Dining Back in Tampa!

I was back in Tampa for my niece's christening last weekend. And, of course while I was there, I dined out at some fantastic restaurants in the area. First, we went to Restaurant BT. I had been there one other time with my sister and brother-in-law and thought it was one of the best restaurants in Tampa. It's a French-Vietnamese menu and very different than many of the restaurants I've been to. It's also has a great modern, clean decor that makes you feel like you are part of the trendy crowd even if you're not!

After going back for a second time, I confirmed that it is truly the best restaurant in Tampa. The only part that was surprising was that it was about 8:30 on a Thursday night and the restaurant was empty. There was one other table. I'm not sure if it's because Tampa is a bit slower paced than Boston or if it was an off night. We ordered a few appetizers since the waiter told us they were small. They actually were good-sized portions. We could have only ordered two and been fine. We had the crispy spring rolls which according to the web site are filled with chicken, tree ear mushrooms, glass noodles and chili garlic dipping sauce and the Tuna Martini fresh tuna sashimi tossed with ginger, chili, sesame oil, garlic and roasted shallots. Both were fabulous. So fresh tasting and the presentation was so beautiful as you can see from the pictures. For dinner, I had what the waiter called BT's signature dish -- the Shaken Beef cubed Filet Mignon which was seared in Cognac on watercress and tomatoes with jasmine rice. It was very tasty. I would have actually liked it a bit better if there was less beef. It was a big entree after a good size appetizer. My boyfriend got the special that evening which was a Cornish hen. That was also very tasty.

I've been traveling back and forth to Tampa a lot this year since this is my first niece and there's been a lot of reasons to visit her in the past few months. In the past few months, I've noticed that Hyde Park where Restaurant BT is located seems to be very sleepy no matter what time I browse around that area. I'm not sure why more people who live in Tampa don't visit that area. Maybe I've been there at off times, but it seems like it's a hidden gem in a city with a lot of chain restaurants. And, the parking is free! If I lived there, I think I'd be a regular at Restaurant BT.