CASA TINA lunchtime treat and peruse the deli counter, stocked high with prepared treats like lasagna, roasted pork loin, chicken piccata and homemade pastas and sauces to-go. The huge sandwiches and weekly NONA SLICE HOUSE • Safety Harbor; $$ • You’re not just getting pizza at this downtown Safety Harbor restaurant — you’re getting a show. At some point on most evenings, the owner (a self-pro-claimed “pizzaiolo’’ who has won international awards for his pie-tossing acrobatics) will come out and do a little performance, spinning and swirling the pizza dough high in the air, often to the musical styles of a live performer. Several different types of pizza are served here, but the best bet are the Wisconsin brick cheese, which oozes and gets extra SOUL SICILIAN FUSION PIA’S TRATTORIA • Gulfport; $$ • With bright fuchsia bougainvillea creeping up the canary yellow walls and candelabras covered in dripping wax, Pia’s in Gulfport knows how to turn up the romance factor big time. The spot features all the hallmark charac-teristics of a rustic and cozy neighborhood trattoria, with a menu featuring creative spins on Italian classics like capellini pomodoro and buttery shrimp scampi over homemade linguine, eggplant Parmesan, and plump blue crab ravioli with a brown butter sauce. The restaurant also has plenty of vegan dishes and gluten-free pastas on their evolving menu. SOUL SICILIAN FUSION • Clearwater; $$ • This charming Sicilian restaurant hews closely to southern Italian classics in a downtown Clearwater setting. A selection of antipasti includes silky slices of prosciutto paired with pillow-like orbs of burrata and pan-fried octopus coupled with crispy nuggets of fried potatoes and asparagus. Don’t skip out on the excellent pasta dishes, which rely on simple, fresh ingredients that shine (in particular, the spaghetti all 'Amatriciana is a sleeper hit). An all-Italian wine list includes a few Sicilian dessert selections, which pair great with the restaurant’s best-selling dessert, tiramisu. LATIN/CARIBBEAN BODEGA • St. Petersburg; $ • What was once just a tiny Cuban walk-up spot in St. Pete’s EDGE District is now a fully expanded sit-down restaurant, but the popularity of the grab-and-go window hasn’t waned one bit. Around lunchtime, a line still stretches down the street with fans who come from all over for the refreshing and spritzy aguas frescas, hearty lechon cafes con leche and fresh fruit smoothies, and one and the occasional aerial performance artist. Here BODEGA CASA TINA • Dunedin; $$ • Dining at this festive downtown Dunedin Mexican restaurant is like stepping into a multi-sensory Oaxacan wonderland, VISITSTPETECLEARWATER.COM 81
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