While trendy restaurants in this area come and go, Bella's has been open for more than 20 years and for good reason. A casual, rustic ambience with a wood-fired oven and indoor and outdoor seating attract a sophisticated crowd of foodies of all ages. The restaurant's authentic Italian fare is delicious, from the paper-thin carpaccio with garlic, olives, capers, and basil, to the old-fashioned spaghetti and meatballs. You can also create your own combination of pasta and sauce, choosing from a large list of options, or just order a pizza cooked in the oak-burning oven. Executive Chef and co-owner Joanie Corneil studied cooking in Italy, and you can tell. For those who like a strong drink with their dinner, the Bellarita is a popular potion of Conmemorativo tequila and Grand Marnier. On second thought, save that for after dinner so you can at least appreciate your meal as it's going down!

Reservations: Reservations recommended
 

The exterior of this famous steakhouse looks like a factory. Inside, however, some say it looks like a brothel, containing eight ornate dining rooms with themes such as Rhône, Burgundy, and Irish Rebellion. However you perceive the decor, this is a carnivore's paradise, and I actually drove from Miami and back just for dinner. At Bern's, you order and pay for grilled steaks of perfectly aged beef according to the thickness and weight (the 60-oz., 3-in.-thick porterhouse can feed four adults). The phone book-size wine list -- one of the restaurant's most famous attributes -- has more than 7,000 selections, many available by the glass. Ask your server for a sampling before you purchase a bottle. Upstairs, the restaurant's other most famous attribute -- the dessert quarters -- has 50 romantic booths paneled in aged California redwood; each can privately seat from 2 to 12 guests. All of these little chambers are equipped with phones for placing your order and closed-circuit TVs for watching and listening to a resident pianist. The dessert menu has almost 100 selections, plus some 1,400 after-dinner drinks. It's possible to reserve a booth for dessert only, but preference is given to those who dine.

The big secret here is that steak sandwiches are available at the bar but are not mentioned on the menu. Smaller versions of the chargrilled steaks served in the dining rooms, they come with a choice of french fries or crispy onion rings. Add a salad, and you have a terrific meal for about half the price of the least-expensive main course.

Sidebern's, 2208 W. Morrison Ave., at South Howard Avenue (tel. 813/258-2233), is the restaurant's New American offshoot. It's also quite good, but choose the original: Missing Bern's would be like watching the remake of Psycho without ever seeing the original.

Reservations: Reservations recommended

Parking: Valet parking $5

Although this restaurant is a chain, with additional locations in West Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale, Ybor City's Big City Tavern takes the prize for best decor: It's housed in a converted ballroom and features columns, floor-to-ceiling windows, and wrought-iron balconies. The food's pretty good, too, especially the roasted duck with mango and basil risotto. The bar scene is a people-watching paradise in which a youngish, well-heeled, hip clientele gathers to trade tales of life in the big city.

Reservations: Reservations recommended

Bright blue poles hold up an ancient pressed-tin ceiling above this noisy corner cafe. It's not the cleanest joint in town, but a great variety of loyal local patrons gather here for genuine Cuban sandwiches -- smoked ham, roast pork, Genoa salami, Swiss cheese, pickles, salad dressing, mustard, lettuce, and tomato on crispy Cuban bread. There's a vegetarian version, too. The combination of a half-sandwich and choice of black beans and rice or a bowl of Spanish soup made with sausages, potatoes, and garbanzo beans is a filling meal just by itself. Main courses are led by Cuban-style roast pork, thin-cut pork chops with mushroom sauce, spaghetti with a blue-crab tomato sauce, and a few seafood and chicken platters.

Reservations: Reservations not accepted

Gorgeous ocean views trump the inconsistent seafood at Castaway, where crab legs, coconut shrimp, and daily catches reel in a steady crowd of locals and visitors alike. Insist on sitting on the deck and time your meal around sundown; the vantage point for sunsets here makes developers drool and diners delight in the fact that this Castaway isn't going anywhere anytime soon.

Reservations: Reservations recommended

7720 Courtney Campbell Causeway, Tampa, FL

[STSTST] SPANISH -- Columbia celebrated 100 years in 2005.Its tile building occupies an entire city block in the heart of Ybor City. Tourists flock here to soak up the ambience, and so do the locals because it's so much fun to clap along during the fire-belching Spanish flamenco floor shows Monday through Saturday evenings ($6 per person additional charge besides dinner charge). You can't help coming back time after time for the famous Spanish bean soup and original "1905" salad. The paella a la Valencia is outstanding, with more than a dozen ingredients ranging from Gulf grouper and Gulf pink shrimp to calamari, mussels, clams, chicken, and pork. Another favorite is boliche (eye of round stuffed with chorizo), accompanied by plantains and black beans and rice. Entrees come with a crispy hunk of Cuban bread with butter. Lighter appetites can choose from a limited menu of tapas, including "Cuban caviar" (a spicy black-bean dip). The decor throughout is graced with hand-painted tiles, wrought-iron chandeliers, dark woods, rich red fabrics, and stained-glass windows.

Reservations: Reservations recommended

Just across the bridge from the downtown convention center, this thatched-roof Irish pub may be surrounded by palm trees instead of potato fields, but it still offers the ambience and tastes of Ireland. Staffed by Irish immigrants, the large room with a square bar in the center smells of Bass and Harp ales. The Gaelic stew is predictably bland, but the salads and sandwiches are passable. Fish and chips are a good bet here, especially with a pint of Guinness. The live Irish music Thursday through Saturday nights and Sunday afternoon draws a fun crowd, ranging from post-college to early retirees.

Reservations: Reservations not necessary

Catering to everyone from businesspeople to hungry families craving all-beef hot dogs, Mel Lohn's red-and-white cottage offers everything from "bagel-dogs" to bacon/cheddar Reuben-style hot dogs. All choices are served on poppy-seed buns and can be ordered with fries and a choice of coleslaw or baked beans. Even the decor is dedicated to wieners: The walls and windows are lined with hot-dog memorabilia, and a wiener-mobile is usually parked out front. Mel's chili is outstanding, too. And just in case hot-dog mania hasn't won you over, there are a few alternatives (chicken, beef, and veggie burgers, and terrific onion rings).

Reservations: Reservations not accepted

This Tampa hot spot is an oenophile's dream come true, in which each dish is paired with a particular wine available by the bottle or the glass. The menu is rather simple, featuring pizzas, pastas, salads, and sandwiches, but daily specials are more elaborate, including grilled Delmonico steak, blackened pork tenderloin, or Dijon-crusted salmon. The outdoor patio is a great place to sit. There's almost always a wait at this buzz-worthy eatery.

Reservations: Reservations not accepted