Best of the Bay 2017: Around the Office Top Picks

In its 27th year, Creative Loafing Tampa Bay’s Best of the Bay is officially open. Every year people nominate their favorite people, places, and things in people-decided categories. Voting will remain open through August 23rd, 2017 and all of the winners will be celebrated at the Best of the Bay 2017 party at St. Pete’s Mahaffey Theater on September 27th, 2017. You can cast your vote on pretty much anything from best coffee shop to best city. We asked a few of our staff here at the Kapok Marketing office what their top picks were in different categories and the following were the overall winners.

Best All-Around Restaurant: BellaBrava
BellaBrava is located in the heart of St. Petersburg and features authentic flavors from Tuscany. They were chosen as our top pick for Best All-Around Restaurant because they have the freshest food at a very reasonable price. We also love their lattes!

Best Bargain Restaurant: Bodega on Central
Bodega on Central is our top pick for Best Bargain Restaurant. Their food is amazing and their customer service is even better! We could eat their plantains and drink cafe con leche for days. If you’re looking for a great meal for a bargain check out Bodega!

Best Pizza: Cappy’s in St. Pete
Cappy’s has won over our vote for Best Pizza! Cappy’s has an excellent selection of both New York and Chicago deep dish style pizza. Their pizza is the best pizza we have ever had and their restaurant has a very cute bungalow exterior.

Best Vietnamese Restaurant: Jade Bistro
Jade Bistro has the best Vietnamese cuisine in town. It is our top pick for Best Vietnamese Restaurant because it is super clean, friendly and very delicious. We recommend their summer rolls!

Best City: St. Pete
Of course we had to choose St. Pete as our pick for Best City – it is where our office is located! St. Pete is a beautiful city centrally located in the Tampa Bay area. It is home to professional sports teams such as the Tampa Bay Rays and it is a short drive to beautiful beachfronts. There is an abundance of shops, restaurants, cafes and bars in the area. If you’ve never been to St. Pete before, you have to go check it out to see why we’ve all fallen in love with it.

Best Local Pro Sports Team: Tampa Bay Lightning
For Best Local Pro Sports Team we had to choose the Tampa Bay Lightning… sorry Rays! The Tampa Bay Lightning play at Amalie Arena in downtown Tampa, and the games are always a good time.

Best Barbecue Restaurant: 4 Rivers Smokehouse
4 Rivers Smokehouse is our top pick for Best Barbecue Restaurant in the Tampa Bay. Their barbecue is delicious and the side dishes complete the meal! It is always a great experience when you eat there and the customer service is excellent.

Best Coffee Shop: Kahwa Coffee
Our favorite pick for Best Coffee Shop is Kahwa Coffee – of course! They have an excellent array of coffee blends and their coffee shop has an excellent atmosphere. We recommend their cold brew!

Best Italian Restaurant: Johnny’s Italian Restaurant
In Clearwater, there is an excellent Italian restaurant tucked away in a strip plaza named Johnny’s Italian Restaurant. They have an authentic Italian menu that is both delicious and affordable. For dessert we recommend the cannoli’s!

Best Greek Restaurant: Hellas
If you’ve ever been to the Tarpon Springs Sponge Docks then you know that there is an abundance of Greek Restaurants. Our top pick would have to be Hellas! They have an authentic interior, menu and they even have an attached bakery. If you love baklava be sure to vote for them in the Best Bakery (Pastries) category!

Best Fish & Chips: New England’s Ale House Grille
For Best Fish & Chips, our top pick is New England’s Ale House Grille located in Palm Harbor. There menu features authentic New England style food that is excellent. New England’s Ale House Grille also has excellent customer service and a great atmosphere!

Best Food Truck: I Wanna Wok
If you’re familiar with the food truck scene at all in Tampa Bay, then you know exactly why we chose I Wanna Wok as our pick for Best Food Truck! I Wanna Wok offers a unique twist on authentic Asian street food. One of our recommended dishes is the Stairway 2 Heaven Nachos they are delicious.

If you haven’t check out any of these places out make sure you give them a try. They all come highly recommended by our office! If you happen to like any of our top picks, make sure to pick Kapok Marketing in Best Marketing Firm too when you vote.  You can cast your vote here. Hurry… voting closes August 23rd, 2017! What are your top picks for these categories?