europe. After four years on the downtown fringe, Wave now often draws a full and lively house and has a smart staff that can deal with it.

Pelagia Trattoria, Renaissance Tampa Hotel, 4200 Jim Walter Blvd. at International Plaza, Tampa; (813) 313-3235 or www.pelagiatrattoria.com

That's Fabrizio Schenardi in the kitchen at the best restaurant Tampa has yet to discover. So what if it is in a hotel and in a mall? The decor is eye-popping, the service is smooth and the cooking is a fabulous rendition of Greek, Italian and Provencal we've barely tasted. Those tastes can be big - say, mussels with lamb sausage or exquisite squid ink risotto. Small details stun, too: flash-fried carrot garnish on roast chicken or stuzzichini of minted calamari or risotto croquettes.

Mise en Place, 442 W Kennedy Blvd., Tampa; 813 254-5373 or www.miseonline.com

Twenty years ago, Marty Blitz was a pioneer chef who blazed a trail for modern cooking here. He has tirelessly stoked the campfire with hits and misses, but cooking at Mise is in fine form again (and open for lunch). Crisp new menus mix flavors, pungent and sweet, from Asia, the Levant and tropics in everything from abstract salads to bold tastes of the heartland, such as pairing venison with a hash of Brussels sprouts, bacon and sweet potatoes, or a once-in-a-lifetime treat of spoon bread enriched with foie gras.

Downtown St. Petersburg.

After years of trying, downtown St. Pete comes close to having it all. For slick styling, Bella Brava and Ceviche make the big splashes. For great high-end cooking, Pacific Wave, Redwoods and Cafe Alma set a new standard. In between and most encouraging are the smaller bites of great taste and ambition: Z Grille, the Independent pub, Integrity Organics, Schakolad for chocolates and Bowl-A-Granola for bulk granola, baked goods and fresh juice. Still not as hip-hopping as Tampa's SoHo, perhaps, but on its way.

Saturday Morning Market, Central Avenue, downtown St. Petersburg.

Though it is shy on vegetable farmers, the market does offer local eggs and black mangrove honey, and there's no shortage of home-cooked treats, biscotti, berry pies, spice mixes, coffees, cheesy corncakes, granola, salsas, everything an ambitious foodie with a spare weekend and space in the garage can make. Best of show: The Bread Artisan. Come often and bring money.

Opium, 14445 N Dale Mabry Highway, Tampa; (813) 908-8800.

The suburbs find creative food an expensive addiction. Space is small and intimate, the kitchen and ambitions are big. Fish, beef, buffalo and butter-poached lobster put on the flashiest style in town. Caroline Thaxton transforms beans, beets, cheeses, parsnips and truffles into trendy "foams," nougats, souffles and gnocchi.

Byblos Cafe, 2832 S MacDill Ave., Tampa; (813) 805-7977 or web.tampabay.rr.com/byblos.

In the expanding mezze of Middle Eastern treats around Tampa Bay, Byblos sets the grandest table, and this year, an exotic bar, as well as a grocery. All your health food faves, hummus, yogurt and tabbouleh, are dressed up for company dinner. Plus rarities like mekanek sausage, labneh cheese, fresh kibbeh and great meats, on and off the skewer.

Vizcaya, 10905 N Dale Mabry Highway, Tampa; (813) 968-7400.

Felix Piedras does paellas handsomely, but the true excitement lies in meats and seafoods done up in lobster sauce. It's a bit nuevo and very grand. Tapas, especially oxtail or puffs of cod, will delight more modest appetites with just as much Spanish flavor.

Casa Ludovico, 1710 Alt. U.S. 19 N, Palm Harbor; (727) 784-7779.

You haven't had the old favorites of arugula and Parmesan, penne with eggplant, even an antipasto plate, until you've had them served with the gusto of Carmine Cervelli. Then move on to regional fare, from true Venetian squid ink pasta to Saracen spaghetti with clams and sea urchins of Capri. Authentic cooking with fresh herbs, top ingredients and abundant personality.

MOST EDIBLE FENG SHUI

Restaurant B.T., 1633 W Snow Ave., Tampa; 813 258-1916 or www.restaurantbt.com

B.T. Nguyen imported modern style to Tampa. Her latest venture brings her graceful sense of color and balance to the largest space yet. All her trademarks made the leap from her smaller ventures on Gandy Boulevard: black-and-white photos, natural textures, joyful dabs of soft colors, lovely lines and special intimacy. Food is classic B.T.: Vietnamese and other Asian favorites preciously reconstructed to show off earthy roots, coconut sweets and sour fruits. Steak, lamb and whole fish are most satisfying. Best small bite is the lemony Bo Thai salad of rare beef.

