a FOOD & DRINK ENCORE, celebrating this year's winners and finalists
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PUBLISHER James Howard
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Ray Roa
Editorial
MANAGING EDITOR Selene San Felice
FOOD & DRINK CRITIC Kyla Fields
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IN-HOUSE WITCH Caroline DeBruhl
CONTRIBUTORS Josh Bradley, J.C. Roddy
PHOTOGRAPHERS Dave Decker
FALL INTERNS Alisha Duroiser, Sophia Lowrie, Emily McLaughlin
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Holiday magic is taking over Ybor! Join us for a night of festive fun the whole family will love. Enjoy live music from Lexie Hayden, snap a pic with Santa and watch snow fall from the balconies. Stroll the night market, sip hot cocoa and celebrate Ybor’s annual tree lighting!
SPONSORED CONTENT PRESENTED BY PINELLAS SUNCOAST TRANSIT
From Commute to Community
Getting from Work to Play Has Never Been Easier in Pinellas County
For over 40 years, the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA) has been quietly getting people where they need to go. PSTA buses have connected neighborhoods, businesses, schools, and recreation spots, serving as the backbone of public transportation in the county. But lately, PSTA has been doing something much bigger: completely rethinking how people move around Pinellas County, and how transit can improve quality of life for everyone. The goal: to make public transit not just an alternative, but a true first choice for getting around.
The new Connected Community Bus Network (CCBN) is PSTA’s solution to the changing needs of Pinellas County. This redesigned network responds to the needs of Pinellas County residents and visitors to streamline bus service and make transit more accessible, frequent, and reliable across the county.
Why It Matters
The CCBN isn't just a few small tweaks. It's a complete reimagining of how 200+ buses move people across the county. Now they’re faster, more reliable, and more frequent.
Whether you're a student juggling classes and part-time work, a parent trying to shave $200 off
your monthly gas budget, or someone who just doesn't want to hunt for parking downtown anymore, PSTA's improvements directly affect your wallet, your schedule, and your quality of life. Enhanced transit service means more independence for seniors, better access to education and jobs for students, and more affordable choices for families. Plus, visitors also benefit with easier access and connections across the county.
What the Changes Mean for You
More frequent service when you need it. Most routes now run seven days a week with consistent schedules, so you can plan your day with confidence. Riders will also benefit from expanded weekend service, so you can get to work, the farmer’s market, or the beach just as easily as during the week. Evening hours have also been extended on many routes, making social outings and late shifts easier to manage. Timed transfers that actually work. Routes now sync up at select hub locations, so you're not stuck waiting 45 minutes for a connection. With better-coordinated schedules, you can transfer between buses quickly and reliably. It sounds simple, but it's the difference between a 90-minute commute and a 60-minute one.
Spark: High-speed connectivity for the growing south burg. This new high-frequency service runs along 34th Street South (US 19), one of the county's busiest corridors, and is designed to cut travel times and open new opportunities for work, school, and play, especially in communities that previously had limited transit options. Students can now zip to Grand Central Station, where they can connect to other major routes or downtown destinations. Commuters can connect to northern Pinellas with ease. And if you're heading to downtown St. Pete or the beach, you've got smooth trans fers to the SunRunner.
On-demand flexibil ity where you need it. Our new Snapper On-Demand ser vice provides transit for two specials zones in Clearwater and Safety Harbor when YOU need it. It's like having rideshare service without the rideshare price tag.
Work & Play with PSTA
The CCBN is about giving you access to everything Pinellas has to offer. Whether it’s getting to work, school, the grocery store, community events, or exploring downtown, your transit service should make all of it easier, not harder. With more frequent and reliable buses, it’s now possible to plan last-minute trips. And local businesses benefit from increased foot traffic, and the community enjoys greater mobility and connection.
It's not about the buses themselves; it's about the life they unlock. More frequent service means you can make that 6 PM yoga class without leaving work early or take your kids to an after-school program without rushing. Better connectivity means your options multiply: more jobs are reachable, more restaurants are within reach, and more of the county is available for you to explore. For people with disabilities or limited mobility, the new network provides greater independence and confidence to travel the region safely and comfortably.
The Bottom Line Transit works best when people actually use it. PSTA has clearly listened to what riders need—reliability, frequency, and real connectivity—and delivered. Whether you're a daily commuter, a retiree seeking new adventures, a student, or someone who's only ridden the bus once, CCBN makes PSTA worth another look. The new system is designed to grow with Pinellas County, adapting to changing needs and ensuring that public transit remains a resource for everyone in the community.
Check out the new routes and schedules at psta.net/how-to-ride/play. Your next commute (and your wallet) might thank you.
do this
Tampa Bay's best things to do from Oct. 30 - Nov. 05
Bright like a diamond
Entering its second decade, Shine (stylized all-caps) Mural Festival is using only regional artists for this year’s new batch of large-scale murals. St. Pete Arts Alliance’s new director, Helen French, who started at the beginning of August, told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay that while part of the decision was made after national and international muralists had to evacuate during last year’s hurricane season, it’s a move toward a stronger community. “Local art does not mean less-than art,” French said. “If we’re talking about an international mural festival that has consistently had local artists seated right next to international, our local artists are no less equal in their skill sets.” This is also the first year Shine will happen in November rather than the usual dates in October—a permanent change to avoid hurricanes. Next Thursday’s kickoff is the start of a week of events featuring live mural paintings and performances by local artists. See details at stpeteartsalliance.org/shine-2025.
Shine Origins opening reception: Thursday, Nov. 6. No Cover. St. Petersburg Museum of History, 335 2nd Ave NE, St. Petersburg.—Marleigh Brown
The future is now
The Pinellas Diaspora Arts Project wants to inspire environmental and civic engagement in Tampa Bay through arts, technology, and urban planning activities at its latest event. Hosted through the Union Academy Family Center, the festival offers a breakfast conversation, “Tarpon of the Future,” with Zeb Atkinson IV, the former local NAACP president. Jovan McNeill, who mentors under-resourced youth ages 8-18 through his Cloud 9 Outdoors program, hosts an “Urban Prepping 101” session. Throughout the day, families can attend self-defense, art and stress-reduction workshops led by community leaders.
