Goody Goody – Tampa, FL

There has been a lot of buildup leading to the opening of Richard Gonzmart’s latest restaurant, Goody Goody, in Hyde Park.  We are big fans of the Columbia and Ulele, so I knew that he would do it right. 

This restaurant is a re-creation of a classic 1925 Tampa landmark where many people grew up eating (at its prime, Goody Goody had four locations throughout Tampa).  While in a new spot, it still retains the feel of a classic diner and serves many of the original recipes, including their famous hamburgers and pies.

I’m so excited about the transformation of Hyde Park Village (although right now, the construction makes it a bit difficult to drive up Swann…)  I spent a lot of time there growing up in Tampa, and it made me sad when for a while it had become a bit of a ghost town.  That’s definitely turning around – it seems every other week, something new opens. 

I’m sure the food was great back then, but the décor was a bit lacking – pretty much your standard diner. 

I absolutely love the design of the new Goody Goody.  They kept the old-fashioned feel, but updated it for a classy, modern atmosphere.  There is an art-deco vibe with beautiful graphics on the doors and brass sculptural light fixtures above the main dining areas.  The floors are lined with vintage-style mosaic tile with green and yellow that carry throughout the space. 

We heard that the wait was insane, so we downloaded the NoWait app, which allows you to get in line on your phone before you arrive.  There were still a couple people in front of us in line by the time we got there, but we ended up sitting at the counter which is first-come first-serve. 

Lance had their classic Goody Goody Cheeseburger POX, with lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, onions, cheese, mayo and their special barbeque sauce.  I had the Royale with Cheese, topped with a fried, over-easy egg, onion, cheddar, Monterey Jack cheese, sautéed mushrooms, bacon, lettuce, and tomato.

I’m happy with the version that I got – I thought Lance’s tasted more like a fast-food burger (which he likes).  We also split an order of onion rings which nice and crispy with a ranch dipping sauce.  It was a greasy, messy meal, but delicious. 

We finished with a slice of their renowned butterscotch pie.  OMG I would go back and just order this – the bottom layer is incredibly decadent and rich with an airy topping of toasted meringue.  They have several flavors of pies, but I’d have trouble not ordering the same one every time since it was so good. 

I have no doubt this restaurant will be successful.  It is really reasonably priced compared to most of the dining options in Hyde Park (their classic burger is $4.95) and it appeals to not only the young people looking for a trendy place to eat out, but to the older crowd with nostalgia from the olden days. 

Goody Goody is located at 1601 W Swann Ave, Tampa, FL 33606.  They are open Sunday – Thursday 7am – 10pm and Friday – Saturday 7am – 11pm.    

Bizou Brasserie at Le Méridien Hotel – Tampa, FL

This past Sunday, we enjoyed brunch at Bizou Brasserie, a ritzy hotel restaurant at the Le Méridien downtown.  It opened about a year ago at the site of an old courthouse.  The design merges the original historic architectural features with mid-century modern furnishings.   It’s like someone filled The Oxford Exchange with West Elm’s current catalog.

We had a CL Deal so we got $30 for only $15, which was the perfect amount for our brunch check (it’s still posted on the Creative Loafing website, so if you want one, you can purchase one here while they last…)

They have a pretty concise menu, but everything on it sounded fantastic.  I ordered the crab cake benedict (buttermilk biscuit topped with lump crab cakes, sweet chili jam, poached eggs, and spicy hollandaise sauce).  Lance ordered their Bizou burger – it was a too early in the morning for burgers in my opinion, but he was excited about the caramelized onions at goat cheese atop the chuck and short rib half pound burger. 

I was thrilled with my benedict and the breakfast potatoes it was served with were wonderful.  Lance’s burger came with some of the best fries I’ve had in a long time.  The burger itself was a bit too messy for such a classy restaurant – the cheese and onions oozed everywhere.  The waitress did warn us that the burger came with a lot of cheese, but even Lance thought it was a bit much. 

They do also have a case full of exciting pastries that you can order right there at the counter – we saw a banana bread pudding that I may need to try next time.  Overall a great breakfast – especially for only $15!

Bizou Brasserie is located at 601 N Florida Ave, Tampa, FL 33602 and is open 6am – 10pm Sunday – Thursday and 6am – 11pm Friday – Saturday.   

Six Ten Brewing & Cigar City Brewpub – Tampa, FL

 

We planned to go to TopGolf on a double date with our friends Tony & Katie – but unfortunately there was an OVER THREE HOUR wait, so we had to change plans. 

Six Ten Brewing was having a 1 year anniversary party, so we headed there to check it out.  It’s just north of the airport on Benjamin Road – we’d never been there before, so we were excited to cross another brewery off our list!  They had 17 of their own beers available plus 6 guest taps. 

 

Katie and I decided we liked the Vanilla Porter best.  The Peanut Butter Porter actually didn’t have a lot of peanut taste, but you could definitely taste the vanilla flavor.  I also had a sample of the Schofferhofer Grapefruit Hefeweizen – which tasted more like juice than beer to me.  The boys enjoyed their IPAs. 

 

The flyer said they’d have food trucks, so we were expecting several, but there was actually only one truck there.  We decided instead for our dinner we’d head over to Cigar City Brewpub since we were already on the north side of Tampa.  One of my first blog posts was actually a double date with Tony & Katie at Cigar City! 

