World of Beer – Carrollwood (Tampa)

Day of the Week: Thursday, 5/16
Total Bill: $27 (before tax & tip) – food only
Breakdown: 2 appetizers, 1 sandwich, 1 flatbread
Verdict: Very impressive first effort.

She says:
If you’re not craft beer fanatics like us, you might not know that last week was American Craft Beer Week. Dogfish Head had tap takeovers at many bars around the country last Thursday, including at World of Beer in Carrollwood. Hubby and I have a special place in our hearts for DFH, which was some of the first craft beer we drank. (Like many others do, we started with Sea Dog Bluepaw and acquired a taste for more complex, extreme brews, moving quickly to DFH’s unique offerings.) Some of our friends are pretty into it, too, so we got a little group together.

Dishcrawl International Plaza (Tampa)

Event: Dishcrawl at International Plaza
Day of the week: Tuesday, 5/14
Cost: $45 per person*

She says:
If you’re a regular reader of this blog, you know Hubby and I have attended two previous Dishcrawls. Unfortunately, they both fell during a time period where we were super lax in writing. Tracy, the Tampa Bay Dishcrawl ambassador, graciously invited Hubby and me to attend the Dishcrawl at International Plaza as her guests so that we might blog about it. Free food? Yes, please!

Saigon Deli (Tampa)

She says:
I’ve been driving by Saigon Deli for a while now. I wanted to try it after reading favorable reviews on Urbanspoon. I jones for banh mi often and Seasons is just too far to go for a sandwich, so I was hoping Saigon Deli could serve as a stand-in. Thanks to a little break in my schedule, I was able to meet Hubby there for lunch last Friday, May 10th.

Oxford Exchange (Tampa)

Day of the Week: Sunday, 4/28
Total Bill: $45.48 (before tip)
Breakdown: 1 pastry “basket,” 2 lunch entrees, 1 tea, 1 coffee
Verdict: A beautiful restaurant with potential.

She says:
I heard of Oxford Exchange several months ago and it’s been on my list of places to go, especially for the afternoon tea. But I was more intrigued when my BFF C told me her new boss is a foodie and loves Oxford Exchange. Then C’s hubby went out of town for a weekend and I said, girls’ brunch! So I made us a reservation for 11 on Sunday.

Food Truck Rally (Citrus Park)

She says:
On Saturday there was a mini Generation Food Truck rally in Citrus Park at the Cypress Grand apartments (near Sickles). I noticed the lineup included Stone Soup Co. (which I’ve been meaning to try for probably two years) and Alaska Mike’s Yukon Fry Bread (which I have recently become obsessed with trying), so I decided to stop by. I had to go out that way anyway.

SideBern’s (Tampa)

Day of the Week: Thursday, 4/25
Total Bill: $393.76 (before tip)
Breakdown: 1 cheese & charcuterie plate, 1 soup, 2 tasting menus, 4 additional desserts, 4 large beers, 1 champagne, 2 drinks, 2 espressos
Verdict: An outstanding experience.

She says:
I know this is ridiculous: we had never been to SideBern’s before. Until recently, their food was, honestly, a little too adventurous for us. I’ve always liked food but my mom was a product of her generation: a nice meal out meant a steakhouse. We went to Ruth’s Chris when I was a kid A LOT. Hubby’s family was of a similar culinary attitude. Our palates needed to expand before trying SideBern’s. Since Hubby and I have been together, we’ve had lots of new food adventures (sea urchin, antelope, kangaroo). I guess it’s only fitting that for our fourth wedding anniversary we finally tried SideBern’s.

Food Truck Rally (Carrollwood)

She says:
Last Friday, the 19th, there was a small food truck rally in Carrollwood from 6 til 9. Since we live nearby, we had to check it out. We got there about 6:15. Graffeaties, The Dude & His Food, PAO, and Cuppin Cakes were set up. The Dude & His Food is mostly prime rib, which I wasn’t in the mood for (and Hubby doesn’t eat). I had tried most of Graffeaties’ offerings previously. We decided to get our dinner from PAO since we’ve had it before and both really like it.