Hot 'Fuzz'
When you see a one-word title and the name Mary Roach on a book cover, you know you’re gonna learn some crazy shit. Since “Stiff,” her breakout 2003 venture into the death industry, Roach has written books on the science and history of sex (“Bonk”), digestion (“Gulp”), the afterlife (“Spook”), war (“Grunt”) and now law-breaking animals (“Fuzz”). Last month marked the release of her ninth book and a rare break with her singular title tradition. “Replaceable You,” an exploration of prosthetics and transplants, asks, “Can a donated heart be made to beat forever? Can an intestine provide a workable substitute for a vagina?” Roach-heads who haven’t read it yet, don’t worry. Her appearance at New Tampa Performing Arts Center is focused on “Fuzz,” which has been out since 2021. Registration for the discussion hosted by Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Libraries is full, but fear not. The library system is also hosting watch parties at six locations throughout the county. And the last of a dozen HCPL book discussions on “Fuzz” happens next Thursday at the Robert W. Saunders, Sr. Public Library. Find more information at hcplc.org/AuthorEvent.
Author talk with Mary Roach: Saturday, Nov. 1. 1:30 p.m. No cover. hcplc.org—Selene San Felice
The Tampa Bay Urban Futures Festival: Saturday, Nov. 1. 10 a.m.-3 p.m. No cover. 401 E Martin Luther King JR. Dr., Tarpon Springs. tbuffest.com—Emily McLaughlin
JEN
E I E I OOooOOoo
Hurricanes canceled last year’s Halloween event at the St. Pete Youth Farm, but since then, the farm has experienced significant growth— beyond crops. It’s now a monthly open mic spot, hosted mental and physical health and crafting workshops, and added a commercial bread oven that comes with its own breadmaking classes. Most recently, a repurposed shipping container from the county and Creative Pinellas gave the farm more space for programs including a bike repair workshop, substance abuse prevention, NOMAD art and mental health for youth ambassadors. The family-friendly Farm-o-Ween includes a haunted greenhouse, candy, food, music, games and costumes. Children under 10 must be accompanied by an adult.
Farm-o-Ween: Friday, Oct. 31. 5:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m. No cover. St. Pete Youth Farm, 1664 12th St. S, St. Petersburg. stpeteyouthfarm. org—Selene San Felice
Thyme to party
But what would I wear??
We haven’t even started shopping for this month’s roast feast, and the Grinch is already popping up around Tampa Bay. Countryside Mall hosts the green man himself (not Shrek) for a festive literary marketplace that would make Cindy Lou Who proud. Local authors, book vendors and literary crafters come together for a family-friendly day that includes readings, signings, storytelling and photo ops with Whoville’s most wanted. Make sure it doesn’t conflict with solving world hunger or jazzercise in your schedule.
A very Grinchy bookfest: Saturday, Nov. 1. 10 a.m.-3 p.m.. No cover. Countryside Mall, 27001 US Hwy 19 N, Clearwater. communitymarketsandevents.com—Selene San Felice
Fresh off its win for Best Food Festival in Creative Loafing’s Best of the Bay awards, Savor (stylized all-caps) St. Pete is returning to the waterfront. This year’s festival features a mix of chefs and restaurants including appearances from Food Network favorites Carlos Anthony and Brian Malarkey along with Tampa Bay locals Rosana Rivera and Johnathan Rodriguez. The $120-$150 price tag comes with unlimited wine and beer samples. The festival is incorporating sustainable event practices through partnerships with the City of St. Petersburg and the Sierra Club to use compostable materials and conduct food waste audits. VIP members receive early entry at noon, exclusive lounge access, and a front-row seat to the culinary competition.
Savor St. Pete: Saturday-Sunday, Nov. 1-2. 1 p.m.-4 p.m. $150 & up. Vinoy Waterfront Park. 701 Bayshore Dr. NE, St. Petersburg. savortheburg.com—Emily McLaughlin
“...what I see is something that could, in places, be twisted by paid lobbyists to work against citizens…”
Under pressure
Tampa ethics commission could label neighborhood reps as lobbyists.
By Valerie Smith
Last Thursday, Tampa City Council was set to discuss a new ordinance that would revise existing lobbying regulations, expanding them beyond just those who lobby for pay. Rules that have historically applied to those paid to advocate for both real estate developers and large civil rights organizations could now be applied to volunteers for local activist groups and neighborhood associations, requiring them to register as lobbyists, file expenditure reports and follow some other restrictions around communication with city officials.
The ordinance, proposed by the Tampa Ethics Commission at the direction of Mayor Jane Castor, would change the current ethics code, which defines lobbyists as individuals who discuss city business with officials outside of public meetings in exchange for compensation. The proposed definition removes language that limits the definition of lobbyist to those who receive compensation for their communication, and adds language stating that the communication must be on behalf of a person or entity to be considered lobbying.
Anyone the city defines as a lobbyist is subject to certain regulations in their communications with city officials and must pre-register as a lobbyist with the city before engaging in any lobbying. Violations are punishable by fines and by banning violators from engaging in lobbying for up to 12 months at a time. An exception exists for people advocating only for themselves as an individual, but representatives of community organizations like Tampa Homeowners Association of Neighborhoods would likely be considered lobbyists.
Last Tuesday, Oct. 21, Councilman Bill Carlson filed a memo declaring his intent to push discussion to next year. At last Thursday’s city council meeting, Bill Carlson successfully motioned to have the item moved for discussion at that Feb. 26 workshop meeting to give the public more time to weigh in. Council will also discuss the future of the ethics code, asking whether it is necessary or redundant of current Florida statute.
That workshop will include the voice of Tampa’s new District 5 councilperson, FIRSTname LASTname, to be sworn in this week.
Stephanie Poynor, President of Tampa Homeowners Association of Neighborhoods,
told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay she opposes the change and believes it would limit neighborhood leaders’ ability to interface with city staff. Poynor said that last year, residents in the South of Gandy neighborhood were left without water. As a neighborhood leader, Poynor said that she immediately knew which city employee to reach out to and notified them of the issue.
officials or employees with “authority to make final decisions.”
