Goody Goody – Tampa, FL

There has been a lot of buildup leading to the opening of Richard Gonzmart’s latest restaurant, Goody Goody, in Hyde Park.  We are big fans of the Columbia and Ulele, so I knew that he would do it right. 

This restaurant is a re-creation of a classic 1925 Tampa landmark where many people grew up eating (at its prime, Goody Goody had four locations throughout Tampa).  While in a new spot, it still retains the feel of a classic diner and serves many of the original recipes, including their famous hamburgers and pies.

I’m so excited about the transformation of Hyde Park Village (although right now, the construction makes it a bit difficult to drive up Swann…)  I spent a lot of time there growing up in Tampa, and it made me sad when for a while it had become a bit of a ghost town.  That’s definitely turning around – it seems every other week, something new opens. 

I’m sure the food was great back then, but the décor was a bit lacking – pretty much your standard diner. 

I absolutely love the design of the new Goody Goody.  They kept the old-fashioned feel, but updated it for a classy, modern atmosphere.  There is an art-deco vibe with beautiful graphics on the doors and brass sculptural light fixtures above the main dining areas.  The floors are lined with vintage-style mosaic tile with green and yellow that carry throughout the space. 

We heard that the wait was insane, so we downloaded the NoWait app, which allows you to get in line on your phone before you arrive.  There were still a couple people in front of us in line by the time we got there, but we ended up sitting at the counter which is first-come first-serve. 

Lance had their classic Goody Goody Cheeseburger POX, with lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, onions, cheese, mayo and their special barbeque sauce.  I had the Royale with Cheese, topped with a fried, over-easy egg, onion, cheddar, Monterey Jack cheese, sautéed mushrooms, bacon, lettuce, and tomato.

I’m happy with the version that I got – I thought Lance’s tasted more like a fast-food burger (which he likes).  We also split an order of onion rings which nice and crispy with a ranch dipping sauce.  It was a greasy, messy meal, but delicious. 

We finished with a slice of their renowned butterscotch pie.  OMG I would go back and just order this – the bottom layer is incredibly decadent and rich with an airy topping of toasted meringue.  They have several flavors of pies, but I’d have trouble not ordering the same one every time since it was so good. 

I have no doubt this restaurant will be successful.  It is really reasonably priced compared to most of the dining options in Hyde Park (their classic burger is $4.95) and it appeals to not only the young people looking for a trendy place to eat out, but to the older crowd with nostalgia from the olden days. 

Goody Goody is located at 1601 W Swann Ave, Tampa, FL 33606.  They are open Sunday – Thursday 7am – 10pm and Friday – Saturday 7am – 11pm.    

the Avenue - St. Petersburg, FL

My boyfriend Lance & I both had off work today, so we headed to St. Petersburg for the day.  We spent the morning exploring Sawgrass Lake Park, then took a walk around downtown St. Pete.  After reading good reviews (and seeing some awesome food photos!) on Yelp, we decided to try out the Avenue eat/drink.  

Right in the heart of downtown, the Avenue describes its restaurant as a "modern eatery specializing in original burger creations".  

Before we even saw the menu, I was happy with our restaurant choice.  It has a rustic industrial design with an inviting atmosphere.  

I knew I wanted to try a burger since that is their specialty, but it was hard to pick just one thing off the menu since everything sounded delicious! I ended up choosing the Rasta Monsta - a burger with jerk seasoning, applewood bacon, jerk sauce, pepperjack cheese, and mango & pineapple chutney.  Lance chose the Philly - a hoagie with steak, onions, poblano peppers, mushrooms, and American cheese.  And while we waited, we split a pitcher of Yuengling - on special for only $7!  

There is lots to look at while you wait for your food - we were seating at a booth right next to a wall of knick-knacks.  They had the World Cup playing on several of the TVs, but I was happy that several of the TVs were actually playing Food Network!  So we watched Rachael Ray while waiting for our food.   

The food arrived and of course I had to take photos before we dug in.  I ordered the sweet potato fries to accompany my meal - Lance had the cajun fries.  They showed up in mini-metal baskets on our plates.  I would definitely recommend my meal, although only to people with a sweet-tooth like me.  My fries were covered in a honey drizzle and powdered sugar (reminded me of a funnel cake), and the chutney on my burger was pretty sweet too.  

The cajun spice on Lance's fries had a nice kick.  The Philly sandwich was overall tasty, but nothing too special.  We just had burgers at my parents' place a few nights ago for Father's Day, so he said he wanted to switch it up, but he agreed that the burgers are the thing to order at the Avenue.  

This was a great find and we'll definitely be back to the Avenue in the future.  We found out they have $5 burger specials on Wednesdays and they also have some fancy cocktails we want to try out if we are there for dinner next time.  If you're looking for a unique burger in the Tampa Bay area, it's worth the trip over the bridge.  

The Avenue is located at 330 1st Ave South, Saint Petersburg, FL 33701 and open 11:30am - 3:00am Monday through Sunday.