Bascom’s Chop House (click for their cool website)

Talk about dinners done to perfection; this place should be at the top of your list for great steaks and chops. Right in the heart of Tampa Bay, Bascom’s menu has something for everyone especially with the current dinner specials. Booth or table, the dining experience is quite enjoyable. It has a warm ambiance and a unique history. The original Bascom came with Henry Flagler to help build the railroads. Steak, and eventually seafood (never frozen by the way!), became their forte.

We were pleasantly greeted and whisked off to our booth with their advertized specials in mind. The tender aged Petite Filet Mignon was heavenly and cooked to a perfect medium rare, and paired with our waiter’s suggestion of a Row Eleven Pinot Noir …well, it just couldn’t get much better. We also tried their Prime Rib and found it to be another great choice. Both came with a salad, large baked potato, and finely cut curly onion crisps. Dessert was worth waiting for. An outstanding original Floridian Key Lime Pie was Ed’s choice, and if you love cake batter, get their Berries and Cream! It’s really a Crème Brulee type of cream, but I taste cake batter with slices of ripe strawberries and tender blue berries. I’ll come back just for that!

On a second visit, we upped the ante choosing (Australian) Lamb Chops and the chef’s special of the night, an aged (48 days) bone-in Rib Eye steak. I ordered my favorite appetizer: a dozen chilled raw oysters. They were large premium selects and delicious, but I’d recommend getting a half dozen because they are filling. Again, both entrees were done to perfection, and the pacing from appetizer to dessert and coffee was superbly timed. The wine list is pretty extensive, but they did not have the 2006 Rombauer Zinfandel I was hoping for. Todd, the Cellar Master and General Manager, promises to have Rombauer Vineyards selections on the list soon.

Although the sides for our dinners this time were a la carte, they were large enough to share. We enjoyed splitting a Caesar salad, garlic mashed potatoes (not too heavy as far as garlic goes, yeah!), and even my favorite dessert: Berries and Cream. Yes, even dessert is large enough to share! In fact, there was enough steak to have it for our breakfast the next day as well.

We like Bascom’s Chop House; I can’t wait for October when they have their Stone Crab specials!

Specials for Friday/Saturday evenings: Petite Filet Mignon or 12 Oz. Prime Rib – also served with baked potato and garden salad. $ 19.99
Raw Oysters (12) $8.95
Chef’s Special: 25 oz. Aged Bone-in Rib Eye $ 31.95
Three grilled double-cut Australian Lamb Chops $ 27.95
Sides: $ 2.95 - $ 5.95
Desserts – made fresh on the premises: $ 5.95