City of Tampa Tampa Communications Director Adam Smith told CL that the change was not intended to obstruct communication between neighborhood associations and the city, and that city council is welcome to modify the ordinance to ensure it meets transparency goals while maintaining the rights of these groups.
Lobbyists, Smith said, are used to the red tape and have training in advocating within local lobbying regulations. She believes this may give them an advantage over untrained volunteer representatives of smaller organizations, which is the opposite of the code’s current impact.
LOCAL NEWS
“It’s always been a very clear cut dividing line between who’s a lobbyist and who is just a regular citizen representing their neighborhood,” Former Hillsborough County Commissioner Mariella Smith told CL. She believes that the change as proposed upends an established system that has
The proposal (Item No. 64, File No. E2025-8 CH 2 on the Oct. 23, 2025 agenda) says the reason for the change is a request Mayor Jane Castor made in a letter to the ethics committee dated Apr. 6, 2022. This letter came in the wake of the resignation of former council member John Dingfelder.
“[Under the proposed ordinance], I would have ended up with, ‘Oh, you didn’t file this report beforehand,’” Poynor said. “And so we would have had thousands of people continue to be without water, because I had to file this report first, and it doesn’t make any sense.”
It’s not clear whether the proposed ordinance would limit such communication with city staffers, as the ethics code says lobbying is related to communication with elected
kept lobbying rules functioning as-intended: limiting secretive interference by paid lobbyists while giving constituents access to local officials.
“While the intentions of the committee might have been one thing, what I see is something that could, in places, be twisted by paid lobbyists to work against citizens who are coming to speak to their elected representatives in any way,” Smith added.
Dingfelder resigned as a condition of a legal settlement after he was sued by real estate business consultant Stephen Michelini for allegedly obscuring public records. In the lawsuit, Dingfelder was shown discussing city business— but not quasi-judicial matters—with Poynor and other community leaders via personal communication platforms.
In a text to CL, Poynor pointed out that Dingfelder was accused of communicating with her and Jean Strohmeyer, then President of Interbay South Of Gandy Neighborhood Association.
“No one ever asked Jean or me if that happened. It never happened,” Poynor told CL. “I have never had ex parte communications with a council member about a QJ issue. I would never do that because it would put my neighborhoods at risk of losing a case. The point of everything we fight for is to get a better project. I cannot do that by violating the rules.”
In response to Dingfelder’s resignation, Castor publicly directed the Tampa Ethics Commission to reevaluate the language surrounding lobbying in a letter cited by the ordinance, which reads in part:
“I would like to formally request that the Ethics Commission conduct a comprehensive review of the following: City of Tampa lobbyist disclosures and registrations, ethics enforcement processes, and conflict of interest disclosure requirements for all elected city officials. Given the difficulties at City Council over the past few weeks, there is rising public concern about conflicts of interest and whether current disclosure requirements provide the clarity and transparency that is needed to protect the public interest.”
Following this letter, the ethics commission proposed several revisions to the ethics code, including removing the “for compensation” stipulation in the lobbyist definition.
NEW DEVELOPMENT: Downtown Tampa on Nov. 1, 2024.
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Forever Young
Naya Young is Tampa’s new District 5 councilwoman.
By Ray Roa
One of Tampa’s most crowded single-seat elections is finally over, and Naya Young is headed for Tampa City Hall.
The graduate of Middleton High School, University of South Florida and Howard University defeated lifelong Tampa politico Thomas Scott in Tuesday’s runoff election.
Tampa’s city charter (Sec. 8.21) says, “The successful candidate shall take office immediately upon certification.” Hillsborough Supervisor of Elections told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay that their office will certify the election results on Friday, Oct. 31 at 2 p.m. Alan Clendenin, Tampa City Council Chairman, told CL that Young will be sworn at city council chambers at 3 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 31 after the SOE certifies the results.
Young’s victory came 141 days after the death of Councilwoman Gwen Henderson, whose passing triggered the special election. The race, at one point, included 13 official candidates, plus one write-in.
raised a total of $62,695, while Young’s only brought in $26,643. Despite the smaller dollar figure, Young had 201 individual donations while Scott had only 138.
Scott’s donations came largely from developers and contractors who donated roughly 57% of his campaign cash. His largest donors also found ways to skirt contribution limits by donating through PACs. For Young, development-related interests donated just $2,406 (about 9%); her highest category of contributors was educators, who donated a combined $4,508 (about 17%).
As residents get priced out of homes and rentals while development booms around them, Scott was asked to tell voters why they should trust him. He told this reporter that throughout his political life, “developers, realtors, ordinary people,” have given to his campaigns because of his leadership, experience and integrity.
ELECTIONS
In last month’s primary, Young, a 33-year-old grassroots activist and former Executive Director of the Tampa Heights Junior Civic Association, finished in second place with 13.29% of the vote.
With 28 of 28 precincts reporting in Tuesday's runoff, she earned 3,053 votes (61%). Scott had 1,963 votes (39%). Find this story on cltampa.com/news for the most updated election numbers.
Scott’s loss ends his bid for a return to city council where he served from 2007-2011. He also served as a Hillsborough County Commissioner from 1996-2006, but had not won an election since beating the late Frank Reddick for the same District 5 seat in 2007.
Young has never held elected office, and her victory comes despite a huge fundraising gap.As previously reported, Scott’s campaign
“People are supporting me because they believe Tom Scott is reasonable, is fair, and is a person who will listen to everybody and then make a prudent decision for the community,” he added.
Former Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn, who donated to Scott’s campaign and is likely to run for a third term, was asked about the fundraising gaps between the candidates and told CL that businesses “crave Rev. Scott’s calm and stable presence.”
Asked about her lower fundraising total, Young called her haul a “small but mighty number,” adding that her campaign has been able to get a lot done with the donations.
“I think it’s just a true testament to people in the city and individuals who really just believe in wanting something new, wanting a fresh perspective—not wanting to continue going on like politics as usual,” Young said. “We need something new in the city, and I’m proud of that number.”
