The beef is tender and toothsome. The carrots are huge and sweet. The noodles are silky. The onions and scallions add crunch. But it’s the broth that’s the star of this Vietnamese comfort dish, which is really more of a soup than a stew. The broth is nectar of the gods—a sublime mixture of slightly sweet, slightly salty and other elusive flavor elements that can’t be adequately described in words. You must partake to understand. Alesia—a fixture on the west end of St. Pete’s Central Avenue—offers seating indoors as well as outside in a charming courtyard.  alesiarestaurant.com

We all know of the ubiquity of “fish and chips.” Beer-battered haddock is a staple with British chips, which are usually thick and hand cut similar to U.S. steak fries. In fact, there are relatively few authentic British pubs across the Bay area. What I have discovered is that Jack’s London Grill—in St. Pete, and celebrating its 10-year anniversary—is an oasis which easily delivers the food that Brits crave. Take that, Covent Garden. Add comfort food favorites, the Scotch egg and the sausage roll to the scrumptious entrees shepherds pie, bangers (sausages) ‘n’ mash with rich Guinness gravy or their delicious variety of hand made meat pies. jackslondongrill.com

St. Pete’s Par Bar is the best breakup bar, putters down. First of all, there are two exits. This also means there are two entrances so that you can be sure the green is clear of your ex putt-putt partner when you show up not to play putt-putt but to watch the Lightning. And when you’re alone watching the Lightning, you can take comfort in the fact that all the bartenders are familiar with your situation. These Par Bar-tenders call it “the curse” actually, because so many of the League Night couples have ended up in the bunker. Which means, you’re in good company. And on finals night, you can watch comedians heckle your ex which will be totally awkward especially when despite the heckling, your ex wins the whole damn thing. parbarstp.com

Bandit Coffee Co. is the St. Pete hotspot for seasonal lattes, breakfast burritos and slaying sourdough. It is also the place to go if you’re feeling bored, frustrated and generally hopeless about your wardrobe. The outfits that work behind the coffee bar and walk into Bandit’s doors are always a jaw-dropping Wow. The colors and textures and patterns and unusual pairings are representative of just how creative the Tampa Bay area is, and Bandit is emblematic of the fact that we live in a special spot in Florida where you can come exactly as you are. banditcoffee.co

This landmark place on Kennedy Boulevard and MacDill Avenue in Tampa encourages customers to customize their fajitas with eight different proteins. Depending on your disposition toward red meat, the beef and pork is a winning combo. Both are outstanding, although the roast pork—Cuban-style—gets the slight nod. The meat comes out sizzling on a hot, cast-iron plate, sided by exemplary pinto beans (with bacon) over yellow rice. Add pico de gallo, sour cream and guacamole. Roll it all into handmade tortillas. Eat. Magnifico. miguelscafe.com

Think of this funky joint just across the street from Williams Park in downtown St. Pete as a “street to table” restaurant. The vibe is pure hip-hop, with rap music rattlin’ the walls and images of hip-hop legends everywhere—all bathed in bright colors. The menu offers more than a dozen grilled cheese sandwiches with names like Mac ’n Rib, That’s My Dawg and War Pig. To work the meatless tip, check out the Cheezy Caprese. Perfectly toasted sourdough houses buffalo mozzarella, provolone and whipped ricotta, plus tomato, pickled red onions, basil pesto and balsamic glaze. Oozy, not sloppy. And tasty, real tasty. focheezy.com

From sit-down restaurants to food trucks and gas stations, there is obviously no shortage of tasty tacos in Tampa Bay. But homemade, fresh tortillas can be a rarer sight. Luckily, popular food truck Te Invito dishes out delicious tacos on freshly-pressed tortillas at local breweries and events on any given night. Te Invito owners Jesus Bravo and Korie LoVecchio have mastered the process of creating their own fresh tortillas by grinding a mix of corn masa, which is utilized in other dishes like sopes and gorditas, too. Heavy-hitters on the Te Invito menu include its prized quesabirria tacos, churros with chocolate sauce and chicken pipian tacos, topped with a pumpkin seed mole, crispy chicken skins and cilantro. @te_invito_tampa on Instagram

There are a lot of contenders for this crown, so here’s a reminder that this is one person’s opinion. That said, Pipo’s slays. For $6.95, you get a huge pile of succulent roast pig, with the ideal level of citrusy marination, along with mounds of black beans and yellow rice. You read that right: six dollars and ninety-five cents. Customers choose their items on a cafeteria line, so no waiting. The helping is so big that unless you’re inclined toward gluttony, you will bring a decent helping home with you. Pipo’s has definitely got its mojo workin’, serving grub that’s worth the drive out to Town ’N’ Country in Tampa. Keep an eye out for a humble green building on the north side of Hillsborough Avenue. piposhillsborough.com

The same group that blessed us with The Dunedin Smokehouse directly salutes one of Ybor City’s specialties at The Brinehouse, an artisan-style eatery located in downtown Safety Harbor. The Ybor Special consists of a pork tenderloin marinated in garlic cumin, as well as sweet capicola, pepperoncini, a guava mustard aioli, baby Swiss, and of course, a few pickles that you can’t have a Cuban without. You can also choose from 12 different sides, including green goddess potato salad, gorgonzola mac and cheese, parmesan Brussels sprouts, and sidewinder fries. Basically, think of the curliest potato chips in the bag, just in french fry form. thedunedinsmokehouse.com

Before COVID-19 vaccines were a thing, regulars to St. Pete’s Central Avenue were being pumped up for a new restaurant—dressed in an old comic-style mural—that would offer customizable stuffed burgers. Guests would be able to choose between beef, chicken, or veggie patties, pick from 16 different ingredients to have stuffed inside the meat, and of course, pile on a multitude of toppings. And if you want to eat your monstrosity on a pretzel bun or a waffle, then damn it, you could. Unfortunately, society just wasn’t ready for what The Job Site had to offer, and after a 21-month run, the joint closed its doors without any fanfare, other than a brief Facebook announcement last November. Though we have our memories of a pretzel bun holding together a burger stuffed with bacon, jalapeños, and maple-infused cream cheese, there’s still a burger-shaped hole in our hearts.