Under the headline, “Is Lakeland Florida’s next hip food city? It sure seems like it,” Tampa Bay Times Food and Lifestyle Editor Michelle Stark takes a culinary tour of Lakeland.

Her tourguide was Maggie Leach, kitchen director at the Catapult small-biz incubator, so the tour leans heavily on Catapult friends and alumni. Featured eateries include soon-to-open spots such as The Joinery food hall, Yard on Mass food truck park and Honeycomb Bread Bakers downtown bistro. Established restaurants Stark visited established restaurants including Cafe Zuppina, Black & Brew and Born and Bread Bakehouse.

Also mentioned: The Poor Porker, Concord Coffee, Cob & Pen, Stuffed, No Guilt Baked Company, Cravory Cakes & Convections, A Cow Named Moo, and Patriot Coffee Roasters.

The Aztec d’Oro Mexican restaurant chain is expanding to Lakeland. It will occupy the stand-alone Oakbridge Square building built for TooJays Deli and will compete with nearby Tex-Mex chains Abuelo’s and Chili’s. Target opening: September-October | Website

James Kerr, a 34-year-old professional poker player from Winter Haven, is bringing a biscuit-centered, breakfast-and-brunch restaurant to the Dixieland spot that housed Nineteen61 until it moved downtown recently. He tells The Ledger he’s hoping for a September opening for “Biscuits and Benedits,” which is modeled after the Denver Biscuit Company and aims for a “Southern-modern, farmhouse vibe.”

Restaurant critic Eric Pera praises the hickory-smoked meats at the two Lakeland locations of BubbaQues, an order-at-the-counter, Florida chain that good-naturedly celebrates good ol’ boy culture | Menu