 

There was a bit of a wait, but it was a Saturday night, so that’s expected.  We had drinks at the bar while waiting for our table.  We were pretty hungry by the time we sat down, so we ordered some appetizers – the beer cheese pretzels and cheese board (lucky none of us are lactose intolerant – lots of cheese at our table…)  The brown ale cheese dip was great, but I’m still most impressed with Brew Hub’s beer cheese & pretzels.  The cheese board was fantastic though – nice variety of different types, along with pickles and berries. 

 

 

Somehow all four of us all decided we wanted burgers for our meals.  There are so many fantastic choices on the menu, but I’m glad I tried out their Grass Fed Burger – served with house-smoked bacon, sofrito, sweet plantains, pickles, and roasted garlic aioli on a brioche bun.  I upgraded to sweet potato fries (although the malanga chips they typically come with are also delicious). 

Whoever decided to put plantains on a burger was a genius.  I would definitely order it again. 

Six Ten Brewing is located at 7052 Benjamin Rd, Tampa, FL 33634 and is open 3pm – 9pm Wednesday – Thursday, 3pm – 11pm on Friday, 12pm – 11pm on Saturday, and 12pm – 7pm on Sunday (they are closed Monday – Tuesday). 

Cigar City Brewpub is located at 15491 N Dale Mabry Hwy, Tampa, FL 33624.  They are open Sunday through Thursday 11am – 10pm and Friday & Saturday 11am – 11pm.

Piquant – Tampa, FL

 

One of our Christmas presents from my parents was a stack of CL Deals to use for date nights!  So for dinner last night, we headed to Piquant in Hyde Park. 

It’s in a cute location right on the corner of Rome & Snow Avenues.  I don’t think we’d been there since Sophie’s French Bakery was in that location a few years back. 

The previous restaurant had more of an eclectic coffee shop feel – it still has the bakery, but now it’s a bit more upscale now with ghost chairs, high-back black leather banquettes, and mood lighting.

I ordered the La Tour Eiffel cocktail – the Ketel 1, passion fruit, St. Germain, bubbly & rosemary.  It was served with crushed ice, so it tasted more like a fancy slushy drink.  Lance had the Coppertail Unholy Trippel (served in a 3 Daughters glass…) We still haven’t made our wait to Coppertail Brewery in Ybor, but Lance enjoyed his beer, so we’ll have to check it out soon! 

They served some crispy baguettes before the meal – I had to restrain myself from eating the whole bread basket. 

For my meal, I ordered one of their Signature Entrées, the Braised Boeuf Short Ribs with gratin dauphinoise, wilted spinach with pine nuts & preserved lemons, bordelaise sauce, and crispy leeks.  The portion wasn’t huge, but it was plenty enough for me.  And it was clear that it was quality over quantity.  The meat was tender and flavorful, and the potatoes and veggies were perfectly cooked.  

Lance had the Piquant Burger – made with Niman Ranch grass-fed beef, topped with a red wine onion confit, heirloom tomato, and white cheddar on a challah bun. It included parmesan, parsley, and truffle oil fries.  It was the perfect burger & fries. 

We didn’t have room for dessert, but their pastry display was filled with all sorts of goodies including tarts, cupcakes, and their famous cronuts.  We’ll need to come back another day and just have sweets & fancy coffee. 

It was a really wonderful meal.  The CL Deal definitely helped with the price though, so keep an eye out on the Creative Loafing website to see whether they post another deal!

Piquant is located at 1633 West Snow Avenue, Tampa, FL 33606 and is open 8am – 8pm Sunday – Wednesday and 8am – 10pm Thursday – Saturday.   

Tampa Bay Brewing Company

 

We’ve been on a mission to try every local craft brewery (there are about 50 that I know of…so we’ve got a ways to go!)  If you need help picking one, The Brewery Bay is an awesome website that has a map of all the Tampa Bay area breweries, then lets you filter them by whether they are pet-friendly, offer growlers, have live music, have food, and more. 

On our day off last week, we visited Tampa Bay Brewing Company in the heart of Ybor City.  I’d been there once before for drinks, but this time we had lunch there as well.  They have an indoor restaurant as well as an open-air patio.  Since it’s been a little chilly lately, we ate inside. 

 

 

The place was all decked out for Christmas.  We were there around 2pm on a Wednesday, so it wasn’t very busy.  I was happy to hear that they offered beer flights so we could sample a variety.  I tried the Reef Donkey APA, Red Eye Amber Ale, Wild Warthog Hefeweizen, and their special Phantom Dark Ale (one of their seasonal beers).  I actually liked the APA best, which isn't usually my type of beer.  Lance had a double IPA along with a few flights as well. 

 

 

 

For lunch, Lance had the Brew House Cheese Burger and I had the Bad A** BLT Sandwich.  The burger was good, but I’d highly recommend the BLT.  They definitely didn’t skimp on the bacon.  Lance had his with fries and I chose the white cheddar mashed potatoes as my side. 

 

 

We wandered Ybor for a bit afterwards to walk off our meal (there are stray chickens and roosters all over!) 

 

One more brewery down, dozens more to go!  

Tampa Bay Brewing Company is located at 1600 East 9th Avenue, Tampa, FL 33605 and is open 11am – 11pm Monday through Thursday, 11am – midnight Friday/Saturday, and noon – 11pm on Sunday.