Tampa, Florida: A Lush Life
What can I say, there has been a lot of this lately. But being new to Tampa, Florida, it is nice to at least be making some friends that are encouraging it.
A few places that I enjoy around Tampa for hanging out, grabbing some food, and tossing back a few are:
Mangroves: A hip little joint in the SoHo district of Hyde Park. They serve good food, and after 11pm the DJ thumps some beats upstairs if you want to get your groove on. This is a good place to find out if your wardrobe has fallen out of fashion.
Fly: Located in downtown Tampa not far from the theatre, this has a great little outdoor deck upstairs with seating area and bar. Downstairs the ambiance is cool and the food is excellent. You can choose to sit inside or out.
Mad Dogs: Don’t let the Irish pub theme fool you. This place has amazing food, great wine, and of course, plenty of different beers to choose from. The vibe is great. People come riding in on bikes, walking with dogs, or in shiny luxury vehicles. In each case, no one is disappointed.
Ceviche: If you are looking for a great Tapas bar and restaurant then check out this place. A relaxed atmosphere, good sangria, and great food. It is quite difficult to decide what to get.
Byblos: Think spices, soft pillows, and a warm ambiance; oh, and also really good traditional Lebanese food. I’ve enjoyed my fair share of eastern food, and Byblos definitely ranks at the top. Stick around for the belly dancing while you puff away on your hookah.
The Rack: This one doesn’t have its own website, but you can Google the location. The reason why I include it is because of its rather strange combination of billiards and sushi. You first thought might be, “frightening,” but the sushi is actually really good even if it does come with a sports theme. If you don’t mind being in the midst of cute college girls and male football enthusiasts, while you savor some good sushi, then this is the place.
Obviously, there are many more places that I have been and need to visit, but these are some I definitely recommend and would patronize again. Hopefully by the time you’ve checked these off the list I’ll have some more for you. Until then, enjoy!
