RibDog

I could not agree more on Pelagia. Fabrizio is an excellent chef and has done a wonderful job with a hotel restaurant. Also, Bern's may not be as pricy as intimated. It depends on where the diner is from. If you are from NYC, Bern's would be a deal for what it offers. I would also recommend the Columbia restaurant in Ybor City. This is the original location.

One item you might want to consider is banana bread. Everyone seems to love it and it is very easy to make. Plus, you can save on the bananas by asking the produce person if they have any old bananas in the back that they are going to throw out. They will usually charge you very little for them. And if they give you more than you currently need, you can take them home, peel them and put them in a freezer bag to freeze. Then pull out what you need when you want to make some bread. Seniors always love ways to save money in my experience. Just a thought. John

Not sure if you are including Cubin in the Latin but if you are, I very much enjoy Arco Iris on Columbus Dr. The quality of the food and the value you receive are excellent in my book. John

La Teresita is fine but my go to place for cuban is Arco Iris. In fact, it is just down the street from La Teresita. I have always preferred not only the food at Arco Iris but also the atmosphere. There seem to be more locals at AI. Here is a link to a menu from Arco Iris. Not sure how old the menu is but it does not seem too far off from current prices. http://www.menusearch.net/menus/1009general.pdf John

Beef O'Brady's is a sports bar/restaurant chain. They have never impressed me. But your son is probably going there more for the patrons than the food. Some other special places that I enjoy in the area are Ted Peters's/Pasadena, Arco Iris/Tampa(Cuban), Coney Island Hot Dog Stand/St. Pete(pretty obvious). Ted Peter's does killer smoked fish and has been doing it for a very long time. Smoked mullet is my favorite there. Their burgers along with their hot potato salad are good also. Arco Iris is my favorite cuban restaurant in the area. Very reasonable and extensive menu with lots of specials. They even have fried rice which goes back to the early days of Tampa when asians immigrated to Tampa along with the Cubans. Coney Island does not have the best coney dogs you have ever had but the atmoshpere is outstanding. If you like nostalgic, this place looks like a lunch room out of the 20s. And has also been around that long. Fun place to go. By the way, another good place to go is Cacciatore & Sons on Armenia. This is actually a grocery store that also makes the best deviled crab in Tampa! Their cuban sandwiches are also pretty good. Along with other prepared items such as their crab pasta sauce. Have fun. John P.S. - I have been a lurker of Egullet for a long time but mostly posted on Chowhounds, Roadfood, and the BBQ Forums. Guess I need to spend more time over here though. P.P.S. - I have always enjoyed Mise En Place across from UT. My office used to be in the same bldg as MEP so I became very familiar with the owners and their restaurant. I would recommend you give it a try. And another top notch place is Cafe Ponte in Clearwater. High end prices but excellent food also.