Tampa with Hockey, John Mayer and Pirates!

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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4th of July in Tampa

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.

Dinner on Harbour Island; and Flugtag

Went over to Cafe Dufrain for a last dinner before leaving town for the weekend. Seated outside is always nice overlooking downtown along the waterfront of this very nice casual downtown Harbour Island restaurant. Always have had prompt, friendly service. We dined on Hummus to start, two scoops of thick pureed Chick peas with lots of garlic and Oyster mushrooms, served with warm pita triangles. There house salad is excellent, a plate of mixed greens with tomatoes, craisens and candied walnuts, the thick vinaigrette is delicious. For entrees we tried the Kobe sliders, three tiny mini burgers, with a side of fries - good tasting, but a bit pricey for the Kobe, and also a Bouillabaisse of Lobster, Shrimp, Scallops and Mussels-again very delicious, but I expected more seafood for the price, it is a small, light dish with no sides, just seafood and a rich, tomatoey sauce.
On the way back over Harbour Island bridge to downtown, we noticed the HUGE Flugtag ramp, where they will be having a big party downtown Saturday at the Convention Center area along the water, stages have been set up and thee were 2 story high monitors along Bayshore Blvd, I believe any vantage point from Davis Island, Harbour Island, or the downtown Convention Center riverfront park areas will be a great time to see this once in a lifetime spectacle, as they only do this in three cities a year, and Tampa just happened to be picked this year along with Chicago and Portland, OR.

I take off for Boston this morning, to play over the weekend, and work next week.

Tampa's Harbour Island - Eats and Cocktails!

After travelling around Florida this week for work(Melbourne and Orlando), it was finally back to Tampa, and Kris, Kelly and I went over to Harbour Island downtown Tampa for some dinner and a few drinks. We stopped by Thats Amore for some martini's out on the waterfront patio overlooking downtown. Beautiful area, the restaurant reminded me of an Italian Family reunion when walking in, all Italian decor, long tables, there was a Frank Sinatra like guy playing the piano and singing, very entertaining. We had reservations at Cafe DuFrain just next door, also along the waterfront with great views of downtown. Promptly seated inside, they had a small but great wine list that changes weekly. We started with some Edemame, Tomato and Fresh Mozzarella w/Basil, and Cesar Salads, all prepared perfectly and fresh. Entrees were the Ahi Tuna - perfectly rare and seared, a Bouillabaisse with Lobster, Shrimp, Scallops- very flavorful with tomatoes and a very light sauce, and the Argentinian Skirt Steak, with a garlic/pesto light sauce, the steak was so tender and came with Yuca Fries, thick and crisp...an amazing dinner, service was top notch,,this place is now on my list of favorites in the downtown area.
Afterwards it was back home and a walk over the Green Iguana Westshore where I ran into some people I havent seen in about 15 years from college - seems you are always running into someone at the Green Iguana Westshore, never a dull time with live musci every night, and John tending to the bar and managing the shop.