{"id":268768,"date":"2026-05-13T01:02:43","date_gmt":"2026-05-13T01:02:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/268768\/"},"modified":"2026-05-13T01:02:43","modified_gmt":"2026-05-13T01:02:43","slug":"gao-restaurant-in-tampa-gulfports-v-roll-banh-mi-and-more","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/268768\/","title":{"rendered":"Gao Restaurant in Tampa, Gulfport\u2019s V-Roll, banh mi and more"},"content":{"rendered":"

A cozy bowl of Vietnamese noodle soup. Puerto Rican-inspired pizza. A comforting, filling Italian sandwich. These are just a few of the bites that the Times Food Hub<\/a> has eaten lately around Tampa Bay.<\/p>\n

Every Thursday in our Do & Dine newsletter, we take you inside where we\u2019re dining, sharing insights on local spots we\u2019re loving right now across the food scene and recommendations for what to order when you go.<\/p>\n

Do & Dine subscribers always get the scoop first. Sign up here<\/a> to make sure the next edition lands in your inbox.<\/p>\n

Check out six places the Food Hub visited in March and April.<\/p>\n

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March 12 newsletter<\/p>\n

Sure, we\u2019re heading out of cold weather season, but it\u2019s never a bad time to recommend a good soup. And the one I had recently at St. Petersburg\u2019s In Between Days is worth a try any time of year. Most things on the menu go down smooth in a place this cool, though. Vibes are paramount here, and this sake spot\/restaurant\/listening bar really nails it. Sidle up to the bar and order some sake hot or cold, or sit with your group at one of the tables housed inside the charming bungalow. The small, dark space creates a lovely intimacy.<\/p>\n

You could spend an evening just drinking and grooving to the vinyl records on rotation (or check out the live jazz offered some Tuesdays on the outdoor patio!), but the food menu is strong, too. A short lineup of usually less than 10 items, the dishes on my recent visit included a hamachi sashimi, braised short rib gyoza and a bone marrow shoyu ramen. The ramen hit the spot on a cool, late-winter night, the deeply flavorful broth holding together a delicious assortment of beautifully rendered components: chashu pork, a jammy soy egg, Japanese mushrooms, thinly sliced scallions. I washed it down with cold sake, and let the vinyl-inflected vibes wash over me. \u2014 Michelle Stark<\/p>\n

2340 First Ave. S., St. Petersburg. inbetweendays.co<\/a><\/p>\n

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March 19 newsletter<\/p>\n

Vietnamese food is the nearest and dearest to my heart. Sitting on a small stool as a tween hunched over a steaming bowl of homemade pho in my best friend\u2019s backyard is one of my most indelible food memories. And I have found some great fare at Gao Restaurant, a central Vietnamese-centered spot tucked into a small strip mall in Tampa. Here, they truly care about what they put in front of you. Pictured above is a bowl of Bun Bo Hue, with silky rich beef broth that\u2019s a deep yellow color and flavored with lemongrass. Thick vermicelli is a vessel for the slick, satisfying broth with fermented shrimp sauce. Generous portions of eye round, beef shank, trotters, tendons and meatballs fill the bowl with lovely contrasting textures. Definitely add the thinly sliced banana blossom, and I also recommend adding garlic chili paste and fresh lime as you slurp to the bottom of the bowl.<\/p>\n

Gao is a no-frills place with outstanding and knowledgeable service. I have been guided on my visits by employees about the best way to enjoy or add to a dish without pretension or pushiness. Last weekend I had the Hu Tieu – Mi with a combination of chewy rice\/tapioca and egg noodles (highly recommend). The pork bone broth is light and clean, with poached shrimp and thinly sliced roasted pork then topped with chives, sauteed garlic and shallots. Mix the small ramekin of minced chili garlic sauce they serve you with fish sauce and add to your broth as you go along, dotting it with sambal oelek (chili-based sauce) sparingly. Don\u2019t skip the Goi Cuon (fresh spring rolls) to start or to take home; they travel well. The Mi Quang Noodles are divine, with turmeric rice noodles in a shallow pork broth with shrimp, pork and quail eggs. Vietnamese coffees, fresh juices, smoothies and Mexican Coca-Cola round out the menu, plus there\u2019s a beer option if you ask. \u2014 Evan Rodriguez<\/p>\n

8405 N. Himes Ave., Tampa. gaorestauranttampa.com<\/a><\/p>\n

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March 26 newsletter<\/p>\n

Josephine\u2019s Italian Market in Brandon might have my new favorite Italian sandwich. My other half grabbed us takeout from this quaint shop\/deli\/cafe for lunch, and it was a great find.<\/p>\n

The spot stuffs its take on the much-lauded Italian with a healthy helping of classic cuts: ham, capicola, salami, pepperoni, provolone. Lettuce and red onion provide some welcome crunch, and I love the tangy, spicy kick you get from the hot and sweet peppers (they make the sandwich a total stunner). A crusty roll with a soft interior cradles all of the fresh, flavorful ingredients topped with a drizzle of dressing.<\/p>\n