Dropping anchor
City councils to vote on new Tampa Bay Ferry next week.
By Alisha Durosier
The Pinellas County Transit Authority (PSTA) is eager to float its plans for a new ferry between Tampa and St. Petersburg.
The new service, now called Tampa Bay Ferry, will be more affordable to run and ride, with better service once it launches next year, PSTA Chief Planning and Community Affairs Officer Darden Rice told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay.
The Hillsborough Area Regional Transit (HART) transferred its nearly $5 million grant to PSTA in June to replace the defunct Cross Bay Ferry, which stopped operating in April after Hillsborough County voted to terminate its service after issues with its vendor.
Now, four months since the PSTA took the reins, the agency has selected Hubbard’s Marina—a family business running out of Madeira Beach since 1928—to take over operations and recommended two permanent docks in Downtown St. Petersburg and Tampa.
“This is a whole new day for waterborne transit in Tampa Bay,” Rice said.
PSTA was initially set to present the fiveyear interlocal agreement to both city councils in October, with the PSTA board’s final vote scheduled for Wednesday.
According to Rice, the cities needed “a little bit more time just to wrap up a couple of agreements,” pushing both city councils’ vote to Nov. 6, the PSTA finance Committee’s vote to Nov. 19, and the final vote on Dec. 3.
She’s confident that both city councils will be supportive.
“We’ve already met and talked to many of the city council members and staff, and we’re prepared to answer all questions,” she said.
Rice ideally wants to have a boat in the water by spring break, but because PSTA plans to acquire two boats and is working with federal money—which comes with its own regulations— realistically, it may take longer.
“There’s all kinds of things that go into the right kind of specs for a passenger ferry vessel. So, you know, that’s going to take up to several months,” Rice said, noting that PSTA is also considering having the vessels built.
New College professor says Corcoran’s denial of emeritus status is retaliation
A 30-year New College professor and vocal critic of the school’s 2023 conservative restructuring was denied emeritus status,
an honorary title typically awarded to retiring faculty.
She and others call it retaliation from the school’s president and Gov. DeSantis ally, Richard Corcoran.
Amy Reid said the status of emeritus carries not only material benefits, such as free parking and extra office space, but also symbolic weight.
“It’s a way that your colleagues acknowledge the fact that you’ve worked hard and contributed to an institution as a teacher, as a scholar, as a member of the community,” Reid told WMNF.
Reid was hesitant when a colleague said they were nominating her for emeritus status.
She was a vocal critic of President Corcoran’s conservative takeover of the school while serving on the school’s Board of Trustees, even calling it an “assault on American democracy.”
the idea that you share the governance of the college with the faculty,” Brown told WMNF.
Corcoran also mentions that Reid opposed his “mandate for change” while serving on the school’s Board of Trustees.
“He is punishing me for my having done my job, for my having represented my colleagues and our students on the board of trustees. And that to me is stunning.” Reid said.
LOCAL NEWS
But Reid decided to let the nomination play out – saying denials are rare.
So she was shocked when Corcoran denied her emeritus status.
In an email, Corcoran said he recognizes her contributions, but labelled her a leading voice for “hyperbolic alarmism and needless obstruction.”
Ben Brown, former New College Alumni Chair, said Reid won respect from many alumni for her views during her time on the board of trustees.
“And to punish or retaliate against someone for that is just kind of thumbing your nose at
“My nomination was approved by the division. It was approved by the provost of the college and overturned by the president because, as he said, I opposed his mandate. Right. It’s not supposed to be personal in that way. And I’m very concerned about what that says, the message that it sends to the New College community.” Reid said.
When asked for further comment, a New College spokesperson told WMNF Corcoran’s email speaks for itself.—Chris Young/WMNF News
This post first appeared at WMNF news, which is part of the Tampa Bay Journalism Project (TBJP), a nascent Creative Loafing Tampa Bay effort supported by grants and a coalition of donors who make specific contributions via the Alternative Newsweekly Foundation.
If you are a non-paywalled Bay area publication interested in TBJP, please email rroa@ ctampa.com. Support WMNF News by visiting the community radio station’s station’s support page.
YE
FERRY: PSTA will buy or build two new boats for the Tampa Bay Ferry.
Above board
Hillsborough Republican wants voters to select school superintendent.
By Mitch Perry/Florida Phoenix
Voters in Lee County elected their first school superintendent in five decades a year ago. It came two years after voters approved a referendum changing the superintendent position to an elected one. For the previous 50 years, members of the local school board chose who would lead the district. In making that transition, Lee has joined the majority of school districts in Florida (38) that elect their superintendents.
But while that may be the norm in Florida, it’s a complete outlier in the rest of the United States. Among the more than 13,000 school districts in the country, Alabama is the only other state with elected school superintendents.
a Hillsborough County legislative delegation meeting Tuesday to accomplish the shift, subject to voter approval.
“I believe Hillsborough County should mirror the majority of the counties in the state of Florida and allow the parents to pick the CEO of their kid’s education,” he said.
When prompted about why he saw the need for such a change, he said he “had a problem” with the fact that the sitting superintendent is less accountable to the voters than he is to members of the school board.
EDUCATION
The state’s largest school districts (such as Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach) have their school superintendents chosen by their school board members. Now a Republican state lawmaker would like to make Hillsborough—the third largest school district in the state and seventh largest in the nation—the latest district with an elected superintendent.
Rep. Michael Owen, a Republican representing southwest Hillsborough and northwest Manatee counties, presented a local bill during
“I believe that having more a independent superintendent will allow them not to necessarily do the wishes of the majority of the board, but the wishes of the parents of Hillsborough County,” he said—stressing that he meant nothing personal against the sitting superintendent, Van Ayres.
If the measure was ultimately approved by the Legislature and then approved in a referendum by the voters, Hillsborough would become the largest school district in the nation that elects its superintendent.
The proposal was attacked by Democrats and some public education advocates in the
audience, who said they want less politics in the classroom. Florida voters rejected a constitutional amendment on the 2024 ballot that would have made school board races officially partisan (the measure did win 55% of the vote, short of the 60% required for passage).
