A Tasty Bite Out of Ella's Americana Folk Art Café

Ella's Americana Folk Art Café, a hearty, laid back eating establishment that showcases visual artists and musicians, has a wide variety of vegan options including salads, appetizers, pizzas, and tofu replacements. On Soul Food Sundays, they even have mac n cheese and BBQ sandwiches.

I met a friend (and fellow artist!) at the hostel, I stayed at-- Gram's Place in Tampa.
On a gorgeous day, we headed out to the modest yet charming Tampa Museum of Art, catching a cool retrospective of Alex Katz paintings and prints. I told her about Ella's (thanks to HappyCow) and that's how an early dinner began....

The giant letters, stars, and bulls eyes on this eye-catching menu definitely has an eclectic vibe, letting the hungry patron (with a big appetite) in on delicious home cooked yumminess.

The Good Burger is modeled after the classic 1990's Nickelodeon film. The beauty of the word "good" in fancy yellow curried mayo was such a nice touch.

The Good Burger is a house made patty with sunflower shoots, avocado relish (tastes similar to guacamole yet with a pickle sweet finish), and onion strings all on a yellow sesame seed bun.

It's a whopping huge size, but with pinched hands, I managed a bite out of this piping hot wonder. The range of flavors and textures are just downright phenomenal-- patty was plump and tender, the bun so soft and pliant, and the crunchy onion strings were right on par together.

These Rasta-Far-Fries were incredibly exceptional-- spicy, crisp, just cooked to perfection. They're actually thick cut potato wedges fried and then seasoned with house mustard, sea salt, cilantro, and sriracha. Needless to say, along with the hot burger, my mouth was on fire throughout the eating experience-- yet so well worth it.

A long length painting that happened to catch my eye.....

On the outdoor turf, where folks can eat their meals in the warm pleasant weather, eccentric art is everywhere on the patio including this intriguing sculpture trio of wiry scarecrows.

Rusty tin musicians also wait in the patio, serenading with an enchanted promises.

This colorful bench was made for relaxation in the great space cloaked by nature.

I loved the strands of lights hanging from the patio as though they were necklaces for the blossoming trees. Ella's was a beautiful environment to have iced waters (or whatever cold beverage wanted) and reminisce about life's magic, especially in regards to this comfortable restaurant tied down with a lovely relationship to art.

More woodsy outdoor picturesque wonders....

The teasing little lights glowed among the setting sun and lush foliage, a splendid end to the experience of a good meal and funky art.