Earlier this year, we asked: Which Tampa Bay restaurant do you miss the most + which meal do you wish were still around?
Piece of cake, right? TBAYtoday readers sent us food for thought — let’s stroll down memory lane, because we love a moment of local nostalgia.
Colonnade Restaurant
We don’t pick favorites, but you sure do. A behemoth of you readers wrote in to say you miss the inviting, laid-back eatery that once lined Bayshore Boulevard.
The seafood joint was owned and operated by three generations of the Whiteside family. Davis P. remembered the spot’s, “Iconic location on the Bayshore... famous for olives in a glass of Coke.”
Davis also added that the eatery used to be a Plant High School hangout.
Sweetwaters Grill
Reader Linda G. wrote in to suggest the since-closed Clearwater eatery, saying it had “fabulous food.” We wish we could sink our teeth into the onion-crusted grouper.
The Fish House in Ruskin
Michele L. shared that this casual spot “Had the BEST fish and chips and shrimp dinners around.” We’ll take her word for it.
Hugo’s Spanish Restaurant
The longtime Spanish-Cuban restaurant first opened in 1975 and was home to many a breakfast hang, including the still-running Cafe Con Tampa. Nanette T. says they miss Hugo’s “great, simple Cuban food, casual and affordable.”
Luv Child
This one still hurts. The South Tampa brunchery shut down over the summer. Reader Irene C. shares our sentiment, saying they miss the “Cuban food, brunch on the patio, and espresso martinis.”
Valencia Gardens & Steak n’ Ale
Hal J. misses not one, but two TBAY gems. He wrote in, “Great Spanish food at Valencia and a super salad bar at Steak n’ Ale.”
