Tampa I Am

APRIL!

2010-04-22T13:14:00.002-04:00

Well I am in a new role with my job, and unfortunately do not have the time to update the blog until further notice.

I will say though that I keep myself very busy on the weekends, weather is getting warmer, lots of festivals, and events in and around the Bay area.

I hope to be able to come back time to time on any highlights!!

MARCH!

2010-03-17T21:21:00.004-04:00

Wow, first apologies, I've received several emails asking where were my updates. Things have been crazy busy with work and life in general, but let me try to sum up some things I've been up to in the Tampa area over the past month since I last posted.

Sunday Feb 28th, went to the last showing of the Broadway Musical 'Wicked' at the Starz Performing Arts Center in downtown Tampa.

Wednesday March 3rd was a good friends birthday, so about 15 of us met up at The Brasserie in downtown St. Petersburg to celebrate, and my friend Rob was playing solo his great tunes. The food here was excellent, we tried the Onion Tart, a large pie shaped Tart, great flavor, perfect to share for two as an appetizer. I had the Burger, a huge juicy Burger with cheese on a soft Onion Roll, and crisp fries. Perfect!!

Saturday, March 6th was the annual Florida Brewers Guild Beerfest held at Centro Ybor...taking the #19 bus from South Tampa, we were able to try over 40 different Florida brewers showcasing their fine brews...$25 gets you a 4oz cup to sample for 4 hours...lots of really good stuff this year. Then it was off to The Forum downtown for a Lightning Hockey game...

Sunday March 7th, was the ending of Gasparilla season, with the Gasparilla Festival of the Arts at the Curtis Hixon Waterfront park, a beautiful day for it in downtown Tampa.

Wednesday a few of us caught my friend Rob again playing at Hula Bay/Dukes on the waterfront, a cool evening with good tunes, and good food.

Saturday the 13th was the annual St Patricks Parade in Ybor. We started at La Terazza's Italian restaurant around 6ish to celebrate a friends birthday...excellent service and food in this small Italian cafe on 7th avenue...then we walked over to Gaspars grotto to watch the parade, a stop in green Iguana, Spurs, Coyote Ugly, Club Czar, and to end the night we munched on some exccellent Tacos at Jalepenos De Ybor.

Sunday was A nice bike ride from Westshore Blvd to Bayshore Blvd along Euclid Ave, and then up Bayshore Blvd through downtown to Ybor City. It was a beautiful day for it.

Monday I was off to NYC for work.

A day in Sarasota

2010-02-23T11:19:00.002-05:00

Saturday we went down to Sarasota, about an hour south of Tampa. Met a friend and had some lunch at the Anna Maria Oyster Bar in Bradenton, then went to the Mote Marine Aquarium, which grew in size since the last time I was there....they had a large bird sancutary set up across from the aquarium, and a short walk was the Dolphin, Manatee and Sea Turtle exhibits. After that a short drive to Siesta Key where we walked around the beaches and the Village area, and by evening it was time to meet up with about 10 others for dinner at Tommy Bahamas at St Armands Circle. A great little getaway for the day!

Valentines Weekend in Tampa

2010-02-16T09:02:00.003-05:00

Saturday, although temps were chilly, we went and took a nice drive up Gulf Blvd from Madeira Beach to Clearwater beach, passing by lots of Mom and Pop motels, tourist traps, unique beach bars and shops. On Clearwater beach we stopped at Frenchy's Rockaway Grill, right on the beach. Parking in Frenchy's own parking lot, only holds about 10 cars just beside the restaurant, we were immediately seated, but it was very busy, with a live band playing. Perfect views of the Gulf...we started with the She Crab soup....large chunks of crab in a thick and flavorful soup...munched on Onion Straws, one order is enough for 4, until our regular Grouper Sandwich's came, one grilled the other Cajun style. This place still lives up to its reputation for excellent Grouper Sandwich's...and its a fun place with great views.

Sunday we took the Kayaks out at Picnic Island, it was only in the lo 60s but the sun was shining, and made it a perfect day for Kayaking...we explored a new island near the AirForce Base, lots of wildlife and birds, the water was calm and clear today...no dolphin sitings on this trip though.

Monday after checking out the Academy Award nominee "Crazy Heart" movie, we went over to Hyde Park/SOHO area to enjoy a dining spot I haven't been to in a while, Ciccio's and Tony's. Place was jumping with pretty Hyde park people, the Olympics were playing at the bar area...lively place, LARGE menu they share with the Water sushi place next door. Lettuce Wraps have always been my fav here, so I got the Natural Chicken, and HUGE sliced all natural chicken breast, with plenty of toppings and tasty sauces to make your own wraps. We also tried one of the Stir Fry bowls you can create...very good!

Black Eyed Peas and Hockey - downtown Tampa weekdays

2010-02-12T09:50:00.003-05:00

Wednesday eve we went to a long awaited show...the Black Eyed Peas were playing at the Forum downtown Tampa. Parking at the Embassy Suites hotel across the street was convenient, we walked over to Hot Tuna across from the Forum where the DJ was spinning all BEP, and was very crazy busy..so we then walked next door to The Hut...again a very busy crowd inside, we hung outside by the bar, and they also had a DJ, but not as entertaining as Hot Tuna. By 8pm, we entered into the Forum, with Club Seat tickets...the show was AWESOME...very entertaining. After the show we were not ready to head home with all the energy from the show, so we walked a few blocks up to the Hub, and cabbing it back home to end the evening at the Green Iguana south westshore...a great Wednesday night.

Thursday the Boston Bruins were in town, so we all went to the Lightning Game...prior to the game we stopped by Malio's for their great Happy Hour Menu...HUGE Ginormous juicy cheeseburgers, some of the best flavor and fresh baked soft onion rolls; Shrimp Theresa in a garlic lemon butter sauce; Mozzarella planks - cheesy and lightly fried; tower of Onion rings - again lightly fried and large portion...each item only $5 each!! We were pleasantly surprised how much food and how great it was...definitely will be back for the Happy Hour menu again. The game was slow go for the Lightning in the first period, but an exciting third period with lots of action, but could not get one last goal to tie it up, and we lost 5-4.

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Tampa with Hockey, John Mayer and Pirates!

2010-02-08T17:41:00.003-05:00

Another great long weekend started Thursday evening when the Tampa Bay Lightning took on the NY Islanders at the Forum in downtown Tampa. I used to watch and follow the Islanders as a kid, my dad would take me and my brothers to the Nassau Coliseum for games growing up in Long Island. Being in Tampa for about 22 years, I was going for the Lightning tonight, and although a sloppy game, Lightning won 5-2.

Friday was a concert night downtown Tampa. We started at Cafe Dufrain, got a nice table outside overlooking downtown and the Forum along the Channel. Food is consistently GREAT here, started with Lamb Ribs(kind of small, and a little over cooked) and Calamari, cooked perfectly with a great lightly spiced oil. Then we enjoyed Sea Scallops entree, and Ahi Tuna. PERFECT. A short walk across the harbour island bridge to the Forum after dinner was perfect(parking at harbour Island is free in the garage if you dine or use one of the services). John Mayer was awesome, played lots of new and old, talked alot with the crowd of nearly 12000. A walk back to harbour island after the concert, we stopped by the Convention Center along the Riverwalk where the Jose Gaspar ship has been docked all week after taking over the city last Saturday.
And Saturday night was the Night Parade for Gasparilla, the 3rd and final parade for Gasparilla. We got to Ybor City early to visit to partake in the Ybor ART walk which occurs every first Saturday of the month from noon to 6pm, only to find out that may of the studios and galleries were closed, because of the parade this evening. We got to the Laughing Cat for the BEST Italian dinner, and were joined by some other friends....filling up on some of the best Italian food in all of Tampa area..Sea Bass Special, Seafood AuGratin, Eggplant Parmasean, Eggplant Rotini, and some soups....all very very good. By then it was time to hit 7th Avenue for the Parade, and what I like about the night parade is it is more 'intimate'...the floats are closer, the people are not as packed, you can get right up to the front, and get the most beads ever. the 2.5 hour parade was FUN..meeting friends from the Krewes at Gaspars Grotto afterwards, and then late night Pizza and NY NY Pizza.

Im looking forward to the Black Eyed Peas this Wednesday!

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2010 Gasparilla Weekend! The Invasion and Parade

2010-02-02T17:05:00.004-05:00

Friday afternoon started off great, some lunch outdoors along the waterfront at Hula Bay, some Vino in the backyard patio with great friends, and then over to Hyde Park for the Pre-Gaspar festivities. Mateo's new Mexican place was packed, we ended up Valet parking at The Lodge on Howard Ave, and walked around Howard Ave which was hopping by 700pm. We walked over to The Rack on Platt Street for some good eats, have dinner outside, we enjoyed the Lobster/Spinach Dip, with large/soft triangle bread for dipping, then onto the Crunchy Grouper Tacos - Large fried pieces of Grouper in 3 soft flour tortillas, with all the accompaniments, and fries...they were good. And also some Bison Sliders with Cheese/Fries, very juicy and cooked perfectly. It was a great place to start the night.
Then it was a walk across the street to Hyde Park Cafe, where they started a new Friday Night special called "Flip Flop Fridays", and now have a Huge Biergarten with over 60 beers from all over the globe on Tap...also serving Piranellis thin crust pizzas and free wings. The beers are only $10 for a mug and all you can drink from 8-10pm, with a DJ outside in the Biergarten spinning classic dance/alternative tunes from the 80s/90s. It was a fun crowd. Couldn't stay too late, a big day was ahead for Gasparilla.

Saturday morning was very cloudy, breakfast was at a buddies house in Tampa Heights, then we took the #1 Bus (about a dozen of us), to downtown Tampa, first stop was The Hub...it started raining, but by 4pm the parade had reached downtown and we walked over to Taps in Skypoint...some of us watched the parade from Taps outside under the shelter of a tent set up out front, others braved the rain and wind(it stopped raining by 5pm) with Ponchos on and watched the parade up front, catching beads, meeting lots of folks along the parade route. To end the evening, it was an excellent concert by Collective Soul on the Great lawn of the new Curtis Hixon Riverfront Park.

An excellent Saturday night!! And successful Gasparilla Weekend!

2010 Gasparilla Season Begins and a New Waterfront park in downtown Tampa

2010-01-25T09:11:00.004-05:00

Saturday afternoon began an over 100 year tradition in Tampa, GASPARILLA! It runs through March 7th, with the Children's Parades and Pirate Battle/Fireworks today; the Pirates come to try and take over the city on Tuesday 1/26 only to be told by the mayor they will have to go to war for the key to the city---so on Saturday 1/30 they Invade the city by boat(100's of them), and take the key to the city, and have a victory parade and festival. The following Saturday is the night parade in Ybor City, the Outbound Voyage when we send the pirates back to sea is Saturday 2/27, and then the season ends with the Gasparilla Festival of the Arts in downtown Tampa 3/6 and 3/7. GOOD TIMES!!
The fireworks were watched this year with a few friends along Bayshore Blvd near El Prado Blvd, no need to deal with all the crowds further up on Bayshore, it was an amazing 30 minute firework display, and I always get to see some new ones like the smiley face fireworks that went off during the show, all while the Pirate Ship was docked in the Bay along bayshore Blvd. Afterwards, we walked over to mad Dogs and Englishmen for a nice table outside on the deck, and GREAT meals as usual at Mad Dogs--Lamb Chops, Fish and Chips, Mad Dog Salads, Cucumber Salads, and Calamari(which was more breaded this venture for some reason). All paired with some great wines. After dinner, met some friends for a birthday party at Splitsville in Channelside, then a Karaoke party.

Sunday was the grand opening of a new waterfront park in downtown Tampa, and extension of the Riverwalk. After an excellent meal at First Watch...we walked over to Curtis Hixon Park which opened to the public today, very modern, open layout, with a Great lawn for concerts and festivals. It has some very nice modern features, more of a special use park, and front lawn to the new Museum of Art and Children's Museum...there are many water features(fountains, misters), and great lighting effects in the evenings, docking for boats and kayaks along the river. I'm not too happy with what they did with Kiley park area, they removed all the trees and its just open..will be mighty hot in the summers in that area.

And....Looks like it will be the Saints and the Colts in this years Superbowl.
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Tampa's Gorilla Theater and a Wing Fest in St. Pete

2010-01-18T16:25:00.002-05:00

Friday evening, went to check out the independent theater, Gorilla Theater, and a new play that opened up called "The Drunken City". There are quite a few independent small theaters scattered around the bay area, this one is in Drew park area of Tampa, near Raymond James Stadium. A great small place, about 45 seats in three stadium like tiered rows, not a bad seat in the house. A small bar area, and waiting area are comfortable for very inexpensive beers and wines and organic coffee's. The play was funny, and very well done by the cast.

Saturday, we went over to St. Petersburg's Vinoy Park along the Bay to check out the 1st Annual Wingfest. About a dozen or so restaurants cooked up all kinds of wings for the tasting...there was live music, and it was a nice breezy sunny day along the waterfront. The Sloppy Pelican, which is in St. Pete Beach, got my vote for the tastiest wings.
In the evening, it was a group of us enjoying some live music and good eats at Hula Bay's Dukes on the lower level area...pouring rain and lightning was the background for a fun night, which ended at the Green Iguana South Westshore.
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Friday night in St. Pete; Saturday night in Hyde Park

2010-01-11T14:43:00.003-05:00

After work Friday, went over to a friends in the old NE neighborhood of St. Pete, we were planning to go downtown for some eats. We wanted to go to Red Mesa Cantina, but getting there around 830pm, there was over an hour wait...looked like a great scene, live music was playing outside in the courtyard, but it was almost 40 degrees out..brrrrr. So we walked a block over to ZGrille. Nice open modern space, with the kitchen in full view behind the bar. We waited less than 5 mins for a table to be cleared, another great looking scene. Friendly service, we started out with Chips with homemade Guac, Queso, and Salsa - the salsa is the pureed kind, I like mine with chunks of fresh tomatoes, this was good though, we also asked for hot salsa, and for .50 they brought a small side of hot salsa(not sure why they wouldn't just give it to you). The Marinated skirt steak and Rib Eye were our main meals, each came with smashed red potatoes, and a vege(fresh green beans, asparagus). The skirt steak was a very small portion with a pureed chimichurri sauce, not as tender as I would have liked, but it was OK. The RibEye was HUGE, very tender and juicy, flavorful, enough for two. We were pleased with the meal, for some reason our dirty plates remained on the table for quite some time. After dinner it was time to light a fire at home, we were expecting sleet in the morning!!

A cold Saturday greeted us, high temps never got over 40 degrees, and we were expecting another freeze in the evening. It was a friends of mine birthday, so about 8 of us went over to Byblos for excellent Mediterranean/Middle Eastern eats. We all met at the bar, where a very friendly bar tender kept us entertained, suggesting wines and cocktails. At 7pm there were only a few people in the place, by 730 it was getting packed. We had a private table in the bar area, called the 'Mosquito Room" because of the mosquito net above our head, a great area and highly recommended for a party of 6 or more. Food and Wines kept coming, Ive always had such great service and some of the best middle eastern foods at Byblos. By 9pm, we had the belly dancer in our area...some Turkish Coffee to wrap up the great evening, and then it was out in Hyde park for the rest of the night, first to Cork on Howard Ave, watching the rest of the Wild Card playoff games, and enjoying great company, then a walk over to Dubliner.

Sunday, being as cold as it was, I made homemade Italian Wedding Soup, wow, what a pain making over a pound and a half of little tiny meatballs from scratch. GOOD STUFF!!

Hopefully we may see the 70s by Saturday, we are on 10 days of temps below 60 in a row.
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Happy New Year Tampa - Twenty Ten!!

2010-01-08T13:43:00.003-05:00

The New Year is here, and wow...it is COLD!! For Florida standards, highs in the 50s with lows in the 30s, this upcoming weekend, we may even see some sleet!?

It was a fun New Years weekend in the Bay area, starting out on Wednesday the 30th, about 30 of us all met up at Hula Bay to see my buddy Rob play some great music, and enjoy each others company...food, service, music...all good times. And the views even better along the water front of Tampa Bay.

New Years Eve, it was me and a few others at my friends house in the St. Pete neighborhood of Old NE. Making homemade pizzas, we had alot of fun, and then around 1130, walked down Coffee Pot Bayou to North Straub Park to watch the downtown St. Pete Fireworks at the strike of midnight to welcome in Twenty Ten!

Friday - New Years Day, was a great day for watching the Bowl games, and made a huge lasagna for some close friends, of course watching the move 'The Hangover'.

Saturday night, a few of us met up for dinner at the new Hamburger Marys in Ybor City's Centro Ybor. A great space, large circular bar area, lively music and videos playing...a very large balcony area along 7th Avenue too. Service was fast and friendly, food even better...large salads, tasty and huge wings. Alot of fun to start off the evening. Then it was on to see a great show at the Ritz Theater in Ybor City. Glactic is an amazing Funk band, entertaining and fun..who knew a trombone could be so entertaining...FUN FUN!!! I will always see this band when they are in town.

Sunday to end the weekend, took a friend to the last Bucs game of the season against the Falcons. We lost our last game, but we braved the cold temps(only got to 49 degrees), and were able to enjoy the second half of the game in the Club section, no better way to keep warm and watch the game then the Club area of Ray Jay Stadium.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! GET OUT AND EXPLORE TAMPA BAY!! One of my goals this year is to explore new places to Kayak, Bike, Beach, Dining and Nightlife.

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A Christmas Weekend in Tampa

2009-12-28T09:23:00.002-05:00

Happy Holidays! Christmas Break started early, and on Wednesday evening a few of us went to the Forum downtown to see the Lightning take on the Flyers, was an exciting Hockey Game...with the Flyers up 2-0 in the first period, only for the Lighting to get 2 in the second period, but the Flyers came through for another 2 to win the game. After the game we met up and said hello/goodbye to some friends that were leaving Tampa for the holiday weekend.

Christmas Eve - started early making Italian sauce and a huge Italian feast for my Aunt and Uncle and a few friends - Sausage and Meatballs, Eggplant Parmesan, Four Cheese Lasagna, Broccoli with Garlic/Lemon, Garlic Bread....espresso's and zambuca out in the backyard around the fire pit..dessert of Italian pastries/cookies, and Banana's Foster, and then playing dice games till midnight, when the Cigars came out. Good Times!

Christmas Day - after opening gifts and enjoying the morning, met my Aunt and Uncle at Channelside for some Christmas Thai dinner and Thai Thani - at 330pm, not many people in the restaurant yet, but more and more were coming in as we were eating, the area was very busy with people going to the movies as well. Food and service were good, as usual, we ordered some of the Soups, rich and flavorful, Dumplings - fresh and delicious, and House Fried Rice, and another dish with Shrimp, Chicken and Pork and a very light and flavorful sauce. An excellent Christmas meal. Afterwards we walked it off along the Tampa Riverwalk, starting at Channelside, taking a look at the new Heroes Plaza and Cottanchobee Park. Then it was time to see a movie at Channelside, and Up in the Air was the consensus, great movie!! And a great Christmas Day!!

Saturday a good friend of mine in the Seminole Heights neighborhood was having a few dozen people over for a Cookies and Wine get together, everyone that showed up at to bring two dozen cookies, and at the end of the night, you were able to take home a few dozen cookies...interesting, but had alot of fun.

Sunday, went to downtown St. Pete, and tried Yummy Mama's - Russian Brunch Buffet. I never went to a Russian restaurant, this was very authentic, and had a little market next door, large bar area with live musicians. The Brunch was thoroughly explained in detail of all the variety of foods, everyone that worked there was overly friendly and Russian...Stuffed Cabbage, Chicken Kiev, Goulash, Stroganoff, Russian salads, Russian soups, Perogies...and lots of other foods such as Cheese Blintzes and Crepes, Omelet station, Carving Station, Salad Station, Seafood Station with Crab legs, Oysters and Shrimps. It was good, included Mimosas or Bloody Mary's. I'M not sure I will be running back to the Brunch Buffet, but would love to try the menu for freshly prepared meals...I thin that had there been more people dining and they were able to turn the food over more in the steam tables, the food may have been fresher.
Afterwards it was a walk around the park areas of downtown St. Pete. Sunday night, another good friend of mine had a dinner party at her Wellswood neighborhood home, about a dozen of us on the back porch, with a fire pit, and heaters on, enjoyed company and winding down of a great Holiday weekend.

Short week, and looking forward to New Years!!
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Chilly Dec Weekend in Tampa

2009-12-21T11:11:00.004-05:00

Temps have dropped, and its getting to feel a lot like Christmas...sort of...with blizzard conditions in the Northeast and over 20" of snow, i'll settle for temps in the 50s and 60s.

Friday, we decided to try a new Italian Restaurant near me called Luigi's. On Gandy Blvd near Himes Ave, you go into an new looking open space, with a bar in the back area. We started with some mussels in a lemon butter sauce, about 11 mussels came out on a dish, with a very tasty sauce, great for bread dipping, not so great for $10 though. We ordered the Chicken Parm and Eggplant Parm...both dishes came with seasonal veges(baby carrots in a butter sauce), and a pasta/sauce of choice. HUGE portions, being Italina I am very picky about my Italian when dining out, and although the food was OK, it was just that, only OK. The dinners are covered in melted mozzarella, the chicken was not so tender, maybe heated, and Eggplant was very soggy, I like my eggplant to be fresh, crispy fried thin slices. Service was very good, we also ordered a side of meatballs, three came out in a tomato sauce, very cold. I know they make the meatballs prior, but they could have been heated better, there was alot of breading in the meatballs. We wont be back, sorry Luigi's..nice place, friendly service, but for Italian it was just mediocre at best.
Afterwards we went to Cinebistro in Hyde Park Village to see the opening of Avatar. I really really love this place...im not a big fan of going to movies on opening night on a weekend...but being able to reserve your seat ahead of time on line was perfect. We got there about 15 min prior, were seated by the usher, and ordered Cappuccinos and an EXCELLENT chocolate cake dessert that reminded me of the old Suzie Q's. The movie was EXCELLENT as well, amazing effects, 3D technology, good story. After the movie a nice walk through the Hyde Park neighborhood, Bungalow Terrace area, checking out all the Christmas Lights/Displays.

Saturday, met a few friends back at the Village to have an early dinner at Timpano's Italian Chop House...this place is beautiful inside, large bar area, upscale dining area, and sidewalk tables outside...it was a bit chilly for outside, so we met inside...ive always liked the look of the place, but food is mediocre at best...especially for the prices. 4 Cheese Raviloi with a lemon butter/white wine sauce and sliced chicken..the chicken was very dry, sliced peppers were over cooked, very very salty to the taste....Shrimp Fra Diablo, Veal Marsala...just OK dishes, but they are over $20 each dish, and ala carte. I will say that they have a good wine list(althoguh pricey) and love the Mussels Appetizer that comes out on a skillet.
We then went to check out some Christmas Displays, Rawls Road in Tampa...afterwards all were too tired to go to some of the many parties happening in and around the area.

Sunday we headed to the Buddhist Temple for Brunch, getting there around 1pm is ideal, the Soups were perfect for this chilly day, sitting along the water, enjoying some very fresh Thai foods..

