Dan Good’s Giant Sandwiches was a big deal in Tampa. The store, located at 232 N. Dale Mabry Hwy., was a local staple for delicious sandwiches and, eventually, liquor. In the early 1960s, when this photo was taken, a one-half fried chicken or six fried shrimp box was $.97. They also sold the “Smitty”, a broiled sirloin steak sandwich with garlic butter and onions on toasted Cuban bread for $.75. Thick 16-ounce milkshakes here sold for $.19. The store took up an entire block facing Dale Mabry. A Sinclair Oil service station was next door.

Surprisingly, Good’s entry won top honors in the first Tampa Tribune Cuban sandwich contest in 1974, competing against big names like The Silver Ring and Alvarez’s. The manager at the time was Jerry Cigarran, a West Tampa native with a Spanish and Italian heritage. Their Cuban sandwich included ham, pork, salami, and Swiss cheese and sold for $1.04. Their bread came from More Bakery in Ybor City. Daniel Webster (Dan) Good died in 1963. His enterprise continued through the late 1970s.

Donatello Italian Restaurant (originally called Donatello Northern Italian Cuisine) opened here in 1984. Cesare Tini spent $250,000 to gut the former Henry Sung’s Chinese Pavillion restaurant and added Mediterranean-style furnishings and a lounge. Donatello continues to be a popular eatery. Fresh long-stem roses for women diners, tuxedoed waitstaff, and pink-toned linen-draped interior preserve a time-tested high-end feel.

© Chip Weiner. oldtampaphotos.com