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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

One morning earlier this week I sat down for a breakfast interview with Mario Diaz of Channel 10 news.  We talked about my thoughts on evacuating New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina, my food writing and my newfound love for Tampa Bay. He also asked me about the best meal I had eaten in Tampa and without hesitation, I responded “Ceviche.”  During that interview I told the complete truth, but if was asked the same question today, the answer would be different.  Last night I dined at Benedetto’s Ristorante Italiano and it was by far the best meal I’ve had at a restaurant in the Tampa Bay area.

True to my upbringing, we arrived at the restaurant early to catch a drink at the bar.  Cozy and cluttered with Rat Pack memorabilia, the small bar was inviting.  Segregated from the restaurant, it gave me the feel of a real bar where I could get a real cocktail, so I had a martini.  I didn’t ask for a “martini” menu, I wanted a REAL martini, gin with a touch of vermouth, shaken and served in an ice-cold cocktail glass with olives.  The art of bartending seems to be dying, but even in Land O’ Lakes, I found a martini that was made right.  I also watched closely as the bartender made my girlfriend’s cosmopolitan, as well as several other drinks that were sent to the dining room; they were all done well.  After chatting with the bartender and waitstaff about the food at Benedetto’s and recommendations on our evening, we were ready for the main event.

We were seated in the first dining room at a nice table out of the way of foot traffic, but in full view of the piano playing lounge singer.  It reminded me of the New York Lounge singer of the 70’s only now found in cheesy movies, but I couldn’t help but to like it.  Perhaps it is a throwback to old-school times when the music WAS cool.  I believe it still is.  The wine list is adequate and loaded with a blend of old world and new world selections; we chose a reasonably priced Chianti to pair with the Italian style food.  The complementary basket of bread began the makings of a great meal, soft, warm bread topped with garlic butter and cheese; absolutely delicious.  We also began with an appetizer of the Benedetto Dip, a shallow bowl of cream and cheese filled with crab, scallops and shrimp served with toasted crustini’s.  Though outstanding, it was very rich, and in anticipation of our meal, we purposely left part of it for later.  The salads that preceded the entrees were also good, dressed with the house dressing, a home-made vinaigrette.

When the entrees arrived, I knew I had discovered a new favorite.  I wish I could have seen the look on my face during my first bite of the Grouper Bianco; I couldn’t help but to exclaim, “this is how food is supposed to taste!”  The pan fried grouper was cooked perfect on the inside and was protected by a crispy, light breading, then topped with a creamy sauce with crabmeat, sea scallops and jumbo shrimp that tasted as though they were caught that morning.  It was absolutely exquisite and equally as decadent.  For a side dish, we chose the penne pasta with a pink sauce that ended up fairly pedestrian, especially sitting next to the grouper.  The best bet would have been to have it served over the angel hair pasta.  We also tried one of the specials, a crabmeat stuffed Florida halibut topped with a champagne cream sauce.  The fish was cooked until tender and flaky, and the light flavor of the fish allowed for the taste of crabmeat to shine.  The cream sauce was perfect, just the right consistency to blend well with my side dish of angel hair pasta. Neither one of these selections were on the menu, but were both suggested by the staff.

For those less adventurous souls seeking good but simple Italian favorites, you are also in luck.  There is an extensive selection of entrees including an excellent baked ziti and tasty lasagna.  The prices for the basics are very reasonable, in the range of $12 to $15 per entree.  However, the specialty seafood dishes and evening specials can find you in the neighborhood of $30, well worth every penny.  If you are unsure what to order from the vast menu, your best bet is to ask your waiter.  If you listen to your server at Johnny Carino’s, he or she is likely pushing the daily specials suggested by management.  At Benedetto’s, the staff actually eats the food, and they love it.  While at the bar before dinner, we were actually able to get some great suggestions from the bartender as well as some waiters passing by.  They all seem happy to be there, and that’s a sign of a good restaurant.

We finished up our evening with an order of the homemade tiramisu.  From the dessert tray, about half of the selections were made in house, and we definitely went the right way with our choice.  Rich, creamy and sweet, it was the perfect end to a perfect meal.  Fortunately we packaged up a decent portion of our meal (half the appetizer and most of the side pasta) in anticipation of dessert.  Make sure not to fill up during the meal, you won’t want to miss the ending. To some people in South Tampa, Land O’ Lakes seems like the other side of the world, but the food there is worth the drive.  If I could only have one last meal in Tampa Bay, it would be the Grouper Bianco from Benedetto’s Ristorante Italiano.

