1. Alfano's Restaurant

   Largo : 1702 Clearwater Largo Road, Clearwater, 33756

   Classically prepared Italian food, superb (and affordable) wine list and elegant building make you feel at home, not outclassed. From tomato soup and pasta with simple sauces to fine veal and chicken with rosemary, cooking is fresh and service is warm.

2. Backfin Blue Cafe

   Editor's pick

   Gulfport : 2913 Beach Blvd. S, Gulfport, 33701

   Come to the little house under the oaks. Sit on the screen porch or inside. The best of the old favorites (meat loaf, crab cake, prime rib and fish) are served warmly and simply. Harold Russell's efforts will make you want to eat your vegetables.

3. Bascom's Chop House

   Gateway : 3665 Ulmerton Road, Clearwater, 33762

4. Beach Bistro

   Editor's pick

   Manatee beaches : 6600 Gulf Drive, Holmes Beach, 34217

   It has won nearly every award it is possible to win in Florida. Foodies and critics go on about the intimate dining room draped, tent-like, with silk; the wine list's exceptional breadth; and the playful French/Floribbean cuisine with sly Pacific Rim accents. One can put on the dog and dine in t …

5. Benedetto's Italiano

   Land o' Lakes : 21529 Village Lakes Shpg Ctr, Land O'Lakes, 34639

6. Bern's Steak House

   Editor's pick

   South Tampa : 1208 S Howard Ave., Tampa, 33606

   Naysayers can grouse, but there's no denying the fine meat and one of the world's best and cheapest wine lists. You can drink back through 20 years in Spanish, Italians, Rhones and zins for $75 or less. Lighten up and relax; just exploring the menu's new additions takes time. Dessert takes more. …

7. Black Pearl of Dunedin

   Editor's pick

   Dunedin : 315 Main St., Dunedin, 34698

   Folks have come here for grand meals under various flags for more than 20 years. The space is tiny, with plush decor and posh service. The food ranges from top-dollar classics to clever contemporary fare among the specials, all with first-rate vegetables.

8. Bon Appetit Restaurant

   Editor's pick

   Dunedin : 148 Marina Plz, Dunedin, 34698

   Tables with bay views and traditional indulgences such as rack of lamb, sweetbreads, escargot and Dover sole. The menu has been updated with pastas, grilled fish, fresh herbs and half-orders, but there are rich sauces and strudels as well. Brunch on Sundays.

9. BT

   Editor's pick

   South Tampa : 2507 S MacDill Ave., Tampa, 33606

   B.T. Nguyen-Batley presents the flavors of France and Vietnam with a style of her own, half feng shui, half fashion model. She recently downsized to a smaller 16-table restaurant from her 200-seat space in Old Hyde Park Village. Though the new places will have a different feel and menu from the  …

10. Cafe Ponte

    Editor's pick

    Clearwater : 13505 Icot Blvd. # 214, Clearwater, 33760

    Cafe Ponte is still a yardstick against which the area's other fine dining restaurants may be measured. The dining room looks positively spruce, its red, sage and black color scheme crisp and stylish; linens and table appointments are top-notch. Servers are courteous and professional even when s …

11. Casa Tina Gourmet Mexican & Vegetarian

    Editor's pick

    Dunedin : 365 Main St., Dunedin, 34698

    After a move from a smaller space, Casa Tina already it looks like it has been there forever, with a long fuchsia wall packed to capacity with old photos and funky mirrors, the opposite weathered brick wall tattooed with a Day of the Dead skeleton mariachi band painting. Doors are flung wide to  …

12. Derek's Culinary Casual

    Editor's pick

    Sarasota : 514 Central Ave., Sarasota, 34236

    This is true big city, indie style dining: sharp, chef-driven cooking in a plain storefront space in a not-yet-gentrified neighborhood. Choose foie gras, crispy rabbit, killer soups, scallops and peas, chicken and quinoa. Every course is a robust adventure, from small plates to dessert.

13. Euphemia Haye Restaurant

    Manatee beaches : 5540 Gulf of Mexico Drive, Longboat Key, 34228

    Opened in 1975 on Longboat Key, the restaurant has marched to the beat of its own drum, serving wildly sophisticated and far-reaching food in a lush garden setting. It always wins top honors from local magazines and national food mags as well, and you need only to try the smoked salmon on buckwh …

14. German Restaurant

    West Pasco : 2616 US Highway 19, Holiday, 34691

15. Heilman's Beachcomber

    Editor's pick

    Clearwater Beach : 447 Mandalay Ave., Clearwater, 33767

    Robert Edson Heilman may have passed away in 2007, but his legacy, Bob Heilman's Beachcomber, witness to countless birthdays and anniversaries, lives on. Pinot noir fanatics love it for their own reasons (Burgundy, Oregon, even his own FoxyRock — don't get them started), fried chicken fans …

16. Island Way Grill

    Editor's pick

    Clearwater : 20 Island Way, Clearwater, 33767

    A waterside palace of seafood, art glass and Asian accents, Island Way centers on freshness. Eat at the sushi bar, order from the raw bar or have boat-fresh fish grilled. Go for an oyster tequila shot, a noodle and clam pot or Korean BBQ and dive into the endless wine list. Be back Sunday for a  …

17. Kelly's for Just About Anything

    Editor's pick

    Dunedin : 319 Main St., Dunedin, 34698

    The day's fun could start with Butterfinger muffins or French toast with chocolate and Cognac, drift through lunch of banana pancakes or Hell-burgers and head into dinner of duck breast, Emeril's escolar and house-smoked pork chops. Virgel Kelly and pals always add an extra smile and a kick, lik …

18. Main Street Oyster Bar

    Editor's pick

    Sarasota : 1991 Main St., Suite 118, Sarasota, 34236

    Well-established and still innovative, this two-chef restaurant serves sharp and simple cuisine with a sidewalk view downtown. Locals flock for the seasonal ingredients and smart takes on New England classics like fried Ipswich clams and Maine lobster. The same owners previously had Zoria at thi …

19. Maritana Grille

    Editor's pick

    South Pinellas beaches : 3400 Gulf Blvd., St. Pete Beach, 33706

    A major renovation in the dining room has made one of the area's more swanky restaurants more contemporary. The renovations made their way into the kitchen, too, where fruits are being compressed and fish are being cooked in warm water baths. The black grouper cooked sous vide and served over ri …

20. Massimo's Eclectic Fine Dining

    Editor's pick

    Palm Harbor : 31876 US Highway 19 N, Palm Harbor, 34684

    There's nothing rustic about the cooking of Massimo Patano, yet his love of luxurious tastes is decidedly Italian. Veal, lobster and cream sauces abound, and Patano enriches them further with sage, ricotta, balsamic and bottarga.

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