Lisa Browder

This little excursion was meant to get me three different blog posts, publishing one and saving the other two for future weeks when I’m too lazy to go anywhere. It didn’t quite work out that way. Hyde Park Village is a lovely shopping area with tons of restaurants and retail stores surrounding a lovely center square. It’s also about a ten-minute walk from Bayshore Boulevard where you can see the water and the gorgeous mansions that can afford the front-row view. As much as I love the area, I wanted it to be terrific. It wasn’t.

I started with the Pumpkin Patch in the center square (yes, it’s October as I’m writing this). It was tiny and picked over. I had already purchased pumpkins elsewhere, so I wasn’t looking to buy more. I was interested in whether or not this would be a nice place for a senior with grandchildren to give the kids something fun to do and then be able to browse nearby stores without driving anywhere else. They could then follow up with a leisurely lunch or dinner. I’m honestly not sure whether the kids would like it or not. I think they might be entertained for about 10 minutes but that’s about it.

Ah, but here’s where I browsed long rows full of pumpkins, gourds and multi-colored squashes to find just the perfect combination for my home’s display – much more variety, both color and texture.

Next up was a stop at Sorrento Sweets. It’s a quaint little place right across from Hyde Park’s center fountain. It has rows and rows of tasty-looking pastries and cookies, and even a breakfast set-up that includes both sweet and savory treats. I chose a sampling that included a chocolate cookie, seasonal pumpkin cheesecake, coconut layer cake, and cheesecake surrounded by chocolate cake. Although they all sound delicious, the only one I liked was the coconut.

And I should’ve saved the cookie as a doorstop. Not even dunking it in hot coffee softened it up.

Knowing I had dessert for later in the evening, I headed over to Meat Market. I was a bit early for dinner, but I still looked forward to a lavish dining experience. It was not to be. The hostesses told me they don’t seat for dinner until 5:00. They suggested I sit at the bar and order from the happy hour menu instead.

As it turns out, making a meal of the happy hour choices is filling and undoubtedly a fraction of the dinner cost but there were issues. I started with escargot. I think they were the tiniest escargot I’ve ever been served and the last one I ate had enough sand and grit to fill a beach (okay, slight exaggeration but you get the idea).

I moved on to the chorrasco beef and the Gouda tater tots. The hostesses had highly recommended the Gouda tater tots and they were right – delicious. But the beef? The bartender/waiter had asked how I wanted it cooked. Knowing most chefs can’t seem to get the beef the way you ask for it, I always order medium, figuring I’ll end up with medium rare. In this case, it was rare enough they could’ve walked the cow to the table. That said, I ate it and it was tasty.

My experience aside, I would still recommend Hyde Park as a great destination for a day of shopping and dining. For a complete listing of establishments, go to http://www.hydeparkvillage.com. But here are some of the places you’ll find:

• Anthropologie
• Buddy Brew Coffee
• Downtown Dogs
• Irish 31
• Kendra Scott
• Kittenish
• Lulumon
• Mizzen & Main
• Nike by Hyde Park Village
• Oddfellows Ice Cream Co.
• Old Northeast Jewelers
• Paper Source
• Pottery Barn
• Rag & Bone
• Sephora
• Sprinkles
• Suitsupply
• Sur La Table
• The Candle Pour
• Timpano . . .

Hype Park Village is located at 1602 W. Swann Avenue, Tampa, Florida. Call 813-251-3500 for more information.