After a short-lived venture at Knife & Co. in Hyde Park, Chef Gary Moran and his wife, Amy, have gone their own way and opened a new restaurant on South MacDill Ave. deemed "Wimauma".

Named after the quaint Florida town about 30 miles south of Tampa, Wimauma serves up lunch and dinner with a strong focus on fresh, local, Florida-inspired cuisine.  This means an eclectic and creative variety of soulful, Southern dishes ranging from a hug assortment of seafood to wings, steaks, pulled pork, and much more; all born from the culinary prowess of head chef and owner, Gary Moran.

Small plate menu highlights at Wimauma include fried oysters atop house-made guacamole then topped with smoked tomato jam and arugula; grilled, house-made Thai style pork sausage with green papaya salad and sour orange ginger aoli; and slow-smoked chicken wings tossed with house-made chipotle barbecue sauce served over celery, blue cheese, and green apple salad.

The main courses at Wimauma shine while capturing the culinary essence of this great state of ours.  Entree selections include Pork Two Ways featuring grilled pork loin served with smoked pork belly, country ham braised white beans, collard greens and a Mustard-Sherry Sauce; grilled NY strip steak with red skinn mashed potatoes, roasted garlic aioli, and sauteed spinach; and classic Shrimp & Grits featuring large Florida shrimp sauteed with tomato, basil, white wine, and pork bark over Old School Mill’s Grits.

If you're practically drooling all over your keyboard by now, you owe it to yourself to head out and dine at the newly opened Wimauma in South Tampa.  Let everyone know what you think with a rating and review on the Wimauma 813area.com business listing.