Tampa FL: Tasty Trio Of Great Local Restaurants Print


Fortunately for Florida, Hurricane Harvey decided to do its damage mostly in Texas. Tampa has been lucky, and so you will be when you dine there. Here are three favorite restaurants in that senior-friendly town:

Bern's Steak House: For more than a half-century, this upscale eatery (1208 S. Howard Ave.) has been a great favorite of locals and visitors in the city's upscale SoHo district. The setting is palatial, and the exotic menu offers a culinary investment in the best steaks in town.

Bern's has won many honors, including a very high compliment from TV chef Rachel Ray. She called it the best steak restaurant in America. A favorite is the traditional porterhouse, served with side dishes of asparagus, caramelized red onions and a twice-baked potato. La Teresita: For those who love authentic Cuban dishes, this café (3248 W. Columbus Dr.) is the place in West Tampa to find them. Visit for a late supper on a Saturday night. That's when Caribbean musicians stroll through playing soft Cuban tunes while diners enjoy both the music and the food.

A favorite at La Teresita is the beef tenderloin broiled with onions and hot red and green peppers. With side dishes of black beans and yucca in mojo sauce, the food and atmosphere unite to create a fabulous evening.

The Laughing Cat: In Italian this great Mediterranean bistro in the Ybor City area is Il Gatto Che Ride. (15th St. and 8th Av.) The menu at The Laughing Cat is no laughing matter, because it features some seriously tasty ethnic dishes.

A favorite is linguini alla mare (pasta of the sea), with mussels, shrimp, scallops served over the thin spaghetti. In the mixture is Alfredo sauce, sherry wine and basil.