Write Around Tampa

Latte Vino

22299 FL-54

Suite 102

Lutz

I’m back from summer hiatus with a real gem. This place has been here for a while; what took me so long? Let’s break it down.

Quality and pricing of food and drink:
The menu is deliciously, uniquely extensive. If I drank wine I’d be in serious trouble. I got the turkey with swiss and pesto on a croissant, a bottle of water, and the blended banana bread latte. So delicious, all. Well, water is water, Kirkland, the Walmart brand, but still better than Dasani and Aquafina. This fine lunch set me back $25, including tip.

Are there enough outlets?
A decent showing of outlets.

How’s the wifi?
Password protected, posted right on the counter, then in you are.

Will my muse come out?
Yes. Some nice contemporary background music (Red Hot Chili Peppers and Rihanna), pleasant coffee/kitchen prep noises, non-distracting hum of fellow patrons. If you’re ready to write, she’s ready to tell stories.

How long can I park it?
Open to close, 7am to 10pm every night except Mondays, when they close at 7pm. They host events in the evenings, like bingo night, so check the schedule before deciding to settle in for a night of writing. The chairs are a little odd and uncomfortable at first, but your bumpus kind of molds in nicely after a while. There’s a decent amount of seating, but I can imagine during peak times finding a spot may be challenging.

Final rating: 5 out of 5 laptops

Rachel Remick’s fiction and non-fiction stories have appeared in various magazines, among them Rosebud, Bluestem, Minerva Rising, and ellipsis . . . literature and art. Her writing has also been published in several volumes of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series of books. She lives in Tampa, Florida.