Restaurants in Carrollwood

After graduating Johnson & Wales University in 1991, Chef Christopher Ponte began his career at Pepper Mill Restaurant. The chef had been accommodating special requests for one of Pepper Mill Restaurant's picky patrons for many months. It always took extra work to conjure up off-menu items, but Christopher didn’t complain. He loved cooking. One day, the customer asked to meet the chef, and Christopher obligingly came to greet him at the table. As conversation casually flowed, the elderly gentleman asked, "What would the young man like to do in the future?"

Without hesitation, Christopher said, "Study in France."

Mere months later, thanks to the patronage of one very happy customer and Long Island retiree, Christopher Ponte enrolled at the Le Cordon Bleu culinary institute, one of France's most iconic schools. He made excellent use of his time there, returning to America to work in fine restaurants—including apprenticing at Paris' Taillevent. Chef Ponte returned stateside to work as a private chef for Leon Black, cooking for his three homes as well as coordinating catering efforts for private events. With this wealth of experience, in 2002, Chef Ponte opened Café Ponte. Awarded a Golden Spoon and a Zagat rating as one of the top area restaurants, his unabashedly adventuresome menu sizzles with European and Asian influences. The 250-seat dining room hosts its guests at intimate table tops or a zigzag bar which serves seasonal cocktails and 150-year-old Grand Marnier.

Stroll through an Oldsmar farmers market early in the morning and you might run into Andrew Koumi rifling through baskets of tomatoes in search of the ripest ones. The mastermind behind Green Market Cafe, Andrew was still in college when he hatched the plan to open an eatery that served healthy takes on sandwiches and soups. When discussing the inspiration behind the restaurant with reporters from the Tampa Bay Times, Andrew explained, "I wanted to create a place where I'd like to go and eat everyday."

Arms laden with bags of produce, Andrew returns to his café, where his chefs fold the fresh vegetables into crisp salads and toasty grilled flatbreads. Because everything is made to order, chefs are able to accommodate special requests, adding extra tomatoes or picking out any raisins that look too much like a California Raisin. Diners chitchat over cups of organic tea inside the colorful dining room, an open space tinted with greens, purples, and pinks to please the eye. The building is also home to Kiwi Frozen Yogurt, Green Market Cafe's sister shop, which serves wholesome yogurt with candy and fruit toppings.

Though he spent years in directorial positions at New York City's American Museum of Natural History, Metropolitan Museum of Art, and The Metropolitan Opera, Peter Pergola always felt that his passion truly lay in the creation of food. In 2003, Peter harnessed that epicurean love with his 10 years of Tampa food-service experience. And, since East Lake Cafe's inception, he and his family have worked to introduce a range of clientele to his eatery and its welcoming outdoor patio, where clay-top tables sit surrounded by tropical plants and umbrellas that keep food safe from any ravenous paratroopers. Inside the patio's island-like atmosphere, the Pergola family maintains an open invitation to pets, adding to the emphasis on maintaining familiarity with regulars and with those who soon may be.

Peter's menu blends casual American-style recipes with Mediterranean flavors, which influence everything from his gourmet burgers to his seafood dishes and all-day breakfast offerings. When it comes time for dessert, exquisitely presented baked goods from affiliate Cakes by Nomeda make the plates they're served on feel underdressed. The Lithuanian-born dessertier fashions each of her aesthetically pleasing edibles using ideas from her European bakery training, decorating each using her experience doing makeup for cake impersonators. Each dish tops off meals with a sweet element that combines thoughtful flavor with art, making them pair particularly well with Peter's savory creations.

A series of sensual portraits by Tamara de Lempicka graces the walls of 717 South’s dining room. The flashy art-deco aesthetic extends to the whole dining room, where burnt orange and blue walls glow in contrast to angular black stripes. 717 South’s plates of upscale fusion fare are no less elegantly appointed: chefs - including recent Tampa Best Chef Competition's "Chef of the Year" winner Robert Masson - drizzle fresh seafood, aged Hereford steaks, and farm-fresh chicken with sauces, herbs, and salsas inspired by Asian, American, and Italian flavors. In addition to the dining room, guests can perch on the outdoor patio, which is secluded enough for sharing romantic dinners or tenderly whispering nutrition facts.

Mayuri Indian Restaurant's servers dole out traditional Indian fare—including numerous vegetarian entrees—in a casual dining area with two flat-screen TVs. The menu includes regional specialties such as northern Indian paratha, or flatbread, and southern Indian dosa, or black-lentil crepes, as well as a smattering of Chinese fried-rice dishes. For large groups, chefs can tote sprawling catering spreads to on-location events or host up to 100 people at an onsite banquet hall.

John Pappas didn’t know much English when he first arrived on American soil, but he did know the secrets of cooking excellent Greek cuisine. The native Greek passed on his recipes and expert techniques to his son Nicholas, who would go on to open his own Mediterranean restaurant—Greek City Cafe.

Deep in his restaurant’s kitchen, Nicholas and his chefs fold juicy meats and fresh vegetables into a variety of Greek-inspired paninis, wraps, and salads. They layer pitas with juicy slices of shaved lamb and beef before adding dollops of flavorful tzatziki and creamy greek dressing. To craft specialty pizzas, the chefs shower soft pita shells in mixed cheeses, diced tomatoes, and grilled chicken. When discussing these dishes with a reporter from Westchase Patch, Nicholas explained, “We take a mainstream item and put a Greek twist to it. I make them feel comfortable, but when they taste it they realize they've never experienced that flavor.”

In the casual dining room, where sunlight streams onto soft blue and green walls, guests can linger over their last bites of these inventive eats before ordering desserts such as baklava. Countertop seating surrounds a lush olive tree in the center of the room, which was imported from Greece and lives off of sunlight and Greek wine.