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

Last night to celebrate a special occasion, we decided to try Splash! Restaurant in Lutz.  There were a couple reasons for the restaurant selection; the first was a coupon for $10 off a dinner for two, but the main reason was that Splash! has the reputation for being one of the premier seafood restaurants in the Tampa Bay area.  Situated in a strip shopping center next to Subway, it is probably the last place you’d think to find an upscale seafood restaurant, but this one has seemed to buck the stereotype of the normal strip mall chain restaurant.  White tablecloth and all, the restaurant is cozy and elegant, with a square bar in the middle of the restaurant separating two dining rooms, the walls adorned with black and white pencil drawn caricatures, possibly of regular patrons.   The kitchen in the back of the restaurant is open, and though it may be a plus for some, every word spoken by the cooks seemed to carry throughout the back of the dining room.  After ten minutes in the place, I mentioned that I couldn’t believe I was in a strip shopping center.

We started with a bottle of pinot grigio from the inexpensive, basic wine list.  With prices around $20 per bottle, the wine list is accessible to any diner, and a “reserve” wine list is perched on every table for the discerning wine drinker.  As with any good restaurant, the appetizer list looked like the most impressive part of the menu, with selections such as Escargot, Ahi Tuna Tartare and Crispy Cottage Fries with Bleu Cheese; we decided to try the Trio of Cakes - Scallop, Crab and Ahi Tuna.  Of the three, the fresh scallop risotto cake was my favorite, made with the day’s risotto of spinach, sweet pea and tomato, although I’m not really sure if there was much scallop in the cake.  The crab cake was ordinary, but was complemented by a well-seasoned aioli.  The ahi tuna cake was also good and had a smoky grilled flavor that would probably please some and turn off others.  I enjoyed it; my girlfriend didn’t.   With an emphasis on the oak grill, I was not surprised that the tuna cake would be grilled.

The entrées consisted mainly of grilled fish, and rightly so for a seafood restaurant.  For the carnivores, there is a surprisingly good number of meat dishes on the menu that I suspect would be excellent on the oak grill.  But since we were at a seafood restaurant, we opted for fish.  Each of the fish dishes comes in an assembly line format: pick your fish, then your sauce, then your choice of side items.  The process reminds me of Bonefish Grill, but I digress.  We had the Mahi-Mahi, oscar style with Béarnaise sauce and lump crabmeat, as well as the Red Snapper with the Cognac Lobster Cream Sauce.  Both of the pieces of fish were outstanding, cooked just right with a smoky, grilled flavor and flaky and tender enough to eat with a fork.  I can’t think of another place where the fish was as fresh and cooked as well.  Unfortunately that is where the complements end, as the rest of the meal was quite unimpressive.  The oscar sauce was scant on crabmeat, especially for a dish that costs $23.99, and my lobster sauce didn’t contain a bit of lobster, though on second glance, the menu describes it as a “Lobster and Cognac Infused Cream Sauce.”  I should have known.  The side dishes were pretty ordinary; the tired garlic mashed potatoes, brown rice pilaf and sautéed veggies of the day.  I was hoping for more from a top-notch restaurant.  Each of the fish entrees also comes with an accompaniment of a Splash! salad or the soup of the day, which happened to be Lobster Chowda.  The salad was excellent and fresh, brought to the table in a metal mixing bowl, then tossed tableside with a parmesan vinaigrette then served.  The chowder was a different story.  Though I am from the south and obviously not a chowder expert, I can still spot ordinary food.  Again, maybe the lobster was “infused” into the chowder because I couldn’t find any amongst the chunks of potato.  With the fried onion strings floating on top, it reminded me of a canned potato soup.  Oh well, I wasn’t there for the chowder anyway.  Unfortunately on this visit I couldn’t report on dessert, as we were stuffed after the meal, but I’ll make sure to try it next time

I’m happy I was able to try the food and the fish was about as fresh as they come, but for some reason, I just wasn’t blown away by a dinner that ventured into the neighborhood of $100.  Don’t get me wrong, the fish was outstanding, but unfortunately it takes more than a fresh piece of fish and an oak fired grill to make a seafood restaurant work.  But I’m not sure they need much more, as Splash! has received numerous awards and accolades in the past several years.  I guess you’ll just have to try it for yourself.  On my next visit, I’ll likely sit at the bar with the neighborhood regulars, enjoy a martini with blue cheese stuffed olives and sample several of the appetizers from the impressive list.  While Splash! may not be on the top of my list of places to return, there’s something about the place that makes me want to try it again.  When you visit, be mindful of the strengths and weaknesses of the menu and you should enjoy yourself too.

Splash! An Ocean Grill
3973 Van Dyke Road Lutz, Fl 33558
813.269.8611
www.splashanoceangrill.com