BEST RESURRECTION OF A LEGEND

Cesare's on the Beach, 794 S Gulfview Blvd., Clearwater; (727) 449-8797.

Retirement couldn't hold down Cesare Tini, the muse of such Tampa Italian landmarks as Spartaco, Paradiso and the former Primadonna. Tini and chef August Galiano brought their trademark "anything you want, I do for you" service to the beach, plus his classic pastas, pink sauces, meltingly soft gnocchi and the veal that brought tears to Ol' Blue Eyes.

BEST FRIED BOLOGNA SANDWICH WITH A VIEW

Maggie Mae's, 1261 Gulf Blvd. (Sand Key), Clearwater; (727) 595-1096.

Country cooking took a turn off U.S. 19 and followed the concrete trucks to waters' edge, where it found condo dwellers starved for two eggs over easy, homefries and homemade sticky buns. Maggie's crew serves fine French toast, huevos rancheros and, of course, sausage gravy and biscuits.

BEST REASON TO STOP AND EAT THE POSIES FOR BREAKFAST

Wildflower Cafe, 1465 S Fort Harrison Ave., Clearwater; 727 447-4497 or www.wildflowercafe.net

Don't mind the flowers on the walls, the cups everywhere or the cramped broom closet of a kitchen. You'll love omelets with field greens, turkey wraps, waffles and any of the goodies in the bakery case, from pecan tassies to pumpkin scones and hummingbird cake. Get up early for a seat outside at brunch, come back for soup and a ciabatta sandwich at lunch.

Interbay Meat Market, 6110 Interbay Blvd., Tampa; (813) 839-7542.

Neighborhood butcher shops are great places to eat as well as shop (also try Mazzaro's in St. Petersburg, Surf and Turf in Safety Harbor, Castellano & Pizzo in Tampa). Interbay has very special neighbors at MacDill Air Force Base. Great sandwiches, steam table roast pork and black beans, Italian cold cuts and meat for the grill keep 'em flying. Smiling service from the Shoubaki family has been the heart of the neighborhood for anyone in uniform or civvies for 20 years.

CRUST MOST LIKELY TO MAKE THE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PIZZAS

Charlie & Millie's, 10953 Seminole Blvd., Seminole; (727) 391-5661.

If you missed this place in its first 50 years, it's not too late. The location is the same Perma-Stone, beer-sign joint by the body shops, and the secret for cracker-thin crust hasn't changed. It remains in good hands.

BEST FOOD AND WINE PAIRINGS AND NORTHERNMOST $31 ENTREE

Crystal River Wine & Cheese Co., 734 U.S. 19 SE, Crystal River; (352) 795-0008.

At an eat-in wine store two doors down from Goodwill, you get smart, well-priced pickings: Dry Creek's best zin is tapped for that top dollar veal chop with mustard and balsamic and a side of potatoes mashed with Gouda. Lunch is mostly wraps, salads and such, plus hefty slabs of steak and salmon. At dinner, entrees can dress up in caramelized shallots, wild mushrooms, chipotle glazes and tomato jerked cream.

CRABBIEST TRIPLEHEADER

Backfin Blue Cafe, 2913 Beach Blvd. S, Gulfport; 727 343-2583 or www.backfinbluecafe.com

Start with corn crab chowder, then a mound of moist lump meat in a crabcake, and move on to crab imperial or local grouper in Oscar drag. The menu at this humble clapboard cottage is short and not just finny: Beef eaters get thick cuts, from fresh roasts of prime rib to meatloaf larded with Gorgonzola.

BEST REMINDER THAT MEXICO INVENTED CHOCOLATE AND CHIPOTLE

Red Mesa, 4912 Fourth St. N, St. Petersburg; 727 527-8728 or www.redmesarestaurant.com

A team of pros gives Nuevo Latino ingredients what they need: polish, wit and integrity. Meats and seafood get classy regional accents and smart modern twists like rum-kissed steak mojito. Sides excite too: Start with chipotle oysters and finish, if you can, with chocolate spoon cake edged with cinnamon.

BEST HOMESPUN SIDES FOR UPPER PINELLAS UPTOWNERS

Blue Heron Restaurant & Tapas Bar, 3285 Tampa Road, Palm Harbor; (727) 789-5176. When Palm Harbor exec types go for martinis and glittery dining, they can pop $9 for classy tapas-sized tastes of country cooking. Sweet corn custard with snap-crackling bacon tops the list, or it could be Swiss chard the Mama Mia way, sauteed with pine nuts and raisins.

