Italian « Re/Creating Tampa

Best Italian – Laughing Cat

This was one of the most active voting categories and Laughing Cat narrowly eked out a victory.

Here are some of the comments from reviews around the web -
“Most Delicious Italian Ever!”

“I raved about it to co-workers and anyone else who would listen.”

“The portions are always huge and everything is fresh.”

“Awesome buffet.”

“The Laughing Cat is definitely [...]

Laughing Cat

(I pinched this image from Matt at Florida Food Hound)

I’m not sure what you’ve heard about Laughing Cat, but if you’ve heard that it’s awesomely delicious, you’ve heard right.

JB and I went there a few weeks ago for our anniversary dinner. When I asked the waiter what was good he mentioned a pork chop dish [...]

Last Thursday night JB, her friend CB, and I went to Bella’s, inspired by Dragon’s review below. While the food was tasty and the service prompt and friendly, my reaction was nowhere near as enthusiastic as DM’s.

I ordered the Pollo Alla Fiorentina which is described on the menu as

“two chicken breasts pounded thin, [...]

Bella’s: Going Once…Twice…Thrice!

[cross-posted on Other Poison Devils here]

A few months ago, I had an exhausting and LONG day of corralling and organizing high school students at a local conference. Afterward, a friend of mine suggested that we go out to eat. “Bella’s” he suggested. I agreed, mostly out of exhaustion. Little did I know that Bella’s would [...]

Mayor Iorio to Present Disability Awards at Alliance Luncheon September 1, 2010
City of TampaMayor Pam Iorio will present four awards during the Mayor’s Alliance for Persons with Disabilities Awards Ceremony on Wednesday, September 22, 2010. […]
Tampa Police Bomb Squad Responds to Nursing Home September 1, 2010
City of TampaTampa Police Bomb Squad Responds to Nursing Home […]
Pierce Street Closed Due to Scheduled Maintenance September 1, 2010
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30-Inch Water Main Break Closes East 17th Avenue at North 20th Street September 1, 2010
City of TampaBoth directions of East 17th Avenue in Ybor City are closed at North 20th Street while City of Tampa Water Department crews repair a broken 30-inch water main. […]
Monthly Training for GTCERT Volunteers September 1, 2010
City of TampaMark your calendars to attend the GTCERT monthly training for September - a skills refresher training session. Training will be at Tampa Fire Rescue Training Academy (116 S. 34th St) Thursday, September 7, 2010, beginning at 7:00 p.m. and wrapping up by 9:00 p.m. Hope to see you there! […]

