Valentines Weekend in Tampa

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!

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

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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Dollar Movies are BACK in South Tampa!

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.

Birthday weekend in Tampa!

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.

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

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!!

'clip' Film festival and Dinner in Downtown St. Pete

Wednesday evening, I got back from an emergency meeting in Atlanta(I had to fly up there in the morning after getting back from Jersey City the night before), and decided to partake in this years 'clip' Film Festival. It is said to be the third largest Gay and Lesbian Film festival in the country, as far as number of films and length of the program(almost two weeks). The film we saw was Clapham Junction, playing at the Baywalk theaters in downtown St. Petersburg. Very interesting plot and story line where the three different stories kind of intertwined into one by the end. Prior to the movie, we went for dinner at Parkshore Grille, took advantage of the great October weather dining outside, with nice views of the water and parks along Beach Drive in downtown St. Pete. Parkshore always has great food and service, this trip was no different, starting out with the Stuffed Meatballs appetizer, about eight small meatballs stuffed with blue cheese in a beef sauce(great for dipping the bread)....and a small "Wedge" salad, great dressing and crisp and cold....for entrees it was the Salmon, perfectly cooked and flavorful, and also the Parkshore Salad with Chicken.

Tropical Storm--I.O.U.S.A. Movie

Got back from a great trip out west in Colorado, only to prepare for Tropical Storm Fay, which actually never hit here in the Tampa area, barely a breeze or a drop of rain, but south of here and the East coast got hit, some areas with over 25 inches of rain, Fay is still stuck over Florida, and now we are feeling some of the effects(20-30 mile and hour winds and heavy down pours now and then) as it comes back over Florida now towards the west, just north of Tampa(first south of us, now north of us...we get sooo lucky here in the Bay area)....

Tonight, I met a buddy of mine at Citrus Park Mall to see a one night only movie playing in select theaters across the country with live interviews from some of the country's top economic and business people...called I.O.U.S.A. from the people that brought us 'Super Size Me', it was a great film detailing just how much Debt this country is in, and what will happen in the future if we don't take action now..of course we live in the best country in the world, but we've got a bit of a Financial Problem that needs to be dealt with....this movie should play on TV for all to see, a bit of an eye opener....

The weekend is here, and quite a few things happening--
My Uncle turns 61 Friday
MAD Theater presents The Full Monty is on Stage in Ybor City
Broadway Play Mama Mia is at the Performing Arts Center
Bucs Preseason Football Saturday against Jacksonville

Burgers and Foosball and a NOT so Happening Movie

Friday we went out to Square One Burgers in South Tampa, already wrote about this one, and since I liked it the first time, went back to try a different style burger(there are thousands of ways to have a burger - sauces, toppings, meats, etc.) - did the healthy Buffalo Burgers, and some unhealthy Cheesey Fries. Service very fast and friendly, the bar area and restaurant was VERY busy this Friday evening. Afterwards we went over to a favorite local dive that has been in Tampa since 1930, The Tiny Tap Tavern. A tiny old gas station in Hyde Park behind Xtreme Fitness, turned into small pub with CHEAP beers, some snacks, and always fun and interesting people. Mens bathroom is outside in the back, grab an icey pitcher out of the cooler and tell the overly friendly staff your beer choice, and there are two pool tables, a Foosball table and killer jukebox. A few rounds of Foosball and some chilly ones, and it was time to get closer to home to enjoy the rest of the night, so Green Iguana Westshore wrapped up the night with great people, and great live music.

Sunday afternoon there were some huge thunderstorms, and the clouds and sun were at a tug of war with each other, so we went to AMC Westshore theaters to see M. Night Shymalan's new movie "The Happening"..was not too happening, actually I enjoyed the first fifteen minutes but the very dry acting, and story were not up to par with some of his other movies like 'Signs' or Sixth Sense'. I wouldn't even recommend for rental.

Work takes me to Richmond VA, Charlotte and Raleigh NC this week.

Tampa Trek bikes; Funny Flick

Had a tune up done to my Trek mountain bike Thursday, decided to try out the new Tampa Trek store on MacDill Ave in South Tampa. These guys know there stuff, and are all avid bikers of all kinds. The guy I brought my bike into the separate service area told me everything they would do in the tune up, total cost, and they would email and/or call me when finished. A great place with great service! I'm ready to hit up the trails again.

Friday while awaiting my sis in law and 1 year old nephew to get into town from Colorado, we went over to CDB's Southside a few blocks form the hosue to have some dinner al fresco, this time a Chef's Salad and an 18" pizza with pepperoni and mushrooms. MUCH better service this time sitting outside on the upper deck along Westshore Blvd, the weather was great, there were some tunes playing softly in the background. The small Chef Salad was plenty to feed us four, and we loved the "pin wheels" stiffed with turkey, roast beef and ham wrapped in provolone cheese..the salad was topped with mozzarella cheese - the pizza was delicious, more like a Digiorno's type crust, thick but good, and loaded with toppings and cheese, it's not Chicago style, but you need a fork and knife for this pizza. We then headed up the street to AMC Westshore, and saw one of the finniest movies of the year so far, "Forgetting Sarah Marshall", it was opening night, there was not an empty seat, and throughout the movie all you heard was laughter from the audience and a round of applause at the end....some funny stuff! A quick trip to the Airport, parking on the top level of the short term lot(free parking for the first hour), easy in and easy out.

