A New York Themed Deli and Bar
Tampa, Florida, USA
Cuisine Style: American, Deli
Average Price: $$
Overall Rating: 2/5
Dined: May 2019
By Sean Overpeck (CFE)
**A full article and index glossary of restaurants, wines, recipes and travel for
Wine Dine and Play are in the pages section above, or by following these links:
The Lucky Dill Zomato rating:
The Lucky Dill is a restaurant with a New York State of mind as their website advertises. They have three locations around the bay in Tampa, Palm Harbor, and in St. Petersburg. The St. Petersburg location did close temporarily due to a pest problem. What is a New York State of mind? According to The Lucky Dill, it revolves around class, history, delicious food, and an exciting nightlife. The Lucky Dill owner Kimberly Mitow has been in the restaurant business in Pinellas County since the 1990s when she opened up the original Lucky Dill.
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| The Lucky Dill / Lunch |
The dining room is designed around the theme of one of the five New York boroughs. You have the Brooklyn Bakery, the Bronx, and Yankee Stadium, and the Tribeca Lounge, which seats up to 60 people and can be rented out for private parties, business events, rehearsal dinners, birthday parties or even small weddings. The menu runs all day long to include breakfast in the afternoon or evening if you want it. The lucky Dill opens at 7 a.m. with breakfast all-day section on their lunch and dinner menu, with a sum total of over 280 items to choose from. I think that number is higher than The Cheesecake Factory!! The Dill is apparently famous for their Reubens, and corned beef sandwiches with a special section dedicated to them, which I’m sure my father would love if he came as he is a Reuben connoisseur. During our visit, I did not try one, though I love some of the names on their menu.
The Lucky Dill Menu:
- Snack bar
- Noshes
- The Green Market
- Soups
- Sandwiches / Wraps / Croissants
- Reubens
- Skyscrapers
- The Manhattan Collection
- Mulberry Street
- sides
- Desserts
My wife and I were in the Tampa area near the airport when we stopped in for a later lunch at The Lucky Dill, sitting on the patio which faced West Spruce Street and the Westshore Shopping Plaza. The patio had an outside bar and was covered with fans for hot summer days.
My wife started with a glass of D'orsay Winery Rosé from Côtes de Provence, which according to the winemakers' notes has lovely floral aromas and notes of honeysuckle that lingers on the nose. Delicate flavors of stone fruit, strawberry, and apricot round out the palate and lead to a crisp finish filled with mouthwatering acidity. For her entree, she had the Sunday Dinner, a carved turkey breast platter with a homemade sweet potato waffle, a side of cornbread stuffing, creamy potatoes, and a turkey-sage gravy, plus a side of cranberry sauce. Essentially it was Thanksgiving and breakfast on one plate. The presentation of the dish with everything it came with overloaded the plate and because it had so much it looked over-crowded. Though there was an appealing high contrast of color on the plate, being so crowded overwhelms you, and the rule of odds was not observed, (See the ‘about page’ to learn more about the rule of odds).
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| The Lucky Dill / Sunday Dinner Platter |
From the Manhattan collection section of the menu, I had the Harlem shuffle sandwich with a crispy piece of fried chicken breast, pickled jalapeños, served on a loaded cheddar jack bacon Belgium waffles, with a white cheddar drizzle. Normally the side dish is French fries, but I switched it out for a small up-charge of the 4-cheese macaroni and cheese, and boy was it cheesy with a good texture and well-cooked béchamel and liquid to cheese ratio. You could taste the cooked roux with the seasoning and wonderful flavors of the butter, versus an undercooked roux that tastes like flour. The Belgian waffle bread that came with the sandwich left a lot to be desired as it was very dry and lacked the flavor that is was advertised to have.
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| The Lucky Dill / Harlem shuffle sandwich |
Dessert:
We did not have dessert during this visit.
Please see these guidelines for Tipping in Restaurants and on following proper etiquette, customs, cultures, and avoiding assumptions when you dine out.
Wine regulatory’s for the tastings in this article:
“In wine there is wisdom, in beer there is the strength, in the water there are bacteria.” - David Auerbach
European Union:
France:
Other noteworthy Sandwich Shops or Deli articles and restaurants similar to The Lucky Dill:
A delicatessen or deli is a retail establishment that sells a selection of fine, unusual or foreign prepared foods “delicacies". Delicatessen originated in Germany ‘Delikatessen’ when the food company Dallmayr was credited with being the first delicatessen created In 1700 and spread to the United States in the mid-19th century by Ashkenazi Jews.
