Are you from the UK and homesick? did you used to live in…read morethe UK and miss it or want to take a trip down memory lane? Do you have oddly specific cravings for food from across the pond? Do you have a need for proper British products? Then come on down to the British Shop. It's a quaint place for souvenirs and snacks. Very cute around the holidays (and in general).

It's so great to have a shop that has all things British in South Tampa. It truly is a one stop…read moreshop. They have beautiful sets of mixing bowls that remind me of the Great British Bake Off show. I saw the traditional teapots that you see all over the English countryside. There's snacks, chocolates, hard candies, tea, frozen pies, curry sauces, cheese, and even ice cream. I felt like I was back in Woodbridge, England. I honestly haven't seen this many grocery items in one place since being stationed over there. It really brought back great memories. I ended up buying some sweets. I was mainly looking for a box of Cadbury Roses, and some hard fruit candies with soft centers. I can't remember the brand name. I ended up getting the Cadbury Bournville bar in the Old Jamaica flavor. I thought it had been discontinued. This is actually the first time I've seen it in years. I also got the Simpkins Mixed Fruit Drops. It's the simple things that make me happy. All tasted exactly as I remembered them to be. I didn't get to hang out at the store long enough. I think that's a good thing, because I would have bought the Cadbury Eclairs and the Walkers Roasted Hazelnut Toffee bars. I'll need to pace myself. I can't wait to return for more goodies. It will be even more tempting at Christmas time when they bring in seasonal candies (hopefully liquor filled), and tree ornaments.

Terrific place for gifts!…read more I got an email from Yelp recently, telling me about places I should go visit. I saw this Chocolatier in Carrollwood and knew I needed to visit. Located on N Dale Mabry, in the same plaza as Burger 21, Peterbrook Chocolatier is open most days until 8 or 9 PM (except Sundays). This is very convenient for a busy person like myself. I rolled in around 7 last night, and was warmly greeted by Pam. I told her I was looking to get some gifts to show appreciation for some folks and she showed me the most popular items, and then gave me freedom to wander and collect. These folks cover so many things is chocolate. Potato chips, Oreos, Graham crackers, espresso beans, malt balls, raisins, gummy bears, toffee and so much more. They have a very large selection of ready to go baskets full of goodies for Valentine's Day, or you can have one custom made with treats you know your sweetheart will adore. They also have a case of beautiful chocolates you can have boxed (they have heart ones for the holiday!) and Gelato for a yummy snack. I bought a few extra things for myself, and I must say, the chocolate is delightful. I tried the dark chocolate covered candied oranges and they were fantastic. Highly recommend visiting this place for a tasty treat for yourself or someone else.

The wonderful smell of chocolate when you walk in is intriguing! They make all chocolate in house…read more We were greeted upon entering and the staff member was so friendly, even gave us a sample of their turtle. Which was delicious. I got Chocolate covered pretzel rods, peanut butter cups, malt balls and Dubai chocolate. All extremely delicious! They just opened in June. Located doors down from Burger 21.

New dessert spot !!! The service was as friendly as it gets, ambiance exciting , if your a fan of…read moreTurkish delights this place feels like Charlie wonka's chocolate factory. So much to try and experience , ps the coffee is blended with spices. It's very unique with strong notes of ginger and cardamom. The pistachio baklava is crispy , rich, and just perfectly made. I've had many this is one of the best Tampa has to offer.

This is an excellent sweets and spice shop! They're in a tiny corner off Busch and the inside is…read morecrammed full of goodies. There's bulk spices, from za'atar to falafel seasoning and everything in between. There's a case of many Turkish delight options, including classics like pistachio and newer varieties like bubble gum. The gent working clipped a couple sample pieces before I purchased a small assortment. He also kindly offered a cardamom flavored black coffee while I browsed the shop. There's also bulk candy bins for more unusual gummy options, nuts behind the deli counter glass, and a back room with tea sets and similar small home things. If you've never been to a store like this before, don't worry, they will guide you and explain anything if you have questions. It's a great little shop that's totally worth checking out.

The best roasted barbecue pork belly you'll ever have in your entire life. I like to get the full…read moreslab and have them cut it in front of me. It was still piping hot when I ate it in the car. The top skin is very crispy and the pork belly meat is very soft and tender and it taste tasted like it was just right out out of the oven. I also ordered the sua siu pork, and it was very tender and delicious as well. This oriental grocery store is the most organized and decorated grocery store I've ever been into. They have a whole aisle, dedicated to the Chinese beauty drink, which my mother has stockpiled the ingredients for me and I make a tea of it every week. My mother was with me to help me pick out the pork belly, and she had stated that the prices are pretty decent however, there are some items where the prices are higher than other oriental grocery stores but overall the prices are very decent here. The prices for their deli station is very nicely priced I would say much cheaper than the other places and the quality is much higher than at the other places so it's definitely a win-win situation at this place. They have a very large parking lot and it's very close to downtown Tampa and it's very close a couple blocks away from armature works.