My brother visits Tampa from Colorado

2009-12-15T14:28:00.003-05:00

Another great long weekend, one of my brothers came to Tampa to visit me and my family and also join me to the Bucs/Jets game this weekend. He arrived Thursday, TIA is so convenient, parking on the top floor of the short term parking deck, as soon as he arrives, gets his bags, its an easy elevator ride to the 9th floor, and no charge for parking the first hour. Off to drive him to my Mom's outside of Sun City Center in Valencia Lakes, where we enjoyed some of the best pizza outside of NY..East Coast Pizza take out.

Friday after work, we all met up and went to Cafe Durfrain on Harbour Island downtown Tampa...beautiful waterfront setting, the meals here are always consistently great!! Then it was a walk across the street to Thats Amore for Italian desserts and espresso's while the owner played Sinatra tunes and Christmas songs on the Piano, all while having an excellent view of the waterfront and downtown Skyline.

Saturday my whole family met up for an afternoon movie at the Cinebistro in Hyde Park Village..great comfortable seats, ultra luxurious. modern state of the art theaters..we enjoyed huge bowls of popcorn and giant sodas with free refills, all served to you prior to the start of the movie.
Then we walked thru the village to the Wine Exchange, and enjoyed the unusual warm December air(it was about 65 this evening), sitting on the patio..again always consistently great food and service at Wine Exchange, EXCEPT for the Broiled Seafood Special they were offering, a large portion of Broiled Lobster, Shrimp, Scallops..but lacking any flavor. All else was very good, and then we walked over to City Sweets for coffees, fudge and desserts which we brought out to the fountain area of the Village, sitting outside, enjoying each others company, a nice evening.

Sunday was GAME DAY...the Jets of course beat the Bucs, was a sloppy game, but my brother enjoyed being at the game of his beloved Jets, while I was there for the Bucs...fun time though...then we met up with the rest of the family for a final night dinner waterside at Hula Bay...perfect ending to a great weekend, a beautiful evening again as we watched the sunset, and enjoyed awesome fish tacos, sushi, grouper sandwich's, fish and chips...and then stayed for dessert and conversation.

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Back in Tampa from New York, NY!

2009-12-08T14:31:00.002-05:00

Great trip to NY for business, which led to a great long weekend for play. Some highlights from this trip included:
Momoya - Chelsea
Otto Pizzeria - Great Wine and Food, a Mario Batagglia restaurant - West Village
5th Ave Window Displays - Barneys, Bergdorf and Goodman, Sachs, Macys, Lord and Taylor, etc..
Rockefeller Plaza - Top of the Rock
Murray's Flaffal on 1st Ave
Union Square Holiday Market
Museum of Sex - Flatiron District
"In the Heights" - Broadway Show - EXCELLENT!!
Blue Fin at the 'W' hotel in Times Square
Mercury Bar - Hells Kitchen
Il Porto - South Street Seaport

Nothing like a Trip to New York to get anyone in the Christmas and Holiday Spirit!
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Thanksgiving Weekend 2009 in Tampa

2009-12-01T08:48:00.004-05:00

Nice long weekend has come to an end. Started out on Wednesday evening, typically a very busy evening with lots of folks coming into town to visit friends and family. Met up with 8 other good friends at Grille 116 in the Northdale area..the burbs about 10 miles north of Tampa. We had a great table in the lounge area...swanky place, very nice, upscale, reminded me a bit like South Beach in the Burbs....service was excellent. Meals here are all a la carte, consisting of Steaks, Seafood and some Pasta dishes. I had the Sea Scallops, three huge pan seared scallops atop a very creamy Risotto. All the dishes were excellent, and to end off the dinner, homemade doughnuts with different toppings like Chocolate, Strawberry and Caramel. It was a great way to start off the long holiday weekend, before heading home, it was a stop at the Green Iguana Westshore, never seen the place more crowded, but alot of fun.

Turkey day was held this year at the Columbia Restaurant in Ybor City with the family. We were so surprised by the excellent meal...a first for us to not cook. We had reservations, and only waited about 5 minutes to be seated...we had some of their famous Sangria to start us off...Thanksgiving Meal at the Columbia consisted of Vermont Turkey(all white meat breast), Sausage Stuffing, Mashed Potatoes(with lumps), Mixed Veges, Sweet Potato, Cranberry Dressing, and Gravy...a HUGE portion, some of us couldn't finish it all. Very homemade, VERY delicious. Highly recommend if you don't want to cook, or clean and be served for Thanksgiving, the Columbia is a great choice. The meal even included a salad or soup, and dessert..Pumpkin Pie, Pumpkin Flan or Flan, and all drinks(coffee, teas, sodas)...all for only $20 per person.
We then strolled down 7th avenue in Ybor to the movies...it was a bit busy in the historic district this Holiday afternoon, but the movies were empty...saw the Fantastic Mr Fox.

Friday, had a nice bike ride from my home in South Tampa off Westshore Blvd to Ballast Point Pier/Bayshore Blvd. Beautiful day, in the 60s..we had lunch at the restaurant at the Pier, called Taste of Boston...good warm Clam Chowder, a HUGE Grouper Sandwich and Lobster Rolls, all very good. Friday evening, my musician buddy Rob was to play at Bellini's in Gulfport. A few of us stopped by La Fogota for dinner - excellent Brazilian style place, authentic, upscale decor, beautiful restaurant in Gulfport. We had the Churassco dinner which included all you can eat fresh carved variety of meats(Pork, Steak Diane, Sausages, Bacon wrapped Chicken, Prime Rib, and more)...it was excellent and included a salad, soups, side dishes bar as well. Rob didn't end up playing this evening, as there was another band booked, Bellini's is a great bar area, with an outdoor area as well with a nice waterfall...it was kinda chilly this evening, so we stayed in and relaxed a few hours, chomping on the great meals we enjoyed.

Saturday, we biked again, to the Saturday Morning Market in downtown St. Pete, and then taking the Pinellas Trail over to the Grand Central District area for the annual Chili Cookoff....a fun time, tasted over a dozen different types of chiilis, relaxed at the Queenshead Restaurant listening to live music, and also on the 'Chill Lounge' set up in the area...beautiful day for biking yet again. Saturday afternoon a few of us gathered at my place, and watched USF stumble under Miami for a terrible upsetting football game...it was nice to turn the TV outside, and sit around and enjoy the cool evening watching football. Then up the street to CDB's Southside for some eats and wine.

Sunday went and met some friends at Hula Bay/Dukes, another winning sunny cool day. Then onto Christmas Tree shopping, ending up at Lowes, great trees, and great service.

Short week, work bring me to NYC for a few days, then playing in Manhattan for this upcoming weekend.
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Treasure Island Mexican Eats, Sandsculptures, USF Football, Wine Lunch

2009-11-24T11:27:00.003-05:00

After another great Ethiopian meal at Queen of Sheba in South Tampa, on Friday, we ventured out to the beaches to Treasure Island...a quick 30 min drive across the Bay from Tampa, and settled into VIP Mexican, next to Ricky T's and across from the Thunderbird and Bilmar Resort Hotels....hole in the wall, casual, bar...AWESOME AWESOME Mexican food....no frills, you may get friendly service, you may not, you may have to get up and go in the kitchen to get your silverware, its all in the fun...if you park in the back, you have to actually walk thru the kitchen to get in the place...I love dives like this, its been a local beach establishment for over 30 years. After feeding ourselves we all walked across the street through Sloppy Joe's at the Bilmar for the Annual Sand Sculpting contest...over 21 tons of sand was dumped for artists to create some amazing sculptures..there were live bands also playing on the beach, there is nothing like being on the beach at night, such a different experience.

Saturday was the the USF Homecoming Game against Louisville...we started with a GREAT brunch at Brio in International Plaza's BayStreet, I commented a few weeks back that I was not a big fan, but at 10am, brunch was something else...nice table outside, Mimosas in hand, and most Brunch items were under $10....very tasty Fritatta's, Eggs Benedict's, French Toast....USF won their game, and the loong day continued to Ybor City and a few places downtown Tampa.

Sunday, watching the Bucs, we headed over to the Wine Exchange in Hyde Park Village where Vanessa took care of us at a great table outside....ive always had consistently great friendly service, and good food over the past few years here...hope they keep it up.

Short week with the Turkey Day Holiday, trying something very different this year, going to the Columbia Restaurant for Thanksgiving...should be interesting.
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Stoney Point Casino Night - St Pete's RibFest

2009-11-18T13:16:00.003-05:00

Weekend was beautiful, and FUN!! Saturday night some good friends of mine in the City of Tampa neighborhood Stoney Point held their annual "Casino Night" party at their house, all dressed up in tux's, and Marilyn Monroe look alikes, the theme was Rat Pack - Casino Night. A great party, live music, awesome people, and donations piled up for Toys for Tots and MOSI.
Sunday, to take advantage of the great weather, a bunch of us ventured out on the bikes along Coffee Pot Bayou in St Pete for the annual RibFest, which also benefits Children's Charities. The biking was beautiful, we got to Vinoy Park, locked up the bikes, paid the $15 admission, only to be thrown into a most dis-organized crowd--want something to drink?, wait 30 minutes--pushing and shoving; want to try some of the countries best Ribs and BBQ?, wait about 90 minutes, pushing and shoving; want to enjoy some live music--well, try to find your self a spot on the expansive lawn that was already over populated...ive been to this festival a few times, and have never seen it so disorganized, people didnt know where to stand, no organized lines...at times I thought a riot might break out...all I know is if they cant get this festival more organized, or have a limit as to the amount of people they actually let into the festival, I will never go back, and never advise anyone to go to such a mess...we left after about 2 hours, and walked to the Parkshore Grill for dinner...which was awesome as usual. A nice table outside along the park/bay, food has always been consistently good, as well as the service.

Back from NC Mountains - Lunch and Coffee's in Palma Ceia and a Greek Grill in Tampa

2009-11-10T22:44:00.003-05:00

What another AMAZING time at the Hawkesdene House Mountain Retreat in Andrews, NC. We had two newbies on this trip, the fall colors were breathtaking, weather couldn't have been better with blue blue skies, temps near 70, and close to freezing at night. Cant wait to get back there soon!!

Coming back Monday, took my babysitter(Madre) and a friend to lunch at Datz Deli off MacDill Ave in South Tampa neighborhood of Palma Ceia. Once again a great meal, HUGE colossal size sandwich's(brought the other half of them home for dinner)--fresh corned beef, pastrami, cheeses, plate of pickles, fresh breads, very very attentive service, and those yummy sweet and salty homemade chips with blue cheese dressing...even asked for extra blue cheese for dipping.
After an excellent lunch, we wondered next door to Kalupa Bakery for fresh Colombian coffee's and fresh baked desserts, there are a few tables for relaxing and enjoying the sweet treats.

This evening, went to check out a new Greek Grill, called GoGos, on Kenedy Blvd just east of Westshore Blvd. Plenty of parking in the back, a very nice clean open restaurant, as I walked in I noticed the set up is almost IDENTICAL to a Chipotle Mexican. You walk up and have choices of Pita, Wraps, Bowls or Salads...then pick your meat--fresh marinated Chicken, Steak, Pork, or Gyro, then toppings--lettuce, feta cheeses, tomatoes, cukes, kalamta olives, greek peppers--and then a sauce--like Greek Vinaigrette or a Jalapeno Honey dressing. HUGE wraps is what we tried, they come with a seasoned Greek Rice. Best of all, everything is FRESH, organically grown, even have vegetarian specialties...sides also include Hummus, and lots more. This is a place I will be visiting more often...fast, fresh, tasty, priced right, clean, convenient...and Greek!!
They also have frozen yogurt with fresh fruit toppings.

BRIO Tuscan Grille at Intl Plaza's Bay Street

2009-11-04T21:04:00.001-05:00

What a beautiful place--just too bad my food this evening wasnt as beautiful. Brand new at Internaitonal Plaza's BayStreet, they did a great job renovating the old 'pizza' place that used to be here. Ample outdoor covered dining, white curtains, a nice large bar that extends from inside to outside...HUGE high ceilings, looked very 'Cheesecake Factory" like with a bit of Tuscany thrown in...ok, now onto the food...we were greeted by very friendly hostesses, and the service was impeccable, obviously these servers(very very corporate, chain like, almost like robots, making sure they dont forget to upsell anything, explaining the menu, etc.)..gotta love the corporate chains..ugh!OK, now the food...started with a 9.95 glass of Savignon Blanc, a seasonal special, excellent...onto the Calamari as an appetizer, fried calamari, with fried pepper slices, with two types of dipping sauces...nothing out of the ordinary, typical. Then the salads(which came out as we were not even half way thru the appetizer-rushed)..chop salad was drenched in dressing and more like 'ripped apart in small pieces' rather than chopped, tasty dressing, and a typical Cesar salad. And now entrees...the artichoke crusted Beef medallions--served meduim rare there were three 2oz medallions of beef, tender and delicious, and also the Veal Marsala--a wreck, very overcooked Marsala, the coating on the veal was soggy, and drenched in too much Marsala sauce..it was a tasty sauce, with lots of mushrooms. Each dinner came with a side of roasted potato's(maybe a 1/2 cup), and a very minute amount of vegetables...i couldn't even tell what the veges were, some thin strips of zucchini skins, a few pieces of carrot which were very hard and raw, with skins left on the carrot(to give it a rustic look??), and a slimy red pepper...not good!!!All this came to about $100.00...way over priced for what we got...so here is how I see this place...they will capture the shoppers at Intl Plaza, tourist flocking to Intl Plaza BayStreet, and after work happy hour at the very cool, and chic bar that opens up to outside...but it seems to me like just another chain, an overpriced Macaroni Grille, although i like the Macaroni Grille more than I did BRIO on this trip.

Guavaween Weekend - 2009

2009-11-02T09:05:00.005-05:00

The weekend started Friday with a victorious win from the USF Bulls over West Virginia...met up with a bunch of Alumni in Lot 4(we parked at the Westshore Marriott, and took a cab to the stadium...they offered the shuttle, but it seemed the Westshore Marriott was the home base for all the WVU fans, so we cabbed it it there)...it was great seeing so many people, the game was excellent! Leaving the stadium we ran into the Marriott Shuttle on Dale Mabry, and just decided to get a ride back in the shuttle...with ALL THE WVU fans! Last stop was the Green Iguana Westshore for some live music, and celebrations with other Bulls fans.

Saturday eve was Guavaween..Tampa's annual Halloween party in the Ybor City National Historic Landmark District. This year they raised the fee, $17, and also brought back the original Mama Guava Stumble, with NO motorized vehicles in the parade down 7th Avenue. This ensured there would be no blockades along the parade route, and took us back to the traditional Guavaween, which is a fund raiser for the Ybor Chamber of Commerce. It was nice to see the stumble brought back, lots of interesting characters..and at the end you could just walk about in the streets and join them. One thing I also noticed was there was only one stage set up this year, with not the usual National Bands that most people would be aware of playing for the crowds. By the way, the term "Guavaween" was coined by the city of Tampa having once been the "Guava' capital of the country, in addition to Cigar capitol of the world. NYC was known as the 'big apple' so some artsy and new paper columnists people labeled Tampa as the 'big guava'. Guavaween started back in the early 80s amongst the artist, musicians, theater folk wanting to do something similar to Fantasy Fest in Key West--out came Guavaween.

Now we all had an EXCELLENT time this year, and our costumes creatively designed via the Goodwill were a hit, with lots of people wanting pics of me and my two buddies. But there were so far fewer people in Ybor City for this event this year...a few suggestions for the future of this fun party:
>Charge on even fee of $10--especially in bad economic times, and all the other Halloween parties in the area, give a better incentive to attract the people.
>Dont start charging until 6pm--those that arrive earlier will eat, shop, browse the area, and incent the local businesses to stay open.
>Dont fence in such a large area--6th ave to 8th ave, and 14th to 19th Streets should do fine. Again, keeping many of the businesses open in the area.
>Provide wristbands for those that paid a fee--this will only allow those 21 and older to partake in the festivities, allow access to the bars/clubs/events.
>Book MORE ENTERTAINMENT--where were the widely known national acts that have always come by? Where were the carnival rides and attractions? Its Halloween, provide some Haunted Houses, specialized Guavaween attractions.

With the 12-15000 that were there this year(compared to 45000 last year, and more in previous years), about 90% were costumed, and all i talked to had a great time..the people watching, the creative costumes, the laughs and good times that can only be had like this on Halloween was worth it all.

Sunday we visited Nickos Diner on Florida Avenue Seminole Heights area. Great Diner that reminded me of growing up on Long Island...we sat at the counter, had the typical omelet breakfast with crispy hash browns, fun, friendly service, a neighborhood, locals feel, and good food!!

Short week for me this week...heading to Andrews, NC for a long weekend at my buddies Mountain Retreat, Hawkesdene.
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Wat Mongkolratanaram - Tampa Buddhist Temple Sunday Brunch

2009-10-26T09:48:00.003-04:00

I finally made it to this amazing Sunday Brunch along the Palm River in Tampa. Wat Mongkolratanaram is a Buddhist Temple located off Palm River Road, just east of 50th Street. It was a picture perfect day,. with cooler temps, and sunny skies. Arriving there around 1230(the brunch runs form 10am to 1pm, but we still saw them cooking at 2pm), it wasn't to crowded, there was a line for the soups and pad thai/main dishes, but other than that, we were free to roam around and explore.

We tried nearly everything, from the fried bananas, to these small 'dumpling' like eats that were made as ordered - you tell them how many you want, they put your name on a box, and you return about 10 minutes later to pick them up - made with Coconut milk and seasoned with green onion. The soups are incredible, one could just get a large bowl and that could be an entire meal - sprouts, skinny or flat noodles, pork, chicken or beef, fish balls(sort of like dumplings)and lots of extras!! Pad Thai, Sticky Rice served with a Vegetarian mixture with Tofu, Pumpkin and Chicken Curry, a fried fish(not sure what it was); Papaya Salad; Thai Teas; desserts; and they were also grilling some foods as well. Each dish is from $1(for the teas); to $5 - so affordable, and all proceeds to go to raise money for the Temple.

Beautiful grounds with lots of picnic tables along the river. After stuffing ourselves and having lots leftover for later in the day, we walked the grounds, toured the Temple where meditation occurs on Sundays from 12-2pm.

Going 'Green' with the Tampa Bay Lightning

2009-10-25T08:58:00.003-04:00

Thursday evening was 'Go Green' night with the Tampa Bay Lightning Hockey team...they were promoting green awareness, powering the Forum with renewable energy the entire night, recycling all plastics/aluminium, etc. And if you rode your bicycle, you received a free ticket to the game, OR if you brought a phone book to be recycled you received a ticket for $5. Soooo, a few of us rode our bikes, and getting onto the Forum Plaza, there was an area set aside for Bike Parking where someone watched them all evening, and we were each handed a great seat to the game. In addition, City Bike Tampa gave anyone with a bike a free maintenance check. While in the Forum, we snacked on some awesome BBQ Beef/Chicken and Pork atop nachos, just like at the Rays games...if you can find these, they are a steal and very filling. During the game we received a call in the 1st period about our friends who had a Suite on the 1st level...soooo, we ventured down to the Suite to watch the rest of the game, noshing on Chocolate Fondue with a picture perfect view from mid ice of the Lightning beating the San Jose Sharks.

There is so much going on the rest of the weekend, just need to figure out what to do:

VM Ybor Neighborhood Historic Home Tour
Johns Pass Seafood Festival
Tampa International Auto Show
Tampa Bay Oktoberfest

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USF Bulls > Cinebistro > Kayak >Pops in the Park > Bike > Stone Crabs and Jazz

2009-10-19T13:16:00.005-04:00

Wow, I love this time of year, weather gets cooler, and something is going on!!

Thursday evening went to the USF Bulls vs Cincinnati Bearcats nationally televised football game for Big East Conference dominance....It was a great game, but the #8 ranked Bearcats dominated the second half and beat the Bulls 34-17 in front of almost 65,000 fans. We arrived about an hour before the game, easily parking in the #10 lot on the corner of Himes and Columbus...met lots of other alumni in the game.

Friday was the Grand Opening of a new movie watching concept, Cinebistro opened in Hyde Park Village. Great concept, purchasing your tickets on line like a concert or play, you choose your seat in advance...when arriving you are greeted by a very modern lobby/lounge area where you can pick up your tickets, and about 30 minutes prior to the movie, they open the theater and you are ushered to your seat with a menu....the theaters are HUGE, nice brand new, state of the art, and the chairs are the most comfortable, bigger then a First Class seat on the fanciest of airplanes, with large armrest, and they are in pods of two, so you are never to close to strangers but perfect for a date or couples, and since there are only about 30-50 seats per theater, it makes for a very intimate evening. The menu is good, lots of different choices, Calamri Appetizers, served in a popcorn box with popcorn, and two dipping sauces. Also we tried the Seared Ahi Tuna, a small portion served atop some Field Greens, and the Chuirassco Steak, another small portion with a 'scoop' of black beans mixed with rice, and a few thin stands of Paps Fritas...when you order a soda, its HUGE(probably 24 oz.), and the bowl of popcorn, also HUGE. No paper or plastic here, real utensils, glassware, silverware, plates, etc....Everything is 'served' to you, no need to wait on lines, their is no 'snack bar'...it is service at its best...a remote keypad is punched in with your order, and goes directly to the kitchen..within 15 minutes, your order arrives right at your seat, and you pay right then at your seat. There are about 15 minutes of previews, and after that, the theater goes dark, and the service stops, no one getting in your way, etc. If you want anything, just go to the cocktail lounge bar, and ask for it. Full Bar, Full Menu, and its 21 and older only.
I will definitely be coming back to watch a movie here for special occasions, to impress someone, ability to reserve a seat. Probably wont be dining here except for sodas and popcorn, maybe an appetizer instead of popcorn, or even just dessert. The meals were OK, I felt like they were more of 'banquet/catered' type meals, nicely displayed, with OK flavor. Its also kind of awkward eating on the trays in front of you, and dont even think about getting an Appetizer, meal and dessert together, as everything comes out at once, and there is no room for all that. A great experience, great concept, exclusive niche that is sure to be very successful in Hyde Park.

Saturday we took the kayaks up to Canoe Escape to be transported to the Hillsborough River, again a great trip, LOTS of wildlife and birds and gators, the weather was perfect...just so serene and relaxing.
Saturday evening was a trip to downtown St. Pete's Vinoy Park, found parking easily off Coffee Pot Bayou near the City Pool, for 'Pops in the Park, a free concert held throughout the year and the Tampa Bay area by the Florida Orchestra. It was great to be able to relax in the waterfront park, listening to the music, with the St. Pete Skyline in the background.

