St. Pete/Tampa and Miami, and anything along the way

Hello again to anyone who remembers me.  Popping back into the Roadfood conversation for my 19th annual Baseball Roadtrip.  This year we'll be hitting the silly looking new stadium in Miami with and a return to the equally silly Tropicana Field, with perhaps a minor league game thrown in.  
 
No, I'm not thrilled about using my precious "guy" time to go to Florida in June (I despise the heat, plus I already spend a lot of time in Boca Raton for work), but we only have 3 days, and there happens to be a new Major League stadium down there.  
 
We will begin in St. Pete, spending perhaps a day and a half, followed by another day and a half in Miami- travelling either on US-27 or I-75.
 
The only absolute must-hit places for us are Ted Peter's Smoked Fish outside St. Pete, and La Teresita in Tampa.  
 
In Tampa/St. Pete and Miami, and along the route, we're looking for 

• great breakfast
• local seafood
• BBQ (in Florida? why not?)
• Cuban food
• ice cream/custard
• maybe a pub/watering hole in each town (SANS club music!)
• anything other local delicacies or Roadfood finds 

Thanks in advance for your wisdom.  Hope everyone has been well.  By the looks of the Trip Reports forum, looks like some of you have been having an awful lot of fun on the road.  
 
Pigiron
 
 
 

Nice to hear from you again Pigiron.  Welcome back!
 
If you go through Fort Myers, I highly recommend Skip One Seafood.  It has received rave reviews from several different Roadfooders on this site.  The ice cream at Royal Scoop in Bonita Springs is also good. 
 
On the east coast of Florida, I am also a fan of the famous Le Tub in Hollywood for great burgers.  But, if you spend all that time in Boca Raton, you have probably already been there.

In St. Pete Beach (Madeira Beach) ... The Candy Kitchen: www.candykitchen.net/
In Mad Beach ... superb grouper ...  Dockside Dave's:  http://www.docksidedavesgrill.com/
Tampa: Very valid NY Pizza ... Eddie & Sam's:  www.eddieandsamspizza.com/
 
 
 

@BB: Good to be back, because it means that I must have some travelling on my calendar.  Thanks for the recommendations.  And yes, I have been to Le Tub a few times, but I won't ever go back.  They have a hostile attitude towards children that I found offensive. They also have a bit of an attitude towards adults, too.  Good burgers, bad people.  
 
@Greg: I just added Dockside Dave's and Candy Kitchen to my GPS.  That fried grouper on DD's website looks fantastic.

The fried grouper tacos is one of the best things I've ever eaten ... (they did something different with crispy or spicy at my request) ... i don't recall exacty, but i think it cmae from a confusing menu listing ...

Pigiron


Hello again to anyone who remembers me.  Popping back into the Roadfood conversation for my 19th annual Baseball Roadtrip.  This year we'll be hitting the silly looking new stadium in Miami with and a return to the equally silly Tropicana Field, with perhaps a minor league game thrown in.  

No, I'm not thrilled about using my precious "guy" time to go to Florida in June (I despise the heat, plus I already spend a lot of time in Boca Raton for work), but we only have 3 days, and there happens to be a new Major League stadium down there.  

We will begin in St. Pete, spending perhaps a day and a half, followed by another day and a half in Miami- travelling either on US-27 or I-75.

The only absolute must-hit places for us are Ted Peter's Smoked Fish outside St. Pete, and La Teresita in Tampa.  

In Tampa/St. Pete and Miami, and along the route, we're looking for 

• great breakfast
• local seafood
• BBQ (in Florida? why not?)
• Cuban food
• ice cream/custard
• maybe a pub/watering hole in each town (SANS club music!)
• anything other local delicacies or Roadfood finds 

Thanks in advance for your wisdom.  Hope everyone has been well.  By the looks of the Trip Reports forum, looks like some of you have been having an awful lot of fun on the road.  

Pigiron

 
Great Cuban food in Tampa is had a La Teresita. You will not be disappointed. 