The staff there was pretty helpful to help me find something that I was looking for. Knew exactly…read morewhat it was and where to find it. I do wish that they had more of a fresh fish section.

I like the concept, but I just find that it's on the pricier side for food products. Some really…read morecool stuff and interesting seasoning blends to choose from. Definitely geared towards more novelty type of gifts than to really load your pantry. They also have food bins to get bulk amount of candies, savory snacks, or grains. It's more geared towards sampling than really getting a large amount. Nonetheless, fun to try out some interesting snack options!

A very interesting find I stumbled upon the other day!…read more Spices galore, something for everyone. You can go pretty far with their packets. They are mixed or envisioned by the owners and are multicultural! There are vibrant flavors of olive oils and vinaigrettes. Olive oils are sourced from Italy. I'm especially impressed by the garlic olive oil (so fresh!) and dark chocolate balsamic! There are also several tea options and a cute tea shop in the back where you can pick up a cup for yourself. This is also a really great place to buy gifts for the holidays. There are prepackaged gifts or you can get a few products to make yourself!

The flashy and diner-esque Sugar Factory is a restaurant (not truly a full-sized candy store if…read moreyou're wondering) located within the Seminole Hard Rock Casino & Hotel Tampa. It's located on the second floor of the casino space and easy to locate. If you're wondering, the parking garages that are closest to the restaurant are Lucky Street and Winner's Way at the 2nd Floor/Casino level. After walking into the casino, it's a straight shot to the Sugar Factory as it's hard to miss with its bright and dazzling lights. The Sugar Factory takes a super playful approach at the dining experience as it truly makes everything a photo op. From the physical restaurant to the food itself, the patron is immersed in a "gram"-rich environment (light weight mad that the food here is more photo-genic than I am). It appears to be great for large groups and parties/celebratory events. There is a small candy/sweets section from where you can purchase those delectable morsels by the pound, along with other small trinkets. The menu is similar to other bar/grill-type restaurants (comparable to a BJs and even the Hard Rock Cafe). One main difference is in the focus that they place in their dessert/sweets section. The smoothies and ice cream go hard when it comes to flare and accoutrements (as mentioned before, they look more like art work than food itself). These treats do run on the sweet side... (4th wall break - c'mon look at the name). So, if you want to do it for the gram bring yourself and/or the group to the Sugar Factory at the Hard Rock Casino & Hotel in Tampa!

We've visited this restaurant twice, and unfortunately, both experiences started the same way. Even…read morethough the restaurant wasn't busy, we had to wait 15-20 minutes just to be seated because there was never anyone at the host stand. During our most recent visit, we eventually walked into the dining area ourselves to find someone. Even after asking for help, it took another 10 minutes before someone came to the front to seat us. The desserts, however, are absolutely incredible. They offer a great variety, and while they're definitely on the expensive side, the portions are huge--one dessert could easily be shared by three people. The hot food, on the other hand, was underwhelming and didn't leave much of an impression. We'd consider coming back for dessert, but the service at the front and the quality of the entrées need improvement.

We make a special trip down here once or twice a week to grab steaks and chops!…read more Cannot recommend highly enough! Great quality. Prices are on the high end but what you expect for the quality of meat you receive! Excellent!

I was looking to buy chicken thighs for a curry, so I decided to visit Heights Meat Market for some…read morefresh, quality meat. While there is parking around the market, it can be a bit of a hassle if there are already 3-4 people shopping. Upon entering, I interacted with the server to discuss different chicken options. Unfortunately, the chicken thighs were sold out, so I opted for chicken breasts instead. Besides their meat selection, they also offer a variety of sauce rubs for enhancing your dishes. The quality of the meat was excellent, and I appreciated the reasonable prices. Being a family-owned business, Heights Meat Market is a great place to buy premium meats.

Found this gem at an event last night. The best cotton candy I have ever tasted…read more And the lady behind the machine was so sweet as well. Theme was race cars and she didn't disappoint.

This was delicious, exciting, happy fun! I haven't had cotton candy in too many years but this…read moreplace makes it possible! Gaby and Ananda explained they have many dozens of all natural flavors to choose from. 'Choose we did! Six plus one more for good luck! The decor is over the top whimsical fun and happiness! Instagram worthy! It makes you smile! I loved it! As for flavors, we chose bacon, pickle, watermelon, whiskey, pina colada, passion fruit and yes.. coffee flavors! My wonderful wife's favorites were whiskey, pickle and pina colada. My favorites were passion fruit and of course, coffee! Life is good with fresh, natural, sweet and tasty cotton candy!