Chicago Cubs Manager Joe Maddon Is A Top Tampa Restaurateur

Cubs manager Joe Maddon was the field boss of the Tampa Bay Rays from 2006-2014. During that time, the now 62-year-old earned a reputation for being quite the renaissance man. Though Maddon now spends his summers in Chicago, he has most certainly retained a connection to the Tampa-St. Pete area, most notably the region’s culinary scene.

In 2014, Maddon and business partner Michael Stewart opened Ava, a trendy Italian restaurant, in Tampa’s Hyde Park neighborhood. The Howard Street dining spot sits two miles southwest of downtown Tampa, 21 miles east of Tropicana Field and one mile from Maddon’s Florida residence.

Since the eatery opened its doors, the reviews have remained strong.

While Maddon’s current February through October life takes him away from the Sunshine State, come the winter months, a trip to Ava may also include a sighting of one of baseball’s most interesting and engaging people.