Sunday we were all off on the bikes, drove to Clearwater, and started on the Pinellas Trail south of Clearwater(parking off Turner Street)..we biked over the Memorial Causeway Bridge to Clearwater Beach for Frenchys Stone Crab Fest...a pound of large claws for $11...delicious!! Then biked along the new beachwalk to Shepards for some football and people watching, listening to a live band. We then biked back to downtown Clearwater's Coachman Park where the Clearwater Jazz Holiday was happening for its last of a 4 day run....laying on the grass, sun in our faces, listing to great Jazz.
We wrapped up Sunday with a stop at Whiskey Joe's on the Coutney Campbell Causeway, if you ever wanted a place with amazing views, this is the spot...LARGE bar area, with some couch seating, and a large outdoor deck. The food we had seemed to be mediocre at best on this trip..Beer Cheese Soup, which was very watery for my liking, my friends stated it tasted like canned nacho cheese sauce with some water. Then onto Sliders, 4 small burgers, which were overcooked...and they didn't come with any fries...I would order the full burger next time, and cut into 4 pieces if someone wants sliders. Fish Tacos, very minimal piece of grouper split between two soft flour tacos, but you get a HUGE topping of cole slaw, these were more like 'Cole Slaw Tacos, with some fish', they came with chips and a good salsa. We also shared a chopped salad with Chicken, and although tasty, it was DRENCHED in dressing, we found it needed to be eatin with the chips to give it some sustenance. Soooo, for watching some great sports and cold drinks in the HUGE bar area, or enjoying the outdoor deck..this seems to be a great spot. And the views throughout the place are incredible, we almost felt like we were actually on a boat. Maybe next time ill try some of the main entrees.

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Busch Gardens Howl O Scream; U2 Concert; Ybor Dinner/Movie; and Kayaking

2009-10-12T08:57:00.002-04:00

Wow...what a nice weekend...this is the time of year I love the best...seems there is just so much happening from October through May, each weekend...a few of my highlights from this past weekend..which was soo unseasonably HOT - we tied or broker records with temps still in the 90s..very weird.

The annual Busch Gardens Howl O Scream was attended with a few friends on Thursday..for $20 when you purchase 4 or more on Thursdays... the park was empty, had all the rides and 7 Haunted Houses this year to practically ourselves, made for a great evening of fun and scares....

Friday was the long anticipated(bought the tickets in April) U2 Concert....I have been to many many concerts, and NEVER seen such a spectacle which was U2 at Tampa Stadium...72,000 fans(more than super bowl - a record), and a $40 million dollar stage, club seats meant we had access to the club area...it was just a most perfect night, and U2 couldn't have been at their peak of performances, quite the show, more entertainment than I could have imagined.

Saturday, went for a dinner/movie date in Ybor City...stopping at El Puerto on 5th avenue and 17th streets for their 22oz Churasco Steak and Chicken Fried Rice...plenty of food and very very good...then a walk over to Muvico Centro Ybor theaters to see Sci FI thriller "Pandorum" (I am saddened that Muvico decided to pull the plug on its Premiere Theaters, and now allow under 21 into that area..it was worth a few extra bucks to see a movie in larger all leather seats, free popcorn and NO KIDS, and ow that is all gone--not good); and to end the evening it was fresh crepes at La Creperia, sitting at a table outside we enjoyed the Marie Antoinette with fresh strawberries, bananas, Nutella and Baileys...

Sunday, took the kayaks out on the Bay..the tide was rather low, but it allowed us to just wade peacefully in the Bay seeing all the wildlife throughout the Mangrove areas of Picnic Island/MacDill AFB area(Cranes, Rosette Spoonbills, Ibis, Egrets, and all kinds of jumping fish and Sting rays)...

A busy week ahead - my buddy Rob is playing solo at Hula Bay Wednesday, #21 USF Bulls take on #8 Cincinnati Bearcats Thursday night at home, Friday the Cinebistro opens in Hyde Park and the Canvas 5 Art production takes place, and Saturday Bok Towers is celebrating with a large festival, and it may be another perfect weekend for bringing the kayaks out somewhere again..

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Date Night in downtown St. Pete

2009-09-28T10:41:00.003-04:00

Friday evening we ended up going to 400 Beach Seafood and Tap House...WOW, what a great choice...valet parking along 5th Avenue was full, but we found street parking in the neighborhood a block away...upon arrival, we noticed there was a HUGE list of waits(the place is HUGE by the way, and very loud inside, great bar area, a few separate rooms for banquet and group dining too...one of the hostesses advised that there were several tables outside with no wait, and we took one of those and were seated right away...it was a beautiful evening, great views of the bay and pier...the menu was excellent, lots of seafood choices, great appetizers, and over 20 beers on tap, I tried the Widmer Drifter, and we ordered Flash Fried Calamari - cooked perfectly, tender, excellent seasoning, and a great sauce for dipping; for meals I had the Ahi Tuna with Lobster Risotto - HUGE piece of Tuna, coked perfectly, and a nice dipping sauce, the Risotto had huge chunks of Lobster, in a very cheesy and delicious al dente pasta; my date had the artichoke stuffed Grouper, again another HUGE piece of moist and tender grouper, atop perfectly cooked and seasoned greens..we both shared each others meals, they were excellent, and im looking forward to my next trip back.
We then walked over to the Gelato place, and walked around the waterfront, finally grabbing a seat along the sea wall...there was a great breeze...a perfect evening.

Saturday we went up to Orlando to visit some college buddies of mine, and watch the USF/FSU game at one of my friends retsaurants, CityFish...they had $20 wing and buckets, $5 slider and fish taco specials...all very good, it was a fun atmosphere to watch the games...USF beat FSU 17-7. That evening we went and saw Juliette Lewis perform at the Social in downtown Orlando..she was very entertaining in this small venue that only holds about 200 people...it was then up to Skybar afterwards. Finally crashing at the EoInn, another palce my buddy owns, and nice historic Inn in downtown Orlando.

Meetings, Parties, Biking and Football

2009-09-21T21:02:00.004-04:00

This past Thursday, me and a friend ive know since 2nd grade(thanks Facebook), had some dinner in Hyde Park Village at the Wine Exchange. Sitting outside was nice with the cooling fans, and we had some of the best and friendliest service from Dion...she was one of the highlights of the evening...the food is almost always good here, Cuban Salad with Blackened Chicken, the large was enough for more than two, and a perfectly cooked Filet. The mistake they made by putting the Gorgonzola cheese sauce on the meat was quickly corrected, and Dion insisted we have dessert on her, and we did, an amazing Chocolate Cake with Chocolate moose inside. A nice walk through the village after dinner made a great ending to catch up with an old friend.

Friday I had a meeting with a friend, we met at the 9 Bangkok restaurant on Central Avenue in downtown St. Pete. It was easy enough to find a parking spot on the street along 1st avenue, there was so much activity going on this night in downtown St. Pete. Excellent service in this small, quaint Thai/Sushi place, the food is the best...We shared some Sushi rolls, all very fresh, although the Spider Roll was sliced a bit thin, and left the crab to fall apart when picking up with chop sticks...and also the Duck special, and a spicy Curry sauce...very very tender, moist and again very good. A nice walk through downtown to the Coffee Shop across from Jannus Landing led to good conversation and excellent people watching...downtown St. Pete attracts ALL KINDS. And it so nice to be able to go out anywhere in shorts and flip flops in downtown St. Pete.

Saturday, a buddy of mine and I were going to check out the new off road Bike Trails at Balm Boyette, but he had never been off road biking, so we went to a place for novices, Wilderness Park Off Road biking trails in New Tampa area off Morris Bridge Road. Been here plenty of times, great trails for the beginner, some technical spots...he mentioned how nice and quiet it was, very woodsy, alot of fun.
Saturday night was the USF Bulls game against Charleston Southern...USF won 59-0, and unfortunately Grothe was finished for the rest of the season due to a torn ACL. Its FSU next Saturday!! A bunch of us went to an annual 'end of summer' party in Port Tampa City neighborhood of Tampa..then escaped to Green Iguana, Baxters and City Side, with a 3am breakfast stop at iHop before calling it a night.

Sunday turned out to be a relaxing day for watching the games, and I met my friend from Friday night, and we went over to Hula Bay for some early dinner..sitting outside with great views, watching the thunderstorms blowing in from the Bay, and enjoying the Mahi Mahi Tacos,,,they provide large portions of grilled or blackened Mahi Mahi..with rice, black beans, lettuce, tomatoes, Guac, cheese, sour cream, and fresh soft tortillas...make em how ever you like them...awesome!!

IM looking forward to heading to Orlando next weekend...Juliette Lewis in concert at the Social in downtown Orlando...good times!

Lunch with the Tampa Bay Lightning

2009-09-18T09:44:00.003-04:00

This past Tuesday, the Tampa Bay Lightning Hockey Team(2004 Stanley Cup Champions) opened up the Forum to the public for Free Lunch while watching them practice on the ice. It was a nice gesture for the group, Hot Dogs and Cheeseburgers, and plenty of them..and it was great to look over the new Roster, and watching them practice on the Ice. It also gave some new comers an ability to see the Forum.

Labor Day Weekend in Tampa!

2009-09-09T20:27:00.004-04:00

Sometimes im out of town for the holiday weekend..this time I was not, and did the local thing in Tampa..it was a great weekend.

Friday, ending work a bit early, some buddies and I headed over to the Bucs preseason home game against the Texans. Arriving near the stadium about an hour early, taking MacDill Ave from South Tampa to the neighborhood just east of the Stadium, we found no traffic, and were able to park conveniently at my friends uncles place a few blocks from the stadium. On the way there we saw lots of parking opportunities from the neighbors for about $5 per car, which is ALOT less than the $25 Tampa Stadium charges. We also stopped by a party house, about a block from the game. Seats were great, game was ok, Bucs are not looking so good...that's another story. After the game, which we left early, we headed to meet some other friends that we saw at the game at SOHO Tavern in Hyde Park on Howard Avenue....the district was hopping on this Friday evening, and then ended the night at Green Iguana Westshore.

Saturday evening about 8 of us went to dinner to Pelagia Tratoria at the Renaissance hotel in Intl Plaza. Very nice, upscale, modern decor, the kitchen rests inside the restaurant for all to view. Their menu is very upscale tastes of Mediterranean styled seafood, meats and pastas. I will say that the service was excellent, and the food was even better...Risotto of the Day, Sea Bass, Veal stuffed Ravioli, Seared Scallops, and a few Chicken dishes..not a complaint in the house....after a nice long dinner, we went upstairs to Bay Street, and Blue Martini...a $10 cover gets you in to a live band, and very pretty mostly 30s and 40s crowd....after hanging out in the 'mall' lounge, we headed to Baxters Lounge for a nightcap.

Sunday did an afternoon in Ybor, seeing 'Inglorious Basterds' the new Quentin Tarintino movie, in great Tarantino style, entertaining. Then a walk over to the Green Iguana to sit outside along 7th avenue, and enjoy some of Tampas best burgers and people watching, always a unique crowd on the streets in Ybor City. Sunday eve was my friends birthday dinner, and she wanted Mexican..there were about 8 of us together, and my fav mex place, Algustos on Kennedy, was unfortunately closed this Sunday Labor Day eve night...so the next best was Miguels also on Kennedy Blvd. Great food, fun atmosphere, friendly service...and free flan and Mexican song/dance for the birthday girl....we then went to a friends Skypoint Condo downtown for some after dinner drinks and meet some other folks before heading to the 60th anniversary party at the Hubb a block from Skypoint.

Labor Day, met a friend for dinner at Hula Bay...was a perfect ending to a great weekend...beautiful sunset along the Bay, great food as always at Hula Bay.

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TampaIam Back from Colorado

2009-09-01T18:20:00.002-04:00

Back from a very nice loooong weekend visiting family in Colorado - Golden and Colorado Springs...some highlights included seeing Depeche Mode at Red Rocks Amphitheater, must be one fo the nciest amphitheaters to see a concert, and all natural venue, huge rock formations providing the perfect acoustics and viewing.. i wll now be making this an annual visit each year. Golden is just a pefect little town, just like the old west...Aces Lounge, Buffalo Rose, Table Top Mountain Inn Cantina, Naures Food Store, Farmers Market, Cold Creek Park...and then just overall family time with the two of my brothers and their families.

Dollar Movies are BACK in South Tampa!

2009-08-19T21:47:00.003-04:00

I remember going to the AMC behind Britton Plaza for $1 movies back in the early 90's...what a treat, especially since I was just getting out of college, and renting a house with some college buddies at the time.
Well, Britton 8 theaters, which closed last September, has re-opened, and are playing first run movies(saw Bruno), along with a Bollywood type movie. Each flick is only $2..thats right $2, large screens, surround sound, 80's style seating, no frills movie theater. And also, $1 popcorn, which I was surprised how fresh tasting it was, being stored in the ice bin behind the counter, and $1 sodas. So if you dont mind not having stadium seating, an empty theater, and only small popcorn and small drinks...and also are a little tight on $$$, you cant beat the re-opening of Britton 8 theaters, in the Britton Plaza on South Dale Mabry in South Tampa.

The owner tells me that these prices should last through November.

Dave Matthews Band visits Tampa

2009-08-13T10:20:00.005-04:00

WOW!! What a GREAT show, ive been to see Dave 15 years in a row now, and this show had to be one of their BEST. Having seats instead of Lawn tickets made for an even more enjoyable experience. Amazing Jams, especially the Encore..mixing in Led Zeppelin's Stairway to Heaven into All along the Watchtower...just chilling entertainment...DMB shows are truly awe inspiring, the music is brilliant, the vocals are amazing...the pure 'feel good, be happy' tone throughout makes for a good time...and having it all in the Amphitheater, with NO rain this year, was a plus...Dave made a remark how humid it was, and it was...we ask him to come back and play in the winters here in Florida.

The playlist -which changes in each venue!
Wednesday Aug 12 2009 Ford Amphitheatre
Funny The Way It Is *Squirm *Seven *The Maker *Satellite *One Sweet World *Lie In Our Graves *You Might Die Trying *Lying In the Hands of God *Shake Me Like a Monkey *Spaceman *Shotgun *Crush *Why I Am *You and Me *Jimi Thing *Stay (Wasting Time) *__________________Baby Blue +All Along The Watchtower/Stairway to Heaven *

Gulfport Art/Music Walk - Tampa Bike Pub Crawl

2009-08-10T14:48:00.002-04:00

Great weekend past.. about a dozen of us went to Gulfport, about 25 min drive from Tampa, to this very funky, artsy, town on Boca Ciega Bay, just east of the Gulf Beaches, and just west of downtown St. Pete. Each first Friday, they have an Art/Music walk along famous Beach Blvd. Many local artisans and musicians along the quaint small Blvd, lined with lots of cafes, shops, and such. Diner was a Backfin Blue, a cool little turn of the century house, we ate outside on the 'back deck', almost felt like you were invited to someones home..food is EXCELLENT here...wine comes chilled in a Sand Bucket with Shovel...different, laid back. Seafood is what makes this places famous, especially the crab cakes. Meals, which were all very good, included Trios of Crab Cake, Bacon Wrapped Shrimps and Salmon; Salmon Florentine with Huge Sea Scallops, Fresh Grouper Oscar with lump crab meat, and for the non seafood lovers there was a Gorgonzola stuffed Meatloaf..just like homemade...fixings included a delicious Artichoke and Tomato Salad, Fish Spread, mixed veges and pasta. After being pleasantly full...we strolled along the main blvd, looking at all the arts and listing to some cool tunes.
After we headed to the Grand Central area of St. Pete to a new Bar/Restaurant called Queenshead on Central Ave. Very modern, chic, yet comfortable. Outdoor seating here as well. The night ended close to home at the Green Iguana Westshore.

Sunday we go on our bikes, and did a tour of the city of Tampa..with pub stops. Wine Exchange started the day at Hyde Park Village, and from there it was on to Four Green Fields on PLatt, to the Riverwalk at USF Park, where we followed it to the new Sail Pavillion in front on the convention center along the water...we continued on the Riverwalk by bike to the Columbia Cafe also on the ater at the Tampa History Center..awesome Mojitos made at your table outside. Hopping back on the bikes up Franklin Street downtown to Hattricks where we caught some fo the Rays baseball game, then to The Hubb, Club Chelsea was enxt, where there was a free BBQ..chicken, ribs, hotdogs, and burgers...perfect! Back down Tampa Street through the University of Tampa, and to the Retreat. Next stop was Tiny Tap in Hyde Park, then City Side, Pete's Place on Henderson Ave, where we watched some Sunday night Football, played some pool, and lastly the I Dont Care Bar on Manhattan Ave.

GOOD TIMES!

This week is looking busy, all you can east Sushi night Tuesday at the Venue, Dave Matthews Concert at the Amphitheater Wednesday, and taking off for Geneva NY, for the annual Upstate NY Finger Lakes Wine Tours for the weekend!

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Hamburger Marys Tampa Opening Soon!

2009-08-07T13:33:00.003-04:00

Ive know for a while that there was a Hamburger Mary's restaurant and bar due to open in Tampa, but now its official. A friend of mine, with his business partners, will be opening this very fun establishment in Ybor City, on the 2nd floor of the Centro Ybor Complex off 7th Avenue.

There are several of these throughout the country, Ive visited the West Hollywood, Denver, Orlando and Chicago, and now looking forward to having fun at the Tampa one this fall.

Onto other things, I cant believe its been almost a month since ive posted. Life has been busy, but a very very good busy. Lately emails have stressed that you all have missed my posts, so I promise to be back in action at least weekly. I want to try to be sure I cover the unique places, things, and people I come across in Tampa, and not repeat places ive been already.

Ever been to Dade City? Amazing that only 45 minutes north of Tampa is a quaint little town with a Historic main street, but even better, are it all takes places in Rolling Hills..yes, big rolling hills. My buddy has a 5 acre ranch with horses on top of one of these hills, and the views are amazing, you'd never think you were in Florida.

My annual Chicago trip was a blast this year, staying downtown this year instead of friends was a treat. I had about a dozen or so good friends from Tampa join me this year, and I think my annual trip will now include staying downtown, as opposed to the neighborhoods..there is so much to see and do in this beautiful city...in the summers!!

Downtown Tampa Eats/Drinks; Channelside-Ybor Night; The BEACH

2009-07-13T20:06:00.004-04:00

Crazy weekend gone by, and Good Crazy weekend!! Weather cleared up and it was sunny and warm, a few regular afternoon storms throughout the area, but not like the deluge of rain we had been getting during the week. Friday my buddy had some friends in town from Greenville, SC who were all staying at the Westin on Harbour Island downtown Tampa. They wanted something to do for Happy Hour, so I suggested the Water Taxi Cocktail Cruise - meeting Captain Cliff at the dock in from of Cafe Dufrain on harbour Island, they took there wine and drinks on board and headed up to Ricks on the River, about a 25 minute boat road around downtown Tampa, up the Hillsborough River. Having some appetizers and drinks, with a live band outside in this very very casual place on the River, I met up with them and drove them back downtown to Fly Bar on Franklin Street. We got a nice table outside, and enjoyed some wines, and beers from around the world...for eats it was the Mushroom Risotto, a large bowl of Cheesey Risotto, and Mushrooms, thick in consistency, very very tasty and filling. The plate of Nachos with Ropa Vieja was enough for 4 or 5, piled high with delicious topping. Ahi Tuna sampler, a cucumber salad, and some thinly sliced Salmon with Citrus rounded up our small plates here at Fly...service was impeccable, it was a great few hours. Afterwards we walked over to Raw Bar, where a friend was having her birthday party...very dark and loungy, this place is in Skypoint on Ashley Drive..some expensive cocktails, groovy lounge tunes, it was a very comfortable and pretty place to be, so to get a taste of the opposite, we went to The Hubb on Franklin Street..cheap, strong drinks...and a juke box with all kinds of tunes, to go along with all kinds of clientele in this Tampa one of a kind bar. It was a short few blocks back to Harbour Island downtown and we ended the night at Jackson's..with two DJ's spinning, a very busy LARGE outdoor area overlooking the water and downtown Skyline.

Saturday after we headed over to the Gulf Beaches...Pass-a-Grille--one of my favorites. An easy ride from Tampa(about 30 min), and plenty of parking right along the beach. The water and company was perfect, we walked down to the Beachside restaurant for some live music and entertainment..floated in the warm Gulf waters for hours...then had some cocktails on the rooftop of the Hurricane, and had some dinner in Stormy's, on the second floor of the Hurricane. The food is just ok, my Grouper Sandwich , which they had been known for, was very tough, dry, and over cooked(grilled)..the "Build your own salads" was just a large pile of Romaine, with very large portion of Flounder on one(also dry and bland), and Chicken on the other, dressing came on the side in a bowl. The Stuffed Flounder Entrees looked good, but again the fish was dry, as if left under a heat lamp, and the Asparagus stalks, although very large, were cold and soggy. There are many other choices to eat at Pass-a-Grille, I felt like I was in a tourist trap for dinner...save Hurricane for rooftop drinks and sunsets...eat elsewhere on the island.

Saturday night, we were all invited to a friends private birthday party at Channelside in downtown Tampa. We waited for everyone and had some pre-party cocktails at Splitsville...the place was hopping, bowling, DJ, happy crowd, I like this upscale place, there is just so much going on...we then ventured to a place I never knew existed, seems there is a nightclub in the Channelside Movie theater fro private events..they actually turned a Theater into a Three level nightclub. FUN! Then we moved across the street to Club Aja...a good crowd, with danceable tunes in this multi level upscale Club...a quick taxi ride about a mile north to Ybor City, and we ended the evening with throwing Frozen Vodka Shots(after we drank the vodka of course) against the brick wall behind us at Club Czar...good DJ's playing here this evening, and the final spot was G. Bar.

4th of July in Tampa

2009-07-07T21:18:00.003-04:00

I know ive been away for some time, lifes been good, real good, and just haven't had the time to jot things down lately.

But in regards to 4th of July weekend, we started out having the Holiday on Friday, and a few of us met up in Ybor City at the Tampa Bay Brewing Company, for usual good eats inside, cause the large outdoor patio was packed. Fresh Grouper entree's, Pizza's and Chicken sandwhich's filled us up, with homemade brews. After wards, we ventured over to see Mama at Reservior Bar..she was happy as ever, good rock music playing from the juke box, and decent crowd of all walks of life having fun...then it was a trip across the street to check out The Honey Pots 'Steam Friday's'...we walked in and paid the steep $10 cover, only to turn around within our first drink...just not my scene to hang out in a ultra nice dance club with what looked like an under 23 crowd of young guys...so over to Spurs Country Western bar, and although not a sole was outside on the huge outdoor patio, they insisted on charging $5 cover, without even letting us see if anyone was even inside...so gladly we just walked away. And it was on to the Green Iguana Ybor, the great band Chromatic was playing their typical tunes, and we noticed the place has shrunk...IN HALF! They put a wall up where there was the entrance to the second room, and now there is half the space. Asked around, and no one seems to know whats going on with the second half. Ending the night was a cab ride to my neighborhood joint...Green Iguana Westshore.

Saturday for the 4th, it was dinner for about a dozen of us on Harbour Island, in downtown Tampa at Cafe Dufrain, We got there by 7 and scored almost the entire outdoor pation for all of us, food, wine, and service was top notch as usual, and after dinner they allowed us to step ioff the patio with our drinks,and watched he short, but excellent 20 minute fireworks show at Channelside, perfect viewing spot form harbour Island, no big crowds, water and downtown Views. We left downtown for Ybor City again, this time heading to Ybor Social which by 11pm was not too busy, but the downstairs Ybor Eagle was packed...walked down to Spurs, where this night had no cover, chatted with the owner for a bit about the nite before...and then gobbled down some pizza at New York New York Pizza...it was an awesome 4th fo July in Tampa(im usually out of town), with some pretty great friends.

