Many cities have a food they are famous for and a restaurant, sometimes a few, that serve their twist on the beloved local cuisine.
New Haven, Connecticut, for example, has Sally’s, Modern, and Pepe’s — three restaurants known for the city’s thin-crust pizza. Much like the battle between Pat’s King of Steaks and Geno’s Steaks in Philadelphia, the New Haven pizzerias each make similar, but not the same, versions of what’s known as “apizza.”
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Not every city has a clear-cut winner, but there are a lot of beloved local institutions. Sometimes there’s a reason for the eatery to stand out. Buffalo’s Anchor Bar literally invented the Buffalo wing and attracts both locals and tourists even though its signature wing has become ubiquitous.
It’s a pretty long list and sometimes the signature item is more famous than good. That, some would argue, is the case for Cincinnati’s famed Skyline Chili, an eatery known for putting chili on spaghetti, a much-debated practice.
In other cases, the famed local eatery uses an ingredient that’s indigenous to the area like Joe’s Stone Crab in Miami, or Conch Republic in Key West, which serves the local pink shrimp, that’s literally caught the same day it’s served to you.
Not every city has a clear-cut winner (lots of Key West restaurants might argue that they’re the city’s most famous restaurant) but losing any restaurant that’s in the discussion hits hard.
Many restaurants have struggled since the Covid pandemic.
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Local restaurant with a famous dish struggles
If you have visited Tampa, someone has probably told you to eat at Brocato’s, a 76-year-old sandwich shop. The eatery, famous for its Devil Crabs, has been a local hotspot and tourist attraction, for much of its history.
What’s a Devil Crab and why isn’t it Deviled Crab? Essentially, it’s a croquette stuffed with spicy blue crab meat. The whole thing is then dredged in flour and deep-fried.
It’s a Tampa-area tradition and Brocato’s, a family-owned restaurant throughout its long history claims to have the best version of the dish which when served elsewhere would be known as Deviled Crab. The restaurant has a long history before it became what it is now.
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“In 1948, Brocato’s opened its doors for business. From grocery store to meat market, to sandwich shop, Brocato’s has always strived to provide the best sandwich in Tampa, combined with friendly service. These values, coupled with the hard work and dedication of the Brocato family, have attracted and maintained loyal customers through the years,” the company shared on its website.
A local restaurant institution files Chapter 11 bankruptcy
Brocato’s Sandwich Shop has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection with the Middle District of Florida court. The company reports assets of less than $50,000 and debt between $1 and $10 million.
The company owes the Florida Department of Revenue nearly $700,000 and Sysco Corporation, a wholesale food vendor, $400,000. It also owes Joseph Brocato, one of its owners, $220,000 due to money he loaned the company. Its remaining debts include $21,000 to Gordon Food, $14,000 to Samuels & Son Seafood, with all other debts below $10,000.
Representatives of the family have said that the filing was an attempt to get its finances in order after debts piled up during the Covid pandemic. The company has not posted anything about the Chapter 11 filing on its Facebook page, but that last post there was in 2021.
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Tampa Business Journal broke the news on its website and Instagram page.
“The popular Tampa lunch counter Brocato’s Sandwich Shop filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy this week to reorganize its debts after falling behind on payments to the Florida Department of Revenue and several vendors…Brocato’s Cuban sandwich has been ranked by numerous sources as among the best in Tampa Bay, while its devil crabs are a cult classic,” the media outlet shared.
