It's hard to resist discounted dining deals. What better way to try some professionally prepped food for not a lot of dough, right?  Groupon, Living Social, in store specials; all these work to bring people into dining establishments they might not otherwise dine at just out of the sheer principle of a good deal. Wung Thai is one of these places.  A prominent "$1 Sushi" decal emblazoned on their storefront is enough to make anyone fond of sushi hit the brakes and make a sharp right into the shopping complex it's housed in, myself included. Walking in, you're greeted with all the typical …

Every once in a while you stumble across restaurant food that epitomizes the phrases “hits the spot” in every sense of the word.  When it comes to pizza, this phrase and Beach Pizza in the Largo Mall will be forever tied in my eyes.  From the outside, there’s nothing too special about Beach Pizza. A few animated paintings on the wall and a cartoon-y beach theme throughout the shop make it a fitting joint to take the kids after the movies (which is right next door) or just pick up a pie on the ride home from work. The pizza, quite unexpectedly though, is a drool-worthy work of culinary art not…

It seems like an establishment would really have to try to screw up a pizza.  The classic Italian comfort food, in all its simplicity, is just inherently good.  Heck, as humans we’re hard wired to crave carbs and fat, both of which make up the majority of all pizza.  That’s not to say that all pizza joints are the same, of course.  More that, pizza restaurants, at least in this book, lie on a critical spectrum from ok to mindblowing-ly delicious. Delosa’s is just one of many in the pantheon of Largo pizza restaurants.  As a family-owned Italian eatery, Delosa’s opened in 1983 and found …

After a long, hard day at work, when the energy’s drained and cooking up dinner is just a laughable prospect, there’s few things better than a heavy cellophane bag with a hulking meal of classic Chinese takeout resting inside. Call up any strip-mall residing Chinese joint in town and a Far East feast is ready for pickup in light speed.  It’s almost suspect how fast many of these places can cook up a meal and have it ready to go to fast, but with food on point, those become minor, forgotten details as you stuff yourself with an array of grease-ified Asian chow. Golden Star Chinese is a prime…

If you follow this column, you know we’re no strangers to Thai cuisine in and around the Largo area.  This Far-East fare has a special allure that draws you in with a variety of exotic, aromatic spices and overall light fare that straddles that beloved line between healthy and delicious. Thai Pan Alley on Indian Rocks Beach is one of these Thai eateries sitting amongst some stiff competition around the Largo area.  Serving up an expansive variety of uber-affordable Thai classics with speed and flavor in mind, Thai Pan Alley is definitely a suitable option if you’re craving this particular …

Of all the popular desserts one can get out there, nothing quite takes the cake (pun intended) like a big ol’ slice of pie.  From sweet apple to savory chocolate and seemingly every flavor between, it’s quite apparent that we Americans love our pies. Finding a quality slice though can be somewhat of a tricky endeavor if you’re looking for a version of this after-meal treat that’s truly out of this world.  Grandma’s generations-old, absolutely perfected pie recipe aside, to find a good pie outside the confines of a restaurant or mega-chain grocery store, you’ve got to know the lay of the land …

Throughout the ‘90s, the name Los Mariachis was synonymous with Mexican meals in Pinellas County. Known for its heaping plates of affordable, authentic Mexican food, not to mention gigantic “Monster mugs” of beer and margaritas, Los Mariachis was an ideal dining destination for businesspeople on lunch, frugal families, and young people looking for a cheap night out. Since that heyday, the options for Mexican food in Pinellas County, and specifically Clearwater, have changed and multiplied, with taco joints now seemingly occupying every other corner. Heck, even the name of Los Mariachis …

When you’re ravenous, sometimes there’s nothing like the site of a classic Mexican restaurant to open those eager eyes and get the stomach rumblin’.  I’m not talking chains like Don Pablos or Chili’s or whatever else tries to pass as the real deal, but more along the lines of, well, Los Mariachis. Mexican restaurants like these are insanely affordable and almost cruel in regard to how much food they give you to ravenously fill yourself with. Upon sitting down, it was nice to see Los Mariachis provide a monstrous pile of complimentary golden-fried tortilla chips and an ample-sized jar of house…

After last week’s review of Seminole Subs and Gyro’s, I’d realized the hole-in-the-wall sandwich bug had bit hard and had not quite let go yet. Upon hearing from a friend about Philly’s Famous Cheesesteaks, the craving hit and it couldn’t be shaken. Something about a philly cheesesteak, even a terrible one, just perks the ears up and gets the mouth watering. The grilled steak melting and melding with gooey provolone, grilled onions and peppers, on that soft roll; it’s simple, but perfect that way. It awakens our hard-wired desire for savory fats, delectable protein and cheap carbs. You’ve …

No matter how tiny, run-down, or just plain questionable they can be, there’s a special charm old city sandwich shops hold that can never be taken away.  The greasy brown bags, even greasier food, the minimal, if any, décor that looks straight out of 1987; it all melds to give places like these a like it or leave it attitude you can’t help but admire sometimes. Seminole Subs and Gyros definitely fits this profile nicely. Serving up an assortment of quick-prepped American and Greek cuisine including sandwiches, gyros, salads, wings, and more, Seminole Subs and Gyros is the place to go if you …