House Democratic Leader Fentrice Driskell of Tampa noted that Gov. Ron DeSantis appoints the state education commissioner—as has every governor for the past two decades. The last time that the state Education Commissioner was elected, it was Charlie Crist in 2000. A 1998 constitutional amendment reorganized the Department of Education, making the education commission an appointed post beginning January 2003.
Rep. Michele Rayner, D-St. Petersburg, attacked the idea, calling it “the ultimate DEI move.”
county was also referenced by Julie Gebhards, a Hillsborough parent and member of Moms for Liberty. She noted that as an appointed superintendent, Ayres has to answer to them to maintain job security, while the county itself is more balanced in terms of partisanship (Republicans lead Democrats in voter registration in the county by slightly more than 2%).
“I think it comes down to: Is our superintendent going to be accountable to our students or the board?” she said.
Sen. Danny Burgess, R-Zephyrhills, said that while there is common ground that politics does not belong in schools, it is absurd to believe that this specific proposal would lead to an infusion of politics within the classroom.
“What this feels like is a power grab.”
“Because what we would find, more likely than not, is someone who may not be qualified and may not understand what is important to the people, and most importantly, the children of Hillsborough County when it comes to education,” she said, adding that she was concerned about injecting partisan politics into education.
“What this feels like is a power grab,” she said. “What this feels like is—and I’m going to say the quiet part out loud, because our county is shifting a different way—let’s make sure that we can encapsulate power, and that does not serve students,” she said as the audience cheered.
That change in the power structure of the
“The reality is folks, that ship sailed a long time ago,” he said. “I can’t miss the opportunity to just sort of emphasize and draw the point that those arguments can be very easily turned and twisted in the exact opposite direction. So, what’s before you today is not that make-or-break.”
The delegation will meet again before the regular legislative session takes place in January to vote on the proposal. If approved, Rep. Owen will file the measure as a local bill in the House, where it will be assigned to committees and move through the process before going to the full House for consideration. House members are limited to filling seven bills each session but local bills do not count towards this limit.
TRUCKIN’: Rep. Michael Owen in Valrico on Sept. 3, 2025.
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FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2025 • 6-10 P.M.
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Never scared
Mise en Place closes latest chapter ahead of December opening in Ybor City.
By Ray Roa
For Maryann Ferenc, this weekend marks the end of an era at 442 W Grand Central Ave.
Founded in 1986 on Platt Street, Mise en Place moved to a then-unknown block across from the University of Tampa in 1992 and turned it into a destination now bookended by Oxford Exchange to the east and Tori Bar to the west. After Friday’s Halloween night rager, restaurant founders Ferenc and Chef Marty Blitz will close the door on Grand Central one last time and prepare to start a new chapter in Ybor City.
“It is a really unique perspective on Tampa, because you are looking at history,” Ferenc recently told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay about Mise en Place’s new view of Jose Martí Park, the waterfront, and downtown Tampa. “You can’t help but imagine what Ybor was like when it was so bustling, and it was, it was the center of commerce and life for Tampa. You kind of feel the energy there.”
Ferenc and Blitz gave patrons a sneak peek at the future during a recent field trip to the new Mise en Place on the ground floor of developer Darryl Shaw’s Casa Gomez building at 1229 E 8th Ave., but the rest of us will have to wait a month longer than expected
“Nobody’s fault, really, just circumstances” she told CL about the unplanned delay opening now set for December, adding that contractors ran into more stuff than they expected to in the new building.
In the meantime, Ferenc and Blitz have a plan to take care of their team of about 15 people while they’re in between buildings.
“We want to keep them together, and we will, because that’s the right thing to do. And we’re finding ways to do that,” Ferenc explained.
They’ll all get more time to train together after the finale bash, but Mise en Place has also reached out to local food banks to see if staff can help, especially as the government shutdown rolls on.
“We don’t usually have the luxury of time, and this will give us the luxury of some training time, time together, off time, things like that we don’t normally have,” she said.
In the meantime, the team is focused on this final week of service, which includes a throwback power lunch and studio show on Thursday, plus the Halloween party, which should be a nod to wilder Oct. 31 nights Mise used to host back in day when Clicquot was reason we all made bad decisions.
that feel it’s just too much change. And that adds additional stress,” she said.
She, too, has borne stress over the halfdecade since the pandemic, but she’s not lost sight of how fun it is to run a restaurant.
INTERVIEW
Ever the optimist and true believer, Ferenc says Mise en Place is planning on staying in touch with regulars by popping up at other restaurants that their regulars like to frequent.
While she’s jazzed and feels great about the move, Ferenc is also frank about the reality of essentially being closed for a month.
“I think the only thing that scares me is not everyone loves change. There’s already a lot of feeling the world shifting under your feet, and so I get concerned about the clients and the staff
“There’s a lot to do, and I’m serious about my work, and I care about my clients, and taking care of everybody. I want to not forget to have some fun here. Because 34 years in that space has been wonderful,” she said. “It’s been hard too, but there’s so much joy, so many people.”
And instead of letting worry consume her, Ferenc pivots back to her faith in her team, the Mise En Place faithful, and their ability to get things done, adding that when the universe has a game plan, you have to just roll with it and know things will be OK.
“I’ve always said, in times that are scary, just be yourself more. Be yourself, whether it’s yourself as an individual, ourselves as an entity—like, ‘What is Mise?’—just be that more,” Ferenc said. “Don’t let the fear make you stop doing things.”
MI CASA SU CASA: (L-R in foreground) Darryl Shaw, Maryann Ferenc and the Mise En Place team.
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Sip. Savor. and Repeat.
A Waterfront Feast for the Senses: SAVOR St. Pete Turns 13
There’s something special about the way St. Petersburg comes alive when SAVOR St. Pete takes over the waterfront. The salty breeze off Tampa Bay, the clinking of wine glasses, the scent of something sizzling on the grill—it’s all part of what makes this event one of Florida’s most anticipated culinary weekends of the year. Now in its 13th year, the SAVOR St. Pete Food & Wine Festival returns on Saturday, November 1, and Sunday, November 2, 2025, transforming Vinoy Waterfront Park into a vibrant celebration of flavor, creativity, and community. With panoramic bay views, six sprawling tents covering over 40,000 square feet of shaded space, and more than 120 premium brand experiences, this is no ordinary tasting event—it’s an immersive culinary playground for foodies and wine lovers alike.
