DINING GUIDE

Published: May 10, 2007

A discerning guide to dining in and around Brandon.

American

GIORDANO'S, 11310 Causeway Blvd., Brandon; (813) 655-2828. Chicago-based chain offers a family-friendly atmosphere and a dependable menu of no-frills Italian favorites served in portions that would keep William "Refrigerator" Perry happy. The restaurant's signature item is its stuffed, double-crusted, deep-dish pizza. We recommend the Special - a mouthwatering bounty of sausage, mushrooms, green pepper and onions. ($-$$)

THE OAKS BAR & GRILL, 108 S. Lithia-Pinecrest Road, Brandon; (813) 685-5257. Kick back and enjoy steaks, seafood, sandwiches, salads and pub grub at this casual, tin-roofed eatery. Fans swirl above diners on the enclosed wrap-around porch, and the bar sits at the center of the large, rambling Key West-style house. The specialty is a half-pound grouper sandwich on Texas toast, served fried, blackened or grilled. ($)

Barbecue

FIRST CHOICE SOUTHERN BAR-B-QUE, 10113 Adamo Drive (State Road 60), Brandon; (813) 621-7434. Family recipes give First Choice's tangy sauce and distinctive sides a down-home flavor missing from just about every other barbecue spot except your own back yard. Sandwiches are a good deal for the buck at lunch, but for variety it's tough to beat the combination dinner platter, a choice of two meats and two sides. ($)

Japanese

YOKOHAMA JAPANESE RESTAURANT AND SUSHI BAR, 760 W. Lumsden Road, Brandon; (813) 684-3485. This fine restaurant will make you homesick for Japan, even if you've never been there. It offers a wide variety of sushi, including flying fish roe, sea eels, tekka (tuna), unakyu (eel and cucumber), agedashi tofu (bean curd) and hokkigai (cooked clams). Best bet is the Yokohama Lunch Box, which includes sushi, teriyaki chicken, tempura and rice. ($$)

The Dining Guide is a weekly compendium of Bay area restaurants visited anonymously and recommended by Tribune restaurant critics. Prices are per couple for three courses, with a glass of wine each (where applicable) before tip and taxes.

$ means $30 or less

$$ means $30 to $60

$$$ means more than $60

Keyword: Dining, for a complete dining guide, including restaurant reviews.