Discover this Tampa brunch gem without a wait

Yes, but: It ain't easy around here.

• We drove past a few common haunts downtown — First Watch, The Attic, Oxford Exchange — but all had lines out the door.

What we did: Veered toward Ybor City and got a table immediately at Flor Fina, which opened inside Hotel Haya in late 2020 but is still something of a secret.

I feasted on the English breakfast detour: a sweet black-garlic pork sausage patty, two strips of coffee-crusted bacon, two eggs, cheddar grits, delightful smoked mushrooms, and a juicy charred tomato.

• And I washed it down with a cocktail called the Black Diamond: mezcal, watermelon juice, Ancho Reyes Verde, Campari, lime and club soda, served on ice with lava salt on the rim of the glass.

🍽 The dining room was buzzing, but far from full. That's bound to change as more people discover this gem.

If you go: Brunch is served from 10am to 3pm on Saturdays and Sundays, 1412 E. 7th Ave.