Sunday was a day on a friends boat in Tampa Bay, docked on a few islands in the Bay, nice relaxing, beautiful day ended with great burgers at Square One on Henderson Ave in South Tampa.

IKEA - Ybor Dinner; Kayak and Bay View lunch; Fathers Day brunch.

2009-06-23T09:24:00.005-04:00

Buddy of mine came back from his trip while I watched his kids(Rhodesian Ridgeback and a Chiuaua), and we went over to check out the new IKEA that opened in Ybor City. At 7pm on a Wednesday evening, the place was EMPTY, plenty of up front parking, grabbed a yellow bag as we entered and proceeded up the escalator to begin out tour...meandering in and out of every imaginable type of Home Ware displays..kitchens, baths, bedrooms..appliances, furniture...this place has Everything and its HUGE...we stopped off for some of their Swedish Meatballs on the 2nd level cafe, offering great views of the Port and downtown Tampa skyline. Finishing the tour downstairs through all the housewares, and knick knacks, we stopped by the grocery area where my buddy took home some of the frozen meatballs and stuff. AS a reminder, you must bring a bag to take home the goodies you purchase, or buy a bag from IKEA.

Afterwards, it was dinner at a fav of mine in Ybor - El Puerto. a HUGE perfectly cooked and delicious 22oz skirt steak and Chicken Fired Rice was shared...enough for four people, I was able to take some home for lunch and dinner the next day.

Friday dinner was with the family at Cappy's pizza on Bay to Bay Blvd...a large Greek Salad and this time we did a small NY Style with Pepperoni and a Ham and Cheese Calzone..I was surprised and a bit disappointed that the Calzone only had Mozzarella Cheese, and no Ricotta Cheese. Still the pizza is some of the best I've had in Tampa Bay area.

Saturday a few friends of mine and I ventured out to Kayak the Hillsborough River. Our friends at Canoe Escape brought us to Sargeant Park along 301 to start the Hillsborough River kayaking...beautiful scenery, lots of wildlife, and lazy paddle down the river to Morris Bridge Park, about 2.5 hours. Being shaded and on the water kept us cool...it was hovering in the mid-90's today.
After getting back home and cleaning up a bit, we enjoyed a great lunch along the Bay at Hula Bay..once again, a perfect meal(the grilled grouper sandwich's and roast pork soft tacos), perfect views, and great company.

Sunday was Fathers Day, and about 5 of us fathers(of the four legged kind), went to Datz on MacDill Ave for their Sunday Brunch...around 130pm, there was about a 20 minute wait, we wondered around on the lower level, tasting wines, cheeses, breads and such..there was a great female singer entertaining the Fathers Day crowd. Upstairs we were seated in the bar area, with a bottle of wine and free draft beers for the fathers..we were already having a great time. The sandwich's here are HUGE!! The Meats and Cheeses are top quality, service was a little slow and awkward though. Some of us ordered Omelets which unfortunately were on the small side compared to the Colossal sandwich's and Salads.

Hula Bay Sushi - Lodge Sushi - Redbox - SudsFest

2009-06-14T11:57:00.004-04:00

A buddy of mine is in town for a couple of weeks, so we ventured to Hula Bay, off Westshore, south of Gandy on the Bay...and tried their Sushi...It was a Wednesday evening, and the outside tables at 7pm were all full, even Duke's Bar was completely full, so we were seated at a table inside, still with great views of the Bay. They have a listing of over a dozen specialty rolls, and of course your main stream Sushi and Sashimi. Surprisingly very fresh, and very good...I have never been dissapointed with the food at Hula Bay, and now the Sushi comes with good recommendations..with a great scene and views.
After dinner..we went to AMC (free popcorn Wednesday's)...and saw The Hangover...this one goes down as one of the classic's, like Caddyshack, Animal House, etc...one you will want to see a few times...just non stop laughter!!

Thursday, after helping a friend move into her new apartment in South Tampa, we met a few people at The Lodge, on Howard Avenue in Hyde Park neighborhood of South Tampa. Lots of pretty people, we put a few tables together outside, and enjoyed the company, and somewhat dry air(still very warm, but the circulating fans kept things cool on the patio). Their menu is all over the place..in a good way...from over a dozen kinds of sliders, to Steak and Eggs anytime, and my favorite>>Tatar Tots! We tried the Sushi here(as if I didnt already have enough this week), and found the Ahi Tuna App with cucumber salad to be very good, their specialty rolls are also all over the board..and the ones we tried were both very good, for a place that doesn't necessarily specialize in Sushi.

Friday was movie night with the kids....and I now find Redbox rentals so convenient and CHEAP. For $1, you can rent all the latest new releases, along with many older classics..you just go online, find a redbox near you(almost all Walgreens and SweetBay supermarkets), rent one on line..then just go to the redbox, slide your credit card, and out comes your DVD movie....return it within 24 hours, and its just $1, or $1 each day you have it...no late fees, you can return it to ANY redbox...so quick, convenient...love the RedBox!

Saturday evening was the annual SudsFest at the Florida Aquarium downtown Tampa - Channelside. For $50, they open the Aquarium from 7pm to 11pm, and not only can you enjoy all the attractions at the Aquarium, but throughout their were over a few dozen beer tables, sampling beers from all over the country...AND over a dozen local restaurants, dishing out their specialities...AND live music, inside, outside on the deck, and in the Shark Tank area...it seemed each time you turned a corner, there was something new....it wasn't crowded AT ALL, no lines for beer or food, and just turned out to be a great Saturday Night at the Aquarium with really good friends.

SIde Bern's and a night out

2009-06-10T14:37:00.003-04:00

Saturday evening, a bunch of us met at Side Bern's restaurant on the corner of Howard Avenue and Morrison Ave in the Hdye Park neighborhood of South Tampa. A Tampa institution, well known for culinary delights, famed chefs, and exclusive ever changing menu's with each season. Free Valet parking along the entrance along Morrison Ave, and there is nice patio area for waiting for every one to arrive and early cocktails before being seated inside for dinner. Service is impeccable here, your waiter and an assistant to the waiter. Very high end, and exclusive menu, portions are very small, but it is the taste you come here for...most of our meals we ordered were superb...Lamb Sirloin, Halibut, the Tuna was said to be just ok. Its a once in a lifetime opportunity to impress someone, but definitely not your casual type of eatery.

After dinner, it was a quick walk across the street to the total opposite environment to where we were...the Tiny Tap...grabbing a pitcher from the freezer, we enjoyed some very cheap draft beer,and a few rounds of pool, before heading out on Howard Avenue, and actually hailing a cab to take us 5 blocks north on Howard to CHEAP...very pretty people, the music was keeping all happy, there are several rooms to see and be seen....then a cab to my neighborhood stomping ground...Green Iguana Westshore!!

Downtown Tampa for Happy Hour, A Rays Game, and Taste of Pinellas

2009-06-01T09:55:00.005-04:00

Nice weekend, with no rain, and what seemed to be a reprieve from the humidity, nice dry air!

Started Happy Hour on Friday evening at Taps, from 5pm-7pm they have 1/2 off all drafts and $4 house wines. I tried a few different ales, like the Salty Dog with a hint of Blueberry, and actual Blueberry's in the beer...and some Hefe Weizen's....apps were very tasty here, the three dips with Warm Pita bread included generous portions of Hummus, White Bean and a Jalapeno infused Black Bean dip..we needed more Pita bread and they gladly obliged...also are a variety of tasty Bruschetta for sampling as well. It was then onto Boss Hogs, a kind of Sport Bar on Franklin Street, there was some live acoustic music...the food is just OK here, i think the BBQ pork and chicken sandwich's turned out best, the wings are kind of small and they were chewey...we did try the inside out wings, tossed in a blue cheese sauce, with buffalo sauce for dipping. It was then onto the Hubb for a stiff one and interesting people watching....a .25 cent trolley ride got us to Channelside where we tried to get into a new place next to Banana Joe's only to be told we had to enter all the way at the other end at Maragaria Mama's...I did not want to walk thru three bars to get to the new establishment, so we ditched that...then to Stumps where they wanted $5 cover...we just wanted a cold beer, and they pointed to the outside bar in the courtyard...we ditched that, and had a chilly one at Tinas Tapas...good bartender, and some good people watching at the bar. I'M not a big fan at Channelside..seems like its just a pre-fab place with a few bars, too many rules and covers to get in and just check out some places, and bouncers with bigger heads than anything else....I do like the Splitsville, Thai Tani and IMAX theater there, and thats prob the only reason for going to Channelside. It was thena cab back towards home at a stop at the Green Iguana Westshore, where a GREAT band, Category 3, was playing all kins of covers, from Genesis, to Van Halen, to RUSH, and Led Zeppelin....stuff you dont normally hear, and they were really really good...and entertaining. Cant wait till they come back this side of Tampa Bay again, im now a follower of Category 3.

Saturday, after a great breakfast at First Watch in downtown Tampa, we walked over to the Rays store on Tampa Street, and purchased some tickets to the Minnesota/Tampa Bay game this afternoon...$16 seats which included a concert by 3 Doors Down...good game, we hit over 10 strike outs so free pizza for everyone from Papa Johns, and the concert was ok...you really need to be on the Field to enjoy it, since Tropicana Field is so large, the acoustics are HORRIBLE!! Not a place for live music....

Sunday, we biked over to the Taste of Pinellas, along Coffee Pot Blvd and the waterfront in downtown St. Pete. For over 20 years this festival that benefits all childrens hospital has brought tens of thousands to the beautiful Vinoy Park in downtown St. Pete, for waterfront tastings of lots of Pinellas County restaurant fare...we had Red Mesa Steak with Chimichuri and Fish Tacos...great!...also BBQ Pork sandwich's and a Chicken Wrap from some other places, and Virgin Mojitos...always good stuff....there was an excellent Frisbee Dog Show, with some amazing Border Collies...and the music was more hard rock from local bands, until KC and the Sunshine Band closed the weekend long venue. Dinner on Sunday was at Hula Bay along the waterfront in Tampa...another great band playing at the lower level Duke's...and as usual the Mahi Mahi Tacos, and Burgers were winners....

Work takes me to Johnstown, PA for the week..

,,

Buddha Lounge Tampa

2009-05-28T22:58:00.003-04:00

Looks like a Sushi week for me...this evening some Friends of mine and I decided to check out Buddha Lounge at the Westshore Hotel on Westshore Blvd just north of Cypress Street...from the Green Iguana people, this a classy very loungy type place, with a sunken bar, and cozy sofas and chairs throughout, lounge music in the back ground. You can enter through the Green Iguana, has a separate entrance in the back, or through the Lobby.

We picked a cozy couch and chairs, very comfortable, and started with a few cocktails from a very friendly server. Moving on to a Ginger Salad and Edamame, both very good, lots of Ginger dressing on the large plated salad that had mixed Field Greens, shredded carrots and sliced Cucumber...refreshing. The tuna is best here...flown in daily from Hawaii, we tried the Ahi Tuna Tar tare, beautiful presentaiton and flavor with thin crispy tortilla chips for dipping/scooping the tartare...then onto some very fresh Sashimi, and a few Rolls....all very well presented, but best of all very fresh and delicious. I found me a new spot for Sushi, in a very loungy type atmosphere in the Westshore District of Tampa!

Raw Sushi in downtown Tampa

2009-05-27T21:46:00.002-04:00

Took a friend out for his Bday dinner and movie, and we decided on the new Sushi place that opened downtown at Skypoint, RawSushi, from the same owners as Taps next door. Very dark and loungy inside, with Black walls, white curtains, lounge music playing softley in the background, and a large raised bar along the entire back wall as you enter. Plenty of platic couches and chairs along the patio out front, complete with artificial turf along Ashley Drive.

It was there first night serving food and was a very limited menu of just a few appetizers and about a dozen Sushi Rolls. Mos of the menu was drinks, with $11 Martini's, Wine by the Glass at $7 and up, and bottles from $28 and up. Not an inexpensive place at all, or reasonable at least in my book.

The Apps we tried were Edamame, a very small bowl of your typical Edamame, barely enough to share for two. Also where the Chicken Skewers that my friend said were good. The Sushi Rolls are what I would consider "Fusion Sushi Rolls"...rolls with Italian tomato sauce, rolls wrapped in Prosciutto...very authentic and different. They were tasty, buty most were five or six portions to each roll, which are pricey at about $12 each. When we asked for Low Salt Soy sauce, they came out in the eye dropper like plastic tubes, said to be homemade soy sauce. Nice touch of something, but I like dipping my Edamame in Soy Sauce, sometimes mixed with Wasabi(I know not very traditional), but that the way I like it, and you can not do that at all with the eye droppers...

I may stop by again when they have a full menu...but its just another downtown place, seems overly priced, maybe a bit pretentious...they are to have a DJ start spinning on Thurs-Sat nights till 3am. Some people like it that way...

NC Mountains Getaway - Hawkesdene House

2009-05-26T14:52:00.005-04:00

WOW...just a quick write up to say what an AMAZING trip to the North Carolina Mountains for Memorial Day weekend, and Hawkesdene House in Andrews, NC was all it was said to be, and MUCH MUCH more! I cant remember the last time in my life I have been sooo relaxed, sooo pampered, laughed sooo much, and just enjoyed life..the owners of Hawkesdene, Rob and Phil, took care of me and eight of my friends like no one else could.
Some highlights:
Lonesome Dove for Horseback Riding
Ocoee Adventure Rafting for White Water Rafting down Class III/IV Rapids of the Ocoee River
Ingles for everything
Be sure to have Rob and Phil prepare your meals, and fun!!
The 'Pit'
Hiking the Waterfall, Waterpipe and the 'Top of Hakesdene'.
The never ending Creek, and hammocks, and Gazebos
WINE WINE WINE
The 'Pavillion'
The 'Farm' with Llamas, Goats, Mules and Chickens and the Great Pirnaese Dogs watching over everyone.
'The Arbor'
'The Garden Cottage'

We will see you again real soon Hawkesdene!!

SOHO Sushi, a Scavenger Hunt in Tampa, and Tropical Heatwave.

2009-05-19T16:29:00.006-04:00

Friday evening a buddy of mine and I met up with about a dozen friends at SOHO Sushi on Kennedy Blvd in Tampa...they moved to this location less than a year ago from their spot on South Howard Avenue...still a very nice, small place, with a sushi bar in the back, we had a large table amongst us all. And there move did not deter their quality...still GREAT Sushi, and also Japanese Items from the menu as well....the owner is the son of my other favorite Sushi establishment in Tampa, Yoko's.

Saturday was the annual "Quest for Hope" Ultimate Tampa Bay Scavenger Hunt to benefit the Tampa Childrens Cancer Center. There were 35 teams of 5 this year, and from 6pm t0 10pm, Channelside and Ybor were invaded...Some of the over 100 antics and establishments we visited included - Margarita Mama's(which has the WORST food, service and cocktails btw), had us drop hot peppers down one flight in the person's mouth below; dressing up a stranger as a girl and serenading the Pussy Cat Dolls "Dont Cha"; Finding Al Kuplinski in Hooter's; Hot Dog easting contest and singing "I wish I was an Oscar Meyer Weiner"; Drinks and Ring Toss at Stumps; Howling at a 'Moon' or someones moon; Killing Cancer with Paintball; Dressing up as Robots and wrestling; Flinging women's underwear to the ceiling in Coyote Ugly; Getting Momma to spank us in Reservoir Bar; Singing "Its Raining Men" in Spurs; Doing the Choo Choo Conga line through Streetcar Charlies; ,much much more...but it ended with a great party with buffet and open bar at the Historic Ritz theater in Ybor, where our team came is 2nd place!!

Afterwards we ended the night at the 28th annual 'Tropical Heatwave' taking place at 6 different venues in Ybor City, catching Trombone Shorty, and a few other GREAT acts...

Its a short week...taking off for the North Carolina Mountains on Thursday for the long Memorial Day Weekend!
..

A Race, Market, and Mothers Day in Tampa

2009-05-11T13:10:00.003-04:00

To start off the weekend, I saw that tamparaces.com off road running and adventure group was holding their first of three annual races in Picnic Island on Friday evening. So a buddy of mine and I hauled the kayaks down the street to Kayak in the Bay, and watch the over 600 racers traverse through the beach, swamp, muck, waters, hills, and woodsy areas of Picnic Island. We got a great spot, watching all 600 trample upon one another about mid way through course through the thick muck and mud, some losing their shoes, some getting stuck, and all coming out as muddy as ever...very entertaining...then we paddled our way over to the beach area and finish line to see them all run about waist deep into the Bay, then back to finish the race....looked like FUN, but alot of agony. Their was a DJ in the park, and lots of food and beverages to be enjoyed before, during and after the races.

Saturday, we all headed to Ybor 's Saturday Market in Centennial Park to see if we could find some good Mother's Day's gifts...there were about 50 booths, alot of crafts and knick knacks, fresh fruits and veges, there was some acoustic guitar for entertainment..a much much smaller Market compared to St. Pete's, I got me some fresh Honey as I do every so often...we then walked over to Jalepnos de Ybor for lunch, on the corner of 5th Avenue and 17th street in Ybor City. A walk up window and you are greeted by VERY friendly order taker, that gives you the special of the day...today was Carnitas, with flour tortillas, rice and beans...VERY VERY generous portion and includes a drink, even beer....so moist, tender and flavorful...we also enjoyed on the side patio(all outdoor seating in a very shaded garden), Chicken Burritos, packed with meat and all kinds of fresh toppings. This place is a must for lunch when in Ybor...unfortunately they close at 2pm each afternoon, would make a great dinner, or even late night stop in the evenings...its really that GOOD!!
After lunch, it was the anniversary of the first Railroad from 1869, so at Historic Union Station in downtown Tampa, there was a celebration going on, with authentic model trains, and some historic booths detailing the streetcar and train tracks throughout Tampa, old pictures, and an opportunity to learn more about the National Train proposal throughout the country, and even TBARTA train service in the Tampa Bay area. A live band was set up outside the platforms, it was interesting to see so many people either embarking or disembarking on the Amtrak train that was in the station, and all those just serious to learn about Union Station and Tampa's old train days.

Sunday was Mothers Day....so the family and I took Madre to the Mothers Day Brunch along the Riverwalk in downtown Tampa. The Tampa Convention Center catering company put on a HUGE display of what seemed like a lavish Vegas Style Buffet,,,A new Orleans section, Wild Game section, Ybor/Tampa section, Asian section, Mediterranean section, Seafood Section, Italian section, and of course Breakfast section, and four kinds of meats being carved...You paid as soon as you walked in, and then were seated....a nice concept and if it wasn't for the company and the view, I prob would not have enjoyed it...in other words the food was just ok...most of it was very generic (Aramark does the catering), and for $40 per person, you would expect at least some culinary skills and more than generic foods...meatloaf, sliders, Mojo pork, Roast Lamb, all very tough or pre-formed meats....the seafood was fresh though, and we took advantage of that...most of the warming trays did not warm the food at all...it seemed you had to walk ALOT and far if you chose to dine outside along the Riverwalk. There was a nice String Quartet playing, but I cant say I will be back to one of their brunches(they also had one on Easter). After a 2 hour brunch, we took the TECO streetcar to Ybor City to enjoy a movie, Star Trek - which was entertaining - and then hopped on an open air streetcar back to the Convention Center. Mothers Day ended with Ice Cream near my house at Dairy Joy on Manhattan Ave just south of Euclid.

The NEST in Ybor City

2009-05-08T10:06:00.003-04:00

Thursday evenings are usually my Sushi night, but this evening a buddy of mine and I decided to check out a new place in Ybor City, The NEST. Thursday evenings starting on May 7th, they host an evening of 1/2 price Tapas and Sangria called "SangriLa", with a DJ spinning tunes as well. We arrived around 7ish, and there were plenty of space available, but quickly by 8pm, the place was place. Nicely updated, loungy corner front cafe/restaurant style with a full bar in the back and front, and small party room in the far back. We started with the Lemon Chicken Skewers - tender all white meat chunks lightly grilled, two small chunks per small skewer with onion and peppers, and a creamy lemon sauce; Calamari, a small bowl of very lightly fried, both tenticales and meat in inch to 2 inch long strands, with a watery fresh tomato sauce; Ahi Tuna, 4 large slices of just seared tuna, the best we had so we ordered more, but the next order only had three slices, with a wasabi/mustardy tasting sauce; Salmon - a small piece of Salmon on a spinach type sauce, very flavorful; Hummus - very garlicky and flavorful Hummus with fresh Tortilla style chips, a few Kalamata olives; and finally Garlic Shrimp - about 3 medium chopped up shrimps drenched in a small bowl of VERY VERY garlicky tomato sauce. Overall the Ahi Tuna was a top choice, although I wasn't overly impressed with the food, it was good, but I cant imagine paying full price for ANY of the Tapas choices. I will note the Sangria was heavy on the Liquor side, very tasty and fruity though, and probably the best priced for this special evening.
A nice walk around Ybor after dinner, and Thursday night was looking to get busier, its nice to see so many newer options for dining, shows, art galleries, and even shops along 7th avenue open.

This weekend looks like another time to get out and enjoy the weather and events...its is slowly get warmer and warmer around here, but NO RAIN :(

Some happenings include:
Kings of Leon, Gavin DeGraw, Janes Addiction, Nine Inch Nails are all in town
Peurto Rican Festival at the Fairgrounds
Blueberry Festival in Plant City
Salvador Dali Look a Like Contest at Gallery Live in Ybor and Dali Museum
VaGogh Artwork Appreciation/Movie/Planetarium at MOSI
Mothers Day brunches - Riverwalk downtown Tampa
Tampa Bay Water Ski Show

...ENJOY!

Birthday weekend in Tampa!

2009-05-04T09:26:00.004-04:00

I usually get out of town for the birthday, this year I decided to stick around the Tampa Bay area to celebrate.