St Pete: Hamburger- El Cap, 4th St N.
              Cuban Sandwich- Floridian, Central Ave        
              Breakfast - The Frog Pond, Beverly's, both at                       corner of Gulf Blvd. and Corey Ave.
              Danish and coffee - Cafe Mozart, 4th St.N.
              Hot Dog - Dixie's Little Dog House, Central Ave.
              (Causeway)
              Fresh Seafood- I second Dockside Dave's for a grouper sandwch. There's a lot of high-end seafood in St Pete - most of it worth the price.However, for a real roadfood experience you can't beat  Mid Peninsula Seafood
for lunch (it's a scruffy neighborhood). Wide choice of fish cooked any way you want, inexpensive, and you eat indoors at piknik tables.
For cuban food other than a sandwich you can't beat LaTerissita in Tampa -it's loaded with tourists, but that hasn't hurt the quality of the food. 
Cheers, John 

 
If you take the Tamiami Trail (US 41) between Tampa and Miami, there is good root beer stand in South Venice called the Frosted Mug.  It's about 1.5 hours south of Tampa.    Good grilled chicken sandwiches with peppers and onions, ...and certainly root beer.   You can also exit off I-75 to get there.  It's not too far off your route if you take I-75. 
 
If you get into Miami Beach, there is a great Cuban place called Puerto Sagua at the intersection of 7th Street and Collins Avenue in the South Beach section of Miami Beach. 
Also in South Beach is a good Argentinian Luncheonette-type place called Cafe Charlotte.  Good palomillo steak at a reasonable price.  $10-12.  No frills.  Sodas are served in individual cans.  Next door (or 2 doors down?) is their bakery called the Charlotte Bakery.  They are on Washington Avenue near 15th St. in Miami Beach's South Beach section. 
 
 
Glenn
 
 

I'll second the recommendation for Puerto Sagua. Excellent Cuban food. 
 
Miami has gotten very involved in the food truck scene. A couple of my favorites are the Fish Box, which was recommended by Miami Don, if I recall right; and DogEatDog, where I had their "305 Dog."
 
The best barbecue I have found in Florida is just a bit north of Miami in Fort Lauderdale at Tom Jenkins' BBQ.  Not easy to find (lack of visible signage), but it is right on US1. It's the only BBQ in Florida that when I describe it to friends can call it good - without the caveat of "...for Florida."

I'll third the recommendation for Puerto Sagua even though it's been 6 years since I was last there.
 
I hate to hand out recommendations  if I havent' been to a place in 5 or more years but take this for what its worth.
Tap Tap in South Beach was a fantastic Haitian Roadfood Joint that I visited back in 2005. Yelp still gives it 4 out of 5 stars so it must still be good.
 
http://blogs.miaminewtimes.com/shortorder/2012/06/4_goat_stew_at_tap_tap.php
 

  http://www.urbanspoon.com...aitian-restaurant/menu
 

Can any of you St. Pete area folks tell me if the old diner near the beginning of St. Pete beach is still there? Sorry I can't remember the name of the place but it is (was) a genuine looking diner with chrome etc. I used to enjoy breakfast there.
Thanks

No, the diner has been gone now for at least a few years.  I don't remember the exact year it closed up but it is gone.
 
John

Here are my recommendations:
 
Seafood - Mid-Peninsula Seafood on 49th St. S. in Gulfport.
 
BBQ - Holy Hog BBQ/Tampa; Jimbo's/Tampa; Poppa's BBQ/Clearwater for ribs(but only open for lunch M-F)
 
Cuban - Arco Iris/Tampa; Del Rio's/Tampa.
 
Ice Cream - Paciugo's/Downtown St. Pete.
 
Breakfast - Skyway Jack's/South St. Petersburg on 34th St.
 
If you like Mexican, try the Acapulco Grocery on Macdill at Cypress in Tampa.  Excellent!
 
Another old nostalgia type place is Munch's in South St. Pete on 6th St. S.  Was on Triple D with Guy(don't hold that against them.)  This used to be a soda fountain as part of a drug store and later took over the entire space.  Their breakfast is very down to home good and has excellent lunches also.  If you go for lunch on Tuesday or Saturday, try the fried chicken as I believe it is the best in the Tampa Bay area.
 
John
 
 

I second Skip One's in Ft. Myers, the restaurant defines RoadFood in my opinion. Fine seafood, unpretentious dining with an affordable price.
On the northern tip of Marco Island (just south of Naples) there is also the Snook Inn. I had forgotten about that place but was reacquainted with it in March. Again, great Florida seafood at a reasonable price with typical Florida fish shack decor.