A Taste of Everything
At the heart of the festival lies the Grand Tasting Village, where guests will discover an expertly curated mix of local favorites and
nationally recognized names. From St. Pete’s own culinary rockstars to emerging restaurant talent and top vineyards from across the country, every booth brings a new flavor to explore.
This year’s lineup features a dynamic range of tastings—from delicate bites and bold wines to refreshing craft brews and innovative cocktails. And for those who love a bit of culinary theater, the San Pellegrino Cooking Stage, presented by Publix Super Markets, will host a full schedule of live cooking demonstrations. Expect to see Food Network favorites Brian Malarkey (Cutthroat Kitchen) and Carlos Anthony (CHOPPED winner and 2025 Hot List Chef*), along with regional chefs bringing flair, fire, and a few delicious surprises.
Sip, Stir, and Celebrate
Publix Liquor Stores and Fever Tree Mixers. This interactive space blends education and indulgence, with top mixologists teaching the art of craft cocktails in an inviting, lounge-style atmosphere. Whether you’re learning to make the perfect spritz or sampling a new small-batch gin, the lounge is the ultimate destination to unwind in style.
And for those craving a little friendly competition, the SAVOR Chefs Culinary Competition turns up the heat as top Bay Area chefs battle it out for first place in this high-energy showdown. Expect bold flavors, creative presentation, and plenty of crowd energy as local talent competes for bragging rights and the coveted SAVOR title.
Cocktail enthusiasts will find their haven at the Mixology Experience Lounge, presented by
A Community Celebration
Recently named a 2025 Elite Event by Visit St. Pete Clearwater and a finalist in St. Pete Life’s Best Of Awards for Best Annual Ticketed Event, SAVOR St. Pete has become a true signature of the region’s culinary scene. Thanks to partners including Publix Super Markets, the City of St. Petersburg, Visit St. Pete Clearwater,
and Sysco, the festival offers an elevated yet approachable experience that welcomes both locals and visitors to celebrate Florida’s flavor.
Tickets & VIP Experience
All tickets to SAVOR St. Pete are all-inclusive, giving guests unlimited access to food, wine, beer, and cocktail tastings, plus live DJ entertainment and exclusive festival keepsakes including a limited-edition wine glass, wine lanyard, and custom SAVOR tote bag.
For the ultimate experience, the VIP ticket—which sells out each year—offers private access to the VIP Tent featuring premium and boutique spirits, exclusive chef tastings, and relaxed lounge seating perfect for soaking in the views and the vibe.
Don’t Miss the Tastiest Weekend of the Year
Whether you’re a foodie, a wine connoisseur, or someone who loves a good time by the Bay, SAVOR St. Pete delivers a weekend of flavor, fun, and Florida sunshine that’s not to be missed.
Join the celebration November 1–2, 2025, at Vinoy Waterfront Park. Tickets and event details are available now at SavorTheBurg.com.
Scoring Big With Tampa Bay
We’re proud to announce that we’ve been named 1st Place for Best Po’ Boy and Best Cajun Dish in this year’s Best of the Bay Awards — and recognized as finalists for Best Sports Bar and Best Wesley Chapel Restaurant. These incredible achievements wouldn’t have been possible without the support of our amazing guests, team, and community who continue to believe in us and share their love.
From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for making us a part of your lives and for allowing us to be a part of this incredible Tampa Bay community.
Join us for game-day specials all day Saturday and Sunday, plus Monday and Thursday nights. There’s no better place to cheer, celebrate, and be part of the team spirit!
WALK-ON’S TAMPA (MIDTOWN)
1140 Gramercy Lane, Tampa, FL
WALK-ON’S Lakeland
3772 US Hwy 98 N, Lakeland, FL
WALK-ON’S Wesley Chapel
25372 Sierra Center Blvd, Lutz, FL
CREATIVE LOAFING • BEST OF THE BAY 2025
CRITICS PICKS: FOOD & DRINK ENCORE
Best 15-Minute Bagels And Our Favorite Coffee Dirtbags
The Lab Coffee
There are several perfectly cromulent coffee places near where we live. Screw those places! Every morning we make the 20-minute drive to The Lab Coffee in Seminole Heights, in part because we hate our day jobs and will do anything to avoid having to do them. But, just as relevant is the fact that, for our money, The Lab has the best coffee and hardest-core baristas in town. “What are you two up to today?” they always ask us when we pop in around 1 p.m. for our “morning coffee.” We never seem to have a convincing answer: “Oh, not much, just working…we guess?” For great coffee, employees who are cooler than you, really good empanadas, and an excuse to drive around all day, look no further than our beloved Lab. thelabcoffee.com—Kelly Buttermore & Justin Peters
Best 25-Minute Peri Peri Chicken And A Delicious Can Of C&C Cola
The Fryer House
“The Peri Peri chicken takes 25 minutes,” the guy behind the counter at the Fryer House warned us when we walked in there one recent Wednesday afternoon. Challenge accepted! Was it smart to order the only grilled item at a restaurant called the “Fryer House”? Probably not, but the meal came with a free can of “C&C Cola”—corporate tagline: “Refreshing Is An Understatement”—so we sat down and waited. The chicken was better than the cola, but, you know what, each of them was pretty refreshing in its own way! Anyway, the food here is good and the people are nice, but, if you go, you might be better off getting something that’s, you know, fried. thefryerhouse.com—Kelly Buttermore & Justin Peters
Best Actually Useful, Local Facebook Group
Tampa Bay Asian Foodies
This popular Facebook group begs the question “Where is all of the great Asian food in Tampa Bay?”—and its nearly 16,000 members try to answer it on a daily basis. From spreading news about food festivals, night markets and local Asian grocery stores to recommending favorite restaurants and sharing family recipes, its members are actively looking for the best East, South and Southeast Asian eats in the greater Tampa Bay area and beyond. The vibes are always good, the comment section is rarely argumentative and its conversations are solely about tasty food and where to find it.—Kyla Fields
It’s that time of the year, when everyone you need to email starts turning on vacation responders, suggesting we “circle back next year” on any of the projects we’re all working on together. Not being able to do the work grind can get annoying, but the sentiment is worth embracing.
