By KURT LOFT
Original Publication Date: November 2, 2007
When the big red tent went up over the building, we knew our second visit would have to wait.
Lots of old places around Tampa get zapped for termites, and this 83-year-old brick structure on Howard Avenue was due for a fogging. We hoped it would be quick and clean, as our first visit to Cheap just a few days earlier proved to be addicting.
Despite its name, Cheap is richly rewarding. This is the sort of hip spot you'd find in Greenwich Village or Portland, Maine, stopping in for a tapas-style bite and glass of Malbec before heading out to a late movie. Or, drop by afterward and rub elbows with the vampires.
Whether the bill reflects the name depends on your pocketbook, but many of these small plates go for the price of much larger dishes elsewhere.
A smiling hostess greets diners at her station under a balcony adorned with hanging links of industrial chain. Inside, the rectangular dining room's funky decor includes old bottles, pop wall art and booths with cushioned car seats rather than chairs. A cozy wine bar offers a view of the chef at work in an open kitchen.
Cheap offers a tantalizing sampling of small-bite items prepared and presented with an understated, artistic flair. The menu features two columns - epulae (feast) and crudo (raw fish) - small portions that double as appetizers and entrees.
Our love-at-first-bite began with the baked goat cheese, drizzled with port wine reduction and a scattering of sliced tomatoes and sweet basil leaves. We spread our cheese on a delicious dried-fruit soda bread. Although a spicy chipotle sauce kicked up our order of lump bluefin crab cakes, their small size was a disappointment.
Lovers of sashimi will have no trouble devouring the crudo options, such as Tuna Tiradito over jicama citrus salad, the caper-laced Tuna Tartare, or the Honduran ceviche. If you don't care for the uncooked scallops in vanilla oil, then try the epulae's tempting pan-roasted variety with apple-coriander sauce.
A favorite is the roasted salmon with serrano mojo, the fish slightly charred outside, moist inside and bursting with flavor. Some might enjoy the piquant side of chimichurri sauce with their beef tenderloin, but it was too oily to complement the generous and velvety slab of meat. The accompanying twice-baked potato was pedestrian.
We were more impressed with our pork tenderloin, the meat succulent and roasted with a five-spice powder over a satisfying bed of apple-caramel relish.
Red or white sangria rates high, and the restaurant offers a small selection of wines by the glass and bottle that should reflect a wider variety of tastes and regions. Desserts range from good to average, such as a dense and delicious square of chocolate cake and a ho-hum cheesecake.
Service on our visits was friendly and sharp, the only misstep being our entrees coming to the table five minutes apart. If you want to enjoy the epicurean aspect of Cheap, dine on a weeknight and avoid the social bustle of Fridays and Saturdays. The restaurant is smart to offer valet service, so you don't have to hunt for the impossible: a parking spot in SoHo.
Lots of old places around Tampa get zapped for termites, and this 83-year-old brick structure on Howard Avenue was due for a fogging. We hoped it would be quick and clean, as our first visit to Cheap just a few days earlier proved to be addicting.
Despite its name, Cheap is richly rewarding. This is the sort of hip spot you'd find in Greenwich Village or Portland, Maine, stopping in for a tapas-style bite and glass of Malbec before heading out to a late movie. Or, drop by afterward and rub elbows with the vampires.
Whether the bill reflects the name depends on your pocketbook, but many of these small plates go for the price of much larger dishes elsewhere.
A smiling hostess greets diners at her station under a balcony adorned with hanging links of industrial chain. Inside, the rectangular dining room's funky decor includes old bottles, pop wall art and booths with cushioned car seats rather than chairs. A cozy wine bar offers a view of the chef at work in an open kitchen.
Cheap offers a tantalizing sampling of small-bite items prepared and presented with an understated, artistic flair. The menu features two columns - epulae (feast) and crudo (raw fish) - small portions that double as appetizers and entrees.
Our love-at-first-bite began with the baked goat cheese, drizzled with port wine reduction and a scattering of sliced tomatoes and sweet basil leaves. We spread our cheese on a delicious dried-fruit soda bread. Although a spicy chipotle sauce kicked up our order of lump bluefin crab cakes, their small size was a disappointment.
Lovers of sashimi will have no trouble devouring the crudo options, such as Tuna Tiradito over jicama citrus salad, the caper-laced Tuna Tartare, or the Honduran ceviche. If you don't care for the uncooked scallops in vanilla oil, then try the epulae's tempting pan-roasted variety with apple-coriander sauce.
A favorite is the roasted salmon with serrano mojo, the fish slightly charred outside, moist inside and bursting with flavor. Some might enjoy the piquant side of chimichurri sauce with their beef tenderloin, but it was too oily to complement the generous and velvety slab of meat. The accompanying twice-baked potato was pedestrian.
We were more impressed with our pork tenderloin, the meat succulent and roasted with a five-spice powder over a satisfying bed of apple-caramel relish.
Red or white sangria rates high, and the restaurant offers a small selection of wines by the glass and bottle that should reflect a wider variety of tastes and regions. Desserts range from good to average, such as a dense and delicious square of chocolate cake and a ho-hum cheesecake.
Service on our visits was friendly and sharp, the only misstep being our entrees coming to the table five minutes apart. If you want to enjoy the epicurean aspect of Cheap, dine on a weeknight and avoid the social bustle of Fridays and Saturdays. The restaurant is smart to offer valet service, so you don't have to hunt for the impossible: a parking spot in SoHo.