Thursday - After doing a little shopping at the Westshore Plaza and International Plaza(I hate shopping but its nice to have these places only about a mile from each other), went downtown Tampa to explore the new Tampa Bay History Center. I stopped by my buddies place, and we went over to the center, where they share a parking lot with the Forum, at $5.00 for the day. Before going thru the History Center, we grabbed a table on the huge outdoor patio area of the Columbia Cafe, it overlooks the Channel and Harbour Island, and the most the tables are shaded from the sun...it was yet another beautiful day in paradise. Ordering the 1905 salads and Cuban Sandwich's we were all very pleased with the attentive service, and the huge portions of very delicious foods. Only in Tampa can you get authentic 1905 salads, with an "Italian" type dressing mixed throughout the lettuce and tomatoes, meats and cheeses, like a chef salad but Tampa style...and the Cuban's, HUGE foot long on fresh pressed cuban bread, they take a piece of what each immigrant brought to Tampa (Cubans/Spanish - Roast Pork, and Swiss Cheese; Italians - Salami; Germans - Boiled Ham) with sliced pickles and a mustard/mayo combination. After filling the bellies, it was time to explore the History Center...$12 gets you into the center, and about 2.5 hours you can explore each and every exhibit(shorter if you by pass some of the exhibits), there is a great movie about the fist explorers to the Tampa Bay area, and an animatronic/movie with some special effects detailing the Seminole Indian Wars. Cigar City has many interactive short movie trailers that really explain how Tampa came to be what it is today, and there are many artifacts from the early settlers to Tampa dating back to the 1500's. The second floor is even more interactive, there aer HUGE maps where you can locate many landmarks, see how the city has progressed, learn about the different towns and cities throughout the Tampa Bay area(like Rattlesnake, FL where the present day neighborhood of Port Tampa City and Bayside West now reside...interesting story)....lots more to see, they explore the many festivals, the Port of Tampa, sports franchises, Agriculture and Farming and Ranching, and Tampa Bay area during the wars. Travelling exhibits are to open on the third floor stating in September.
Thursday evening, my family and a couple of close friends gathered at Malio's for the birthday dinner...one of the finest restaurants in the Bay area. Ive reviewed them before, and still consistently great...attentive, friendly service....and thru May 31st, all the steaks are 1/2 priced from 4pm-7pm each night! My 22oz bone in Rib Eye is regularly $39.00, but is $20 on the menu....all was enjoyed at Malio's from the perfectly seasoned and grilled steaks, ala a carte sides like Mac n Cheese, Spinach, Baked Potato's, and Asparagus, to the HUGE slice of birthday cheesecake we split amongst all of us. Thursday night ended with a few of us heading to the Green Iguana South Westshore to finish the night with some live music.

Friday, went and got the car detailed, and take care of some errands, and went over to the new Floridian cafe, they are famous for their Cuban Sandwich's over on Treasure Island for years, and finally opened up a small shop on Kennedy Blvd(yes, Cuban's again---I love them)....with only a few tables inside and a counter, we were able to beat the lunch crowd which drew lines in this place, and scored a table....the 10" Cuban was big, and I ordered fries with a special gravy for a side...and again, the Floridian did not disappoint.
Friday evening, there was quite a few of us that met up downtown Tampa for the last installment of the "ECO-lution" week, and met at Fly Bar...the Ecolution Tour gives city of Tampa residents an opportunity to explore the urban areas of downtown Tampa(Channelside, Ybor City, and the CBD of downtown), there are over two dozen establishments, from bars, to restaurants to museums, that all provided discounts or specials for those involved on the tour, and you were also given a free all day pass for the transit options to get you around via Green Line trolley and the TECO StreetCar system. Some of the establishments visited throughout the night included Fly, SPAIN, Tina's Tapas, Gaspar's Grotto....

Saturday was yet another bright and sunny warm day, perfect for bringing the dogs to the beach in the morning before heading downtown Tampa to the annual Dragon Boat races and Asia Fest. Celebrating the Asian cultures(like Korean, Philippine, Vietnamese, Thai, Chinese, Japanese, etc.), there were cultural exhibits and dances, but the best part of this small festival is the food...trying all Thai food for this years festival. The Dragon Boat Races were going strong, with a race almost every 15 minutes...its authentic, and Tampa is lucky to be able to hold this annually, live music and again more food was available for the spectators.
Saturday evening, we all went over to downtown St. Pete for the Rays game against the Red Sox...before heading the Tropicana Field, we went over to Fresco's, an waterfront restaurant with outdoor seating and bar area...very nice views of the Marina and Pier in downtown St. Pete...some other friends of ours were attending the American Stage in the Park production of Altar Boyz, and annual outdoor plays they do throughout the year, so we met with them briefly on the bridge to Demen's Landing, then walked the Baseball Blvd(Central Avenue) walkway from the waterfront about 12 blocks to Tropicana Field, stopping at Mastry's and then Ferg's before entering the Stadium...game was alot of fun, (Nachos were a highlight, piled with LOTS of BBQ pork and chicken, and yummy ladled nacho cheese)...but we lost to the Red Sox, but overall beat them in the 4 game series. Stopping by Fresco's one last time after the game, we ended the night at where else, bu the Green Iguana South Westshore.

Sunday was a day to relax in the beautiful day, and catch an independent film, "The Great Buck Howard" at historical Tampa Theater in downtown Tampa, and then dinner at Paninoteca on the corner of Twiggs and Franklin, for some great Mediterranean food, eating outdoors of course to take in the beautiful evening to end this long great birthday weekend in Tampa Bay.

LA to Tampa Roadtrip

2009-04-29T10:59:00.004-04:00

My buddy who bought a condo in downtown Tampa at Skypoint is now back in Tampa from LA. I flew out Friday, and we drove back the I-10 route through Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and finally Florida. Left at 2pm Friday afternoon, got to Tampa at 2pm Tuesday afternoon!!

So now he's moving in, and has lots to explore in an ever emerging downtown, which was once the epicenter of life in Tampa until the 1960's when surburbia came to town, but now is establishing itself with new establishments and people actually LIVING in the city center.

The 41st Birthday is ahead tomorrow, so LOTS to consider for the long Birthday Weekend...dinner at Malio's, A trip to the Tampa Bay History Center, Busch Gardens, MOSI's Body Works Exhibit, Asia Fest and Dragon Boat Races, Shakespeare in the Park, Rays vs Red Sox Baseball game, St. Pete's First Friday, ECO-lution "Paint the town Green", The beach, etc......and the weather should be perfect too!

Back in Tampa from NYC

2009-04-20T10:41:00.002-04:00

Work took me to Somerset, NJ last week, then I decided to make a weekend out of one of my favorite cities, NYC. Staying at my companies apartment along 1st Avenue near 14th Street was very convenient, and its nice to feel like a resident in Manhattan when your just visiting. Some highlights included Vamos mexican for a few Happy Hour Coronas and some Chips and Salsa outside along 1st Avenue..then a trip up to Hell's Kitchen neighborhood for Sushi at Bamboo52, and some bar hopping to Barrage, The Ritz, 9th Avenue Saloon before heading back down to the East Village at finishing the first night along 2nd Avenue entertainment venues.

Friday, after a nice sleep-in, had some of the best bagels with Lox and Cream Cheese at Ess-a-Bagel along 1st Avenue near 20th...then we hit Midtown area went up to "Top of the Rock" at Rockefeller Plaza, for an amazing 75 sotry view of the city, it was sucha clear day, and warm you could see practically forever. Central Park was next to take advantage of the great day, LOTS of people playing hookie today on NYC first warm day of the year...a few NY hot dogs, and a great stroll around the park. The evening took us to Legends along 33rd Street at 5th Ave to meet some friends, then walked over to Chelsea neighborhood for eats at Ate Ave along 8th Ave near 19th Streets. It was another great night so we walked along 14th street back to the East Village, passing through Union Sqaure.

Saturday, an early breakfast of NY style egg sandwich's on a roll, and we rented some bikes to spend the next 4 hours biking around the island of Manhatten. There is a Greenway that allows uninterrupted biking along the entire island..we started on the East side along the East River, passing under the Williamsburg, Manhattan and Brooklyn Bridges, along Southstreet Seaport, Battery Park, and then up along side the Hudson River....everything was in full bloom for spring time, many many NY's out and about to take advantage of another great day...we made it to 100th Street, before heading back, and veering over to the Brooklyn Bridge on the way back, a perfect spot for some of the best views of the Manhatten Skyline from the Brooklyn Bridge over the East River. After returning the bikes and cleaning up a bit, we met some other friends for Brunch at Gemma in the Bowery Hotel down in the East Village...lots of outdoor seating along Bowery Street, perfect for people watching and enjoying NY....food was great too!! The a walk over to my friends place in the Lower East Side, to enjoy some wines on the rooftop of their apt building...and then we headed to the West Village to meet up with others...Duplex, Pieces, Marie Crisis piano bar, there was ALOT of entertainment this Saturday night....and we ended the night back in the East Village at quite a few more establishments.

The LIRR got us back to the plane in time to leave NYC from Long Island...and back to reality...

Leaving for Los Angeles on Friday morning, a buddy is moving back to Tampa, and I will be driving cross country with him....a looong drive with stops in Utah, Denver, St. Louis along the way...

Visitors again in Tampa

2009-04-06T21:11:00.005-04:00

Visitors came into Tampa for their first trip ever here...I believe they had a great time lounging by my friends pool on the Bay, soaking up the excellent weekend weather..yet again!

Friday we all went over to Busch Gardens, there was a front that came through and produced huge rains for the morning, but by noon, all was cleared up, and it turned out to be an excellent day...with barely anybody in the park this past Friday, we were able to walk on all rides and attractions...FUN!! We miss the "free samples" of Anheiser Busch beer products that the park used to give out, and they have now turned the Hospitality House into a Cafe, SELLING beers as they do throughout the park..we also noticed prices for food have gone up by $2...the BBQ was great yet again near Sheikra...and its always nice being able to casually walk around and see lots of animals and exhibits between some of the best roller coasters ...I saw an exhibit I've yet to see all the times i have been to the Gardens, the Hippo Gorge near Egypt.

Saturday was a perfect day for yet another outdoor festival, the annual Hyde Park Art Festival, in the Village. Over 200 artisits from all over the world converged in the Village, excellent creativity...we were able to grab a nice table outside of Rastaurant BT for their sandwich's (Lemon Chicken and Sliced Tenderloin), served up on some of the freshest, soft warm baked bread(rolls), and served with a tangy Cucumber salad...Mojitos were on call for the afternoon, and they were excellently prepared here at BT. After walking through the village, and Hyde Park neighborhood, we stumbled upon the Tiny Tap on Morrison Ave near Howard Ave for a pitcher of beer and some socializing in this, one of the oldest bars in Tampa. Simple, plain, cheap bar with Pool tables, TV's, Foosball, a Juke Box and some video games...
Saturday night..Italian food was calling the visitors, so a trip to Ybor was on call for the Laughing Cat...as I have written many times, THE place for Italian in Tampa. Before dinner, we visited a few places..Gaspar's Grotto patio was having a Great Dane Rescue charity party, then we went to a new Mexican place called Cinco de Mayo..it was the old Sushi place Sushi on 7th, and they did a great job inside the long stainless steal bar, where we had some Margarita specials, on the rocks, with Salt. The it was a trip to Columbia's bar, where there was a piano player and small band playing very cool tunes, and we imbibed on the Imported Red Sangria, and as my friends all said, it was PERFECT. Of course I was giving them a little history along the way to Laughing Cat restaurant...Peter was our server this time, and as usual GREAT SERVICE-GREAT FOOD, all were happy and very full, but not too full that we couldn't stop across the street at Streetcar Charlies for an after dinner drink, the Club Czar, where I had to take one of them cause he is a Liquor distributor, and LOVES his Vodka...and this is the place in Tampa, with over 50 varieties of Vodka from all over the world, he was in heaven...a few ice shots that they pour any brand of vodka in an ice shot, and then throw the ice shot against the wall...great DJ's were playing in both rooms of Club Czar.....then a stroll over to Reservior Bar, where Momma did what she does best(besides bartending), and took one of my friends, (the birthday girl), over the pool table while everyone watched, and gave her the Birthday spankings...a tradition in this place when Momma has the time. It was nice to see all the wait staff from Laughing Cat in the Reservoir Bar, we were able to have quite a few laughs there, before hitting up Green Iguana a few blocks down on 7th Avenue, only to find about 2 dozen people in the whole place...with no band(only acoustic) in the one room, and a DJ in the other room spinning dance tunes...we knew it was time to head home, but you cant leave Ybor without a slice of late night Pizza..so off to Demi's Market, where they usually have a band, but this night the bands ended there around midnight...and then a safe Taxi ride back home.

Sunday they all took off for Pass-a-Grille beach, my favorite in the area when you want a beach with some restaurants and shops, but not overwhelming, its a small town/village like just south of St. Pete Beach.

CRAZY-BUSY-FUN Tampa Weekend

2009-03-30T16:02:00.004-04:00

One of my blogger buddies indicated to me that is was a CRAZY-busy weekend...and indeed it was, as are many....

With the perfect 'spring' weather, on Friday after work, headed out to Tampa's Hyde Park neighborhood and Cork on Howard Avenue across from MacDinton's. With a new large outdoor patio both in the front and side of Cork, there was plenty of room to enjoy some great wine or beers al fresco...and do some great people watching at the HUGE crowds of pretty people all lined up to get into MacDinton's for their Friday Happy Hour...its like a circus on Friday's in MacDinton's, a great time when i was a bit younger..not too much into the crowded, beer fests that occur there on Friday's(by the way, you can ourchase a beer at Cork, and get a wristband to get into MacDintons - no waiting and no paying $10 for a wristband..great deal). Cork has a small menu of mostly Appetizers like cheeses, meats, Bruschetta's, and olive trays that all go great with the large variety of wines by the glass and bottles(very reasonably priced too), and also Salads, and Flat Bread pizza's. They also have a large selection of beers from around the globe. Service was great and friendly, always on top of things. We had several others join us from the mass across the street, and easily they accommodated us all outside. The Crostini's with dips were very tasty to snack on, buttery toasted sliced cuban bread, with Hummus, a Tomato/Garlic and Spinach/Artichoke dip. We ran out of Crostini's for the dips, and immediately our server brought us more, no questions asked. The Portuguese Sausage pizza was also delicious, thin crust, perfect amounts of cheese and delicious sausage.
After a few hours here, we wondered over to the SOHO Tavern on the corner of Howard Ave and Platt Street where we ran into yet more friends...and casual place, full liquor bar, and outside patio along Howard Avenue...with plenty of flat screen tv's throughout to keep up with College Basketball Finals....then it was a quick walk to Mangrove's, only to be rudely told by the door guy that men are not allowed in with Sandals...even though we were dressed with nice Jeans and collared shirts, a pair of nice sandals could not make it in the door. I would figure in these days with the economy, people that were willing to spend some cash on expensive drinks would not be 'shunned' off, but my guess is that Mangrove's feels they can pick and choose who they let in, so things must be going very very well for them...and I say good for them, I understand dress codes, but in Florida, especially Tampa, FL...and the fact that a nicely dressed guy with Sandals can be refused, but scantily dressed woman with barely any shoes on are more than welcome...so be it...no more Mangrove's for me(EDIT---I talked to Sam the owner, he was VERY VERY VERY apologetic and insists it is NOT their policy to not let anyone with sandals, they want to maintain an 'upscale' atmosphere, but underestand that sandals are a Florida norm with a nice pair of jeans and collared shirt). It was then a ride over to South Tampa Green Iguana to end the night with a great live band, and plenty of fun people....in my sandals.

Saturday, weather couldn't have been better, but wow was it BREEZY with constant 15-20 mile an hour winds. The skies were all clear, and no place better to be than on the Bay to enjoy the annual Air Show that MacDill AFB puts on. Since it is always so crowded down on the base, we went to Hula Bay, off Westshore Blvd, just south of Gandy Blvd. Even better, we caught the 19 Bus just three houses down from my house off Westshore Blvd...so responsible of us. Hula Bay was busy, not too crowded, lots of pretty people along the pool side and cabanas, even though the Bay was very rough, there were boaters out there that had docked along the many slips and docks along Hula Bay. We had a perfect seat to watch the Thunderbirds put on an amazing show, flying over head the restaurant and bar numerous times, lasted over an hour. After the show, some more friends stopped by and we proceeded down to the lower level of Hula Bay to Duke's...another waterfront bar with about a dozen tables, you dont need a reservation for to be seated. We found a nice table, great waterfront view, and an even nicer server, Jessica, who took great care of us this Saturday afternoon. Food was great...HUGE blackened grouper with Blue Cheese, on a very soft potato like roll, thick thick Steak Fries and homeade Claw Slaw was my order...others enjoyed the Lobster Rolls(sushi tempura style), Garlic Shrimp, Grouper Bites, Mahi Mahi, and Chicken Sandwich...all very very good....lots of great fun to be had at Duke's or Hula Bay, professional friendly service...all from the Green Iguana people...getting there by boat, car, foot, bike, or even bus...in bathing suits and t-shirts, or nice shorts and a polo shirt..its a come as you are and enjoy....a DJ played pool side at Hula Bay, an excellent guitarist was in Duke's entertaining everyone.

Sunday it was time for Family Fun Day to return, and I met my family at Channelside to take in an early movie since the clouds were still around from a very early Sunday morning thunderstorm, which was clearing up around noon. before my family arrived to Channelside, I went to an Art Show called "Duets", it was in one of the galleries at the Channelside complex and featured art and lyrics from John Lennon and the Beatles and Jerry Garcia....great way to see what exactly alot of the songs they wrote were really all about, and there works were being sold to benefit the Children's Cancer Society....Yoko had many of Lennon's art pieces colored in for the event...there were friendly people there to explain many of the over 150 pieces on display.....Channelside was very busy, two cruise ships were in, so people were milling about everywhere......I don't do many move reviews(I go at least once a week)...but I will say that "I Love You, Man" is a funny, roll in the aisles, laugh out loud kind of movie...we all had a good time with this movie. After the movie, we decided to play tourist and take the StreetCar to Ybor City, about a mile up the road from Channelside, for the annual Italian Festival. The Streetcar was very busy, $5 for all day rides($2.50 all day for Seniors). We made it to Ybor in about 10 minutes, not bad on this authentic vintage streetcar system, which is definitely more for show and tourism than actually transportation.(My uncle mentioned it would have been alot less expensive and easier to maintain if it was just and electric bus line with a dedicated lane like the streetcar), but it was definitely different. Ybor Ciy was VERY busy, the skies had all cleared up, it was dry and breezy, perfect for yet another festival....trying out the Italian Sausage and Peppers, meatballs, Eggplant Fries, Canoli's...and great Italian entertainment. Al Martino was the headliner, seemed most everyone at the festival made sure they got a glimpse at this guy, who was in the Godfather movies, and a huge star in the 60's....my family new all the songs, you could see many dancing in the streets....and it was interesting to see the authentic Italians from Tampa who were descendants of the immigrants that came over in the late 1800's to work the cigar factories, and there families all together for this annual festival. Before heading back on the streetcar back to channelside, we had some delicious Argentinian dinner at El Puerto on 5th Aveue and 17th Street in Ybor.

Another perfect weekend to a close....hoping that work this week flies by...St. Pete's Festival of States, Grand Prix, First Friday are just some of the happenings coming up this upcoming weekend.
..

PACKED TAMPA BAY WEEKEND!

2009-03-27T15:39:00.002-04:00

As I work on the back patio today, enjoying this great 'Spring' weather, I am reminded of a few things:
This is the BEST time of Year to be in Tampa - weather, activities, festivals, concerts...
And the AirForce Thunderbirds are LOUD and FAST!!! as they fly over head practicing for this weekend...decisions, decisions for the weekend---

MacDill AirFest
Univ of Tampa GreenFest
Polished Palate Rum Fest in Ybor
Sensory Overload 4.0 in Ybor
Paula Poundstone at the Tampa Performing Arts Center
Italian Festival of the Moving Image - Italian Club in Ybor
Festa Italiana - Ybor City
St. Petersburg Intl Folk Fair - Vinoy Park
Festival of Speed - North Straub Park - St. Pete

On Thursday the St. Pete Grand Prix kicks off with the St. Pete Festival of States Illuminated Night Parade in downtown St. Pete.

Downtown Tampa, Hockey and Ybor

2009-03-23T10:24:00.004-04:00

Buddy came back to town from LA this weekend, and finally purchased a condo in Downtown Tampa at Skypoint...beautiful building with plenty of first class amenities, he'll be enjoying one of the bigger one bedroom units on the Western end, overlooking the new Curtis Hixon Park, Museum of Art, Hillsborough River and UT Minarets with incredible sunsets..I look forward to visiting lots! After the big purchase, we all ventured over to Hyde Park Village, and since the weather was perfect, had a nice table outside at Restaurant BT. Lunch here is very good, service prompt and friendly.....mostly salads and a few sandwich's, but it was the Noodle Bowls and Pho that we each tried. Grilled Pork, and Ginger Chicken were both very good, and very large helpings of the noodles and vegetables, but I felt they could have spared a little more meat...it was very tasty though. The last day of 'Chalk Walk' was happening, so afterwards we walked around the village, taking a look at some of the very creative designs themed "Tampa's Future", we also stopped by the 'Sweet Treats' shop, took in some homemade fudge and all kinds of great candy, the owner did some remodeling, and added a small lounge type area with couches....very nice.
Saturday night we were invited to the Lightning game, another friend of mine has a Suite, the game went into a shootout, and Atlanta was able to pull this one off tonight. Afterwards, we attempted to take the trolley to Ybor, but the whole Channelside are and streeetcar stops outside the Forum after the game were packed...so a quick cab ride up to Ybor, and we ventured out to spots like Spurs, Reservoir Bar - where we met lots of others, and also was busy due to the SkateBoard championships in Tampa this weekend, over to the Ybor Social, and concluding with GBar, and NY NY Pizza....

Another Parade and Sunday Funday!!

2009-03-16T16:22:00.003-04:00

After taking the kayak out on the Bay on Thursday, on Friday a large group of us went over to CDB's Southside for some outdoor eats and drinks to end the week on Friday evening....as always we get the Chef Rolls(sliced Turkey, Ham and Roast Beef rolled up in Mozzarella Cheese)...and the dinners were actually tastier than usual this time around, (see my past reviews)...seems the tomato sauce was not as sweet, and with chunks of tomato and garlic, no complaints, good food, good service, good company.... and enjoyed the great weather overlooking Westshore Blvd. Afterwards it was a walk next door to the Wooden Door Irish Pub, busier than usual, but a funky crowd, not from the neighborhood.
Saturday was the St. Patricks Night Parade in Ybor City, an annual event for 14 years now. Similar to the Gasparilla Night Parade, but a wee bit more Irish, with some Bag Pipe players,a nd a few Irish floats, but most were the same Krewes out for anther parade through 7th Avenue of Ybor City. We started at the Double Decker, then onto Gaspars Grotto, made it over to Reservoir Bar just as the parade was starting(tried to go to James Joyce Pub, but they had a 49 persons limit in the bar), found a nice table outside of NY NY Pizza as the parade came down 7th Avenue, not crowded at all this year, so we enjoyed some slices, and the parade....during the parade we headed to meet some more friends at the old Adobe Gilas(now called Centro Cantina), the area round Centro Ybor was a little busier...then onto Coyote Ugly, and lastly the Green Iguana. Another successful parade night in Tampa, there were also alot of people in town for the SEC Championships taking place at the Forum in downtown.
Sunday started out with Dim Sum for Sunday Brunch...TC Choys on Howard Avenue in Hyde Park area of South Tampa, does a GREAT job with this Asian treat...chicken feet, tripe, jelly fish...no I didn't try any of those...we went for some of the Dumplings, stuffed with all kinds of seafood, pork, and also an Eggplant with Shrimp specialty and Asian Broccoli...very very good, and you know its good when your in an Asian restaurant and most of the clientele are all Asian as well. The carts just keep circling around the tables, servers are VERY friendly to explain all the Dim Sum being served on the cart.
Sunday afternoon led to Sunday Funday went a buddy of mine sent out the following text message: "I just checked the weather report and guess what, it's perfect BEER DRINKING AFTERNOON...where we goin?" so we all headed out to Four Green Fields, kind of empty at 3pm, but by 530pm it was getting very busy..we sat out on the front porch of this very authentic Irish Pub, with views fo downtown (the thatched roof was actually imported from Ireland), and there was live Irish music inside...my buddies wanted me to take them some place they never been, and I thought, where is the seediest joint in town...the Ki Ki Ki III on Kennedy Blvd, an alternative bar, very dark(no windows, the only light from because the door was propped open), one pool table, a juke box, smokey, and some not so distinguished people, good enough for a very cheap pitcher of beer and some laughs, an interesting spot. From there it was over to macDinton's on Howard Ave, large outdoor patio greeted quite a few people, we lasted about one beer, and then headed over to The Lodge a block away. A new place that just opened in January, with an outdoor patio along Howard Avenue. Friendly Jeff was able to accommodate our group outside..we started with some buckets of beer, and an appetizer tray that consisted of four tiny corn dogs, some calamari, beef and cheese spring rolls...a very small platter, it was a good thing it was on special. The place has a very different type of menu, lots of sliders, and Americanized version of Sushi, and "Always Eggs" dishes....we tried, sliders, Macaroni and Cheese with Beef, Omelet, Sushi with chicken, Chicken nachos...some of the meals came with three sides(they state TV dinner style)...like BBQ Beans, Cucumber slices that had no flavor, and my favorite of all, crispy Tator Tots. All in all it was an ok ...we were happy with the awesome service, and just good company as well. In the middle of the meal, we were able to also view the Space Shuttle taking off from Cape Canaveral, seeing the bright glow and the plume of smoke up into space...and awesome sight.

