Restaurants in Pinellas Park

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.

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.

String lights glimmer on the hunter-green walls like stars through evening foliage. A large mural depicts a distant city against a burgundy-and-gray dusk. Some of these accents date back to Cafe Vienna’s inception 40 years ago, but the torch has since been passed to Tony Klobuchar, whose son Steve mans the kitchen. From those clattering confines spill the aromas of time-tested Austro-Hungarian cuisine, including steaming bratwurst platters and marinated herring. Though the servers move quickly, there's much that goes into the preparation of these dishes; tender beef-loin sauerbraten, for example, marinates in traditional spices and red-wine vinegar for a minimum of five days. Above plates of grilled pork schnitzel, imported German brews from Spaten and Franziskaner crash together, sending flecks of foam to tablecloths in the deep red hues of a fire truck that has been driving around with hair curlers on.

While it takes prodigious skill to man the 600-degree, 7-foot grill that is the center of bd’s Mongolian Grill’s dining room, the chefs running it don’t have any secret recipes. Instead, customers fashion their own customizable bowls of stir-fry according to their taste preferences, dietary restrictions, and desired portion size. Guests wander, nearly overwhelmed as they choose from an array of meats and veggies and ladle sweet, spicy, and herb-filled sauces into a cup. Chefs sauté the meal in front of their eyes, swords flicking skillfully across the grill to entertain and build anticipation like a mime about to jump buses on an invisible motorcycle. The resulting stir-fry dishes are accompanied by brown rice, white rice, tortillas or lettuce wraps.

Whether guests are chowing down on baked subs and pizzas in the forty-seat dining room or eagerly awaiting a speedily-delivered pie, DeNunzio's Pizza satisfies appetites for Italian-American fare with freshly made feasts of rich sauce, savory meats, and bubbly cheese. DeNunzio's puts a premium on handmade cuisine, making their own dough each morning, and sourcing produce from the City Produce market next door. Patrons can choose specialty pizzas or create their own, or opt for a crisp salad or classic appetizers such as spicy bone-in or boneless chicken wings.

Standing as high as the chefs' shoulders, a 1,000-pound clay oven heats classic Indian meals inside a pot-like chamber that reaches temperatures of up to 900 degrees Fahrenheit. The massive tandoor oven adds signature smokiness to a variety of comestibles, from soft naan bread to the customer favorite butter chicken, whose boneless slivers of meat come drenched in a creamy tomato sauce.

Curriez Indian Cuisine's pair of chefs, each with nearly two decades' worth of culinary experience, uses only halal meat when compiling hearty dishes. They can also leave meat out of the equation for vegetarian fare prepared on a separate, meat-free platform. Guests may enjoy their authentic Indian meals seated at a table or booth or inside the private dining room, which can seat up to 30 people with no more than three legs apiece.