Patch Picks: International Delights

Florida is a melting pot of national and international transplants. All of these cultures have made themselves at home, and left footprints of locations past with restaurants catering to various cuisines.

This week’s Patch Picks takes a look at the top five international eats in the area:

1. Golden Krust Caribbean Bakery & Grill, 14913 N. Florida Avenue: Longing for a taste of something tropical? Try Golden Krust which specializes in Jamaican cuisine. Menu offerings include traditional fare such as beef patties and jerk chicken. If you are feeling more adventurous, however, sample the curried goat.  Golden Krust is vegetarian friendly, many of its meat dishes have a vegetarian counterpart. Be sure to loosen your belt for desserts such as the rock cake.
2. Vizcaya, 10905 N. Dale Mabry Highway: Vizcaya serves up traditional Spanish food for both lunch and dinner. Seafood lovers will find delights such as Norwegian salmon and Chilean sea bass on the menu. If you can’t decide on an entrée, try the tapas menu. Tapas dishes offer smaller portions of menu items. The idea is to sample different options. Tapas dishes are great for sharing, so this option is great for a date or girls/guys night out. Flamenco dinner shows are also a part of the Vizcaya experience so call ahead to find out which nights offer the show.
3. Toasted Pheasant Bistro, 14445 N. Dale Mabry Highway: The Toasted Pheasant presents diners with a culinary passport to Europe.  Travel to England for fish and chips, Paris for beef bourguignon or Italy for the chicken alfredo. The beer and wine list is home to more international delights.
4. Kobe Japanese Steakhouse & Sushi Bar, 14401 N. Dale Mabry Highway: Steak and seafood are the main ingredients at Kobe. Specials include $29 for a dinner for two. If you’re celebrating check out the Kobe imperial dinner, this six-course meal includes soup and salad, but the main event is the Wagyu beef which is imported directly from Japan.
5. Mr. Greek Eatery, 14453 N. Dale Mabry Highway: Flaky phyllo crust, stuffed grape leaves and Greek salads permeate the menu. For something sumptuous and savory, try the moussaka, which is a casserole containing ground beef, eggplant, potatoes and topped with a creamy béchamel sauce.