Tampa Fire Rescue receives national recognition - Tampabay.com September 2, 2010
Tampa Fire Rescue receives national recognitionTampabay.comTAMPA — After more than a century in existence, Tampa's fire department has received national accreditation. ...Clothes dryer lint causes $60000 house fire in North TampaTampabay.comall 2 news articles » […]
Tampa couple displaced after fire at duplex - Tampabay.com September 2, 2010
ABC Action NewsTampa couple displaced after fire at duplexTampabay.comTAMPA — A couple was displaced early Thursday after a fire erupted in their duplex and caused $45000 in damage. ...Two escape flames and smoke as their home caught fire early ThursdayABC Action NewsRed Cross helps pair after Tampa house fireTbo.comall 9 news articles » […]
St. Pete OKs private firm for recyclable pickups - Tbo.com September 2, 2010
Suncoast NewsSt. Pete OKs private firm for recyclable pickupsTbo.comThe city of Tampa offers curbside recycling pickup once a week. St. Petersburg does not offer curbside recycling, but the city council this week will ...Curbside recycling finally comes to St. PetersburgTampabay.comSt. Petersburg, Pinellas County's last holdout, votes on recycling Thurs […]
Mayor says airport board members should pay for parking too - ABC Action News September 2, 2010
Tbo.comMayor says airport board members should pay for parking tooABC Action NewsTAMPA - Unless you are in and out in less than an hour, parking at Tampa International Airport will cost you $3. Except for those on the Aviation Authority ...Tampa airport director interviews closed to publicTbo.comall 3 news articles » […]
Bucs-Texans Preview - Pewter Report September 2, 2010
SkySportsBucs-Texans PreviewPewter ReportThe Tampa Bay Buccaneers will travel to the Houston Texans in Week 4 of the 2010 preseason on Thursday night. What happened the last time these two teams ...Receiver Michael Clayton doesn't believe preseason finale vs. Houston Texans ...Tampabay.comTampa Bay Buccaneers vs Houston Texans 2010 NFL Picks, Odds & […]
Kendrick Morris Trial: Closing arguments begin in daycare rape - 10 Connects September 2, 2010
ABC Action NewsKendrick Morris Trial: Closing arguments begin in daycare rape10 ConnectsTampa, Florida -- Closing arguments have begun in the trial of Kendrick Morris, the man accused of raping a 62-year-old daycare worker. ...DNA at center of daycare rape trial10 ConnectsJury seated in the first of two Kendrick Morris rape trialsTampabay.comAccused rapist […]
Tampa Yankees Moving to Orlando? - WUSF 89.7 News September 2, 2010
Bay News 9Tampa Yankees Moving to Orlando?WUSF 89.7 NewsReports are circulating that the New York Yankees may move their minor-league affiliate from Tampa to Orlando. ...Reports say Yankees minor league squad may leave Tampa for OrlandoThe Florida Independent (blog)Orange County Mayor giddy about "minor" Yankee dealABC Action News (blog)Tampa Yanke […]
Bradenton man offers $500 reward for info in Tampa cat shooting, near-drowning - Tampabay.com September 2, 2010
Tampabay.comBradenton man offers $500 reward for info in Tampa cat shooting, near-drowningTampabay.comThe cat was locked in a carrier marked "Kitty Penitentiary Est. 2010," dumped in McKay Bay and left to drown. ...and more » […]
Frozen yogurt shops regaining place in culture - Tbo.com September 2, 2010
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Bulls Beat: Questions entering Stage 5 - Tbo.com September 2, 2010
Tampabay.comBulls Beat: Questions entering Stage 5Tbo.comTAMPA - Skip Holtz calls winter workouts Stage 1, spring practice Stage 2, summer conditioning Stage 3, fall camp Stage 4, and the start of ...Bulls' Plancher has competition at RBTbo.comall 8 news articles » […]

Harry Reid: Sharron Angle "would eliminate the Department of Education." September 1, 2010
The Truth-o-Meter says: True | Harry Reid says Sharron Angle wants to eliminate the Education Department The Nevada Senate race between incumbent Democrat Harry Reid and Republican challenger Sharron Angle has become one of the nation's most bitter, with Angle seeking to make Reid the poster child for the poor national and Nevada economies and Reid tryi […]
Joe Sestak: "Pat Toomey thinks corporations shouldn't pay any taxes." September 1, 2010
The Truth-o-Meter says: Mostly True | Joe Sestak hits Pat Toomey for supporting zero corporate taxes In their hard-fought race for a Pennsylvania Senate seat, Republican Pat Toomey and Democrat Joe Sestak have attacked each other over tax policy. Last week, we rated a Toomey ad blasting Sestak on the estate tax as Barely True. Now we'll look at a Sestak […]
Jamie Oliver: McDonald's in England only sells organic milk and free-range eggs, which provides more nutritious offerings than in the U.S. August 31, 2010
The Truth-o-Meter says: Half-True | Chef Jamie Oliver praises McDonald's in England Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver is a well-known crusader for healthier eating. So it may have come as a surprise to hear him give a shout-out on ABC's This Week with Christiane Amanpour on Aug. 29, 2010, to the fast-food giant McDonald's -- or at least the restaura […]
Donna Brazile: "Forty-five percent of those who've been unemployed, they've been unemployed for six months or longer." August 31, 2010
The Truth-o-Meter says: Mostly True | Donna Brazile says 45 percent of unemployed have been jobless for at least six months In a discussion of the economy during the Aug. 29, 2010, edition of ABC's This Week with Christiane Amanpour, Democratic strategist Donna Brazile addressed the plight of the long-term unemployed. She said that "45 percent of t […]
Arne Duncan: "In this country, we have a 25 percent dropout rate." August 30, 2010
The Truth-o-Meter says: Half-True | Education Secretary Arne Duncan says one-quarter of U.S. students drop out The Aug 29, 2010, edition of ABC's This Week with Christiane Amanpour featured a discussion of education policy chock full of education statistics. Here, we decide to look at one offered by Education Secretary Arne Duncan. "In this count […]
Ann Marie Buerkle: "The Obama Health and Human Services Department is planning to compile a federal health record on all U.S. citizens by 2014," including "each individual’s Body Mass Index." August 30, 2010
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Glenn Beck: "The federal government is now on track" for the second-largest budget deficit "in 65 years." August 30, 2010
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Glenn Beck: "The government is trying to now close the Lincoln Memorial for any kind of large gatherings." August 27, 2010
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Barack Obama: Republicans "don't think it's a good idea" to make the child care tax credit "stronger." August 27, 2010
The Truth-o-Meter says: Barely True | Obama says Republicans oppose strengthening the child care tax credit Democrats want to make it easier for working parents to pay for child care, but congressional Republicans don't think that's a good idea, President Barack Obama told his audience in Columbus, Ohio, on Aug. 18, 2010. Asked whether the govern […]
18% of the American public: President Obama is a Muslim. August 26, 2010
The Truth-o-Meter says: Pants on Fire! | Obama a Muslim? No he's not. The evidence has not changed. President Barack Obama is a Christian, but a minority of the American public keeps telling pollsters he's a Muslim. The Pew Research Center recently reported that 18 percent of Americans believe Obama is a Muslim, up from 11 percent in March 2009. A […]