BEST AMBERJACK AND THE HOPE PALATES CAN EVOLVE

Mystic Fish, 3253 Tampa Road, Palm Harbor. 727 771-1800 or www.3bestchefs.com

Folks who take it easy on the beaches and in the condos have come to trust Eugen Fuhrmann and Doug Bebell so much that they may not recognize how fresh their fish and ideas are. You can't miss it here when amberjack gets seared with apricot curry, salmon is green-tea-smoked, and ice creams and vodka are custom-made. The flavors are Asian, but the fish is Floridian and flipping-fresh.

MOST STYLE ON CENTRAL AVENUE - AND BEST GRILLED CHEESE (EVEN IF THEY CALL IT PANINI)

Bella Brava New World Trattoria, 515 Central Ave., St. Petersburg; 727 895-5515 or www.bellabrava.net

The biggest opening of the year pushed downtown St. Petersburg's envelope a few blocks farther west, forward a decade in style and up a story with two decks of swirl, endless balconies and more umbrellas than a tiki-tini bar. Chef Mario Luigi Maggi updates casual Italian food with seasoning well beyond tomato, basil and oregano. Can't miss the sage here in sauces or crispy whole leaves, although some wish the kitchen held the butter. Still, it's a new table of old flavors: fried olives, white anchovies, grilled lettuce, pasta pies and fresh pappardelle. And ricotta cheesecake.

MOST SALSAS AND BEST PLACE TO LEARN NEW SPANISH TERMS - AND EAT YOUR WORDS

El Toro Negro, 5780 54th Ave. N, Kenneth City; (727) 541-4901.

At last muy autenico Mexican taquerias, places where tacos of barbecue meat come with onions, cilantro and lime, are all around Tampa Bay. One of the newest, El Toro Negro, brought them to tiny Kenneth City, between Pinellas Park and St. Petersburg, along with juicy pork carnitas, chicharons and great seafood. You'll love eating words like "gorditas," "little fat ones" of hand-shaped cornmeal and beef or chicken, and "birria," a filling soup of stewed goat and peppers.

BEST SWEET POTATO JALAPENO SOUP - AND BOWLS OF HOMEGROWN MISCHIEF

Kelly's for Just About Anything, 319 Main St., Dunedin; 727 736-5284 or www.kellyschicaboom.com

The day's fun could start with Butterfinger muffins or French toast with chocolate and Cognac, drift through lunch of banana pancakes or Hell-burgers, head into dinner of duck breast, Emeril's escolar and house-smoked pork chops. Virgel Kelly and pals always add an extra smile and a kick, like gazpacho butter or chili onions - and the wildest silly-tinis outdoors and in the adjoining Chic-a-Boom Room.

BEST BAR FOOD AND RAW, VERY RAW, BAR (BEWARE THE RIVER CRABS)

Island Way Grill, 20 Island Way, Clearwater Beach; 727 461-6617 or www.islandwaygrill.com

With crowds packing in no matter how much it expands, you may be at the bar. Enjoy sushi, clams, oysters or the whole menu. You can live on appetizers alone, the best soft-shell crab in town and sharp tataki of filet mignon. This beach queen knows all the tricks, from early bird buses to truffle oil. The seafood's so fresh you might see the boat, and the crabs crawling in the Fear Factor bowl are still alive.

BEST CULINARY MEMORY YOU COULD FIND ON THE BEACH - IF YOU LOOK FOR IT

Rusty's, Sheraton Sand Key Resort, 1160 Gulf Blvd., Clearwater; 727 595-1611 or www.sheraton.com/sandkey

So what if it's a standard-issue resort hotel with a prime rib buffet in a windowless room? The food on the seasonal menu is a bigger surprise than any shell on Sand Key. A simple crab cake, 2 inches tall and all crab, is lush. Expect wild mushrooms, housemade ketchup (mango and Meyers lemon), quinoa griddlecakes and cream of silver queen corn from chef John Harris' talented kitchen.

BEST WAHOO AND LENTILS UNDER $15

Keegan's Seafood Grille, 1519 Gulf Blvd., Indian Rocks Beach; (727) 596-2477.

Maybe it is a limited category, and seafood that's both fresh and creative is always rare on our beaches. Yet Cesar Labrador always adds smart sauces and sides to the best he can get from local boats. Plus you get picnic table seating, beer, paper napkin hospitality and down-to-earth prices.

