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Diners, may we suggest . . .

... these restaurants sampled and recommended by St. Petersburg Times food critics. Inclusion is not related to advertising. For more recommendations - and to search by cuisine, price, location and more - go to dining.tampabay.com. Got a restaurant we should try? Send submissions to weekend@sptimes.com or to Weekend, St. Petersburg Times, P.O. Box 1121, St. Petersburg, FL 33731.

By Times Staff Writer
Published August 30, 2007

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Most entrees less than $10

Charlie and Millie's Pizza

Cuisine: Pizza, Sandwiches

If you missed this place during its first 50 years, it's not too late. The location is the same yellow stone and beer-sign joint by the body shops, and the secret for cracker-thin crust hasn't changed. It remains in good hands. 10953 Seminole Blvd., Seminole. (727) 391-5661.

Chattaway

Cuisine: American, Local Flavor

A bit of the South lingers at this open-air burger spot, a landmark in southern St. Petersburg. While away time in the sun among the picnic tables and bathtub planters. Specialties are breakfasts and big sandwiches, topped by the Chattaburger. 358 22nd Ave. S, St. Petersburg. (727) 823-1594.

Cuban Delight Cafe

Cuisine: Spanish/Cuban

Neighborhood Cuban is always comforting. It starts with homemade chicken noodle soup and long-simmered beans, black or red. Add rich roast pork, great calamari and first-rate trimmings of plantains, wine and perfect espresso and get change from a sawbuck. 2950 49th St. N, St. Petersburg. (727) 328-7335.

Eli's Bar-B-Que

Cuisine: Barbecue

The notion that good food doesn't happen every day holds true for the barbecue of Elijah Crawford. He fires up his cooking rig next to the Pinellas Trail only on Fridays and Saturdays and then only from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. That's enough. When something is as precious as a thin end rib out of Crawford's cooker, it's worth waiting for. 360 Skinner Blvd., Dunedin. (727) 738-4856.

Gelateria del Duomo Milano

Cuisine: Ice Cream

Located on Bay Street at International Plaza. Italy's most delicious ice cream-making tradition has been imported to a mall, as if shopping weren't guilty pleasure enough. They make it luscious and intense, as if the berries or nuts were crushed while you wait. Even a tastelet on a tiny neon spoon is a wow. You must try a couple, say pistachio and cantaloupe, before yielding to cioccolata. 2223 N West Shore Blvd., Tampa. (813) 877-7771.

Mazzaro's Italian Market

Cuisine: Italian, Market

Fresh bread, good wine, a butcher counter, the widest array of cheeses and the most crowded parking lot in St. Petersburg would be attraction enough. But belly up to the deli counter and take home a monster sandwich stuffed with fries inside, or more prudently, explore the prepared goods, meat, salad and vegetables with lively spicing. 2909 22nd Ave. N, St. Petersburg. (727) 321-2400. www.mazzarosmarket.com

Paul's Shrimp House

Cuisine: Family Style/Home Cooking, Greek, Seafood

This old favorite a few steps from Tarpon Springs' dockside tourist zone offers beer, ouzo, fresh seafood and Greek dishes that draw the locals and longtime tourists. You can't beat the shrimp by the pound, smelt or octopus. 80 W Live Oak St., Tarpon Springs. (727) 937-1239. www.paulsshrimphouse.com

Pia's Trattoria

Cuisine: Italian

This is the kind of sweetly earnest restaurant that you'd like to think unfurls fully realized from the ground, good basic ingredients and a healthy inoculation of Italian culinary know-how nurtured by sweat and love. Its setting is a teeny bit foyer and mostly outdoor patio covered with a chickee thatch and populated by a hodgepodge of picnic tables. The menu's short, the same at lunch and dinner and weighted to crusty pressed panini and pastas topped with one of a handful of simple sauces. 3054 Beach Blvd. S, Gulfport. (727) 327-2190.

Rollin' Oats Natural Cafe

Cuisine: Healthy, Market

Part of a health food store, the Tampa Bay area's most creative vegetarian cuisine features vegan, ovo-lacto and macrobiotic specials, and a global selection of dals, soups and stir-fries. There are vegetarian sandwiches and husky entrees, too, such as stuffed portobello mushrooms over rice. Terrific field greens salad and delicious smoothies; chicken and tuna also available. Beer and wine available for take out only. 2842 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. St. N, St. Petersburg. (727) 895-4910.

Tangelo's

Cuisine: Caribbean, Spanish/Cuban

No one in downtown St. Pete puts more color and spice in a sandwich, soup bowl or pitcher of iced tea. Funky, chunky eating, from thick turkey sandwiches to fork-ready gazpacho plus black beans and Cuban sandwiches. It's all fired up with jerk from the back of the house and hot sauce from Trinidad and cooled off with herb tea and sweet potato fries. 226 First Ave. N, St. Petersburg. (727) 894-1695.