For better and worse, the holidays are here, and it’s time to start thinking about eating big ol' meals with the people we love.
Creative Loafing Tampa Bay has, for nearly the last four decades, asked our critics and readers to share their favorite restaurants, groceries and food events as part of the Best of the Bay awards. But never before have we revisited the winners ahead of Thanksgiving and the winter holidays. Until now.
To set the table for the next few weeks, we’re posting Food & Drink winners from the 2025 readers poll along with our critics’ picks for the best grub-adjacent happenings and newsmakers of the last 12 months.
It’s our hope that these pages can remind you of how good we have it in Tampa Bay— and give your family a chance to discover something new this holiday season.—Ray Roa
Best All-Purpose Impossible-To-Spell Restaurant Tchotchke
The thought that anything could replace the longbeloved Munch’s in the hearts of St. Pete diners seemed sacrilege at first, especially when the restaurant that took over the space on 6th Street S had such a consonant-clogged name. But Tchotchke (loosely translatable as a little something you can’t resist) proved to be, as its signage announced, “tough to spell” but “easy to love.” Deliciously fresh and ample breakfast and lunch dishes drew enough fans that owner Matthew Firosz opened The Green Room bar in the adjacent storefront, open at night for menu items like the Dinner Burger plus a bourbon selection with more than 50 labels, among other enticements. tchotchkecafe.com—David Warner
Best Artisan Bread Made From White or Semolina (But Not Sourdough) Flour La Casa Del Pane
Translated from Italian, the name of this bakery/cafe on St. Pete Beach means House of Bread. That’s appropriate, because the loaves on offer along the back wall are crusty, chewy and flavorful. No sourdough, though. A sign on the shelf says so. Whether the casa’s bread is made from white or semolina flour depends on the day. Picking out a couple of loaves from a generous array, toting them home, unwrapping them, warming them, tearing off pieces or slicing them, buttering them and eating them—well, that’s the kind of bread experience you can’t get from a supermarket. @lacasadel pane__ on Instagram—Eric Snider
As for what she is listening to now? “Olivia Dean’s ‘Echo’ and ‘As If’ by Blaque,” Konofaos said, noting the 30th anniversary of “Clueless.” @alevri.co on Instagram—Annalise Mabe
Best Cooking Competition for a Cause Feeding Tampa Bay’s Epic Chef
Nonprofit Feeding Tampa Bay hosted the 10th rendition of its cooking competition Epic Chef this past summer, awarding its largest grand prize yet. Chef Marvilou Mapa took home a whopping $10,000 as the winner of 2025’s event, in a historic finale that pitted two female chefs against each other. And while the annual party was filled with fine dining cuisine, cameras and clinking glasses of wine, Feeding Tampa Bay president and CEO Thomas Mantz never missed an opportunity to tell the crowd the true ethos of the nonprofit and its annual cooking competition. Throughout the event, he continuously stressed the importance of everyone in Tampa Bay having the right to healthy food, nutrition and sustenance, regardless of class or socio-economic background. feedingtampabay.org—Kyla Fields
Best Confectioner Channeling Muses Alévri & Co.
Dawn Konofaos of Alévri & Co. doesn’t just make cake. She makes edible art, following her muses, letting songs, poetry, and art guide her creative process in the kitchen. Some of her most recent inspired flavors include Crazy Pink, a fluffy strawberry rose yogurt cake filled with lychee custard, iced with hibiscus Italian meringue buttercream inspired by Janelle Monáe’s song “Pink”. Another piece she recently sculpted she calls The Serpent, inspired by the works of ceramic artist Lalese Stamps and the song “Cobra” by Megan Thee Stallion. “Creating cake flavors from songs and memories has been a way of getting back to myself that I didn’t know I needed,” Konofaos said.
Best Coffee Meets Creativity & Culture Daycation Coffee
There’s no shortage of specialty coffee in The ‘Burg, but what Daycation Coffee owner Rachel Zhang has brought to the table has been an absolute palate cleanser to the local coffee scene. Originally from Chongqing, China, Zhang has owned and operated the intimate cafe for almost a year now, boasting a menu of both seasonal and signature drinks. A wonderful array of housemade syrups in unique flavors like jasmine and osmanthus give Daycation’s matcha and espresso-based lattes a unique and personal edge found nowhere else in St. Pete. And yes, you can get a straight-up cortado or cappuccino at Daycation, or you can indulge in an “Ode to my 90s”—a double espresso drink with a black sesame cream top and dehydrated dates—or a “Yuzu Craze” with cold brew, yuzu juice, rock candy syrup and candied citrus peel. And as many an Asian and Asian-American has uttered, we love Daycation Coffee because it’s “not too sweet.” @daycationcoffee—Kyla Fields
Best Crispy Asian Duck Pin Wok & Bowl
Located in a small storefront on the 400 block of Central Avenue, this Asian-fusion restaurant has a
basic interior, largely free of kitschy signifiers, not a single Lucky Waving Cat in sight. Pin Wok & Bowl is not a hotspot for the younger set, so it’s usually calm. The menu has plenty of top-notch dishes to choose from, but the crispy Asian duck is a standout. The sliced bird has rugged skin that gives way to sumptuous meat, perfectly cooked. The accompanying vegetables maintain just the right measure of crispness. Nothing limp. The dish comes with a choice of chili, Panang curry or Thai basil sauces (the latter is outstanding). pinwokandbowl.com—Eric Snider
Best Drunk Food At 1 P.M. In The Afternoon Mema’s Alaskan Tacos
It felt as though all of Tampa erupted with jubilation at news of the reopening of Mema’s, an Ybor City late night staple that closed 13 years ago and, prior to that, probably single-handedly saved hundreds of visitors to Seventh Avenue from acute alcohol poisoning. What is an Alaskan taco, you ask? Our friend Ray Roa of Creative Loafing described them best: “Mema’s Alaskan Tacos are prepared in accordance with a recipe from [owner Sean] Godin’s grandma who cooked the fillings in the shell, resulting in a crispy taco topped with shreds of cold iceberg lettuce and sharp cheddar cheese all served in a sorelymissed translucent wax paper wrapping.” In other words: The perfect drunk food. Lucky for you, you don’t have to be drunk to enjoy Mema’s! Its unique take on tacos makes for a delicious and affordable lunch stop on the hot walk down. (Also, Justin always mistakenly calls this place is called “Mema’s Election Tacos.”) memasalaskantacos.com—Kelly Buttermore & Justin Peters
