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Review: The Attic Cafe – Downtown Tampa Coffee/Craft Beer

The Attic is located on Kennedy Boulevard in the heart of downtown Tampa, located on the top floor of a 100 year old historic building. The local cafe, established in 2015, serves a wide range of breakfast, lunch, and caffeinated beverages. Not only do they offer coffee and tea beverages, they also have a variety of local beer taps, ciders, wine, and kombucha. 

I started off with a hot Macchiato since I thought it would be fitting for a cool fall day, and all of the fall decor in the cafe gave me that feel. With so many options available for breakfast, I decided to get the Veggie Omelet with toast and hash browns. Max, my co-worker who I brought along, got the Croissant breakfast sandwich and french toast. My omelet had spinach, peppers, onions, mushrooms, and cheddar, a perfect morning combo. 

The french toast came beautifully dusted with powdered sugar and whipped cream- if you have a sweet tooth this is the perfect choice for you. I definitely recommend everything we ordered, and I can’t wait to go back to try out more menu options. 

The overall ambiance of the cafe was relaxed and cheerful. Decked out in Halloween decorations and pumpkins, it gave off a very festive vibe. The porch, where we sat, is lined with Florida-native plants and along the Tampa city line. Max and I noticed when we arrived that there was a tree next to us growing fresh limes. If you are looking for some fresh air and a bit of downtown scenery, this is the place to be. 

Overall, The Attic was a wonderful experience and is spot to be when you need a little break from the office- I will definitely find myself here more often since it is right across the street from our office building. The waitstaff was cheerful and helpful, and the food doesn’t disappoint, whether you’re looking for breakfast or lunch. If you’re looking for a quick getaway from the office or just a nice, calm breakfast- The Attic is the place to be!

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Review: Bake’n Babes – Indulge Your Sweet Tooth

Bake’n Babes is tucked in the back corner of Tampa Bay’s oldest food hall, The Hall on Franklin. The local bakery, established 2013, serves a wide range of including milkshakes, liège waffles, light lunch items, charcuterie boards, as well as cakes, pies, and cookies. The menu boasts a sizable amount of vegan and gluten free options for a bakery.

Trying to pick a sample with such a wide-ranging menu is difficult, but I finally land on a Nutella liège waffle and a flourless chocolate torte. The torte is a gluten free torte made with Belgian chocolate. It is topped with chocolate ganache and a small dab of edible gold, accompanied by raspberry champagne coulis.

The waffle is made like a traditional Belgian waffle. The dough is yeast-based, almost like a brioche bread and pressed in a cast-iron waffle press. My Nutella waffle comes topped with imported pearl sugar, Nutella spread, and bruleed banana slices. There is even a little Belgian flag stuck in the top, following the Belgian tradition. Bake’n Babes founder, Julie Curry, told the Tampa Bay Times that a trip to Belgium inspired the unique menu item.

The smiley employee at the counter hands me a pager with a smile and warns me of the wait, “the waffles take a little while, because we make them from a scratch.” While I’m waiting, another customer gets one of the Bake’n Babes daunting Freak Shakes – an over-the-top milkshake that rotates monthly. December’s shake is blue, stacked sky-high with a slice of cake, popcorn, cotton candy, an iced cookie, a light-up snowflake, and a sparkler.

When my own treats arrive, they look beautiful, and taste even better than they look. The flourless chocolate torte is rich and velvety. The accompanying raspberry champagne coulis balances the deep flavor of Belgian chocolate with a naturally brightening tang. This torte feels luxuriant and indulgent. A feeling helped along by the 24k gold dabbed on the top of each slice.

The Belgian waffle is very authentic. The Nutella and banana flavor combination is popular for a reason, and works well on top of the thick waffle. The amount of toppings balance perfectly with the size of the waffle.

Overall, Bake’n Babes is an excellent experience. The physical location is not big, but the top-notch customer service, indulgent treats, and ambiance at the hall leave a great impression. Whether you’re looking for a post-workday treat or the perfect place for date night, head to Bake’n Babes in The Hall on Franklin.

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Review: Brightside Café – Brighten Your Day

As you walk into Brightside Café on North Morgan Street, the first impression is that it is aptly named; from the high ceilings painted white to the smiling employees, everything seems bright. The counter service restaurant has been run by Lisa Monk for a little over a year now.

“It used to be a club, and everything was dark – the ceiling was painted black.” Monk grimaces a little at the memory. The space that the café inhabits is tall, but there is almost no natural light. The white opens it up though, and it is peppered with green and orange accents. Monk has been in the restaurant business for 20 years and cites Chef Scot Hill – a 30 year food service veteran – as one of the main reasons for the café’s success. “He’s one of those creative chefs…what I’m saying is he’s crazy passionate,” she laughs “he comes up with great stuff.”

Brightside is open 7:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, serving breakfast and lunch. The menu has plenty of options for everyone, without being overwhelming, a specific goal of Monk’s. For breakfast, one of the employees enthusiastically recommends “La Cubanita”, the little Cuban sandwich. “It’s the best” she gushes. Tampa is the home base of Cuban sandwiches, and if someone is staking claim to “the best” title, it’s worth a try. To go along with the sandwich, she recommends one of their smoothies; I chose the “Pro-Berry-otic”.

The smoothie comes out first. The Pro-Berry-otic contains mixed berries, blueberry kefir, vanilla whey protein, and ice. All of the Brightside smoothies contain protein, which I was wary of. Protein smoothies tend to have a powdery, bitter aftertaste. Happily, this is not the case with the Pro-Berry-otic. It is amazingly smooth thanks to the kefir, and the whey protein is balanced well by the natural sweetness of the berries. The bases for the smoothies are all mixed in house, rather than the pre-made mixes many places purchase. The smoothie is healthy without tasting healthy – a small miracle.

Next comes La Cubanita. At first glance, La Cubanita looks like any other pressed Cuban sandwich, the toasted Cuban bread and melted cheese look delicious, but does it stand up to the long legacy of Cuban sandwiches in Tampa? Yes, yes it does. In addition to the usual smoked ham, swiss cheese, pickles, and mustard, Chef Scot Hill adds his “magic Mojo pork”. It manages to elevate the sandwich while sticking true to its roots. The mojo pork works with the pickles to balance out the sweetness of the Swiss cheese and is so delicious that I can’t argue with the “magic” moniker. The “Little” Cuban is the perfect breakfast serving, big enough to keep you full until lunch, without being so much that you need to take a carb nap afterward.

Brightside is also great value. Even with a tip, my meal barely hit the ten-dollar mark, and the lunch pricing is similar. It is hard to believe that such fresh and healthy options are so reasonable.

It is fairly common knowledge that the food service industry is a competitive career, but that doesn’t seem to slow Lisa Monk down. “We love coming to work. Our whole mission here is optimism and brightness,” she says “that’s where Brightside comes from.” The café accomplishes that mission, in its setting, food, and service. If you are looking for a way to step up your morning, or need a lunch pick me up, stop by the Brightside Café.