Latin fimerican Culinafu Identitu in West Tampa


 (Continued from page 15)
 ban interpretations. It is made
 with blue crab and crab meat
 sauted with onions, green
 peppers and other spices in a
 seasoned sofrito. This Tampa
 signature is a signature dish
 at Castillo's Caf as well, and
 is the only daily special with
 its own designated day. Every
 Friday, come rain or shine,
 you will find crab enchilado at
 Castillo's.
 Alessi Bakery, a West Tam-
 pa institution in its own right,
 is continually putting its own
 innovative Tampa spin on a
 number of Latin American
 traditions. With a newer, more
 streamlined menu debuting
_ within the month, the bak-
 ery has also trimmed down
 many of its signature dishes
 so as to meet the expectations
 of a newly health-conscience


populace. Alessi's new dev-
iled crab, a bastion in Tampa-
Cuba fusion, has received a
recent makeover and experi-
enced its own streamlining:
the breading that encircles
the filling is now almost non-
existent, .leaving more room
for the good stuff, the crab
meat.
 In addition, the highly cele-
brated bakers at Alessi's have
even paved the way for the
birth of new traditions. They
recently married Tampa's
own history with signature
Cuban fare and have created
a one-of-a-kind Tampa dish:
the Guava Pirate Cake. As a
takeoff of both Cuban cuisine
and Tampa tradition, the new
Guava Pirate Cake emulates
Ye Mystic Krewe of Gaspa-
rilla's annual pirate invasion
in that there is treasure hid-


den within the guava-infused
cake: a single silver coin.
 The pull of Latin America
on West Tampa is palpable,
immersed in everything from
the sidewalk to the signage,
and it isn't something West
Tampa spends much time de-
nying.
 The men and women who
man the counters at many of
these restaurants are always
ready with a smile and a greet-
ing usually in Spanish that
makes you feel right at home
in West Tampa, even if your
homelife is based on different
traditions, be they Irish, Ger-
man, Jewish or any other.
 The West Tampa commu-
nity is comfortable in its Latin
American skin and wears it as
it should be worn: with just
the right amount of style, con-
fidence and pride.


i ie newest creauion to emerge irom me legendary oaK-
ery at Alessi's is the Guava Pirate Cake, a guava-infused
dessert topped with cinnamon streusel that holds a trea-
sure, which can be seen at the back of the photograph.


u -... .


Page.16 Section B/LA GACETA/Friday, May 8, 2009