St. Patty's is around the corner...and the weather is STILL beautiful!!

LA Visitor in Tampa

2009-03-10T08:01:00.003-04:00

A buddy of mine made a last minute excursion to Tampa this weekend, he is looking to buy a condo so he can spend a few months of the year in Tampa, where he once lived.(I guess he misses this place)....Friday evening, had a few friends over before heading up to a Wine-A-Palooza get together at a friends place in the Stoney Point neighborhood in South Tampa, about a mile up the road from my house. Great time, lots of people showed up, they have a very entertaining home on a canal that leads out to Tampa Bay...and the Wine was definitely flowing. After a few hours there, a few of us went off to check out a new Club in downtown Tampa's Channelside called Aja. Upscale, beautiful club, very large outdoor patio area with the skyscrapers of downtown in the background all lit up in the night sky provided a real nice back drop. Not overly pretentious, and a very friendly, happy crowd. Many levels inside lead you to lots of seating areas, quiet areas upstairs with an interesting bar that overlooks the dance floors through all glass partition, and there is even somewhat of a "basement" type of lounge on the lower level. Clean, excellent service, friendly people. Be nice to have this place stick around for a while.
Saturday was the Annual Florida Brewers Guild Beer Fest in Ybor City. About 25 microbreweries showed off their unique beers. This annual fest gets bigger and bigger, and afterwards we wandered around Ybor City, stopping by Streetcar Charlies, Reservior Bar, Czar and G Bar, ending the evening at Demi's Market for Pizza and a live band.
Sunday started with a nice Caribbean Brunch at Cafe Dufrain on Harbour Island downtown. Although the brunch was ok, and there was good live Caribbean type music playing, I thought it to be kind of awkward that Cafe Dufrain has a beautiful waterfront view of downtown Tampa, yet the buffet and live music was playing out in the street, instead of along the waterfront. The brunch consisted of Eggs Benedict, Filet of Beef, PB&J French Toast(which was interesting, but I would have rather settled for regular French Toast), Grouper, BBQ Ribs(good but very messy for a Brunch of this caliber), salads, fruits, and cheeses. I may try it again when company is in town, there are better Sunday Brunches in my opinion. Take the food and live music to the waterfront and keep it shaded and out of the sunlit parking area/street, just a thought. After Brunch, went over and met some friends at the Gasparilla Festival of the Arts, this is the last event on what seems to now be about 2 months worth of events for Tampa's Gasparilla Season. A very nice, mellow ending to the season, 300 some artists display their crafts along downtown Tampa streets, an excellent opportunity to see unique creations from all over the world, and socialize with many friends, new and old, on beautiful days that come to the area for March and April...skies always seem to be bluer than blue, and temps hover close to 80 in the day, little or no Humidity.

Another perfect weekend wrapped up...and looking forward to the Annual St. Patricks Day parade this Saturday night in Ybor City.
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Upscale Tampa?

2009-03-03T17:17:00.003-05:00

What is happening in Tampa? And in this Economy?

As I look out at new places to dine and be entertained, it doesn't stop here in Tampa. Over the past few months, numerous openings, and mostly catering to the higher end clientele.

Bin 27 - Kennedy Blvd
Aja - Channelside
Teatro - Ybor
The NEST - Ybor
Aquaknox - Rocky Point
OceanPrime - Intl Plaza
Posh27 - Intl Plaza
Hula Bay Club - South Westshore

Whats happening in Tampa?

A Crawl, and Fiesta Day!

2009-03-01T10:42:00.005-05:00

Nothing better than walking in the neighborhood to meet some friends for good wine after a busy work week. We all met up this time at CDB's Southside on Westshore Blvd, and grabbed a great spot on the upper outdoor balcony, overlooking Westshore Blvd...even the food here is just OK, it was nice to see such good friends, and enjoy some fine Kim Crawford Wines...my fav is the 'Chef Rolls", select meats wrapped in Mozzarella and Provolone Cheese..perfect with some warm fresh bread, and a little olive oil. A few hours later, we made it down to the Green Iguana, last stop on the neighborhood crawl for this Friday night.

Saturday was another beautiful day in Paradise....after a slow start, a few of us went to Ybor to partake in the annual Fiesta Days Festival....it celebrates the immigrants that came to Tampa back in the late 1800's to work in the Cigar Factories, and make a better life for themselves...Cubans, Spanish, Italians, Germans and Jews...7th avenue was closed down to traffic, so the thousands of people could sample many of the foods and listen in to the worldly entertainment along the avenue. After strolling around a bit, we stopped at New York New York Pizza, for an extra large 18" pie with Meatballs, Pepperoni and Green Peppers...its a very friendly place, lots of pictures throughout of NYC...the pizza is close to NY, but definitely not a real NY pizza...good stuff!! We then walked over to the Southern Exposure Carnival that was happening next to Club Czar...I felt like it was something out of a very scary movie....not many people around, some very weird drag shows taking place(not like Key West), and some out of the ordinary type people(kinda backwoods like rough people)......there were some rides, and it was nice to run into quite a few friends I havn't seen in a while.....we made the most out of it for the time we were there, hopping into Club Czar now and then...we also checked out StreetCar Charlies, always a good time here, very clean and comfortable place, they have now installed a toy trolley and tracks above the bar that runs throughout...nice touch....Ybor was getting busier as the night went on....checked out Spurs, and lastly ended the evening at La Creperia as some of my friends were craving a great dessert...and La Creperia didn't disappoint at all.

Finally getting a downpour of Rain(feels like its been just weeks of blue skies), so the Gasparilla Intl Film Festival looks like a good bet for the day today....

Biking, Festival, and Crashing Weddings on the Beach

2009-02-23T11:43:00.004-05:00

Another great February weekend in the Bay area...met up with some friends at the North Westshore Green iguana for Happy Hour and Dinner...this Green Iguana located int he Westshore Hotel offers a very large dining area, outdoor patio, and small stage, where a great acoustic guitarist was being backed up by another musician playing electric drums...very entertaining...it was a cool evening in the upper 40's, so most were inside...we enjoyed the juicy burgers and some apps. Afterwards, went to the Grand Opening of Green Iguana's newest venture, Hula Bay Club and Duke's Retired Surfers Island Bar, a South Tampa waterfront restaurant/bar on Tampa Bay where the old Rattlefish used to stand, off Westshore Blvd, a little south of Gandy. The place has the same Floribbean atmosphere, large outdoor deck, and now has a pool with cabanas.

Saturday, couldn't resist taking in the great blue skies, and cool temps in the low 70's to get on the bike. So after doing a little yard work and raking up about 10 bags of leaves(who ever said Florida has no seasons obviously does not have a 100 year old Oaks on there property)...I ventured on the bike to the Pinellas Trail. Starting in Largo, rode up to downtown Clearwater, and the SeaBlues Festival was happening. Took in some great fresh seafood on the lawn, listening to some live blues, where there were at least a few thousand out enjoying the perfect day along the waterfront in downtown Clearwater. The bike ride back took some detours through the neighborhoods along the Intracoastal...big beautiful homes, and then into the Belleview Biltmore Estate, where it looks like they are still rehabing this over a century year old hotel and resort..it is said the Biltmore is the largest, oldest wooden structure in the country that is still being used.

It was then on to St. Pete beach where some friends had rooms at the Tradewinds Resort. A very nice sprawling resort along St. Pete Beach...a huge complex of rooms, suites, bars and restaurants , even a river where you can take boats through the property. I checked into my buddies suite, large, clean and comfortable, that was at the time overlooking a Pirate Show with great views of the beach and Gulf from the balcony. Heading down to walk around, I ran into the bride of the wedding, and even though I wasn't invited, she asked that I attend the wedding...who a I to say no to a huge ballroom full of happy people, a large buffet, open bar, and kickin' DJ providing the entertainment. Too much fun!!!
After a few hours, and then closing the wedding, the fun people went out to Shark's Bar on the grounds of the resort, and later walked along the beach over to Ricky T's and then Jimi B's. A great live band at Jimi B's (Phoenix), and had everyone still dancing till closing time.

Visitors explore Ybor

2009-02-19T16:20:00.002-05:00

Had the Aunt and Uncle from New Jersey in town this week...(they made it clear to one of the servers in a restaurant that they are not considered Snowbirds, but more like Snowflakes cause they are not in Florida for the whole season)...they are 100% Italian, and have never visited Ybor City, but saw it during the SuperBowl.....so we all went to eat some of my fav Italian..Laughing Cat. I cant say enough about this place...the Antipasto was perfect, fresh mozzarella, roasted peppers, juicy red ripe tomatoe slices and fresh thinly sliced Prosciutto, all drizzled with a tangy Balsamic Vinaigrette....then the meals, Lemon Chicken, Chicken Parm, Eggplant Parm and a special stuffed Chicken dish...Molto Bene...the exclaimed they haven't had such fresh Italian, and tasty in a while..it is really that good! For dessert we walked down 7th Ave(I gave them a history tour) to La Creperia, next door to the Italian Club. Fresh espresso's, and Delicious homeade crepes stuffed with Carmel apples and cinnamon a la mode, and also stuffed with Nutella and Baily's Irish Creme...perfect.

Biking, Kayaking and another Parade in Tampa

2009-02-17T11:33:00.006-05:00

Winter is in full gear in Tampa...and led us out to enjoy a great bike ride to start of Saturday morning. We drove across the Bay to St. Pete and parked around 62nd Avenue, east of 4th street. Taking the bikes, we followed 62nd ave east to Bayou Grande Blvd, onto Grand Canal Blvd, to Overlook Drive, onto Snell Isle Blvd, and then to Coffee Pot Blvd, and along North Shore Park, Vinoy Park, through downtown along the waterfront, and ending at the Saturday Morning Market near Al Lang Stadium in downtown St. Pete. A great 45 minute ride, seeing lots of beautiful waterfront homes of all kinds, along the parks in downtown there were many people out, couples enjoying the great sunny weather this Valentine's Day. The Saturday market is the biggest of its kind in the Tampa Bay area, lots a vendors, live music and FOOD! People watching is a must here....we then walked around downtown, and met up with another friend for lunch at the Lucky Dill on Central Ave. All the restaurants where you can sit outside had long waits today, we were able to grab a table in the Lucky Dill, sandwich's were HUGE, my greek salad was very large, had some grilled chicken sliced on top...could've used more dressing which they give to you on the side, but with plenty of Feta, and Veges, the salad was good.
After lunch, we bikes it back up to the car, and got back in time to get ready and head out to Ybor City for the Gasparilla Night Parade(pictures in link).
Our first stop in Ybor was Gaspar's Grotto, nothing better than awaiting a night time pirate parade than from a Pirate themed bar..the very large outdoor patio was busy, with an acoustic guitarist entertaining us...7th ave was already closed off for the parade which was to start in a few hours...we then headed over to the James Joyce Irish Pub above the Green Iguana on 7th Ave...met some more friends there, and then the parade got started, with good views from the second level pub. We wanted to meet some more of our friends who were on the street, and also say hello to some of those we know in the Krewe's marching in the parade, so we went down a block and had a perfect spot...it was not very busy at all, you could walk right up to the parade route at any time, the beads were flowing left and right...I call the night parade a little more 'intimate' because there are not as many people, and it also runs down 7th avenue in the Historic District which is ALOT narrower than Bayshore Blvd or through downtown like the Day [parade. Also, there are still around 100 floats, but most are all decorated with lights which is a great site to see at night.....Having seen lots of our friends, and of course piling on the beads, we went over to the Crowbar, and then Green Iguana...many of the Krewes were scattered about all over Ybor after the parade.

Sunday we were in need of a greasy, juicy, fresh made burger and fries...so it was off the Five Guys..and sure enough, it hit the spot, with all its greasiness, I like that they have over a dozen toppings, and the burgers are made fresh to order And they pack the paperbag with Fries.

Monday was a Holiday(President's Day), so my friend that moved to Alaska and I met some others at Canoe Escape on Fowler Avenue in Tampa, we were going to explore the Hillsborough River. My buddy is a photographer, and exclaims that the Hillsborough River is a wildlife lovers dream in Florida...the day was perfect, with our kayaks, they were able to transport us to the top of the river(Seargent Park), and we kayak for as long as we want, only to meet at the pick up spot(Morris Bridge or Trout Creek) by 5pm. Plenty of Gators, Turtles, we seen over a dozen species of birds, including the Rosette Spoonbill, one of my favs...snakes, and just you and the wildlife, no cars, planes...just peaceful, lazy river...it flows downstream, so paddling is effortless, unless you want it to be...with plenty of logs, twists and turns, the river is different around every bend...occasional you can also sometimes see deer and wild boar along the banks...its almost completely shaded, and never gets deeper than a few feet in some spots...perfect day!!
After the great Kayak ride, a few of us cleaned up and went over to Channelside downtown to see Friday the 13th at the IMAX....great entertainment to wrap up a perfect holiday weekend. Unfortunetly we were also starving and the Westshore Pizza in the Channelside Theaters DID NOT satisfy...at 8pm they only had pizza or cheese bites available to eat, the pizza was cold and stale...

Strange is back at Skippers

2009-02-14T10:50:00.006-05:00

A hefty work week deserves a good Friday...and to start off, Happy Hour was at Ricks on the River, they upgraded this place a bit, added a huge outdoor covering over the entire patio, and now have marble top picnic tables, with these signs on the tables you can turn over to alert the servers if you need service or not, great idea!! It was busy, on this beautiful warmer night than we have had over the past few weeks..with an acoustic guitarist entertaining the happy hour crowd. A few pitchers, and some wings, grouper fingers, and potato skins, and we were already relieved from the hectic work week we just finished up...with great views of the river and downtown Tampa skyline..a great start to the weekend.
After our happy hour, we headed up to a Tampa icon, Skipper's Smokehouse and the Skipper Dome...where three bands were playing, and my fav was the headliner, Buffalo Strange. Ive written lots about them before, they stopped playing for a while, but now are back it seems each weekend playing at various places throughout the Bay area, but mostly the Pinellas beaches,which is perfect for the very Florida, laid back, hoppin tunes, that gets the crowd forgetting all the worries and troubles, and to just RELAX!! Walking into Skipper's Dining section for dinner first, we were all seated promptly, in what appears to be just a Florida beach shack..with lots of Florida type stuff, and fisherman/seafood stuff all over the walls...old wooden plank floors and walls, very authentic. Trying this time was the Crab Stuffed Mushrooms, stuffed full with lumps of fresh crab meat and deep fried, and also the Skippers Platter, which has just about everything on the menu fried(Shrimps, Oysters, Gator Tail, Calamari, BASA fish, Hush Puppies), and all dinner come with two sides...also enjoyed were a Grouper Sandwhich and Chicken Sandwich's....and a HUGE order of Onion Rings. The place is primarily seafood...no frills seafood, and good, but you will be eating on Styrofoam plates, plastic utensils...its a Fish Shack, so you cant expect anything fancy here....after filling ourselves, we all went out to the Skipper Dome..a large live music area, covered by 100 year old oaks, lots of seating areas, and huge stage..where the live music entertained a few hundred people outside...comfortable, relaxing, take your shoes off and dance in the sand, amazing to see so many laid back people from ALL walks of life with smiles on their faces, just having a good time, and loving life for the moment.

Long Weekend due to Presidents Day Holiday on Monday...The Tampa Bay Rays is holding an open house Saturday and the Trop, Florida State Fair is in its final weekend, Gapsarilla continues with the annual Night Parade this evening in Ybor City, and the weather couldnt be better for anything outdoors....
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A successful and Fun Gasparilla Invasion and Parade

2009-02-09T11:26:00.003-05:00

The weekend couldn't have been any better, temps finally got into the 70's during the day, just in time for a great Pirate invasion and Parade and Streetfest.
A friend was in town from LA, so on Friday night we went up to the Bungalow on Kennedy Blvd near Hyde Park. There was about a 30 min wait for a table inside, so we hung out at the bar outside, nice large open patio and an acoustic guitarist providing some entertainment....the night before Gapsarilla had a few pirates out, there was again alot of people in town for this over 100 year annual celebration in Tampa. A nice table, under one of the heaters(it was hovering around 50 this night), we all checked out the Cuban Sandwiches which come with your choice of many different sides if you ask(the first time I was here, they told me I could only get fries,a nd couldn't substitute - finally someone listened). Piled high with Roast Marinated Pork, Ham and Cheese, it was a large sandwich, I had mine with the 4 cheese Mac and Cheese, thick and hearty small bowl, my other buddies got fries, and the Grilled Asparagus. We tried to get Wings to start off, but our meals came out first, and after about 20 minutes into eating, our not so friendly server advised us that the wings were to come out, we just told her to forget about them, they were supposed to be Appetizers....we had to wave her down a few times for drinks and the check, she seemed like it was a bother to be there, not sure why people like that are even in this type of business or how they get hired.
Sticking up for the big day, ABC Liquors on Kennedy was packed, never seen so many people this late just stocking up on so much alcohol, grocery carts FULL of stuff....

Saturday morning, the day of the Invasion, i was awoken by Canon Fire..the pirates are on their way...and we headed to a friends place close to Hyde Park in South Tampa for Breakfast and Mimosas....catching the #19 bus on Swann Ave, we were able to get dropped off at the University of Tampa, and walk downtown to Harbour Island to catch the Invasion. I ran into the Past Mayor if Tampa from the 60's and again in the 90's, Dick Greco...and lots fo party revlers with their Yachts and Party boats all over the Channel. After Mayor Iorio handed over the key, and the pirates prepared for their Victory parade down Bayshore, we met some more friends at the Marriott Waterside, great views from their Suite Balcony overlooking Harbour Island and Bayshore. A walk over to the Publix on Bayshore where some great bands were playing , and then on to some parties on Bay Street, where we all went down and saw some of the parade, both in the street, and up in the Condos just off the parade route.
It was a Looong Fun day, and we made the trek back over the river to Downtown for the annual gathering at The Hubb, passing by other stages rockin' out in the streets....the night ended with about eight of us piled into a Jeep for one last stop to meet up with others at Baxters, and then the Green Iguana Westshore, where my fav band IPD was playing to a good crowd.

Sunday, all the breakfast places were packed...Datz Deli, Daily Eats, Pach's, Brunchery, so we stopped by Nina O's and had a great table outside on the back patio area. I tried the all you can eat Southern Favorites like Moist and Juicy Fried Chicken, Meatloaf w/Gravy. and all you can eat sides I tried were the Mixed veges and Pasta Salad....a GREAT brunch...my buddies enjoyed a Roast Beef Sandwich, and French Toast and Eggs and Biscuits and Gravy. Every thing is cooked to order, so be prepared to wait a bit, but I think its worth the wait...

Will be a busy work week, but at some point need to try and get out to the Florida State Fair, and Gasparilla is not over yet..the Night Parade is this Saturday through Ybor City..
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A Super - SuperBowl Weekend in Tampa

2009-02-02T08:52:00.004-05:00

I think Tampa did an amazing job hosting the Super Bowl this year(the city's 4th time), never had I heard so many great things come from the visitors in town from all over the country who were either Pittsburgh Steeler fans or Arizona Cardinal fans...and by most accounts, the Pittsburgh fans out numbered the Cardinal fans by 10:1. The weather(although a bit cool in the 60s), parties, festivals, and people, made this an event to remember.

Friday, we went down to Ybor City for eats and par take in the festivities....coming from South Tampa through downtown, Channelside was closed off, and we were able to get into Ybor easily through the back way, parking in the Centro Ybor lot...it was like Gasparilla Night Parade, streets were packed, they closed off 7th avenue...and it was a good packed...lots of fans and visitors just taking in the sights, sounds and atmosphere...fans eagerly awaiting a glimpse of a celeb outside of The Ritz for the Maxim party....and nearly every storefront was open, they rented out the closed storefronts with merchandise and art gallery's along the avenue...there were even a few bars that had opened only for the weekend.
We checked out the menu at the new restaurant called "The NEST" on 7th and 15th...great looking Tapas place, but a 30 minute wait made us go elsewhere...then checked out the new L'Olivier Restaurant and Cabaret...with two shows a night, this looks to be a VERY entertaining place...great for date night, or when visitors are in town...after watching a bit of the show, we proceeded to Gaspar's Grotto...a full house, but we found a small booth next to the bar area...Friendly Matt was able to accommodate us, every one here seemed to be very friendly...and it was Karaoke night...very entertaining Karaoke...as far as food, a new chef has taken over here(JP from Bern's), and the new menu looks great...we decided to start with Calamari...lightly seasoned, very tasty...and then munch on a Cuban and an Italian Cheese Steak sandwich's...both very good and filling, come with fancy sliced sweet potatoes. I will be back to check out more of this menu...and its a fun "pirate" filled place.
Continuing on some sights we saw...a Cardinals fan actually carrying a stuffed Cardinal on his hand at Coyote Ugly, Avril Levine singing at Coyote Ugly, more than enough Yager shots coming out of Reservior Bar(I think I saw about 20 empty Yaeger bottles on the bar, it was not even midnight yet)...hangin out with Ben Graham(kicker from Cardinals) cousin who flew in with his buddy from Australia, and star sightings at the D'Italia Pizza on 15th street at 3am after the maxim party closed its doors...