This weekend, besides the great weather, there are so many options, here are just a few of the numerous happenings I hope to participate in:

Mainsail Art Festival - Vinoy Waterfront Park St. Pete
Tampa Urban Tour of Homes
Tampa Riverwalk opening of Platt Street Bridge section
Pass-a-Grille Beach Concerts
Tampa Home and Garden Show
Clearwater Jazz Festival
Bruce Springsteen Concert
Ybor Festival of the Moving Image

2008 Gasparilla Ends!

What came in as a Lion, leaves like a Lamb..The Tampa Gasparilla Celebration, which started January 22nd and ended this past weekend.
It all started with one of the largest fireworks displays in the country(Gasparilla Battle of the Pirates), 2 large parades and street festivals(Gasparilla Invasion and Pirate Fest, Krewe of St. 'Yago Knight Parade), the send-off of the Pirates back to Sea(Gasparilla March Triumphant), a Nationally recognized Marathon weekend(Gasparilla Distance Classic), the Gasparilla International Film Festival, and finally the Gasparilla Festival of the Arts wrapped things up this weekend.
Friday I had some friends in town from NYC, and did a BBQ with them at their Mom's place in Hyde Park. She lives in one of the oldest bungalow style homes just behind Hyde Park Village. This is a beautiful area of older historic homes, large oak tree lined streets, a great sense of Tampa History and Community.

Saturday we all went to the Gasparilla Festival of the Arts in downtown Tampa. This year they had over 300 artists lined up all over the downtown streets, with two areas of live music, alot of entertainment and some very creative artists. It was interesting to notice that the crowds were quite a bit different then the Gasparilla Pirate Fest and Parade last month..same people, except today we were all a little more cultured and civilized and not wearing beads. These types of festivals really bring out the community, and its a great opportunity to run into those that make the city what it is, like the Mayor Pam Iorio, City Council members, even my Neighborhood Association president. With the perfect weather, it made for a great day in downtown. One of my favorite artists was a photographer Steve S Gregory, his creativity was overwhelming.

Afterwards we all went over to the Gasparilla Film Festival taking place at Channelside downtown. It was in its 4th day, there were over 80 films in this years Festival, we decided to par-take in the new Richard Gere/Claire Danes thriller, The Flock. One thing that is great about attending Film Festivals, is you are typically the first people to view the Film, as was the case for "The Flock", the Executive Director and Producer(who happens to have part of their Studios in Largo) were on hand to take questions after the viewing. They advised us that the final editing occurred the day before, and they flew directly to Tampa with the final cut this morning, and we were the first to view. It goes to the distributor today to be released sometime this summer. By the way, and AMAZING thriller!! It interesting to learn how certain scenes were filmed, why and how they chose the actors, etc., and these are things you can only get to know by attending a Film Festival. There was a 14 minute preview prior to the move called "The Strip Club King", which is a documentary film on the life of Joe Redner, and VERY famous Tampa resident, who was also in the audience. That film is to be released nationally sometime in May.
Since we had a few hours to kill, we decided to have some great NY Style pizza at NYPD Pizza in Channelside. A Large Greek Salad, with Feta Cheese in the very tangy and tasty greek dressing, and lots of Kalamata Olives, Feta Cheese on Crisp Greens with all the veges you would find on a Greek Salad. The 18" Pepperoni and Mushroom pizza was just like NY. Crispy but not too much so you can fold the slice as you eat it, and plenty of toppings and cheese. The Sauce was garlicky with a rich tomato flavor, and not sweet, which is perfect.
Saturday late night after the Festival, I was picked up and whisked away to Ybor City..Lounge 7/14, The Forge, Streetcar Charlies and then GBar provided a very surprisingly fun night out, the places were not overly crowded, and were very entertaining to say the least.

Sunday was a very relaxing day doing some biking at Fort DeSoto Park, and relaxing on the beach. There were quite a few people at the park today, but it is so big and spreadout, we still felt like we had the whole beach and park to ourselves.
Afterwards I met up with some friends and relaxed as the sun went down on their dock overlooking the water and Mangroves of Tampa Bay, as the boaters were coming in from a beautiful day on the water.

I Am Legend - Sneak Peak

I was invited to join a sneak peak at the new Will Smith movie "I Am Legend" that is opening this Friday in IMAX. It was a GREAT experience, and an excellent movie, some very tense moments, and jump in your seat action, great special effects of NYC. FUN!

Happy New Year Tampa

Well, im back home from LA, great times, and a great New Year! Out to Chipoltle tonight, then saw Blood Diamond at the AMC Westshore(Wednesday is free popcorn night).