Caramel Cafe, Tampa

Last weekend when I was in Tampa, Jeff (the meat eater) and I (the vegan) got a recommendation from a friend to try out Caramel Cafe & Wine Bar in South Tampa.  Great recommendation!

They don't take reservations on Saturday evenings, and the wait for a table was not bad. Menus are uniquely on iPads.  When you want to order an item, you just select it, type in special instructions -- i.e. "plz make vegan" or "no mash sub quinoa."

Only order what you're ready to eat, because the food will come out  minutes after you hit the "place order" button. We ordered tapas-style, choosing one item at a time so it would come out fresh.  The waiter came by periodically to refill water, but other drinks were also ordered from the iPad.

Red Pepper Muhammarra

 Our first food item was the Red Pepper Muhammarra, a specific recommendation from our friend.  With the consistency of a red pepper hummus, muhammarra is a Middle-Eastern dish typically made with pepper, walnuts, olive oil and pomegranate. It was fantastic and unique dish that had great flavor and both the vegan and meat eater devoured it.

Chickpea Frites

Chickpea Frites were especially intriguing and ordered next.  When I asked if they had egg in them, the waiter responded, "No, they're vegan." (awesome!)

As a side note, its always good when the wait staff is thoroughly informed and educated about the food they are serving. They fact that they can rattle off whether a dish is vegan, vegetarian or contains honey is impressive and shows that they are an informed and integral part of the restaurant's team -- as they should be when they are the face of the restaurant when dealing with a customer!

The vegan Chickpea Frites had the consistency of mashed potatoes formed within a delicately fried frame. They were served with tomato jam made from tomatoes, sugar, vinegar, and spice which was delicious and I would rather have in the place of ketchup for everything!  It was also served with a curry aioli - not vegan - but which Jeff thoroughly enjoyed. 

Edamame Hummus (partly eaten, we get so excited about the

 food

 we forget to take pics)

Edamame hummus was ordered next.  It too had great flavor and consistency.  I liked that the rice chips served with it were bland and their sole purpose was to serve as a vehicle for delivering the hummus.  I did not inquire as to whether this was vegan and just assumed it was.  The day after I had stomach pains and Jeff thought that the Edamame hummus may have had a dairy product in it.  I can usually tell immediately, however this one alluded me, if so.  The vegan diner should ask if ordering this dish.

Vegetable Platter with Apricot Couscous in the middle

For my main dish, which Jeff partook in, I had the Roasted Vegetable Platter ("no mash sub quinoa").  The vegetables - broccoli, cauliflower, grilled onions, carrots, zucchini and onions --were freshly grilled or broiled sans any sort of meaty or smokey flavor. Just clean grilled vegetables.  I substituted the mashed potatoes for an apricot couscous -  slightly sweet and a must try.

Jeff had the Ceviche to himself.  He thought it was fantastic (ate it so fast I couldn't get a picture!).  He was not a fan of the rice-chips served with it however.  He felt regular tortilla style chips would be better and are his preferred delivery mechanism for ceviche generally.

Overall, this was a fantastic date-night dinner location.  Great atmosphere where the wait staff didn't have to be included in the date but where very helpful and appeared only when needed.  We've since recommended it to other friends in the Tampa area.  The vegan & meat-eater  will definitely be back!