JANUARY 15 2009
AMERICANWAY 41
t’s Friday night in Tampa, Florida. A balmy breeze blows
along theHillsboroughRiver,where thegleamingminarets
of the University of Tampa reflect in the ripples that snake
softly through the city andwest into the bay. Here, near
thewater, the evening ispeaceful.
Butdowntown, thecity is justwakingup.AtCurtisHixon
Park, a stretchof greenalong thebanksof theHillsborough,
theFloridaOrchestra iswrappingupanalfresco concert.Ac-
tors on the Tampa Bay PerformingArts Center’s five stages are taking
curtain calls, and film lovers a few blocks away are enjoying the final
screeningof thenightat thehistoricTampaTheatre.Andat theSt.Pete
Times Forum, on the edge of the city, hockey fans are streaming out of
the arena after a Tampa Bay Lightningwin. The streets are alivewith
people, laughter, andmusic.
Downtown Tampa has not always been like this. For decades, this
area was a ghost town after dark, ditched for the burbs at sunset by
the lawyers andbankerswhoworked in the city’s towers. But in recent
years, downtownTampahas comeback inabigway. In late2007, Sky-
point, the area’s firstmajor residential project in a generation, laid out
thewelcomemat for32storiesof condobuyersandhelpedbreathenew
life into the surrounding streets.Another tower ison theway,whilead-
ditional loft projects and condominium buildings have already added
to the skylineappeal.
This boom has spearheaded a shift in the local culinary scene as
well, as downtown cuisine has finally caught up with the rest of the
city’s. Now, nomatter where you travel in Tampa, a satisfyingmeal is
right around the corner. The cultural influences that have infused the
city’s history books and family trees are well represented, to be sure.
ButTampa isalsoa foodie’sparadiseofworld-class steakhouses, swank
winebars, trendybistros, andcornercafés. Itevenboasts twoEthiopian
restaurants—proof, foranyonewhowasdoubtful, of the city’s interna-
tional appeal.
Tampa will get the chance to show off its hospitable side when it
hosts Super Bowl XLIII nextmonth. But whether you’re headed here
for the big game or for a little getaway, we’ll tell youhow to treat your
tastebuds to thebest the cityhas tooffer.
e start off our culinary adventure in the revitalized city
center.
Fly Bar and Restaurant
opened two years ago and
was one of the first restaurants to hit it big downtown.
Guests here enjoy seasonal sharedplates of global cuisine— theKobe-
beef sliders, pan-roastedblackgrouper, andPanko-crustedgoat cheese
arenot tobemissed—alongwithan impressivewine listand signature
cocktails. The spacious restaurant’s industrial-chic setting is complete
withexposedductsandhandcraftedwrought-ironbarstools.BigEasy–
inspired artwork hangs bright and high on the exposed brick walls,
while a jazz band grooves on the corner stage. Diners looking to take
advantage of Tampa’s pleasant year-round temperatures can linger at
the restaurant’s street-side tables or on the rooftopdeck.
Nestled in thecurvesofTampa’s lighthouse-shapedRivergateTower,
Malio’sPrimeSteakhouse
joined theurbanpioneermovement in2007.
As itwas a longtime favorite in its original SouthTampa location,Mal-
io’sbroughtmuchof its loyal clientelewith itwhen itmoveddowntown;
from lunch to latenight, its regularsmixwitha crowdof youngprofes-
sionals thrilled to have another hot spot for spirits and stylish dining.
Guestscandine inside inprivateboothsorenjoy the riversideambience
w
CevicheTapasBar
andRestaurant
FlyBar andRestaurant
FlyBar andRestaurant