Scott makes it official: Jennifer Carroll for LG September 2, 2010
By John Frank - Thu, Sep 02 2010 Rick Scott's campaign just sent this letter to supporters: I am so grateful today to announce that Representative Jennifer Carroll of Fleming Island Hill is my pick for Lieutenant Governor. She is the House Representative for District 13, which is in Jacksonville.Even more importantly, I am honored that Jennifer is the f […]
John Frank
Sink buys more TV time, Scott silent (for now) September 2, 2010
By John Frank - Thu, Sep 02 2010 For a solid week now, Rick Scott hasn't appeared in a single television advertisement. It seems unfathomable to even turn on the TV these days and not see his shiny head, given how many ads he bought in the primary. But Alex Sink is filling the void. Her campaign and the Florida Democratic Party bought another week of TV […]
John Frank
FBI investigating state Senate candidate September 2, 2010
By Adam Smith - Thu, Sep 02 2010 In the past two weeks, both a lawsuit and an ethics complaint have alleged that the late businessman Ralph Hughes bankrolled an Arkansas home for Hillsborough County Commissioner Jim Norman. Norman wasn't talking Wednesday. But the St. Petersburg Times asked him twice in July if he accepted money for the house from Hughe […]
Adam Smith
Jeff Greene files suit against St. Petersburg Times, Miami Herald September 2, 2010
By Stephen Nohlgren, Times Staff Writer Wednesday, September 1, 2010 Palm Beach billionaire Jeff Greene sued the St. Petersburg Times and the Miami Herald Wednesday, alleging that stories published during his recent U.S. Senate campaign robbed him of victory in the Democratic primary and defamed his reputation.The stories — one about Greene's real estat […]
Times Staff
Rick Scott's No. 2 expected to be Rep. Jennifer Carroll September 1, 2010
By Steve Bousquet, Times/Herald Tallahassee Bureau Wednesday, September 1, 2010 Jennifer Carroll retired from the U.S. Navy as a lieutenant commander. TALLAHASSEE — Rick Scott's running mate on the Republican ticket for governor is expected to be state Rep. Jennifer Carroll, a U.S. Navy veteran and mother of three who, if elected, would be Florida' […]
Times Staff
Why Rick Scott is picking Jennifer Carroll September 1, 2010
By Alex Leary - Wed, Sep 01 2010 In choosing Jennifer Carroll as his running mate, Rick Scott, himself a Navy veteran, would get a woman with a distinctive personal story who could neutralize the gender appeal of his Democratic opponent, Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink: • In a state where one in every seven voters is black — and nearly all are Democrats — […]
Alex Leary
How the Legislature voted on the devious Amendment 7 September 1, 2010
By Howard Troxler, Times Columnist Wednesday, September 1, 2010 Second in a series of columns on key votes taken by the Florida Legislature since the last election.Sometimes what our Legislature tries to get away with is bad enough. But when the Legislature sets out to hoodwink citizens on purpose, we're at a whole new level.That's why Amendment 7, […]
Times Staff
Bud Chiles to endorse Democrat Alex Sink for Florida governor September 1, 2010
By Lee Logan, Times/Herald Tallahassee Bureau Wednesday, September 1, 2010 TALLAHASSEE — Saying he simply didn't have enough money to run a viable campaign, Lawton "Bud" Chiles abandoned his longshot independent bid for governor Wednesday and said he plans to endorse Democrat Alex Sink."I need to be able to look people in the face and rea […]
Times Staff
Florida legislative leaders say no to special session on oil spill September 1, 2010
By John Frank, Times/Herald Tallahassee Bureau Wednesday, September 1, 2010 TALLAHASSEE — A special legislative session to provide relief for the oil-stained Florida coast dissolved Wednesday as a top Republican lawmaker said no urgent action is needed.House Speaker Larry Cretul and Senate President Jeff Atwater rejected Gov. Charlie Crist's attempts in […]
Times Staff
Florida gubernatorial debate to focus solely on children September 1, 2010
By Sergio Bustos, Miami Herald Wednesday, September 1, 2010 The first-ever gubernatorial debate to focus solely on the future of Florida's children will be held next month at the University of Miami and organizers expect both Democrat Alex Sink and Republican Rick Scott to participate.Working as partners with UM, the Children's Movement of Florida […]
Times Staff

