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Since my arrival in Tampa almost two years ago, I’ve spent quite a bit of time searching for a great Tex-Mex restaurant, only to come up short time and time again.  I probably won’t return to Miguel’s and the food at Estella’s isn’t even close to acceptable.  I still haven’t found exactly what I am looking for, but on Saturday evening I came close with a great meal at Algusto ”Tortilla and Salsa” Mexican Restaurant.  While not the panacea of Tex-Mex cooking, the atmosphere was inviting and the food was fresh and tasty.

After a day at St. Pete Beach, I was shocked when my fiancée suggested Mexican food for dinner.  She’s normally not a fan, but is occasionally known to indulge in a platter of fajitas.  We joined some friends in the afternoon for a tasting of French wines at Beaune’s West Palm Wines in Ybor, then cruised down Kennedy for an early dinner at Algusto.  Though we didn’t have a reservation, the restaurant was fairly empty, which seemed reasonable for 6:30pm.  I was pleasantly surprised at the cleanliness and positive atmosphere of the restaurant, complete with brightly colored tile, high ceilings and an open kitchen.

As we were seated, the first thing we requested was an order of Algusto’s popular homemade guacamole ($4.95).  It was a little creamier than I prefer, but the flavor was perfect and I feel it is one of the better ones in the area.  The portion was large, so unless you have several people to split it, you may want to think twice about filling up on appetizers.  The assortment of salsas was also impressive, but the presentation was not.  We tried the mild salsa, a chunky pico de gallo and we also had some of the spiciest version, a smooth and spicy orange salsa, presumably made with with habanero peppers.  While both were fantastic, they were served in small, disposable plastic ramekins that made them difficult to eat.

Naturally, we chose to indulge in an order of chicken and beef combination fajitas ($10.95).  Instead of the sizzling platter cliché, the meat arrived on a plate, colorfully mixed with a variety of sauteed strips of bell pepper.  The chicken was juicy and the beef had a smoky, grilled flavor, but for a place with “tortilla” in the name, I had hoped for some that were homemade.  Instead we were served warm tortillas, right out of the bag.  On the side was a small plate of uninspired refried beans and rice, pico de gallo and a heap of guacamole. 

I decided to try out the tampaquena ($12.75), a marinated and grilled steak accompanied by a chicken mole enchilada, rice and a mound of colorful sautéed bell pepper strips (see a trend here?).  The thin piece of steak was cooked well done, a tad further than what it should have been, but it was still tender enough to enjoy.  The chicken enchilada was filled with shredded chicken and topped with a fantastic rich mole sauce.  I typically use the steak tampaquena as a benchmark to judge Mexican restaurants and though it was a good meal, I didn’t exactly wake up thinking about it the next morning.  Instead of the excessive number of bell pepper strips, I would have preferred something edible, such as refried beans; now I know for next time.

To cool off the spicy Mexican food, I had a couple of Mexican beers ($3) and we also tried a glass of red sangria ($4.75), which was a tad too sweet for my taste.  Unfortunately Algusto does not have a full liquor license and is not able to serve my drink of choice: the margarita.  Instead, they serve the fake wine-based margarita ($4.75) which is supposed to act as a substitute.  Call me crazy, but I have no desire to try a margarita that lacks tequila.  Though the list of desserts looked impressive, we didn’t have any room to indulge in any flan or tres leches.

My ideal Tex-Mex restaurant needs a great margarita, solid food, great chips and salsa and an inviting atmosphere.  Three out of four isn’t bad and I’ll definitely be back to Algusto Mexican Restaurant soon.  Although it is labeled as a “Mexican” restaurant with a menu that serves great mole and traditional favorites, there are plenty of Tex-Mex influences, such as fajitas, quesadillas and chips and salsa on the table.  Also, in some dishes, the “fresh” and “healthy” dishes go a bit far for my decadent tastes.  Regardless, if you are looking for a great restaurant serving fresh Mexican food alongside Tex-Mex favorites, I’d give Algusto a thumbs up.

Algusto Mexican Restaurant
912 West Kennedy Blvd.
Tampa, FL 33606
(813) 250-3500
http://www.algustomexicanrestaurant.com/

Sometimes a meal at a nice restaurant is planned.  You may make reservations a week ahead of time, think about the dinner for a few days and even peruse the menu a bit before leaving the house for the big event.  Then there are some weekend evenings where dining out is a spur of the moment idea and the thought of going out without reservations is out of the question.  However, if you are flexible, I’d bet that you and a companion can dine at almost any Tampa Bay establishment on a weekend evening with no more than a ten minute wait.  How?  By dining at the bar.

As a single guy, I spent quite a bit of time dining at the bar in restaurants.  It never bothered me, since I probably knew the bartender and I sure didn’t enjoy sitting by myself at a table made for four.  But now, I find my experience as a bar diner comes in handy when ducking into a nice restaurant without any prior planning.  If you are willing to forgo a table, you’ll get quicker seating and nearly instant service, since the bartender is only steps away.  Plus, you may even get that complimentary glass of wine you always hoped for.  While far from a complete list, some places where dining at the bar is acceptable, even ”cool,” include, Sidebern’s, Courtside Grill, Fly Bar and Restaurant, The Lime, Ceviche in St. Petersburg and Bonefish Grill.  What are your favorite spots to dine at the bar?

