Monthly Archives

March 2020

Dining

Tampa Bay Pizza Week

March 31, 2020

As many of you know, I am pretty darn obsessed with pizza and consider myself to be the Pizza Queen of Tampa. Each year, Creative Loafing Tampa Bay features Tampa Bay Pizza Week which is a ten day homage to pizza. This year, this delicious event was presented by Slice, and I am so glad to have discovered them for all my pizza takeout needs.

Source: Creative Loafing Tampa Bay

With everything going on around the world with the Coronavirus, I knew that pizza week would be a bit of a challenge. Some of the places that I visited had to drop out, but all in all it was a great event. I discovered some new places, revisited some of my old favorites, and found some of the best pizza in Tampa Bay.

Here is a recap of each place that I visited:

Flippers Pizzeria
1054 4th St. N. 
St. Petersburg, FL 33701 
www.flipperspizzeria.com
11” Salame Picante pizza

This was my very first visit to Flippers Pizzeria and it was one of the best pizzas I had for pizza week. They featured their 11” Salame Picante Pizza with crushed DOP San Marzano tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, pepperoni, salami, Peppadew peppers, and a local honey drizzle for just $10. It was love and first bite! I highly recommend that give them a try!

 Gourmet Pizza Company
 610 S. Armenia Avenue
 Tampa, FL 33609
 (813) 258-1999  
 www.gourmetpizza-company.com
CubanOH!

I have always been a fan of Gourmet Pizza Company in Tampa and was excited to try their featured special of their CubanOH! This beautiful pie is a garlic oil based pizza that is topped with sliced dill pickles, their house cheese blend, sliced smoked turkey breast, italian sausage, shaved manchego cheese, and drizzled with a rogue Dijon Mustard…..their take on a Tampa classic. Sadly they had to drop out of pizza week, but this was a great pizza and definitely something different.

Sally O'Neal's Pizza Hotline
1319 S Howard Ave.
Tampa, FL 33606 
813-251-0220 
www.sallyonealspizza.com    
              
Goat Cheese Prosciutto Pizza

Sally O’Neals is a Tampa landmark and I was excited to see them in this year’s lineup. They featured any 12″ specialty pizza for $10. I went with their Goat Cheese Prosciutto Pizza which is a thin crust with a garlic & oil base, topped with Imported Italian Parma Ham, sun-dried tomatoes, basil, pizza cheese blend, and goat cheese. As expected it was excellent!

Westshore Pizza South Tampa
4802 West Bay Court Ave.
Tampa, FL 33611
813-832-5331
www.westshorepizza.com

My kids LOVE Westshore Pizza in South Tampa, and of course we had to stop by and indulge in their special for pizza week which was a 14” any one topping pizza of your choice, six garlic knots, and either two domestic draft beers or two fountain drinks for $9.99. We kept it simple with pepperoni and were super full after.

Tampa Pizza Company
4110 Henderson Blvd.
Tampa, FL 33629
813-443-1822
www.tampapizzacompany.com
Brussels Sprouts Pizza

My favorite place in South Tampa for pizza is Tampa Pizza Company and they just so happened to feature my favorite pizza for Tampa Bay Pizza Week. This beauty is their Brussels Sprouts Pizza which is topped with a garlic oil base, their signature cheese blend, burrata, roasted Brussels sprouts, roasted red onions, bacon, arugula, and balsamic glaze. This plus a 2-liter of soda was featured for just $10. This is one of my top ten favorite pies in Tampa, so be sure to give it a try!

Blackjack Pizza & Salads
3692 W. Gandy Blvd.
Tampa, FL 33611
813-333-2921
www.blackjackpizza.com
Thin Crust Pepperoni

Blackjack Pizza in South Tampa is one of my go-to places when I want pizza delivered. Known for their square pan pizza, they also feature regular round, and thin crust. I am a sucker for their thin crust and since they were featuring any small specialty pizza or any large, 1 topping pizza, I went with a large classic pepperoni on thin crust. As usual, it was outstanding.

Russo's NY Pizzeria
2233 Gulf to Bay Blvd.
Clearwater, FL 33765
727-648-4304
www.nypizzeria.com
Prosciutto and Arugula Pizza

Russo’s New York Pizzeria in Clearwater is another one of my favorite spots. Before I get into details about their pizza, you must try their Mozzarella Fritti which are outstanding!

For Tampa Bay Pizza Week, they featured any 12″ specialty pizza for just $10. I enjoyed this beauty with prosciutto and arugula and it was divine. They have a great menu and I highly recommend a visit if you are in the area.

Oggi Pizzeria & Market
318 W. Davis Blvd.
Tampa, FL 33606
813-258-0778
www.oggipizzeria.com
Wood-Fired Pizza with Capicola

I ADORE Oggi Pizzeria & Market on Davis Island. This cute spot is the perfect place to grab some food to go and stock up on Italian gourmet products. The also have some of the best gelato in town. For Tampa Bay Pizza Week, they featured this 10″ beauty with capicola, sausage, onion, red and green peppers, and mozzarella for $10. My kids and I took one home to enjoy and we all loved it.