Saturday, we ventured back to Ybor City...dinner was at the Laughing Cat, perfect Italian food as always, and we were able to sneak in as a reservation had not shown up...Mussels, Eggplant Parm, Bowtie Pasta in a Vodka Sauce, and an Umbria Pinot Grigio...reminded me of just how good things were when I was in Italy....the craziness was back on the streets again..a new place opened for the weekend in the old dish location at centro Ybor called "Toxic Ultra Lounge" with a huge balcony overlooking 7th avenue, we spent some time there, mingling with the visitors and watching 7th avenue get busier and busier....met up with some fo our Pittsburgh friends who now live here at Carmine's Patio,a nd had lots of their friends come into town(both drive and fly) from Pittsburgh area...across teh street over to Gaspar's Grotto...and a stop at the Green Iguana Ybor closed up this Saturday night.

Sunday, looking for some brunch options, we peeked into the new Datz Deli, but were told it would be over na hour wait for food...its a nice shop, selling bakery goods, fresh sliced meats and cheeses..we sampled some Proscioto di Parma, and homemade jams, and went on to Cafe Hey, downtown Tampa for Homemade Chili, and some great pressed sandwich's. Its a funky little coffeehouse, on Franklin Ave just north of the Interstate in downtown.
Sunday night was a nice little SuperBowl party down the street with some good friends....the whole weekend was a good time...and the game was a nail biter in the second half(half of us were for Pittsburgh, the other half for Arizona)...The Boss did an amazing half time show, Jennifer Hudson could not have done a better job with the Star Spangled Banner(actually I think it was the best one I have ever heard)....

Kudos to the City of Tampa...they put on a great show, and although it may have been a nuisance for some of us in regards to traffic, and the influx of nearly over 100,000 people to the Tampa area...it was well worth it in my opinion...

Coming up...we d o it all over again...with nearly 500,000 coming into town Saturday for the Gasparilla Pirate Invasion, Parade and Street festival downtown, and then the week after, its the Gasparilla Night Parade in Ybor City....
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2009 GASPARILLA Season Begins!

2009-01-26T20:36:00.003-05:00

Saturday was the official start of the 2009 Gasparilla Season here in Tampa...in its 105th year, its hard to believe, this will be my 21st. A month and half of events(Extravaganza, Invasion and Pirate Fest, Night Parade, Distance Classic, Intl Film Festival, Outbound Voyage, and Festival of the Arts)

I took the bike up to a buddies house near Hyde Park, and we biked along the Bayshore Blvd to visit some friends that were in Krewe's and setting up, getting ready for the Children's Parade. The afternoon was perfect...about 70 degrees and clear blue skies....there were 107 floats for this years Children's Parade, which always takes place the week before the main Invasion and Parade(for the adults). The historic Bayshore Blvd was closed for all 6 miles, and what a crowd there was this year...after chatting it up with our friends in the different Krewe's, we headed back home, and let the kids enjoy this one...

The evening I was back on Bayshore with a few friends, to watch the Mock Pirate Battle and Night Air Show, then the 25 minute display of Fireworks...which seem to get bigger and better every year. Afterwards we visited some friends over in Davis Islands neighborhood near downtown, and had some dinner at 220 East along the Davis Island Boulevard. Even at 930, the restaurant was busy, ive never had a bad meal here, very home style, steaks, chicken and seafood, burgers and sandwich's and pasta...we started with a bottle of Italian Pinto Grigio, priced just right, and tasty...and chowed down on a Portabella Mushroom Cheese burger, a Cheeseburger, and Chicken Pasta Alfredo....the burgers were very big, and on fresh Italian Sub Roll, the pasta portion was huge, and very tasty...we were too full to finish the bottle of wine, but was reminded by the very friendly server that we are now allowed to take home the unfinished bottle to enjoy at home...so we did just that.

Meetings this week take me to.....New Tampa...not a bad journey. The city is really gearing up for SuperBowl coming up this Sunday, you can already tell that its busier, lots of events are taking place...but this upcoming weekend will be most exciting with all the concerts, events and festivals that eventually lead to the big day...SuperBowl Sunday!

Back from Italia - - Bin 27 and Dog Walks

2009-01-24T08:57:00.003-05:00

WOW...what a great trip to Italy...Florence and Rome....couldn't of asked for a better time, both cities are so beautiful, words can't describe!! History, Culture, Scenery, People, FOOD!! Molto Bene!

Happy to see the kids when I got home, I took them to a Dog Park they haven't been in a while near my house, Gadsden Park, off MacDill Ave, right next to the AFB Base in South Tampa. Very large serene park with a large lake and some paved walking/biking trails, and a HUGE fenced in Dog Park area. With only a few people there on Friday morning, they had the whole place practically to themselves, there are three separate fenced in areas with trees for shade, and picnic benches for the humans to relax.

Afterwards, met up with a buddy and went to the Real Dill for lunch, just up the road from my house off Westshore Blvd, this time it was the Cuban and Club sandwhich's and decided to eat in...again, great meal, the little place with about half dozen tables was busy this afternoon...its a great little sandwich place in the neighborhood.

For dinner, met up with another buddy at a new restaurant on Kennedy Blvd called Bin 27. Great looking building, very classy and modern interior and bar area, friendly staff(maybe overly friendly?). Reservations seemed to be a must, they were busy at this 730 time, but had tables available outside on a large deck, that had heat lamps installed throughout the ceiling, and very nice tropical landscaping, it was actually better than being inside. Tried the Edamame for appetizer and had the Grilled Pork Chop and Osso-Busco Cut Braised Beef Rib. The Edamame was good, a small plate of the soybeans with some sea salt; the Grilled Pork Chop was cooked medium rare, very moist and tender, a great tasting pomegranate sauce, and some cooked apples, and onion made for a different and tasty meal, very filling. The Beef Rib, which was explained as the most desirable dish, came out cold, the meat though was tender, and had a very rich sauce. For some reason, we had to ask for bread, when we saw it was brought out to the other tables...and the bread was a very fresh, soft roll, with chive butter, wish we would have had it sooner. Sides consisted of McDonalds type fries that had a nice spice to them, and a very small sampling of Brocolini. Dessert we tried was a Vahlorona, very very heavy chocolate truffle cake, with a dollop of vanilla ice cream...too rich we thought. The server made a mistake and brought another to our table, and if we had not thought it to be to rich, we would have gobbled the other one up as well. With an interesting menu of extremely very different types of foods, and prices that would make you think you were at one of the finest dining Establishments in the Bay area, I would expect a little more from the place...it was OK and maybe worth a try, but not sure it warrants a 'must go' again anytime soon.

Weather is warming up...temps were in the 20's at night the past few days since getting back from Italy....GASPRILLA starts today and goes through the first weekend of March...today the Childrens Parades and Pirate Battle/Fireworks over the Bay this evening...and the city is really gearing up for the SuperBowl, next weekend!!

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Lights on Tampa weekend!

2009-01-12T14:39:00.004-05:00

Trying to get alot of work done before my trip to Italy, on Friday evening, took a little break from a few projects and walked over to meet a buddy of mine at the Green Iguana, and enjoy a Burger...this time it was the Portabella Cheese Burger..always the best, we also muched on some Hummus, Crab Rangoon and the Black and Blue Salad..crowd was nice outside on the Tiki deck, with an acoustic guitarist entertaining us.....
Saturday, took the kids to Picnic Island Beach, where there seems to be more and more dogs enjoying the huge, wide beach area made specifically for dogs...unfortunately, sometimes someone can bring a not so well-behaved dog, which was the case on Saturday morning, and as my boy went to say hello to a 95 lb pit bull, things went a little sour, and my boy was bit by the Pit twice...he is ok, im just hoping it doesn't effect him for future visits, he and his sister really love the park and beach....I just dont understand some owners, bringing dogs to a dog park, knowing they cannot handle or control their behaviors...

Tried a new biking route, from my house, took Westshore south to Picnic Island, and toured around Port Tampa City, coming up through the neighborhood along Manhattan Ave..a nice 2 hour tour.
Afterwards we went up to Sweet Tomatoes for some lunch, its a chain so I rarely write about them on here, but it was a good all you can eat salad buffet with lots and lots of fresh salad bar veges, salads, breads, pizzas, soups and pastas...
Saturday night was the opening of the three week long, Lights on Tampa. Artists from around the country display their unique creations on buildings, parking garages, all kinds of structures, and parks throughout downtown....the pre-party was at some friends who live downtown at One Laurel Place...we walked towards the convention center, great displays on the Fort Brooke Garage, along the Riverwalk from USF Park to the Convention Center were about 50 or so disco balls creating a luminating effect, some visuals along Franklin Street near the Convention Center, and a SuperBowl Mood Ring that constantly changes in the Park along the River near the Forum. We also stopped by Trolleys bar and Grille in the Embassy Suites Hotel dwontown. It was a little busy, the bartender and servers just seemed like they did not want anyone there...when asking a server for a drink, she just said "I dont make the drinks, you have to ask the bartender"..she was behind the bar, how was I to know, and why didnt she just take my order and give to the bartender. A small manager guy came out in a suit, and didnt seem too thrilled at teh crowd..and when I asked him if he was happy to see it busy, he just shrugged his shoulders...I would think that anyplace would be happy to see people eating and drinking and spending money, especially new hotels and restaurants downtown. Even though service was slow, and unfriendly, the drinks and company were great....our last stop on the walk was to Channelside, we were able to walk into the new Tampa Bay History Center which opens the 17th of January, they were having a private party, and from what we all saw(there was about a dozen of us), it looked very nice, 3 story glass windows all along the Riverwalk, some great displays, but we were only allowed to stay for a few minutes before someone realized we were not with the party(maybe it was the lack of formal attire??)....in Channelside, stopped by Cold Stone for Ice Cream, the entertainment center was VERY busy, people walking from bar to bar, and in the restaurants....instead of making the long trek back to One Laurel, we hopped on the Green Trolley for a quick ride up to the Performing Arts Center...its nice to know that if you will be out and about in downtown, they have a circulating trolley that runs every 10 minutes along the entire route from Performing Arts on the north end of downtown, along Channelside near the convention center and Forum, and up through the Channelside neighborhood of downtown...and for only a quarter.

Sunday was nice and relaxing for football playoff games, and had a great dinner with family at the Cappy's on bay to Bay...large Greek Salad and a NY Style Large Pizza with meatball and Pepperoni...always GREAT!!!

Italy here I come..be back in 10 days.
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Free Beer Samples at Tampa's Busch Gardens---GONE!!

2009-01-06T20:19:00.003-05:00

Typically dont write about this stuff, but this kinda bugged me....InBev, the new parent company that bought Anheuser Busch and its Theme Parks(Busch Gardens), announced that as of January 25th, they will no longer offer the 2 free 10 oz samples they have offered for over 50 years. This 'sampling' was not only a tradition of the park, but also gave you the opportunity to taste, try and sample they're different variety of beers introduced to the market each year/season. What a poor marketing decision on they're part..not only do they break from tradition, but now I wont even think about buying an Anheuser Busch product I didn't have the opportunity to taste before hand, or remember tasting when they were once available to sample...tsk, tsk....

A VERY Happy New Year in Tampa!!

2009-01-05T18:09:00.003-05:00

Another beautiful long weekend for the New Years Holiday...started off with ending work a bit early on Wednesday, New Years Eve and heading up to a good friends house for a small gathering in the Wellswood neighborhood of Tampa. Fireworks, LOTS of fireworks going off all night long, it seemed throughout the neighborhood, everyone was having some sort of fireworks show..it was nice to be on the back deck, and seeing the explosions and sounds throughout the evening....we had some of our own as well...after the clock struck New Years, it was an easy call to United Cab for a taxi back to South Tampa, and a stop by the Green Iguana Westshore before stumbling home.

I was feeling pretty good on New Years day, and we went up to the Palma Ceia neighborhood for some breakfast at Pinky's, a very small cafe, with a few tables outside. Service was VERY bad this time around, seemed the servers wanted anything to do today except work....the bread on my buddies roast beef sandwich(which was piled high with rare roast beef) was hard and stale, the Egg Sandwich I had was just ok, but most importantly it was the lacking of service and rude ness that somehow makes me not want to come back to this place, there are so many other places nearby for excellent breakfast.
Later we met up at Centro Ybor movies for a late afternoon flick in the Muvico Premiere Theaters, my favorite with extra large leather seats, large armrests, full liquor bar and free popcorn, to see Jim Carrey in Yes Man. Afterwards we took our ticket stubs next door to Rock n Sports Cafe for some half priced appetizers while we waited for some friends to get out of there movie. The Chicken Quesadilla was stuffed with all white meat chicken and cheese, salsa and sour cream accompanied the delicious quesadilla, and it all went sown fine with a few ales. After meeting up with our other friends, it was Burger time, and Green Iguana in Ybor City was calling us with their excellent versions of my favorite burgers...Santa Fe, Florentine, and other burgers were all cooked perfectly, and there is nothing better after a night of drinking than salty, crispy, fresh crinkle cut fries that go along with the burgers. Live music, and a table at the open windows with a great view of the passerby's along 7th Avenue in Ybor City. from what we were told, there were close to 50,000 people in the Ybor area for NYE, it was alot more quieter this evening on New Years Day night.

Friday, we decided to take the kayaks out and explore downtown Tampa. Putting them at the far end of Davis Islands, near the dog beach, it was easy access to the Channel, up along side Harbour Island and Davis Islands, seeing the beautiful mansions, and with the downtown skyscraper's getting closer and closer. Several Crews from the Tampa Rowing Club were out practicing along the Channel, and as we made up to where the Hillsborough River ends and lets out into the bay, it was a great sight to be paddling along side the skyscrapers....on the way back the over mile long channel, we were able play with a few dolphins...
After washing up a bit, we made it out to Yoko's with some friends for the freshest Sushi in Tampa, and then it was over to another friends house in the Palma Ceia neighborhood where about 20 of us partook on Karaoke in their backyard...im not much of a singer, but who knew Karaoke could be so much fun amongst good friends. Ending the night at Green Iguana, of course.

Saturday, we went downtown for breakfast at First Watch, where the Bacado Omelet fullfilled me as always, there food as consistently been fresh and filling each time I have gone, and this was the best service I received there to date. We walked over to Indigo Coffee for a drink, and then walked over to the new Tampa Firefighters Museum on Jefferson and Zack Streets. Its so new that we had to buzz someone to come down and let us in...its small and has about a dozen displays, old trucks, interesting facts, a memorial area, you could probably go through the entire museum in 30 minutes, they even have a gift shop. It compliments the Tampa Policy museum, also downtown, very nicely. They only accept donations.

Sunday, it was a nice day for biking.... the city scape....so we started along Bayshore Blvd near Bay to Bay Blvd, heading towards downtown, and proceeded along the Riverwalk through Channelside and up to Ybor City. A nice ride along 7th Avenue, all the way east to 34th Street, and south we stopped by McKay Bay Nature Park and Trails...where we biked alonga few paths, and a boardwalk that meandered through mangroves into a lake. On the way back, we stopped downtown at the Oaklawn cemetery, very interesting graves dating back to the mid 1800's, and then headed north up to Tampa Heights neighborhood, on the way back through downtown, we biked through University of Tampa and Plant Park, down through Olde Hyde Park neighborhood, and back to where we started at Fred Ball Park along Bayshore Blvd. GREAT RIDE...I found this site to do more tours of the Tampa area this year Bike Tampa.
After a nice break, went over to Oldsmar to see the movie 'MILK' -great story!! This was the only theater in the Tampa area that was playing this movie, and afterwards we stopped by a new place called Flamestome Grill...very surprising, we wanted to know if this was the only one, and it is a first, soon to become a franchise...polished, perfect service, elclectic dining, excellent menu...there was nothing bad to say about the 9oz Filet that came with buttery and whipped potatoes, and perfectly cooked veges, or the 14oz RibEye and Parmesan Oysters(their version of surf and turf)...a must if in Oldsmar area of Tampa Bay!

Back to the grindstone for this week...im looking forward to my first overseas trip next week to Italy for two weeks!!
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A Broadway Musical in Downtown Tampa...

2008-12-31T09:10:00.003-05:00

Last evening, I scored a few tickets to the 2008 Tony Award winning Broadway musical "Spring Awakening" playing at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center downtown.
Prior to the play, we stopped by Fly Bar, which was not very crowded on this Tuesday eve, getting a table that was inside, but beside the large glass doors which were all wide open to the outside, was nice, and gave an open, airy feeling to this very nice, eclectic place in downtown. Service was very friendly, and for eats, since it is mostly all small plates, we munched on Goat Cheese balls in a Panko Crust, 3 large cheese balls, hot and with a nice clean tomato sauce; next was the Fish Tacos, two large fried white fish soft tacos, with some toppings, again very good; then came out the Butter Nut Mac n Cheese, a bowl full of cheesy pasta with Butter Nut squash, different and tasty; and finally ended with the Kobe Beef sliders, three large meatball looking burgers cooked medium rare for a taste of the full flavor of this Kobe Beef on French Bread. Washing it all down with a nice bottle of wine made for a great start to the night...one thing I will mention is it is a bit expensive for such small plates...we mentioned that instead of having three of everything, they should add a forth, and keep the prices the same(a forth cheese ball, a forth slider, etc.)...
We left the car at Fly Bar, and walked a few blocks over to the Performing Arts Center...great seats in the Balcony Box we shared with only 4 others...the musical was awesome, and now I see why it received all the awards it did, music very meaningful and uplifting at times to emotional...the story is about teenagers coming of age and everything that goes along with it...and true to what they advised, there is definitely mature situations, nudity and adult language...but all done in an artsy and cultural way that did not offend(except the one lady in the almost sold out crowd of over 2000 that gasped when two of the guys on stage kissed each other...)

Now on to New Years...2008 was GREAT for me, and i'm looking forward to a FINE 2009!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR TAMPA BAY!
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Happy Holidays Tampa!

2008-12-29T09:18:00.002-05:00

A great long holiday weekend has concluded, only to be followed by another short week and long weekend this week for New Years.
Tuesday evening a bunch of us went to a buddies annual Holiday Party in the Seminole Heights neighborhood...lots of food, drinks, and laughs...over 60 friends and acquaintances showed up through the night.....and we couldn't end the night without a stop by the Green Iguana Westshore near my house..good times!!
Wednesday was Christmas Eve, easily picked my brother up at TIA to head to Madre's house outside of Sun City Center for the annual Italian 'Feast of the 7 Fishes' Christmas Eve dinner with family.
Christmas Day was nice and warm, near 80, sunny skies. We met up with my Aunt and Uncle at Centro Ybor in Ybor City to see the opening of the movie "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button". This was a very different routine for us on Christmas, but discovered that ALOT of people actually go to the movies on Christmas Day, the theaters were busy. Ybor City itself was a ghost town, with most shops and bars/restaurants closed during the daytime hours this Holiday. The movie was EXCELLENT.
Friday, decided to venture out to International Plaza with a buddy and grab some eats at BayStreet's Bar Louie. We got a great table outside, perfect for enjoying the warmer than ususal temps this December day, and people watching. Bar Louie's food was good, started with a Hummus Platter, which unfortunately had more taboule than hummus, and I decided to get the Friday Lunch Special, 3 Baja Fish Tacos served with Guac, Salsa and Black Beans and Rice, very filling and good; my buddy enjoyed the Buffalo Chicken Sandwich, which was Buffalo Chicken bites on a soft roll with Lettuce and Tomato...fries on the side....there wasn't as many people walking around the Bay Street area, but once we entered the Plaza, it seemed a bit busier this day after Christmas.
Saturday, took the bikes up to Wilderness Parks off road biking trails, we biked a few of the more than 15 different trails, through all kinds of terrain and topography, the only wildlife we saw today was a few Armadillos. After that biking, we went over to Lenny's down the road off Fletcher Avenue for great sandwich's(there are a few Lenny's throughout Tampa), sitting outside an relaxing...then it was a bike tour of the USF campus, where I reminisced about the good old days, and couldn't believe the amount of construction and new buildings all over campus, it was a busy campus when I went to school there from '87-'92, and continues to grow to this day. A few hours of rest, and it was off to the Tampa Bay Lightning v Florida panthers Hockey game, and again our tickets included the Champions sports Lounge where we noshed on White Castle burgers, Parmesan Meatballs, Clam Strips and Roasted Turkey being carved, along with the all you can drink drafts and wines, and excellent view of the game...we pulled a third straight win, 6-4. A short 10 minute walk to a friends Clubhouse in the Seaport Apartments in Channelside area of downtown, and it was another Holiday Party for all of us to enjoy.
Sunday was a disappointing loss for the Bucs against Oakland, and we are officially done with the season. I met up with my family at AMC Westshore for another blockbuster movie, Valkyrie. There is just something about these true stories concerning Hitler's Germany that are very chilling and emotional to say the least...very good movie, I will probably see this one a second time, it was that good.

A December Tampa Bay Weekend

2008-12-21T18:32:00.004-05:00

The weekend kinda got started on Thursday, with tickets to the Lightning game against Colorado, our tickets included a trip to the Champion Club..all you can eat and all you can drink, great views of the game from a private Lounge...unfortunately, the game ended in a shootout, and we lost.

Friday, even though I was supposed to be on vacation, I worked most of the day, but took the kayak out for a few hours down the street at Picnic Island, it let me get out some stress from end of the year, and dealing with my new promotion..all is good!! Later Friday evening, we went up to Hyde Park neighborhood for some eats, and grabbed some excellent Burritos and Quesadillas at Taqueria Burrito Joint on Howard Avenue...lots of outdoor seating, great to watch people getting out and about in Hyde Park going from bar to bar, getting their Friday's on....we then met some people at Dubliner across the street, and decided to check out a new Wine/Beer Lounge called Cork, across the street from MacDintons....GREAT place, they re-did the old Gelato place, and made into a swanky, loungy wine bar, very good selection, not expensive..we did a few bottles of Kim Crawford Savigone Blanc, perfect, and also decided on some late night munchies(some of us had not eatin'), so they had some pizza's, and garlic bread appetizer with different dipping sauces....VERY GOOD!! Service was excellent, i look forward to when they get the outside tables and chairs. A short two block walk to Mangrove's for some DJ tunes....and then it was a cab ride back home.

Saturday, we went up to Wrights Gourmet Deli for some early lunch...as usual this place never disappoints..grab a menu, get on line, and order away...large sandwich's, fresh homemade soups, and tables outside for taking advantage of this perfect December Florida weather.
Then headed over to St. Petersburg for the Inaugural St. Peterburg Bowl, my alma mater USF Bulls, vs the Univ of Memphis Tigers....was interesting seeing a football game in Tropicana Field, we had great seats, but watching the game was kind of awkward...in addition there were so many commercial breaks, it made the game very slow moving, and on top of that, USF killed U of Memphis...41-14. Taking one of my buddies back home after the game was a treat, he lives with his family in the Roser Park neighborhood of downtown St. Petersburg...very old historic area, they were having the Holiday Neighborhood Party, there were luminaries lit up all along the creek. We stopped by Georgie's Alibi for a few appetizers(never will be eating in that place, just the greasiest of fried foods...it is a bar afterall).....

Sunday was a great day to watch the Bucs at home, but they lost to San Diego..before the game we went over to Nina O's for their Sunday Brunch menu...food was good, service was Extremely slow.

Im looking forward to spending Christmas in town with some family this week.
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Tampa I Am blog - 2 years old today!!