BEST MOVEABLE FEAST OF A GROUPER SANDWICH

Dockside Dave's, 119 Boardwalk Place W, Madeira Beach; (727) 392-9399.

The bad news is that the old dive is no more. Dave's is now in less atmospheric but more spacious and cleaner quarters - temporarily. But sandwiches of the best grouper and ripe tomatoes still star on the limited menu. Fried is the choicest choice.

BEST 20-OUNCE TASTE OF EUROPE

The Independent, 29 Third St. N, St. Petersburg; (727) 820-9514.

The only alternative to Tampa Bay's fresh, local beers are the rare imports of fine draughts from Belgium and Poland at St. Petersburg's first, and hippest, beer pub. Never open a green bottle again.

MOST IMPROVED PUB GRUB, A CATEGORY THAT NEEDED IT

Mad Dogs & Englishmen, 4115 S MacDill Ave., Tampa; 813 832-3037 or www.maddogs.com

Wilton Morley and clan always dispensed good ale, English tea and British cheer in our noonday sun. Chef Erin Van Zandt refreshed the pasty-and-curry staples with modern style, spice trade seasonings and good veggies. Cod gets cider miso and fennel, and even chops meet a world tour of sides: chili eggplants, five-spice yam wedges, three kinds of rice. Also a smart brunch and Tampa Bay's best salad: jicama, apples, basil and spicy nuts. Proper fish and chips, too.

MOST DELICIOUS REDISCOVERY OF A ONCE-LOST CONTINENT

South American cuisine

Try big bandera platters of beans and rice, chicken and eggs (or steak and eggs) or bowls of Colombian sancocho all along Tampa's N Armenia; or Venezuelan cornmeal arepas and pastries at Don Pan in Tampa. Or try Peruvian cooking at its most refined at Selva Grill in Sarasota. Chef Darwin Santa Maria makes fine ceviche, 10 of them, but his reinvented lomo saltado and anticuchos are as elevated as Machu Picchu.

BEST SOLID REFRESHMENT IN YBOR CITY

Bernini, 1702 E Seventh Ave., Tampa; 813 248-0099 or www.berniniofybor.com

Back in the '90s, Bernini's lionhead roared with hipness, and it's still king of this jungle. The old gold interior is comfy now, the service is both old-pro and young. The menu's modern standards of crisp pizzas, rustic pastas and smart salads make it a fine room for dealmaking dinners or urbane lunches.

MOST ANCIENT AND CONTEMPORARY COMFORT HEALTH FOOD (HOLD THE BAKLAVA)

Mykonos, 628 Dodecanese Blvd., Tarpon Springs; (727) 934-4306.

You want healthy? Have Greek salad, lean lamb with yogurt on pita or whole fish cooked on the grill with lemon, olive oil and rosemary. You want comfy? Have a spinach pie, macaroni, eggplant or lamb shanks. Finish with wedding cookies and honey-dropped diples.

BEST CATCH ON U.S. 19.

Wild Fish, 28910 U.S. 19 N, Clearwater; (727) 239-7700.

An unlikely fishing hole, but you'll find fresh local fish and a fresh take on Latin flavors. Go for the amberjack and have it in chimichurri sauce. Take advantage of the sides and appetizers to see old-fashioned boniato mash and vaca frita put on the modern style or share a genuinely Spanish version of antipasto.

BEST TWO-STAGE TOUR-DE-FRANCE

Le Bouchon, 796 N Indian Rocks Road, Belleair Bluffs; (727) 585-9777.

CafeLargo, 12551 Indian Rocks Road, Largo; (727) 596-6282.

Dominique Christini and Peter Leonavicius have worn the yellow shirt in Pinellas off and on for 20 years in various combinations. d Bouchon is more of a sprint in Provence, with soups, pizzaladiere, pates and bistro entrees. Move into steeper prices in Largo, where Christini has been lately touring French regions from the Pyrenees to Alsace, with cheeses and wines to match.

BEST WRAP IN ALUMINUM FOIL

Chipotle Grille, 309 N West Shore Blvd., Tampa, 813 289-9820; 3700 Park Blvd., Pinellas Park, (727) 525-2484; 780 Fourth St. N, St. Petersburg, (727) 895-6050; and coming soon to 2662 Gulf-to-Bay Blvd., Clearwater; www.chipotle.com

Senor Mickey D made the chain taqueria hip with factory fixtures and high-buzz marketing. They made it taste good by learning a harder lesson from old Mexico: slow cooking pork, chicken or beef simmered in spice you can taste.