This sammy is the epitome of comfort food. Just know: A nap may be in order after you chow down. \u2014 Meaghan Habuda<\/p>\n

730 W. Brandon Blvd., Brandon. josephinesitalianmarket.com<\/a><\/p>\n

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April 9 newsletter<\/p>\n

This is a tale of two banh mi sandwiches. The first, from a spot I\u2019d been wanting to try for a while: V-Roll Vietnamese Rolls & Bowls<\/a> (2930 Beach Blvd. S., Gulfport), a charming, laidback spot serving up customizable noodle and rice bowls, banh mi, spring rolls and bao buns. I opted for the House Vietnamese Sandwich (B\u00e1nh M\u00ec) the other day when I was particularly starved for lunch, and it hit the spot. Your choice of protein comes topped with cucumber, cilantro, jalapeno, pickled carrot and daikon and a yummy garlic spread and house sauce. Super-fresh veggies, all held together by a particularly toothsome baguette.<\/p>\n

A couple days later, I was getting a bit of work done at wine\/coffee\/flower shop Pistil House<\/a> (2533 First Ave. S., St. Petersburg) when I spied the weekly sandwich special: Banh Mi. I knew from the smells wafting through the bungalow that I was going to have to order it. A flaky hoagie roll came absolutely loaded with braised lemongrass beef, cucumber, jalapeno, carrot, cilantro, pickled daikon and a sumptuous house chicken liver mousse that kicked things up several notches. A squiggle of Sriracha on top offered a nice, acidic heat to break up the rich flavors. \u2014 Michelle Stark<\/p>\n

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April 16 newsletter<\/p>\n

I have long had a fascination with gas stations. Not just any gas stations, but the ones with braised oxtails, fluffy yellow rice and black beans; corner stores that have a food trailer on the grounds with a creamy plantain and spiced ground beef pizza; and places that were once gas stations but have since been converted into a taco heaven with ice cold caguamas of beer still in the cooler doors.<\/p>\n

Traveling from the Woodland Terrace neighborhood in northeast Tampa all the way to 66th Street in Pinellas Park, with many stops in between, I wanted to see what kind of affordable fare local gas stations had to offer. It\u2019s surprising what you can find for the equivalent of two or three gallons of gas these days.<\/p>\n

What stood out to me the most was a happy accident, when my colleague Martha Asencio-Rhine and I showed up for one thing but encountered something completely different. In place of a cold griddle inside a Pinellas Park Citgo was Wuiry\u2019s Pizza, a food truck parked in the grass lot outside. I ordered the 12-inch Pionono Pizza ($12), dotted with ripe and gooey plantains mingled with a generous spread of spiced ground beef, all tucked under a substantial blanket of melted mozzarella cheese. The Puerto Rican-inspired pizza was like nothing I have ever tasted. The warm sweetness of the plantains played well with the fatty richness of the cheese, the two soft textures working in concert, and the spiced ground beef cut all the unctuous cheese and natural sugar of the banana.<\/p>\n

Read my full story about gas station fare here<\/a>. \u2014 Evan Rodriguez<\/p>\n

8787 66th St. N., Pinellas Park. instagram.com\/wuiryspizzas<\/a><\/p>\n

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April 23 newsletter<\/p>\n

It\u2019s been a little over a week, but I\u2019m still thinking about the incredible Filipino-inspired seafood boil I had at Cheeky\u2019s<\/a> in St. Petersburg (2823 Central Ave.).<\/p>\n

The dish, a collaborative effort from Cheeky\u2019s chef Philip Cleary and Julie Sainte Michelle Feliciano of Tampa\u2019s Lucky Tigre<\/a>, was just one part of a fun-and-food-filled evening at the Grand Central District restaurant, where during two seatings fans from both sides of the bay packed the house. Some were longtime customers of Feliciano\u2019s. Some were neighborhood regulars at Cheeky\u2019s. Some were just there for a taste of something different and new.<\/p>\n

Such is the appeal of these types of chef collaborations and pop-ups<\/a>: They\u2019re always pushing the culinary envelope, and there\u2019s always something exciting and unique to try.<\/p>\n

That evening, we snacked on crispy lumpia and cornbread hush puppies dipped in guava jelly before moving on to the boil, which featured a gorgeous spread of coconut garlic shrimp, sausage, jasmine rice, clams and corn, all splayed out over bright green banana leaves.<\/p>\n

I left the restaurant thinking how fun (and delicious) it is to watch chefs stretch their wings and have a little fun, and only wishing for more. \u2014 Helen Freund<\/p>\n

\u2022 \u2022 \u2022<\/p>\n

Meet the Food Hub<\/a>, a team of Times journalists dedicated to covering Tampa Bay\u2019s dining scene. You can support our work through our journalism fund<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Want food news weekly in your inbox? Sign up for our newsletter<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Top 50 Restaurants: Check out our food critic\u2019s list<\/a> of the area\u2019s best spots.<\/p>\n

Follow our updates on the local restaurant landscape on Instagram at @tampabaytimesfood<\/a>.<\/p>\n