2008-12-16T11:21:00.003-05:00

Well, two years of blogging, and now averaging about 200 hits each day from all over the world. I have met so many new people on line; interacted with tons of groups, and learned so much more about what makes the Tampa Bay area so special.

And I bring back my very first post:

So many ask...why Tampa, why do you stay? What is it about Tampa?

Well in short, the Water, the Weather, the Progress, the Activities, the History, the People.

Water - everywhere, most of Tampa is situated on a Peninsula(called Interbay Peninsula), so there is water to the east(Hillsborough Bay) water to the West(Old Tampa Bay), and the South(Tampa Bay). The Main river through Tampa is the Hillsborough River which starts as a Spring 30 miles to the North, and runs through the city ending up in the Hillsborough Bay downtown. 20 miles to the West of Tampa is the pristine aqua blue water and beaches of the Gulf of Mexico. Throughout Tampa Bay area are numerous lakes, rivers, streams, estuary's, bays, intracostal waterways to explore. Plain and simple, if you like fresh water, salt water, streams, rivers, oceans, Tampa's got it! In addition 5 of the nations number one beaches are located in the Bay area(Fort DeSoto, Pass-a-Grille, Clearwater, Caledesi Island, Honeymoon Island).

Weather - with an average high temperature of 76 degrees from October to May, how could you not love the weather. While others are huddled up for the winter to the North, we are basking in low humidity, beautiful blue skies, and pleasant temperatures for 75% of the year. This means all outdoor activities, sports, festivals can be enjoyed year round in Tampa. And in the summer months, June through September, although it can get very warm, the average high temps are about 88 degrees, there is a almost always a constant breeze due to the coastal winds which trigger mighty Thunderstorms in summer late afternoons/evenings, in time to cool it off a bit, and provide a lightning and thunderous show like clock work most evenings. Since most of us have a pool, beach, and air conditioning nearby, we can handle 3 to 4 months of warmer than usual temps for paradise the the other 9 months of the year.

History - the Bay area has been home to several Indian Tribes for thousands of years. The Spanish came in the 15 and 16oo's, but the American's did not start to evaluate Florida and the Tampa area until the mid 1800's. We built Fort Brooke in what is now downtown Tampa during the Seminole Indian Wars, and later used it for soldiers being shipped off for the Spanish-American War. Vincente Martinez Ybor purchased 40 acres of land just east of downtown to start his Cigar Factories. Within 10 years and by the late 1800's until the depression in the 1920's, Tampa was known throughout the world as the Cigar Capital of the World. Immigrants came to Tampa from Italy, Spain, and Cuba to prosper in the Cigar Capital. Henry B Plant chose Tampa to expand his railroad from the North, and that led to many tourists to flock to the warm temperatures, and an increase in Trade. Many of the established neighborhoods from the early 20th century still exist(Hyde Park, Tampa Heights, West Tampa, Seminole Heights, Ybor City), and have numerous architectural buildings, homes, and landscapes. The area has a unique Cuban-Latin American flavor to it. A few interesting tid bits about Tampa include it has one of the largest Civil War largest Confederate grave sites(Oaklawn Cemetery), Ella Fistzgerald lived in Tampa and recorded some of her biggest hits here, Ray Charles made his first recording in Tampa and Tampa is where the "The Twist" dance craze was born, Rev. Billy Graham started his practice in downtown Tampa, and people like Teddy Roosevelt, Elvis Presley, Thomas Edison, Mark Twain, John F Kennedy, James Brown, Babe Ruth, Jack Dempsey and more have all left footprints of some kind here in Tampa.

Progress - from the 1950's to present, Tampa has been growing by leaps and bounds. Many from the North came here to escape the brutal winters, and the ability to attain land and homes for far less than it would cost in the North. In addition, Tampa Bay's cost of living was considerably less, and there were far fewer taxes. Most transplants came from the MidWest(Ohio, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana), with the remainder coming from the Northeast(New York, Connecticut, New Jersey). Things have changed quite a bit over the past 20 years(the 90's to present). The growth has been abundant, and the Tampa Bay area now has close to 2 million residents, with the city of Tampa having nearly 340,000. A Financial District was created in the 60's and 70's(current downtown), a Services Sector, Westshore Business District, which is now the largest business and services sector in the state, and 5th largest in the Nation. A National Historic Landmark area, Ybor City and Hyde Park. Tampa Bay is now the 12th largest media market in the Nation. In the 21 years I have called Tampa home, I have seen more skyscrapers built downtown, a national hockey team(Tampa Bay Lightning - Stanley Cup Champions) and Forum built, a professional baseball team winning the National League Championship(Tampa Bay Devil Rays) and Dome arena established, new Football stadium built for the SuperBowl champion Tampa Bay Bucaneers. Tampa is also looking forward to hosting it's 3rd SuperBowl in 2009. Downtown continues to expand its Arts Museums, Cultural Exhibits, and Parks and trails to accommodate the growth. Just in the past two years over 2000 new residents are calling downtown home in the areas like Channelside, Harbour Island, and the Central Core of downtown, with more new condo towers and residences being constructed and planned, there will be close to 10,000 residents in downtown by 2012. The Riverwalk is well on it's way to be completed by 2010, almost 3 miles of waterfront walking, jogging, blading throughout downtown with cafe's and events along the riverfront. One of the nations largest Aquariums was established in Tampa(Florida Aquarium). Two lane roads transversed into 4 lane highways. And progress just doesn't stop. It nice to live in an area where things change, and most of the progress and changes are for the better and for the people of the city. The most efficient and modern airport continues it's growth, with a new terminal planned to be open by 2015, Interstates have all been expanded or are currently under construction to be expanded, and finally, Mass Transit is back on the board, with the first trains, light rail and BRT to be operational by 2012.

Activities - For a small city, Tampa has it all. And its nice to have it all in a small city.
Sports - Football, Baseball, Hockey, Arena Football, College Football, Soccer, Baseball and Basketball - all National teams, nationally recognized, and state of the art arenas and fields to play on.
Theater - Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center is then largest Center for the arts in the Southeast, along with over a dozen other venues for broadway and local productions(Mahaffey, Ruth Eckerd Hall, Gorilla Theater, MAD Theater, and many more independents).
Museums - Dali, Fine Art, Art, Childrens, Holocaust, History, Natural, Fire, Police, Science and Industry, Explorations, International.
Concerts - every major concert act always makes a stop through Tampa performing at numerous venues(Forum, Bayfront Arena, Amphitheter, Tampa Stadium, USF Sundome, Jannus Landing, The Orpheum, Tampa Theater, among the other theaters listed above)Festivals -ahhh, the numerous festivals year round, some of the biggest in the Nation, and lots of people watching, and of course food and BEER!(Gasparilla - month long celebration, Florida State Fair, Strawberry Festival, International and Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, Guavaween, numerous Art Festivals including the Gasparilla and Mainsail). Most of the smaller communities and neighborhoods have monthly festivals like Clearwater Jazz Fest, Hyde Park Music Series, St. Pete's RibFest, John's Pass Seafood Festival, St. Pete's Festival of States. About every weekend you can find some kind of festival or gathering throughout the Bay area.
Attractions - people come from all over the world to visit the area. It's nice to have these in my backyard - Busch Gardens theme park, Adventure Island water park, Lowry Park Zoo, Florida Aquarium, St. Pete Pier, Big Cat Rescue, Suncoast Bird Sanctuary, Florida Botanical Gardens, BEACHES, Heritage Village to name a few.
Recreation - what do you want to do today? Well you can do most everything here in Tampa. Biking Trails(on and off road), Kayaking/Canoeing, Wind Surfing, Fishing, Boating, Sunbathing, Skating, Hiking, Golf. There is a park almost every few miles throughout the city for the purpose of getting out and keeping active.
Shopping - well, some people consider this an activity, and for those that like it, any name brand store can be found in Tampa, whether its exclusive(International Plaza), outdoors(Hyde Park Village, Centro Ybor, BayWalk), Entertaining(BayStreet, Westshore Plaza) or Outlet(Ellenton), its here..from Funky(Ybor City) to mondane(University Square), Flea Markets(Big Top, Oldsmar, Wagon Wheel)..it's here.
Nightlife - as if the above isn't enough, its great to know that there are many entertainment options. Ybor City is Tampa's French Quarter like area with a bar, club and entertainment venue for anyone. It is now going through yet another revitalization, with GLBT establishments on the West end of Ybor City(known now as Gaybor), to the newest entertainment type choices and smaller lounge type places. Then there is Channelside, SOHO, Hyde Park, Westshore, BayStreet. Downtown St. Pete holds it's own for numerous nightlife options, Central Ave and the waterfront bars and clubs.
Dining - As far as restaurants, Tampa is known as one of the Nations busiest places to eat out, because so many of us eat out, and this is because there are so many places and options to eat in the area. Its no wonder places like Hooters, Outback, Bonefish Grille, Hops, Lee Roy Selmon's all started here in Tampa. But its more than just the chains, some of my favs are : Berns, Malio's and Charley's for steaks, Yoko's and Samarai Blue for Sushi, Cappy's and Eddie&Sams for Pizza, Royal Palace for Thai, Kojaks and Jimbo's for BBQ, Oystercatchers and Crab Shack for seafood, Bernini, Bella's and Laughing Cat for Italian, Acropolis for Greek, Red Mesa and Algusto's for Mexican/Tex Mex.

One thing about Tampa, is it's not a Big Deal. What I mean is, it's not a big deal to do any of the above. Whether it's a sports game, day at the beach, trip to a museum or park, a festival, or going out for dinner, it's not a big deal as opposed to going out in a big city. You gotta love having it all in a small city. And I love to travel to visit the bigger cities around the country(NY, Chicago, Boston, LA), so having a World Class, convenient airport with numerous non-stop, inexpensive flights to most major cities is another plus!!

Christmas Partytime....

2008-12-15T09:45:00.005-05:00

Saturday was a cool, beautiful day in the Bay area, took the kids to the park/beach at Picnic Island in South Tampa, seems to be getting a bit busier, I am now seeing the same people and thier dogs each weekend, some from MacDill AFB, which is nice. The beach area is so large, I doubt it could ever get too busy.
Saturday evening was a friend of mine annual Christmas Party in Port Tampa City, s small little city neighborhood a few miles south of Gandy Blvd off Westshore Blvd, at the tip of Interbay Peninsula. It was great to see so many people I havent seen since last year, afterwards it was a late night stop at the Green Iguana Westshore, and a quick trip over to the other side of South Tampa to another friends place in Bayshore Towers along Bayshore Blvd.

Sunday, I found out one of my favorite middle eastern eateries does a brunch buffet starting at noon, so we went over to Genghis Khan, and at 12:30, we were only one of two tables in the entire place, and had the fresh buffet to ourselves, lots of middle eastern cold salads(like fresh hummus, taboule, chopped with feta, etc....), and for hot entrees fresh beef kabobs, rice, two different middle eastern chicken dishes. Fresh, warm pita was also served. It was good.

NO Bonefish Grill!

2008-12-13T09:06:00.005-05:00

I typically don't write about chains, and also don't frequent them that much, there is just something more special about a mom and pop eatery, retail, and knowing you are supporting the local economy than huge corporate giants that sometimes don't contribute to the local area(sometimes)...

Anyway, we decided on some eats, and Bonefish Grille was a place we hadn't been in a while(Bonefish was developed in the Tampa Bay area). The south tampa Bonefish off Henderson Blvd has literally no parking for the size of the restaurant, but luckily we found a spot right next to the front door after circling a few times when someone pulled out. They do offer valet.

Being told it was a 35 min wait was ok, we could also grab a table in the bar area...the place was redone, giving it more of a swanky uptown vibe, dim lighting, and 'Cafe del Mar' type lounge music in the background..so chic it has become. We found a few open chairs at one of the tables in the bar and started chatting with some others we knew at the same table, and decided to stay there to eat. This is where things go downhill..waaay downhill.

After about 10 minutes of sitting there, we were asked if we wanted a drink, drinks were brought over, but no menus, we had to ask for menus(everyone else at the tables in the bar were eating-not sure why they didn't think we wanted to also). So with menu's in hand, another 10 min goes by before the small, not so friendly woman server asks us for our choices, made a few recommendations, even said if we didn't like one of the choices, she would replace it with something else. Saucy Shrimp for apps, good and saucy with lots of feta cheese. Where is the bread?? A guy came over to ask how things were(didnt know he was a manager, looked more like a bartender, never gave his name or anything, and when we asked why no bread was brought out like to the other patrons, he simply stated "you have to ask now for bread, corporate is cutting back" - well maybe the server should ask us if we would like bread. So with fresh warm bread finally by our side, we were able to mop up that delicious sauce, and the oil/pesto that comes with the bread, while we waited, and waited, and waited some more......and waited, almost 35 minutes later only to be told by that manager guy again that a piece of fish broke on the grill, and they had to re-cook the meal...it took 35 min for someone to tell us that? He never once apologized, said it usually isn't this way, and offered us dessert(i'd like to get the meal first) And where in the world was our server, the short dark haired woman looked very busy, but not once coming by to tend to us...then our other friends at the table we met were telling us that service was really lacking this evening for them also.

Well, another 15 minutes, and one of the plates came out so hot, she had to hold the plate with an oven mit, and I understand why, that was the one sitting in the oven while the other fish entree was cooked. Not once was there even an apology, no one ever came by to see how the meals were, the manager guy(we found out his name was Brian, because when we asked for a manager, the server advised we already spoke with him) walked by us a few times, not even glancing over at us to check on us, the server never came back....the meal was just ok, I could tell the Salmon was sitting in the oven, it sat on top of maybe a Tablespoon of Au gratin potatoes(could they spare a little more than a dollop), and a tablespoon of some corn/edamame..very small side portions. The grouper again was just ok, and of course fish have bones, but this grouper had some major bones in it...true to the Bonefish name, but not something you want in a Fresh Grouper entree.

With dirty plates in front of us for another 10 minutes, I finally yelled for Brian when he walked by us for the 10th time, advising him that this was one of the most horrible dining experiences, and all he stated was "dont worry about the check" and walked away....and so did we!!

In economic times like these, and seeing so many businesses going under or failing, especially in the service industry, had Brian the manager and the server been more empathetic, personable, friendly, pro-active, etc., I might not have the bad taste in my mouth for this place as I do and probably will have for quite some time....word of mouth can go a long way.

Tampa Bay Sunday Brunch - Oystercatchers is just OK.

2008-12-08T16:55:00.004-05:00

Madre turned a young 70 last weekend, so the Aunt and Uncle and I took her to Oystercatchers for a Sunday Brunch. Located at the Hyatt Westshore, it is detached from the hotel and sits right on the Bay, beautiful views of the water, bridges, Rocky Point. There is also an outside deck. The place recently went through a multi million dollar renovation, and from what was once a very authentic looking, Key West style, Floribean decor, is now a very City chic, modern, clean lines, modern furniture, a bit cold, something you might see in a Manhattan type upscale place. Still has the very large wide windows that give everyone a view of the water. Personally, I liked the Florida style, especially for a restaurant on the water that specializes in Seafood.

Valet parking, and walking in the place, we were greeted by two friendly female hostesses, who escorted us to the table near the windows, and also explained and pointed out the buffet brunch.

The place did not seem very busy at this 1230 time, there were plenty of empty tables, but by 130pm, more people had joined, but again, not too busy it seemed. As for the layout of the buffet, all the food items were layed out along shelves, there were some tables with food, but it was mostly scattered throughout the upper tier area of the restaurant. The desserts and waffles were in a whole other room, you had to walk through the bar, to a side room, where again, the dessert were just layed out along the sides, on shelves...it was kind of like where ever they could find space, they would set down some food.

The seafood selection was best, all cold, snow crab leg claws, all ready cracked, ready to dip in hot drawn butter, huge shrimps, marinated mussles and large raw oysters(two of us found two bad oysters in the bunch). Eggs station was duck or quail eggs, i asked for an omelet, but got sunny side up duck and quail eggs...i'll take good old chicken eggs.

Pasta station was good but small, typical pastas, extraordinary was the spinach ravioli, when i asked for just oil and garlic as the sauce, there was enough garlic to feed the entire hotel in my small plate of pasta. I think I still taste it a day later.

Other than that typical roast beef meat for carving(which no one was tending, they would slice a few slices from time to time). Some other entrees sitting in a heated pan included a chicken dish, mussels, and a fish dish, then eggs Benedict's, all ready made and sitting in a heated pan, cheeses, a variety of salads, the Cesar was very drenched in dressing, some of the romaine leaves were soft and wilted, the Hearts of Palm were cut in large chunks, which you had to cut up again and were rather tough to chew. Bagels and Lox, Very small Sushi tray, they would only bring out about 4 rolls at a time cut up.

Desserts were ok, the chocolate moose with berries served in tiny juice glasses, when ordering banans foster, again they served it fresh, but in a tiny juice glass. I told them before we go there, that we were coming for my mom's bday. After we had already been up to get dessert, and served coffee, they decided to bring out a dessert plate, with desserts my mom had already picked from the buffet.

The service was spotty, when we first arrived it took over 5 min for anyone to come to the table, and I finally had to get up and ask someone. Dustin arrived, but again, it took sometime for them to get in the swing of things to pick up our dirty plates, by the end of the meal, they had things in synch, filling our Champagne Mimosas, and iced teas, finally clearing and setting new silver for us between trips.

All in all it was just ok, but for $45 a pop, I would expect one of the best brunch buffets, and to be honest, Vegas does a much better job at half the price, but this isn't Vegas.

World of Wine in South Tampa

2008-12-06T16:39:00.004-05:00

A new Wine Shop opened about a month ago in my neighborhood a few blocks from my house. A bunch of us walked up to World of Wine Friday eve for their bi-weekly Tastings from 6-8pm. A nice crowd, people coming and going throughout the tasting...we were able to sample a variety of wines this week from Frei Brothers(the Chardonay was my fav), some homemade Sangria made with Bitch wine, and in the back there was beer tastings..this week was from Southampton Publick House(the Double White was my fav). Food was provided by Roberts Meats, which is a few stores down...and abundance of marinated roast pork, sliced turkey, sausages and cheeses, and grapes. There was even samplings of 'healthy' chocolates.
The store is great, and the owners(husband and wife) did a great job, the wine varieties are some of the best selections, and pricing isn't bad either. Also, with every six pack of beer, you can pick 2 glasses from a variety of beer type glasses, nice gifts as well. I look forward to their next wine event!!

Of course the night would not be complete without a stop by the Green Iguana on the walk back home. Some eats, drinks, darts, and live music.
..

Mediterranean Eats in Downtown Tampa; and one of the BEST movies ive seen in a while

2008-12-03T19:53:00.004-05:00

Went downtown Tampa Tuesday eve to meet a friend, we were going to see a movie at Historic Tampa Theater, "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas". Before so, we went to Paninoteca, on Franklin Street, just north of Madison. Great small cafe type place, Greek music playing in the background, very warm smiles and greeting as we entered. The kitchen is right smack in the dining room, very nice! There are less than a dozen high top tables, plenty of windows to look out into the city, which was VERY quiet this Tuesday evening. We ordered the Chicken Salad sandwich, came on a HUGE piece of very fresh Foccacia Bread, the chicken salad was made Mediterranean style, very light and flavorful with chunks of fresh chicken, and also cam with a large side Greek Salad, made with mixed field greens, and Mediterranean veges, lots of feta, and a creamy Greek dressing on the side. Also to eat was a Mediterranean Chicken Pita, fresh warm Pita, juicy chicken, again very flavorful, and a small side salad as well....as if this very Yummy and filling dinner wasn't enough, we also tried some 'chocolate balls', fresh from the bakery, they had lots of dessert treats to try, can be a great dessert place as well, it stays open late.

After that great meal, we walked a block north on Franklin to Tampa Theater, a treasure of its own. The movie was about an eight year old boy during the Holocaust in Germany, and all I can say is it really took my breath away...an amazing feature, seeing the horribleness of that time period through a young boys eyes...I dont think there was a dry eye in the theater at the end of the movie, or everyone was just too taken away when the credits rolled, no one moved. By far one of the best films of the year!!

BLAB is back!!

2008-12-02T12:06:00.002-05:00

For those interested in what other Tampa Bay area bloggers have to say, well this site pretty much rolls them all into one easy to read area!! And after months on hiatus, it is back!

TampaBLAB

I'm taking a 'semi' vacation this week, need to use the vaca days, so Im doin my shopping, getting my tree, putting up the Christmas stuff, and hopefully have a little time to relax.

Wine Lunch in the Village

2008-11-30T14:37:00.005-05:00

Met up with some friends in Hyde Park Village Friday, to get together over some wine and eats. At Timpano's, we waited about 10 min for a table to open up outside, since it was another great day in paradise, and we could do some great people watching of all the shoppers out in the Village on this Black Friday. We started with some Mussels, came out sizzling and hot with drawn butter...very tasty but kind of small. We also all dined on some Sliders, I know they are supposed to be small, but there was barely any meat at all on the soft buns; the 4 cheese pizza was very thin wafer like bread with some cheese melted on it; and some chopped salads with grilled chicken, in which the chicken was cold and also very small portion. What was good was the company and the very pricey wines, and the great service that Andrew provided...everyone on the patio seemed to be in a great mood this Friday after Thanksgiving, we chatted with several people during our nearly 4 hour lunch.

The annual lighting of the Christmas Tree was also taking place in the Village, so afterwards we met up with some more friends at the Wine Exchange, also in the Village. They had a nice large table available on their outdoor patio. It was then a walk through the Historic Hyde Park neighborhood to hit up one of my favorite dives, the Tiny Tap..where we met up with even more friends, shot some pool, played Foosball, before grabbing a cab for the 8 block ride up Howard Avenue to the Deck Pizza. The large pepperoni pizza was as close to NY style, thin slices that you fold to eat, very cheesy, nice tangy sauce....and of course a few pitchers of beer. A cab over to CitySide to say hello, and short walk over to Baxters, and then one more cab ride over to Green Iguana westshore to end the night.

Happy Thanksgiving Tampa!

2008-11-27T22:27:00.004-05:00

Nice to be home for the holiday this year, although I do miss seeing my brothers and niece and nephews. Thanksgiving Eve(last night), got a call to see the Lightning hockey game against the NY Rangers at the Forum downtown. I ran in the shower, and caught the 7pm bus 3 houses down from my house(Yes... the Hartline City Bus). For $1.50 I get a comfortable, clean ride, that took less than 30 minutes(about 5 miles), and I did not need to find parking downtown, and I did not have to fork over $20.00 for parking, and I was able to have a few beers at the game and not worry about driving home....the game was Great, excellent seats in the 104 section, went into SO(shootout), which I have never seen before...unfortunately the Rangers came out good in the SO, and won the game.
It was then we all went back towards my house to celebrate an annual tradition at the Green Iguana Westshore, the Huuuuuuge Thanksgiving Eve Party...with people home for the Holiday, it was a packed house, and we ran into several people that you don't get to see but on holidays and some special occasions...Great Band as usual...Good Times!

Turkey Day was with the Aunt and Uncle in Brandon, on the way home stopped by Club Chelsea to see some good friends, and called it an early night.