BEST TRIP TO CHINA AND JAPAN WITH STOPOVERS IN HEATHROW

T.C. Choy's Asian Bistro, 301 S Howard Ave., Tampa; (813) 251-1191.

Choy's has always had the freshest seafood and vegetables, abundant Peking duck and a daily parade of dim sum thanks to its connection to Oceanic Market and the support of the Asian community. This year it added a sharp new London chef, Jeannie Lau, and she has added extra kick to the menu. Try anything you see swimming by, cooked in a clay pot or blessed with X.O. sauce. Come for lunch and dinner.

Z Grille, 269 Central Ave., St Petersburg; (727) 896-3101.

Burrito lovers who skip the chain wrappers line up for big burritos or fish tacos at Z Grille, one of the new, small spots brightening St. Petersburg's Central Avenue. The food packs as much heat and meat as you'll find outside a taqueria. Smart diners come back for dinner, when Zack Gross shows he can put fine fish, steaks and chops on china too.

Salt Rock Grill, 19325 Gulf Blvd., Indian Shores; 727 593-7625 or www.saltrockgrill.com

If beachgoers or locals want beef, grouper and lobster tails, Frank Chivas' team will give them more quality and smarts than they expect. That includes volcanic meatloaf, seafood towers and cioppino. And very good steaks. Plus a triple-decker playground of bars, see-through wine cellars, boat docks and sophisticated local artwork.

Laziz, 2475 McMullen-Booth Road, Clearwater; (727) 797-7541.

This crossroads of suburban retail now includes one of the posher settings for Indian cuisines, too long underrepresented here. Laziz fills a small, handsome restaurant with carefully roasted and blended spices. The spectrum runs from tart, vinegary vindaloo to the rich, sweet, creamy kormas. But the best meal may be whole baked eggplant. Try as many Indian breads as you can. (The lentil papadums are low-carb.)

Spartaco, 3215 S MacDill Ave., Suite B, Tampa; (813) 832-9327.

The space is tiny, the decor homey and the dress casual. But the flavors are bold. Sure, the bill can reach special-occasion prices. Yet for 5-inch prawns, carpaccio salads or any pasta made by the owner's mom from Rimini, you won't complain. If beggar's purses or priest-choker noodles are on the menu, you must have them.

BEST DINING CUSTOM TO CROSS THE ATLANTIC AND TAMPA BAY

Ceviche Tapas Bar and Restaurant, 2109 Bayshore Blvd., Tampa, 813 250-0203; 10 Beach Drive, St. Petersburg, (727) 209-2302 or www.cevichetapas.com

It took a while, but the appeal of the way Spaniards snack from little dishes of cold cuts, olives or nuts from noon until long past dark has caught on at last. Tampa's most successful take on tapas, Ceviche, leapt the bay to give a full-flavored taste of Spanish snacking to St. Petersburg's growing downtown menu. Now an old hotel and watering hole sports Moorish tile and a robust selection of grilled quail, fresh anchovies, Serrano ham, Manchego cheese, mussels, scallops, oxtail and codcakes. Big eaters find paella and cazuelas as well.

BEST EATING AT HOME IF YOU CAN ONLY BOIL WATER OR TURN ON THE TOASTER OVEN

Mazzaro Italian Market, 2909 22nd Ave. N, St. Petersburg; 727 321-2400 or www.mazzarosmarket.com

Ravioli Company, 3413 S Manhattan Ave., Tampa; (813) 254-2051.

Shame on diets with no room for fresh pasta and good bread. Bread makes any Italian store a source of better five-minute dinners than any drive-through. And at Mazzaro's you can add clever and imaginative deli entrees spiked with carrots, herbs, nuts and fruits. The Ravioli Company cuts fresh pasta to order, stuffs ravioli with pumpkin, goat cheese, lobster, spinach and such, and for the lucky lazy, sends home ready-to-eat lamb with fig ravioli or chicken lasagna.

BIGGEST LITTLE NIGHT LIFE DISTRICT WITH A SCOOP OF PISTACHIO

Bay Street at International Plaza, West Shore & Boy Scout boulevards, Tampa.

The setting is a mall and the food - cheesecake, thick steak or hot pastrami - comes from chains, but this area draws a lively crowd in and out of limos until way past midnight almost any night of the week. Best bite: a scoop of gelato at Gelateria del Duomo.

- Chris Sherman dines anonymously and unannounced. The St. Petersburg Times pays for all expenses. A restaurant's advertising has nothing to do with selection for a review or the assessment of its quality. Sherman can be reached at 727 893-8585 or sherman@sptimes.com

[Last modified January 11, 2006, 15:40:06]