A couple of weeks ago on a Saturday evening, my fiancee and I were craving some Italian food from Benedetto’s.  Since we didn’t have a reservation and it was a last minute decision, we figured having a bottle of wine and some appetizers at the bar was the way to go.  When we arrived, the wait for a table was about 40 minutes and their small bar was crowded.  But after only a few minutes and a half of a cocktail, we were seated in the corner of the cozy bar. 

We began with the Benedetto’s Dip (or Ben Dip, for short, $14.95), a thick dip packed with shrimp, crabmeat, artichokes and plenty of white cheese, served with crostini.  Decadent, rich and simply delicious, it’s one of our favorite appetizers.  We also tried one of their specials, the stuffed mushrooms ($12.95), filled with lump crabmeat and covered with cheese.  Although I am not normally a fan of mushrooms, the flavor and texture blended right in with the crabmeat and cheese.  Based on the filling qualities of the previous two apps, we were only able to squeeze in one more: fried calamari ($10.95), tender and fried golden brown.  It was served with a side of marinara for dipping, but calamari cooked that well only required a quick squeeze of lemon.  To top it off, we paired everything with a bottle of Santa Cristina Sangiovese, affordable at only $28.  There was no room for dessert during that trip.

While Benedetto’s may be one of our favorite restaurants in “the North,” we don’t always plan ahead and sometimes it is good to be spontaneous.  Dining at the bar might not be for everyone, but I find it an attractive alternative for those who decide at the last minute that they want good food but don’t want the hassle of a 45 minute wait for a regular table.  Next time you are faced with a long wait at your favorite restaurant, give the bar a chance.

Benedetto’s Ristorante Italiano
21529 Village Lakes Shopping Center
Land O’ Lakes, Fl. 34639
813-909-9694
www.benedettoitaliano.com

It only took me a year and half, but this weekend I finally found something I longed for in Tampa: a good seafood restaurant.  Sure there are great restaurants in the bay areas serving seafood, but I’m not talking about a fine dining restaurant serving a $27 entree of fresh imported fish with a fancy sauce.  I’m talking about a seafood restaurant for those of us that grew up and live on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico.  You know, the kind place with raw oysters served on the half shell, seafood platters, steamed blue crabs and cold beer to wash it down.  On Saturday afternoon I found it all during an early dinner at the Crab Shack Restaurant in St. Petersburg.

My girlfriend and I spent most of the day at the beach and on the way home I realized I was in the mood for seafood.  Besides, there isn’t a better way to follow up a hot day at the beach than with ice-cold raw oysters.  My friend Joe raved about the Crab Shack last week, singling out the taste and freshness of the Apalachicola oysters. After a quick stop at home and a little more Internet research, I decided that it was time for a try.

Located on the Pinellas side of Gandy, Crab Shack Restaurant is a local favorite.  With only about 15 tables, the place fills up fast and always seems to have a wait.  The building is small, with low ceilings and has the character of a run down seafood joint on the water; exactly what I expected.  The clientele is unpretentious too; a mix of families, bikers and young couples alongside the gray haired lady sitting at the bar nursing her carafe of white zinfandel.  It’s definitely not a tourist destination.

We started out our meal on Saturday with a dozen cold raw oysters on the half shell ($8.95) that turned out to be some of the best I’ve had in the bay area; salty and fresh.  Although I never eat dinner at five o’clock in the afternoon, we were lucky this time to have stumbled upon happy hour, which runs 4-6 pm Monday through Saturday and allowed me the to enjoy two for one draft beer and oysters for only $6.95 a dozen.

The menu is diverse and reads like a typical seafood joint: fried fish, oysters and shrimp, steamed blue crabs and they requisite seafood platter.  After eating them raw for an appetizer, I decided I would continue and order the Fried Oyster Plate ($12.95), which I enjoyed with French fries and homemade cole slaw.  The oysters were fried perfect and packed with flavor – I loved every bite.  My girlfriend decided on the Stuffed Shack Fish ($13.95), a large piece of cod filled with a blue crab stuffing then broiled.  The fish was excellent, but I have to admit that almost anything would be good if you stuffed it with crabmeat and broiled it with a heap of butter.  Unfortunately we were about to hit another happy hour down the street so we didn’t indulge in any dessert, unless you count my two-for-one beers.

Dining at Crab Shack restaurant was a winner and I consider it a victory in my search for reasonably priced, down to earth seafood.  It’s my kind of place and will definitely be back soon.  The menu has something for everyone and is one of the few places in town I have seen steamed blue crabs as well as fried softshell crabs.  Check out the Crab Shack website to peruse the menu and even print out a coupon for a free drink!  The prices are reasonable, the food is good and the restaurant has