Open any random world history book and you’ll quickly see the legacy Greece left on pages upon pages of texts: larger-than-life kings and their empires, the first Olympics and arguably the birth of western civilization. The list goes on and on, and while many Greecian Empires have crumbled, the legacy of this area’s traditional cuisine has lived on and flourished worldwide. Thinking out loud, there's got to be hundreds of Greek restaurants in the Tampa Bay area alone.  The Little Greek Restaurant in Largo/Clearwater border is part of this pantheon serving up a variety of Greek culinary …

They are not kidding when they call the huge, Chinese eatery on East Bay Drive the Country "Super" Buffet.  This thing is massive.  A high-ceiling structure with a monstrous, stream tray-lined epicenter, the Country Super Buffet is truly a site to behold for anyone fascinated with the all-you-can-eat, American culinary landscape. From crab to sushi, steam-trayed food to hibachi, even pizza and carve-your own roast beef. They really have it all at the Country Super Buffet.  It's something along the lines of the Asian buffet equivalent to Wal-Mart. You already kind of know what you’re getting …

Summer is upon us. I don’t know about you guys, but that means ice cream consumption is about to be kicked into full gear.  Creamy, cool, savory, packed with delicious, artery-clogging milkfat; ice cream is a sweet delicacy at best and great summer cooldown event at its not-so-best. Nevermind that there’s a million varieties of this cross-cultural sweet treat. Typically you’ve got straight up ice cream with anywhere from 10 to 16 percent milk fat. Gelato has about seven percent, frozen yogurt has less than  one percent and custard with egg yolks typically has around 10 percent.  These are …

If there’s one international cuisine (besides our own) that defines the culinary landscape of the Tampa Bay Area, it’s got to be Cuban.  And, rightfully so.  Cuban cuisine and the Tampa Bay area have a notable, longstanding history together.  Historic Ybor City began as a cigar-manufacturing town quickly inhabited by Cuban immigrants specializing in the cigar rolling trade and, of course, their own delicious food.  Families of Cuban immigrants came and went leaving their mark of culture and cuisine on the region we call home today. Lucky for us foodies, Cuban culture still permeates the area …

If there’s one foreign dish us Americans love, it’s sushi.  From grocery stores to fancy restaurants and seemingly everywhere in between, sushi has become a big name player in the American food game.  Of course, with such popularity comes different interpretations. Some heavenly and some, well, not so much.    Luckily, the Sushi Spot in Largo knows how to please when it comes to making great sushi.  Nestled in the Publix strip mall on Bay Street, the Sushi Spot serves up a variety of Asian inspired dishes including stir fry, tempura (battered deep fried seafood), noodles and of course, a ton …

Never underestimate the worthiness of a well-run independent bakery.  They're forerunners in freshness, from-scratch quality and an overall love and diligence for their food that's unseen in the likes of mega-chains and grocery store bakeries. Places like these can restore one’s hope in the American food landscape in a single bite...if they’re doing it right. So, when visiting Frida’s Café and Bakery in Largo, one has to wonder if they necessarily hold up to a description like this.  The answer is, absolutely! Housed in a large bright building on the side of  Ulmerton Road, Frida’s is a …

For every four-star chef whipping up expensive, modern cuisine in high-end cities and neighborhoods across the country, there’s someone diligently hunched over a smoker frying their brisket like an over-protective parent, expertly waiting for the precise moment where the outer smoke ring is just crispy enough and the meat's fall-apart tender. Barbecue, as much as an undignified rap as it gets, is definitely a skilled and artful endeavor. Arguably just as much as the crafting of top-rated, high end cuisine.  There’s the choice of meat, the temperature, the sauce, the timing and countless other…

Ah, Thai food, you hold a special place in my food-adoring heart.  A menagerie of sense pleasuring spices – curry, ginger, turmeric, basil – fresh vegetables, and succulent proteins, Thai is arguably (and a good argument at that) the most palate pleasing of all Asian cuisine. Thai is also incredibly consistent as well; most dishes sharing the common denominator of all the components just mentioned.  Throw a splash of coconut milk or fish sauce to get a nice spice-laden sauce over the veggies and protein, or add some thick rice noodles to make a hearty plate of pad thai noodles, it’s really …

In an increasingly busy and fast paced world, sometimes you just need lunch, fast.  But “fast” in terms of restaurant food usually entails something along the lines of an econo-priced, low-grade McMeal.  The convenience is surely a godsend for some, but the quality, even after, say, a long night of alcohol-infused, college shenanigans, leaves a bit to be desired. Luckily in the densely populated world of American restaurants, there’s variation. Ahh (sigh) harmony at last.  Some places can balance these two elements –convenience and quality- and transcend typical fast food stereotypes to …

Of all the ethnic restuarants lining the streets of America, Chinese restaurants have to rank as one of the most convenient.  Call in your order as you’re walking out the door and arrive at the restaurant greeted by a brown paper bag loaded with your food.  Freakishly fast is an apt description. And, yeah, sometimes it’s not all that great- a victim of it’s own convenience- but it’s almost expected. Especially when it’s dirt cheap like many of these places are. When it’s good though, it’s good. That's when it typically becomes a coveted secret among locals who wouldn’t dare divulge it to just…