Off topic: Remember Mirabella's and the Seabreeze?

How about a moment's relief from all the grief associated with work and take a moment for nostalgia?

Do some of you older guys remember the Mirabella's Restaurants? There were two.

A lot of people did not know about the one under one of the downtown bridges, (Platt Street Bridge?) right on the water. It was a working man's restaurant; a combination restaurant and seafood market with a concrete floor and picnic tables. They had the best clam chowder in town!

The main restaurant was a much more nicely decorated family-oriented seafood restaurant on North Dale Mabry. Not real fancy. Excellent food at reasonable prices. Unfortunately, when the family decided to close down they didn't offer to sell the business or the recipes to anyone else so some fantastic seafood recipes are no longer available around here.

In the far past Mirabella's Seafood also sold seafood to the County Jail for preparation for the inmates. I think it was Sam Mirabella who used to make the deliveries.

Another really good seafood place was the Seabreeze on the 22nd Street causeway. Now THERE was a "LEO friendly" restaurant. In the good old days you just entered through the back door into a small private dining room and ate for free along with the hired help. After George Licata died this feature went away and the back area was developed into a much larger regular dining room for the public. The food never was quite as good after George died, and certainly the price was never as good again. I used to sit in the back room with George and he would spin tales about Frank Sinatra's mob connections.

More recently, I used to really enjoy seafood at Malio's. On the Cafe side (as opposed to the restaurant side) there were these fantastic little 2 and 4 person booths with partitions between them, making for very private dinners. And, the prices were really reasonable for what you got. I know Malio's is about to re-open, but I fear the prices will have skyrocketed and the dining room will be more formal.

I still visit the Colonnade for seafood, but their meals seem a bit uninspired to me and the prices are a little high. My experience with the Colonnade goes back to when it was a drive-in hamburger joint, so you can figure I'm an old guy.

I am now a semi-regular at Ballyhoo's, a Florida Keys Themed seafood house in Citrus Park. The food is good, but the menu is a bit limited.

The Bonefish Grille is quite good, but a bit pretentious in their presentation and with elevated prices to match.

Of course there's Red Lobster, but chain restaurants develop a certain sameness about themselves if you go very often. It is still on my list of places to eat.

I HAVE found one really bright spot in the area, but it's a bit of a drive. The Boston Cooker, in the back of a strip mall behind Chili's on Tampa Road (West Hillsborough) in Citrus Park (at the intersection with Forest Lakes - the extension of Linebaugh Avenue) has a delicious and varied menu. They have the best lobster bisque I've ever tasted! Their specialty dish is Boston Scrod which is also delicious. This one is worth the drive!

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Now, I've gone through all of this to ask: Are there some good seafood restaurants in the area that I'm missing? I'm not looking for the "upscale" places where I can't afford to eat with any regularity. I'm looking for something like the old Mirabella's - a family oriented, reasonably priced, restaurant with good (preferably fresh, not frozen) seafood.

Recommendations will be greatly appreciated.

Try the Shrimp Boat in Brandon, Kings /Lumsden in La Viva plaza.

Also try City Fish, on Tampa Rd in Oldsmar and Ozona Blue in Ozona (just follow Tampa Rd all the way to the end, then hang a left and it's in the Homeport Marina on the right). If you like Bally hoo's, it is the same owner. The food is excellent. You won't be disapointed. Tell em Large Marge sent ya.

boy we were on tpd at the same time, remember all of the places well, also remember a few cops would bring there whole families to the seabreeze on there days off too feed there families, that i didnt like, also remember the "little white diner" on tampa street and ellie the owner would never charge cops for lunch or dinner, and served great hamburgers, ahhhhhhhhhhhhh those were the days

[fltoddy]

Anna Marie Oyster Bar down in Ellenton. I-75 South to Ellenton, head West, turn north first light.
Great food, good service, very reasonable prices. Their all you can eat fish special ($7.99) is outstanding.

Try Gus' cafe in Northdale (faces Northdale Blvd) for good, home cooked Italian. Boston's on Anderson by the AMC 24 has a wide selection and is good. For any non meat eaters - they have a lot for you to choose from too. Mama's on Dale Mabry just north of Busch (in Fairway Plaza) is decent - the best thing there is the free garlic bread when you eat in. Rest of the food isn't bad. Pizza, pasta, subs, etc. Enjoy!

Thanks for all the responses and suggestions.

My mouth is watering in anticipation.

There goes the diet.

Well, Malio's re-opened this week in the beer can building downtown at Kennedy and Ashley beside the river.

My wife and I decided to run down there for lunch.

We were disappointed.

First, and foremost, we were disappointed that they had taken our favorite meal off of the menu. There is no more seabass picatta. In fact, there is virtually no seafood at all.

Second, we knew they had gone "upscale" but certainly weren't prepared for a LUNCH menu where a steak costs $24.00!

Third, the place was incredibly noisy! We were regular customers to the cafe side at the old Malio's where they had the intimate little 2 and 4 person booths with lattices that shut you off from other diners.

Fourth, was the paid parking. Not really overpriced, just something different from the old Malio's.

We talked to Malio's son, who operates the new Malio's and expressed our disappointment that the seafood was pretty well gone from the menu. His response was that they were now a "steakhouse."

Sadly, we do not plan to return.

In fact, we did not eat lunch there. We left and went to the Colonnade where my wife had grouper picatta and I had shrimp and scallops.

From there we took a ride down to the pier at the Ballast Point park and fed some of our leftover muffins from the Colonnade to the fish, ducks and seagulls.

We also discovered that the "snack bar" at the park has some pretty good looking things on their menu, including a red grouper sandwich plate for $12.95. They also serve breakfast. I guess that's for the fishermen who show up early.

Anyway - farewell Malio's.......................

You have got to try the crab trap. There are 2 on in ellenton of I75 and the other in palmetto kinda near old 41. Go to the one in Palmetto. It is truly a florida classic.

I ate at The Boston Cooker twice last week. Delicious!

I also discovered that they have a web site if you would like to see their menu and a map of how to get there.

It's at http://www.bostoncooker.com

Enjoy!