Tampa Restaurants Among 2020 Wine Spectator Winners

D'Ann Lawrence White
·3 min read

TAMPA, FL — The restaurant industry is perhaps the hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic. Months into the crisis, many of us still aren’t venturing out to that quaint downtown bistro to savor a meal and a glass of our favorite merlot.

Putting aside the challenging year, Wine Spectator magazine recently released its list of 2020 Restaurant Award winners, honoring the best in the industry and recognizing the devotion displayed by an industry that has, according to a statement posted to its website, “come together to support its members and the communities they serve.”

The annual list typically gives us a generous glimpse at the best spots in Tampa. This year, 19 restaurants in our city earned a nod from Wine Spectator.

The annual Restaurant Awards honor excellence in restaurant wine lists, as well as those who have demonstrated passion and devoted extensive resources to creating outstanding wine programs.

This year, the awards honored 3,800 restaurants in 50 states and 80 countries and territories. Awards were given in three categories: Award of Excellence, Best of Award of Excellence and Grand Award.

The Grand Award is Wine Spectator’s most prestigious honor, given to the world’s most elite wine programs. Read profiles of all 100 current Grand Award winners, including Bern's Steak House in Tampa, which was among the original Grand Award winners in 1981.

Candidates for the Grand Award are required to undergo a rigorous inspection by Wine Spectator judges; however, this year, travel restrictions and mandatory restaurant shutdowns made inspections impossible. As a result, the magazine named no new restaurants to the 2020 Grand Award list.

Here are the Tampa restaurants that earned nods for excellence this year:

  • Bern's Steak House, 1208 S. Howard Ave., Tampa

  • Charley's Steak House, 444 W. Cypress St., Tampa

  • Columbia Restaurant, 2117 E. 7th Ave., Tampa

  • Council Oak Steaks & Seafood, Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, 5223 N. Orient Road, Tampa

  • Haven, 2208 W. Morrison Ave., Tampa

  • Ruth's Chris Steak House, 1700 N. Westshore Blvd., Tampa

  • The Capital Grille, 2223 N. Westshore Blvd., Tampa

  • 717 South Restaurant, 717 S. Howard Ave., Tampa

  • Ava, 718 S. Howard Ave., Tampa

  • Cipresso, Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, 5223 N. Orient Road, Tampa

  • Del Frisco's Grille, 4138 Boy Scout Blvd., Tampa

  • Eddie V's Prime Seafood, 4400 W. Boy Scout Blvd., Tampa

  • Elevage, Epicurean Hotel, 1207 S. Howard Ave., Tampa

  • Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar, 4322 W. Boy Scout Blvd., Tampa

  • Meat Market Tampa, 1606 W. Snow Ave., Tampa

  • Ocean Prime, 2205 N. Westshore Blvd., Tampa

  • Shula's Steakhouse, 4860 W. Kennedy Blvd., Tampa

  • The Rez Grill, Seminole Hard Rock Resort & Casino, 5223 Orient Road, Tampa

  • edison: food+drink lab, 912 W. Kennedy Blvd., Tampa

The hospitality industry remains hard hit by the coronavirus pandemic and is still working to get back on its feet. Abrupt closures, inconsistent reopenings, changes in public health guidance for operations and other state-mandated orders have pushed the industry to the brink.

Two months into the pandemic, 40 percent of America’s restaurants were shuttered and 8 million employees out of work — three times the job losses seen by any other industry, according to a Forbes report. While some restaurants began reopening in May and June, most featured only takeout, delivery or outdoor dining options due to local restrictions.

In June, the number of diners remained down more than 65 percent year over year, and the National Restaurant Association has projected an industry revenue shortfall of $240 billion for the year.

This article originally appeared on the Tampa Patch