Anclote Brew Gourmet grilled cheese and a bar in Greek country, Tarpon Springs, Florida
Harvest Market An organic sandwich shop at the D-Concourse of Schiphol Airport, Amsterdam
Mount Nelson Afternoon Tea Banquet of pastries and sandwiches at the Belmond, in Cape Town, South Africa
Pat’s King of Steaks Home of the original cheesesteak in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Phila Deli a small delicatessen & Sports Bar on the Tierra Verde peninsula home to an amazing chicken cheesesteak in Tierra Verde, Florida
See the whole list by visiting “The Wine Dine and Play Article Glossary”
Other Tampa restaurants, and articles on Wine Dine and Play:
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A Jazzy Upscale Seafood Eatery chain in 9 States
Tampa, Florida, USA
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American eatery, at TPA
Tampa, Florida, USA
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Outdoor Channelside venue with 10+ restaurants
Tampa, Florida, USA
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A few Florida restaurant favorites:
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President Donald Trump’s Kitchen
West Palm Beach
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A bistro focusing on the Mediterranean and New American Cuisine
St. Petersburg, Florida, USA
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American Grill with an Asian twist
Palm Harbor, Florida, USA
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See the whole list by visiting “The Wine Dine and Play Article Glossary by country”
Final notes, review basics, observations, and more pictures:
Most reviews are subjective, depending on the writer; but they should also be responsible, and respectfully written, upholding the truth, and accurately conveying the experience to the best of the writer's knowledge, even if it includes metaphors the restaurant may not like to read about. My ratings are by the stars I award (from 0 to 5). The rating is calculated on a point accumulation of six separate factors based on individual experience. They include wine and other beverage selections, plate presentation, customer service, restaurant or café ambiance, food quality, and wow factor. To see more details of this rating list, read this article:
Overall from this experience and the score factors outlined in the ‘about page’ section, based on my individual experience and rating, I give The Lucky Dill a 2 out of 5 stars, meaning that they were far above the average dining experience of most restaurants.
Scores are detailed in the factor chart below:
Formula Factor Conclusions and Overall Ratings for The Lucky Dill
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Max Points Possible:
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Total Points Awarded:
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Total Points deducted:
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Ambiance
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11
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11
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0
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Food quality
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11
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8
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3
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Plate presentation
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10
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5
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4
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Customer service
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10
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7
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3
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Alcohol and other beverages
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9
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8
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1
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Total regular points awarded
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51
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39
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11
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Total percentage — less the Bonus
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0.764705882352941
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“Wow” factor BONUS
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5
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0
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0
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Total bonus percentage
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0
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Total percentage and bonus for a final star rating
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0.764705882352941
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Stars Awarded (see chart below)
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0 - 5
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2
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**A full break down and explanation of the observations and point disbursement is available in the linked article above. To receive a detailed copy of your score, feel free to contact me at any time and I will provide it to you.**
***
Overall Star Rating:
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2 of 5 Stars:
76% Rating with a 0 point “wow” bonus
An Above Average Dining Experience
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Corkage fees:
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The Lucky Dill does not list any corkage fee’s however, most American restaurants charge $25.00 per bottle
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Restaurant-style:
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Casual dining
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Cuisine Style at The Lucky Dill:
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American, delicatessen
Allergen or dietary accommodations:
Gluten-free choices, Low Carb Choices, Pescatarian, Sustainable, Vegetarian Options
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Reservations:
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Not Required, but Recommended
Walk-Ins:
Accepted, but not guaranteed
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Dress code:
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Casual attire
It’s Florida, everybody wear’s flip-flops!
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Child policy:
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The Restaurants reviewed on this site may have a kids menu or cater to them; however, for full enjoyment of food and wine, it is recommended that kids not to be in attendance, unless they have been trained in proper etiquette.
If not then:
Hire a Babysitter!
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The Lucky Dill Experiences:
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Modern, Trendy, Great outdoor dining, Good for special occasions, Tourist grabber, and a Neighborhood Gem.
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Payments:
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Cash, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express
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Parking:
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The Lucky Dill has a private lot
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Wifi
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The restaurants reviewed on this site may have Wi-Fi, but do not require you to go online, because the excitement of the food and wine alone will keep you too entertained instead of checking your social media and emails.
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Noise level:
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Medium
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Smoking:
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The Lucky Dill is a non-smoking restaurant with a non-smoking patio
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Patio or terrace:
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Yes
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Food Prices
(excludes, alcohol, taxes & 20% gratuity’s)
$£€¥ - Under 50.00 (inexpensive)
$£€¥ x 2 - 51.00- 99.00 (moderate)
$£€¥ x 3 - Over 100.00 (pricey)
$£€¥ x 4 - Over 200.00 (expensive)
$£€¥ x 5 - Over 400.00 (very expensive)
**Currencies reflect the world’s major travelers, restaurant, or wine connoisseur’s**
Currency:
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Price
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United States Dollar (USD)
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$$
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Great Britain Pound Sterling (GBP)
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£
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Canadian Dollar (CAN)
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$$
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Chinese Yuan (CNY)
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¥¥¥
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European Union (EUR)
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€€
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Alcohol prices:
$14.00 USD
The Lucky Dill:
4606 West Boy Scout Blvd
Tampa, Florida
Contact Information:
Restaurant website:
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Maître d or host:
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+1 813 444 5188
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Website Contact:
Email Us:
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Serving hours:
Eastern Standard Time
(GMT, Zulu, or UTC - 5:00)
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Daily: Mon-Sun
7:00 am - 10:00 pm
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Social Media
And
Accolades for The Lucky Dill:
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****
The worlds best restaurants is a subjective list of who is writing it and changes on a regular basis. The Wine Dine and Play best experiences are based on my highest rated stared restaurants, meaning that the visit was an outstanding or extraordinary experience. From cafés, chains, mom + pops, hole in the walls, to fine dining including a few Michelin spots. Visit the Top 100 page to see the entire list.
A few to tease you with…
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Impeccably prepared French fine dining
Dublin, Ireland
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Countryside French Bistro
Cheverny, France
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New American dining on a restored ship
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
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“Culinary perfection consists not in doing extraordinary things,
But in doing ordinary things extraordinarily well.”
-Angelique Arnauld (1591-1661)
Who is John Galt?
TTFN