Frontier Airlines adds Milwaukee, Omaha service September 2, 2010
Frontier Airlines will begin nonstop service from St. Petersburg–Clearwater International Airport to Milwaukee, Wis., and Omaha, Neb. (RJET) […]
Commission, Waste Management partner to green sporting events September 2, 2010
The Tampa Bay Sports Commission and Waste Management plan to help make local events greener. (WM) […]
HCC President Kenneth Atwater emphasizes community links September 2, 2010
The role of the college as a community partner was the subject of Hillsborough Community College President Kenneth Atwater’s presentation at a Hillsborough County Hotel & Motel Association general membership meeting Thursday afternoon. […]
Hillsborough a leader in Florida’s population growth September 2, 2010
After more than 56,000 people fled the Sunshine State between 2008 and 2009, more than 21,000 others moved here this year, according to preliminary population estimates from the University of Florida. […]
Moffitt commended for eliminating infections September 2, 2010
The H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center was among nine Florida hospitals recognized for their effectiveness in eliminating central line-associated blood stream infections in intensive care units. […]
Tow to Go offered on Labor Day weekend September 2, 2010
AAA Auto Club South and Budweiser are offering Florida drivers their Tow to Go program over Labor Day weekend. […]
Former hedge fund manager settles insider trading case September 2, 2010
Stephen Goldfield, a former hedge fund manager who lives in Odessa, agreed to settle charges of insider trading filed by the Securities and Exchange Commission. (AZN) (MRK) […]
Brown & Brown buys Crowe Paradis September 1, 2010
Brown & Brown Inc. has purchased substantially all of the assets of Crowe Paradis Holding Co. LLC and two related entities. (BRO) […]
Shift in ownership at Peak 10 September 1, 2010
The management of Peak 10 and a private equity firm are buying a majority stake in the data center operator for an undisclosed amount. […]
Tampa Electric files for rate decrease in 2011 September 1, 2010
Tampa Electric Co. asked the Florida Public Service Commission to let it drop charges for the fuel portion of all customers’ bills beginning in January. […]

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Best Italian – Laughing Cat

Laughing Cat

Bella’s Italian Cafe

Bella’s: Going Once…Twice…Thrice!

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