I’ve always admired and enjoyed the way Kurt Loft puts together a food story. Whether it’s a wine column or a dining review or a food feature, he’s always found a way to capture the essence of a dining experience.

Kurt left the Tribune a few weeks back after 27 years of covering everything from science to the orchestra to food in order to pursue a new career in the corporate editing arts, but he wrote a wonderful story about dining on South Howard Avenue in Tampa that appeared in today’s Friday Extra section of the paper:

On any given night along south Howard Avenue, aromas cascade through the air, carried by the breeze off Hillsborough Bay and into the noses of those in search of a meal.

The smells of poached fish and hot pizza, spicy baked chicken and cafe con leche linger in pockets through the neighborhood, enticing us to make a choice. Will it be Ceviche or Mangrove’s, Soho Oasis or Seven 17 South?

The options, of course, are what make south Howard — affectionately known as Restaurant Row — a tantalizing place to consider when the appetite calls. Few places in the area offer so many eateries along one pedestrian stretch, which is why we include it as part of our occasional series on walk-able dining.

Extending roughly from Bayshore to Kennedy boulevards, Restaurant Row literally percolates with places to chow down, from quick bites to big nights, all within a brisk stroll of one another. Happy hour crowds create a bustle early on, followed by mid-evening diners. Another wave arrives as concerts and hockey games let out, and people tarry into the wee hours.

More than 20 restaurants line the avenue, some open for more than 50 years — an anomaly in the business. That historic foundation is what others build on, says Bill Shumate, owner of Bella’s and former president of the Florida Restaurant Association.

‘’I think Bern’s being here helped because it established a reputation of excellence in Tampa, the state and the country,’’ he says. ‘’Once you get a pattern of quality established, a reputation, it becomes a norm for what people expect in the area.’’

The good news for readers: Kurt will continue to write wine columns for the Flavor section.

Here’s a map of the restaurants he profiled. You can click on a spot on the map and get the info for each restaurant.

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