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Arizona Trip *Updated (NPT)

dirtydeac

dirtydeac

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Tampa didn't work out. Arizona trip is now booked. Any thoughts?





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Ok, you guys did a good job helping me with my NY trip...thinking about going to Tampa for an extended weekend in a couple weeks. Found cheap package deal and would be staying at the Marriott Waterside Hotel and Marina. Never been. Fun or lame town? Good beaches?

If it's a good choice, steer me in the right direction (restaurants, pubs, things to do). Not into upscale restaurants. Will probably rent a car so we can drive outside of Tampa if there is nearby destinations.
 
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Tampa is one of the few places where you HAVE to spend money for one dinner. The best steakhouse in the country is in Tampa- Bern's.

If you have to get fast food the rest of your trip it's worth it.

It's got a separate restaurant just for dessert.
 
I don't mind going out for a nice dinner. It's just when I travel I like to find off the beaten path places and where the locals go.

So is Tampa a good place to visit?
 
Find other places the rest the stay. Go to Bern's.
 
Is it just you, you and a female companion, family? The answers are completely different depending on your situation.

Where are you from? What type of food do you like? Do you prioritize going to the beach? Theme parks? Local tourist options? Sports?
 
Just the wife and I. We're in our late 30's and from Charlotte. We do like to hang out at the beach...that's why I was wondering how they were in Tampa. Like sushi, seafood, Latin-American, Jamaican and cool pubs. Like to venture out and sight see...that's why I was wondering if it would be worth it to rent a car.

We usually go to Hilton Head this time of year but thought we'd try something different.
 
Well you made a good choice. At that location, you'll be a little way away from the beach, but not too far away. Fort DeSoto Beach south of St. Pete is annually one of the top rated beaches in the country. It's worth it to go to Clearwater, Sarasota, or Bradenton as well.

There are plenty of good local sushi, seafood, Latin-American, and Jamaican spots around Tampa and St. Pete. La Teresita is one of my favorite local Cuban places. It's right by the airport. I typically take friends by there when they visit.
 
Bern's is fantastic, but yes very expensive.

My favorite moderately priced sushi place is called Water.

For Cuban food, there is nothing better than Columbia Restaurant.

And if you end up in North Tampa area, I highly suggest Mr. Dunderbak's. Great German food and beer.

As for bars/pubs/nightlife, you'll want to go to either Channelside or South Howard. S.Howard is a bit of a younger crowd, but if it's not a weekend, the crowds are usually wide-ranging. MacDintons is alwyas popular, especially for Happy Hour, though my personal favorite is Dubliner. Channelside is also very nice and worth checking out. No real recommendations as just walk around and see what appeals to you.
 
Didn't know you were a Dunderbak's man. Love that place. What it's done for that shopping center is amazing. It was dead before Dunderbak's moved there

dirty, you'll be staying in the Channelside area. It's not a bad walk over there. Definitely check out Splitsvile. It's a bistro/bowling alley. Owned by a Deac actually. We've had a few alum game watches there.
 
PhDeac said:
Didn't know you were a Dunderbak's man. Love that place. What it's done for that shopping center is amazing. It was dead before Dunderbak's moved there

dirty, you'll be staying in the Channelside area. It's not a bad walk over there. Definitely check out Splitsvile. It's a bistro/bowling alley. Owned by a Deac actually. We've had a few alum game watches there.
Click to expand...

Love Dunderbaks. Used to go a decent amount when it was in the mall but love the new location. Bit of a hike for me from where I was in South Tampa but whenever I was in the area, I would try to make the trip.

Cool tidbit about Splittsville being owned by a Deac. Definitely enjoy the place. And yes, BKF, Columbia is fantastic.

Another recommendation, wherever you end up going, ask if they have any of the local Ybor brews. They have a smoky/cigar flavor and are quite tasty.
 
I was once in Tampa for 4-5 days. Think I probably stayed at the same place you mentioned. Most memorable experience for me was just sitting on the balcony of my room with a drink and cigar and watching one heck of a thunderstorm come in over the water. Seriously, the view of that thing from the balcony across the water was just marvelous.

Hope you get to see one like it.
 
Just to avoid confusion, that Marriott is in downtown Tampa, & Tampa is not on the Gulf, so it doesn't have any real beaches. You'll have to drive 45 minutes or so to get over to the Gulf beaches. Having said that, there are some really nice beaches within an hours drive, so that would be an easy day trip.

You could really do all of your eating and drinking in the downtown Tampa area, if you wanted to, but you will also be about 15 minutes from South Tampa, which has Bern's and a bunch of other non-chain restaurants/bars. One good place that will just be a walk from the hotel is Cafe Dufrain. It is directly across the river from the Marriott. They have a cool little patio area that overlooks the river, though indoors (in the AC) may still be the call.

By the way, how did this end up on the politics board? Besides the fact Tampa will be hosting the 2012 GOP convention.

One last thing - as for local beers, I would recommend looking out for Cigar City offerings. It's a local brewery started a couple of years ago by the son of the infamous local strip club mogul (Mons Venus) and has gotten national attention for some of their beers. They really do some tasty brews.

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/17981
 
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I've been to the Tampa Independent a few times, too. My chair used to live in that neighborhood abd we'd have faculty/grad student events on Friday there. Really like the one in St. Pete too. There are some good restaurants around the area of the Independent as well.

Cafe Dufrain is a good call. Been years since I've been there.

dirty, if your extended weekend isn't the bye week, we should get some Tampa Deacs to meet up to watch a game.
 
PhDeac said:
I've been to the Tampa Independent a few times, too. My chair used to live in that neighborhood abd we'd have faculty/grad student events on Friday there. Really like the one in St. Pete too. There are some good restaurants around the area of the Independent as well.

Cafe Dufrain is a good call. Been years since I've been there.

dirty, if your extended weekend isn't the bye week, we should get some Tampa Deacs to meet up to watch a game.
Click to expand...

Yeah, if you somehow make it to The Independent in Tampa (less than 10 min drive from downtown) head on over to The Refinery for dinner (100 yard walk). They change the menu every Thursday, try to get most of their ingredients from local farmers, and were semi-finalists for best new restaurant in the entire country by the James Beard Foundation. It's small, so you will likely need a reservation on a weekend night.

http://www.thetamparefinery.com/

http://www.tampabay.com/features/food/restaurants/article1152166.ece
 
And don't think you have to stock up on beer at Independent either. They've got a nice selection on tap at The Refinery as well.
 
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