Every restaurant on this list has at least one Mexican dish I like, but the 2023 opening of Azteca D’Oro and its more authentic menu (with items like the chicken taquitos shown here), plus great “vibe” nudged it past Cantina, which has equally great fajitas, and Señor Tequila, which revamped its menu in 2023.
1. Azteca D’Oro
2. Cantina Real Mexican
3. Señor Tequila
4. Vallarta’s Mexican Restaurant
5. Tacos El Patron
No one has ever doubted that Jannah and I love to sit at the bar and enjoy a great cocktail with our meal and there are several other favorite places that didn’t make this list, including Miller’s Ale House, Carrabba’s, Bonefish, Grillsmith and Outback, but Grill at Morris Bridge gets this year’s nod for its consistency.
1. Grill at Morris Bridge
2. TrebleMakers
3. Stonewood Grill & Tavern
4. Fat Rabbit Pub
5. Cooper’s Hawk
6. Joe Whiskey’s
7. Via Italia
8. The Living Room
9. Bubba’s 33
10. (tie) Brass Tap & Noble Crust
For me, this was one of the toughest of all categories, as virtually every place on the list has multiple dishes among my favorites. But, Lima’s ceviche and tallarin saltado de pollo (photo) keep it ahead of the merluza at Las Palmas, the ceviche at Pisco, the chicharrons at Rice N Beans and the cachapas at Chamo Bites.
1. Lima Peruvian Cuisine
2. Las Palmas Latin Grill
3. Pisco Express
4. Rice n Beans Puerto Rico
5. Chamo Bites
6. Rice n Beans Express
7. Mojo Grill
8. La Creacion Xpress
9. Latin Twist Café
10. Arepa Mia
Although I also love a lot of places for their sushi, my favorite Asian restaurants have to have other favorite dishes, like the hibachi filet at Kobé, the NY-style BBQ spare ribs at Liang’s, the pork chop rice dish at Ha Long Bay, the crispy duck at Arroy Thai and the gyoza (photo) and other appetizers at Zukku-San.
1. Zukku-San
2. Kobé Japanese Steakhouse
3. Liang’s Bistro
4. Ha Long Bay
5. Arroy Thai
6. Yamato
7. Sushi Café
8. Gorkhali Kitchen
9. Thai Lanna
10. Crazy Sushi
As a native New Yawka, although I have nothing against other kinds of pizza — and there are lots of good options for those other types in New Tampa and Wesley Chapel — pizza to me has a thin crust, a certain kind of mozzarella (only) cheese and a certain tomato sauce taste. Some places have it but most simply don’t.
However, all of the places on the list below come pretty close to the pizza I loved most in my home state, with NY NY coming closest of all.
2. Amici Pizza
3. 900º Woodfired & NY Pizza
4. Fratelli’s
5 (tie). PizzaMania
5. (tie) Taste of NY Pizza