Most entrees $10-$20

Billy's Stone Crab, Seafood and Steaks

Cuisine: Seafood, Steaks

Billy Moore keeps it simple - old Cracker Southern sides and fresh fish he lands along the gulf. Grouper, mackerel, mullet and, of course, stone crab, as the season and market allow, fresh and fairly priced. 1 Collany Road, Tierra Verde. (727) 866-2115. www.billysstonecrab.com

Blue Martini

Cuisine: Tapas

Blue Martini calls its fare heavy appetizers, but there's not a chicken wing or onion ring in sight. Instead, the short menu features contemporary Asian-Mediterranean fusion: sesame-seared tuna, sliced beef tenderloin, hummus, calamari salad. And don't miss the killer 6-inch tall chocolate cake. Bay Street at International Plaza, 2223 N West Shore Blvd., Tampa. (813) 873-2583.

Boulevard Bistro

Cuisine: Bistro, New American

Good bread, great soups and friendly service make for a great local spot. Boulevard goes beyond with good wine deals and chefs whose dinner grill knocks out spicy steaks, smart sides and sauces. Affordable food like this is about friends as much as trends. 8595 Seminole Blvd., Seminole. (727) 399-1800. theboulevardbistro.com

Byblos Cafe

Cuisine: Mediterranean, Middle Eastern

The local rebirth of Middle Eastern cuisine gets its most stylish display, thanks to smart Lebanese entrepreneurs. Yogurt, grape leaves and kibbe are deliciously fresh. Stay late and finish with intoxicating bellydancing or a dreamy draw on the water pipe (hookah). 2832 S MacDill Ave., Tampa. (813) 805-7977. web.tampabay.rr.com/byblos

Cafe Cibo

Cuisine: Italian

Sauce is the star here, a thick orange potion served with the bread. It has a little marinara, chopped herbs and a hint of anchovy, but the secret is that it's bound with butter. Longtime fans put it on everything in this bright, lively space(pronounced CHEE-bo). This isn't novello Italian, but pizzas and Mama Mia dishes of the south of Italy and old Italian neighborhoods, served up with fresh style. 8697 Fourth St. N, St. Petersburg. (727) 579-1570. www.cafecibo.net

Crab Shack

Cuisine: Seafood

You can't get much closer to Florida's waters and working boats than this Cracker shack for pile-on-the-table blue crabs, shrimp, raw oysters and grouper. This is the kind of place to order a platter with everything fried and wash it down with a cold beer. Then ask for key lime pie. 11400 Gandy Blvd. , St. Petersburg. (727) 576-7813. www.crabshack.com

Dominic's Capri

Cuisine: Italian, Seafood

The sauce is red, pasta simple, seafood fresh and wine endless, as it should be in a restaurant shaped like a wine barrel. The wine is under the trapdoor in a real cellar; the specialty is, naturally, Italian. 411 Mandalay Ave., Clearwater. (727) 441-1111.

Jorge's Seafood Grille

Cuisine: Seafood

Good fish and smart sauces, aioli, bearnaise and so on, have landed in a strip once limited to family dinners and early-bird specials. Chef/proprietor Jorge Leon delivers unexpected creativity and quality from the kitchen to the bar. A welcome addition. 800 Clearwater-Largo Road N, Largo. (727) 584-7800. www.jorgesseafoodgrille.com

Lincoln Heights Bistro

Cuisine: New AmericanSoul food got a luscious update when an Italian chef from Brooklyn brought a forgotten neighborhood restaurant on the outskirts of Safety Harbor back to life. Gourmet teacher Dawn Algieri went to school herself on country ribs, carrot cake, squash casserole and vegetables with pork fat. She learned her lesson well. 603 Elm St., Safety Harbor. (727) 726-4210.

Nori Thai Restaurant

Cuisine: Asian, Sushi, Thai

Nothing fancy to see here, but locals crowd Nori Thai for its authentic Thai flavors, affordable sushi and warm hospitality. Try the yums, vegetable tempura and kanisu. Come once and you'll feel like a neighbor. 7612 Blind Pass Road, St. Pete Beach. (727) 367-6535.