Fabrica Pizza
142 South Meridian Ave.
Tampa, FL 33602
813-605-0764
www.fabricapizza.com
Margherita Pizza

Oh how I love Fabrica Pizza! With locations in downtown Tampa and in St. Pete, they are one of my favorite spots. They featured their 12″ Margherita Pizza with house-made tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, parmigiano, E.V olive oil, and fresh basil for just $10. They serve some of the best Neapolitan Pizza in the bay and I love having a location so close to home. They will always have a special place in my heart, as I was blessed to spend an afternoon at their St. Pete location last year and learned all about the pizza making process. I even got to make my own pizza and it was an experience I will never forget.

Deck Pizza
2202 W. Platt St.
Tampa, FL 33606
813-375-0753
www.deck-pizza.com
Pepperoni and Cheese Slices

A Tampa favorite, Deck Pizza, recently reopened and had on of the best deals for Tampa Bay Pizza Week. They featured two slices and a soda for just $4.99. I am so glad they are open again and I can’t wait to get some more pizza from them for a night at home. Be sure to check them out and order a slice or a whole pie to go.

Pizzeria Gregario
400 2nd Street N.
Safety Harbor, FL 34695
727-386-4107
NWTH (No Where To Hide) 

Pizzeria Gregario in Safety Harbor has been on my pizza wish list for almost three years. When I saw that they were a part of Tampa Bay Pizza Week, I just had to make the drive and get a pizza to take home. They featured their NWTH (No Where To Hide), which is regional organic stone milled, sourdough, hand mixed, wood fired dough topped with Bianco DiNapoli tomatoes, fresh basil, sliced garlic, freshly grated Pecorino Romano, and single origin single varietal Greek organic EVOO. OH MY IT WAS HEAVEN! As soon as we are able to dine out again, I will be heading to Pizzeria Gregario to enjoy a nice dinner of pizza and wine.

Jet's Pizza
1350 Main Street
Dunedin, FL 34698
727-210-1840
www.jetspizza.com
Classic Pepperoni

I wrapped up Tampa Bay Pizza Week with a visit to Jet’s Pizza in Dunedin. They are another place that has been on my list for awhile. I don’t have a location close to me, so I chose their Dunedin location since I love the area. I ordered their square pan pepperoni and it was fantastic. They featured any 12-inch medium one topping pizza for $9.99. I hope they open a spot in South Tampa soon!

As you can see, I thoroughly enjoyed Tampa Bay Pizza Week and had so much fun showcasing these local spots. Be sure to support local and order pizza from any of these places as we all try to navigate through this difficult time.

Where are some of your favorite pizza spots? I would love to hear from you.

Dining

Bahia Tacos

March 29, 2020

Hi everyone! I hope you are all staying safe and healthy during this difficult time in our world. As you all know, eating out and showcasing local restaurants is what I am all about. I have seen so many of my favorite places close due to the Corona Virus, and it just breaks my heart. I hope they can recover from this and my thoughts and prayers go out to everyone that has been affected.

The one thing I have seen that really makes me smile, is how so many places are using this difficult time to be innovative and boost their takeout platform. I will be showcasing different places and their creativity such as boozy brunches, create your own pizza kits, family dinners, and more. Be sure follow me on Instagram @forkingaroundtown to see my daily features, or email me at [email protected] to share any places that you think I should visit.

I wanted to share with you a new place that opened recently in Tampa. If you love tacos as much as I do, Bahia Tacos is sure to win your over with their innovative menu which features Columbian-infused Mexican cuisine with favorites such as tacos, burritos, tortas, rice bowls, and more.

My Trio of Tacos

I stopped by earlier this week and got some tacos to take home. With so many options for tacos such as shrimp, pork, beef and chicken, vegan and vegetarian, there is something for everyone. I enjoyed two of my tacos with corn tortillas and one with an arepa. They were fantastic!

Tacos are life

I can’t wait to go back and order other items for takeout and have been craving a good torta. It will be a delicious pleasure to try their entire menu.

Torta, photo courtesy of Bahia Tacos

Growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area, I have enjoyed my fair share of burritos and theirs look incredible. Nothing is better than a fat, juicy burrito with freshly made salsa drizzled over the top.

Burrito, photo courtesy of Bahia Tacos

Since we all are spending a lot of time at home and keeping busy with cooking, cleaning, Netflix, and more, sometimes it is nice to support local and pick up food from a neighborhood spot. You can bet that I will be enjoying Bahia Tacos for Taco Tuesday next week.

Nachos, photo courtesy of Bahia Tacos

Be sure to support local during this time. If you are looking for a new taco spot, Bahia Tacos is perfect! They are located at 808 S Dale Mabry Hwy, Tampa, FL 33609. You can also follow them on Facebook and Instagram.

Photo courtesy of Bahia Tacos

Thank you so much Bahia Tacos for hosting me this week and I can’t wait to see you thrive after we all get through this.