Favorite place for a night out with the boys: The original World of Beer is an old stand-by place in my neighborhood, and the Franklin Manor if I’m planning on a late night.
Favorite date-night spot: Catch Twenty-Three in Westchase has a wonderful variety of food and drinks and is a great atmosphere with friendly customer service and lots of locals. Unlike most people, I like the “Cheers” atmosphere where “everybody knows my name,” and I’m not overly complicated about where I go to enjoy company.
Favorite spot to take guests from out of town: Out-of-town guests love to be on the water, so I take them boating to Bon Appétit or the little shack on the pier with great grouper sandwiches, Olde Bay Café, in Dunedin.
Favorite place for a power lunch: Because I have offices in Westchase and in Downtown Tampa, I like to meet in the middle at Cooper’s Hawk, where I’m a wine club member and the food is solid.
Favorite place for a client dinner: If I’m trying to impress, of course Bern’s Steak House is at the top of the list for the unique Tampa experience.
Favorite local boutique: Simply Elegant in Westchase has a wide variety of affordable gifts that my daughter enjoys, and therefore I’m hooked.
Favorite waterfront restaurant: Armani’s is best for the view of the area and is easy to get to, but Jackson’s has a perfect view of downtown.
Favorite place to grab a meal downtown: Malio’s Prime Steakhouse is always high quality and has a great atmosphere for meeting with clients or grabbing a drink. Usually I see high-level executives or elected officials enjoying Malio’s as well.
Favorite dive restaurant: Skyline Chili is a favorite for Cincinnati transplants. The best location used to be on Clearwater Beach, but now Route 19 has this hidden gem, where it’s great to eat a 3-Way (chili, cheese and spaghetti) after a long day of boating. It’s an acquired taste.
Favorite weekday breakfast spot: First Watch downtown does breakfast right and is a great place to meet for early business.
Favorite Asian food: Zen Bistro in Westchase is a trendy local spot with healthy Asian food.
Favorite pizza: I’m easy when it comes to pizza. I’ll eat Marco’s with extra sauce, onions and pepperoni all day. Their Italian sub is also spot-on.
Favorite place for a craft cocktail and cocktail of choice: Cask Social Kitchen has a variety of great cocktails. Vincent Jackson has done an awesome job converting that place into a great bar and restaurant. The Old Fashioned is my stand-by drink of choice.
Favorite place to sit with a cup of coffee: The Grind Coffee Bar in Westchase is a cozy place to meet friends and start the day off right. It’s filled with lots of locals, which makes the experience more enjoyable.
Favorite thing to do on the water: Boating is part of why I enjoy living in Tampa. My kids enjoy tubing on the Intracoastal Waterway, and I enjoy boating to Three Rooker Island and having drinks and hanging out with good friends.
Favorite place to catch live music: Any small venue with live music works for me, so I enjoy The Franklin Manor. It’s a fresh venue right next to our downtown office that is owned by some cool guys everyone considers friends. Downtown St. Pete also has some great little restaurants with live music as well.
Favorite beach spot: Frenchy’s on the water in Clearwater is a terrific stop for lunch during boating trips.
Favorite Bay-area beach: Clearwater Beach is my favorite because it brings back memories of vacationing here from Cincinnati.
Favorite restaurant across the bay: Parkshore Grill is a great dining experience on Beach Drive in St. Pete.
Favorite place across the bay: Station House is a unique environment with high-end food and a wide range of drinks.