Shane's Rib Shack

Cuisine: Barbecue

The vibe is a corporate reconception of the Southern screened-in porch. Fat, buttered Texas toast provides the medium for most sandwiches, but the best offering is the smothered pork sandwich: chopped barbecue pork deluged with a scoop of crunchy slaw, served on a burgerlike bun. Baby back ribs look good, glazed with a nice sheen of fairly sweet sauce, and they're meaty and tender. Portions are mondo. 17501 Preserve Walk Lane, Tampa. (813) 971-3153. 2081 Collier Parkway, Land O'Lakes. (813) 949-6790. 6022 Winthrop Town Centre, Riverview. (813) 661-6500. www.shanesribshack.com

Snapper's Sea Grill

Cuisine: Bistro, Seafood

A tiny bright spot in the neon strand of Pinellas County beaches, Snappers serves its namesake and other sea fare with the seasons and a bit of silliness and with a smart wine list and a smart staff. 5895 Gulf Blvd., St. Pete Beach. (727) 367-3550. www.snappersseagrill.com

Z Grille

Cuisine: Casual Dining, Mexican

Hold the Tex, this is Cal-Mex from San Diego with a bit of funky fusion. Fine fish tacos, burritos and such for lunch; dinner goes uptown with steak, big chops, fresh fish, shrimp in beer cream. Finish with Mexican chocolate creme brulee. 269 Central Ave., St. Petersburg. (727) 896-3101.

Most entrees $20 or more

Bon Appetit

Cuisine: Brunches, Continental

Tables with bay views and traditional indulgences such as rack of lamb, sweetbreads, escargot and Dover sole. The menu has been updated with pastas, grilled fish, fresh herbs and half-orders, but there are rich sauces and strudels as well. Brunch on Sundays. 150 Marina Plaza, Dunedin. (727) 733-2151. www.bonappetitrestaurant.com

Cafe Ponte

Cuisine: Fine Dining, New American

Chris Ponte brought elegance to Ulmerton Road and still commands the tasteful high point of Pinellas. Daily, he delivers subtle style, decor and cuisine polished in Paris and New York. From mushroom soup to panna cotta, this is sophisticated cooking. And show-off dining: You might find Wolfgang Puck here when he's filming at the Home Shopping Network nearby. 13505 Icot Blvd., Largo. (727) 538-5768. www.cafeponte.com

Capital Grille

Cuisine: Seafood, Steaks

The brand-name chain steakhouse sets up a swanky club at the mall; it's a winner, a Cheesecake Factory for the carnivores. Have chops or dry-aged steaks edged with coffee or black pepper, silky sauces and truffled fries. Bay Street at International Plaza, 2223 N West Shore Blvd., Tampa. (813) 830-9433. www.thecapitalgrille.com

Grille One Sixteen

Cuisine: New American

Grille One Sixteen is foremost about style. House music pulses, waiters scoot around in modish all-black and an elegant long bar is packed with the glamorous or at least fashion-intrepid. Chef James Maita has a strong New American palette with a world-beat sense of play that fits right in, from a striking architectural tuna tartare tower of delicate fried wonton skins sandwiching diced tuna dabbed with sweet chile sauce, to a stunning 8-ounce filet mignon with a horseradish barnaise sauce. 15405 N Dale Mabry Highway, Tampa. (813) 265-0116.

Savant Fine Dining

Cuisine: Caribbean, Fine Dining

Exquisite intimate meals from a chef who loves great ingredients, from fish and game to chocolate and Caribbean spices. Pay no attention to the PowerPoint on the wall explaining it all. The proof is on your plate. 2551 Drew St., Clearwater. (727) 421-9975. www.savantfinedining.com

Texas Cattle Company

Cuisine: American, Steaks

The people here have cooked steaks over wood fires for 25 years. So overlook the '70s Western theme and the passable side dishes. The star here is the meat: pretty, well-marbled classic cuts, some prime and mostly choice, aged and cut in house. 2600 34th St. N, St. Petersburg. (727) 527-3335. www.texascattlecompany.net

Vizcaya

Cuisine: Fine Dining, Spanish/Cuban, Tapas

Felix Piedras brings us the taste of San Sebastian's grand resorts, the jewel of the Basque country, and the colorful mosaics of Barcelona. The menu ranges from rustic tapas of oxtail and cod to grand affairs of lamb chops, pheasant or seafood bisques, so tread lightly and take time. 10905 N Dale Mabry Highway, Tampa. (813) 968-7400.

Zoria

Cuisine: Fine Dining, New American

Well-established and still innovative, this two-chef restaurant serves sharp, simple cuisine with a sidewalk view downtown. Seasonal ingredients, global flavors and recipes make friendly fusion from game, foie gras and artisan cheeses to roast chicken and flatbread pizza. 1991 Main St. , Suite No. 118, Sarasota. (941) 955-4457. www.zoria.net

[Last modified August 29, 2007, 11:00:34]

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