Best Empty Dive Bar Where It’s Christmas Every Day Joy Bar
“A Christmas-themed bar in a city that hasn’t seen a snowflake since 1977? Let’s give it a try,” we said this spring as we headed over to Joy Bar. Modeled after Lala’s Little Nugget in Austin, Texas—the original year-round Christmas bar—Joy Bar gets the Lala’s experience all wrong in an endearing sort of way. Incredibly bright, oddly silent, shabbily decorated, and attached to an ancient liquor store, Joy Bar accurately captures the ways in which Tampa’s divorced, homeless dads might choose to spend their holidays. On the other hand, two Miller High Lifes there only cost us $6, which counts as a minor Christmas miracle. @joydivebar on Instagram—Kelly Buttermore & Justin Peters
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CREATIVE LOAFING • BEST OF THE BAY 2025 CRITICS PICKS: FOOD & DRINK ENCORE
Best Fantastic Voyage
Mise en Place
Maryann Ferenc and Chef Marty Blitz do not fuck around. Their pioneering, nearly 40-year, journey in the Bay area food scene has earned Mise en Place a loyal following that sets the dining room abuzz nightly, and it’ll be no surprise to see regulars follow the duo to its new home in Ybor City’s Casa Gomez building where Mise starts a new chapter in a fresh corner of the world. “It is a really unique perspective on Tampa, because you are looking at history,” Ferenc recently told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay about her new view of Jose Martí Park, the waterfront, and downtown Tampa. “You can’t help but imagine what Ybor was like when it was so bustling, and it was, it was the center of commerce and life for Tampa.You kind of feel the energy there.” No doubt that Mise en Place will bring another layer of vivacity as it enters the next phase of its fantastic voyage. miseonline.com—Ray Roa
Best Family-Owned Italian Market in Pinellas
Park
DeCosmo Italian Market
Start with a well-stocked, full-service Italian-American deli, market, and cafe located in Pinellas Park’s rich culinary scene. Add some key ex-pats from one of the area’s most beloved Italian markets and a hidden gem kind of feeling. In 2022, brothers Vincent, Paul, and Steven DeCosmo opened DeCosmo Italian Market in Pinellas Park. The family-owned business is a welcomed addition, and one that is still so wonderfully word-of-mouth that you feel you’ve stumbled on a secret. A micro-bakery, winery, and sit-down cafe that exudes more Italy than Pinellas Park. Which is what makes it so special, and DeCosmo’s is a truly welcomed addition to the scene. decosmoitalianmarket.com—Arielle Stevenson
Best Farewell
Black Radish Bodega
After five years in V.M.Ybor, vegan bodega Black Radish closed its doors late last month. And while many of its local customers and neighbors are quite sad about it, co-owner Tina Sanchez isn’t. The business and its building are for sale (as a joint package), and her and fellow owners Bryon Lippincott and Mikey Schmidt are “hopeful that somebody wants to continue the project.” Since opening in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic, Black Radish has proven to be a staple in Tampa’s plantbased community by dishing out tasty food, collecting donations for Food Not Bombs, fundraising for its community and being outspoken against social injustices on social media. Black Radish may be known for its killer vegan Cuban sandwich and vegan biscuits, but it also created a lasting reputation for simply caring for all animals, the greater Tampa Bay community and marginalized folks around the globe. @blackradishbodega on Instagram–Kyla Fields
Best Fill-Up
Coffee Uniting People
The best coffee shops feel like little communities. Others take it a step further and remind you of the humanity that makes your neck of the woods worth living in. With four locations across the Bay area, Coffee Uniting People (aka CUP) is a nonprofit concept built around access and opportunity—featuring a staff of people with and without disabilities working together. At the downtown location inside the Embarc Collective, employees customize every paper cup before the shop even opens. In a world that seeks to divide us every time we open a social media app, CUP shops are special places that not only reminds us of our shared struggle, but invite us to celebrate the little things that make life worth living. coffeeunitingpeople.org
—Ray Roa
Best Fine As Hell
Mighty Fine at Late Start Brewing
The best coffee shops feel like little communities. Others take it a step further and remind continued
BEST FARM ALONG THE INTERSTATE GREENS N THINGS URBAN FARM
Just beyond Interstate 275 and 22nd Avenue N in St. Petersburg, not far from the hum of nonstop traffic, sits Greens N Things Urban Farm. It’s just one of several farms that local farmer Eric Law developed on unused plots of land.
A little over five years ago, Law saw an opportunity to turn his front lawn into a farm. He’d had success with raised beds gardening and had done some volunteer work at local farms. His idea worked, so kept looking for pieces of land he could grow on, even if a few miles apart. Today, he’s got roughly 9,000 square feet of farms spaced out across the city. That number is likely to grow. It’s an innovative approach for a county that seems to value green spaces less and less these days. Law’s farm is a thing of beauty in a time thick with “agritourism.”
For him, it’s really about getting good food to his community. He’s about empowering folks too, and offers advice along with affordable seedlings for herb and vegetable gardens. Plus, one of the best selections of local fruit trees around. All of it paired with a knowledge of this place that is a rare entity. He’s building sustainable food systems in a city that values paved land over planted.
Think mustard greens grown under a massive live oak on a plot of land hugging the railroad tracks. Bananas and fruit trees produce dozens of mangos, guavas, fruits you’ve never tried. Avocados you can eat whole. After the sticker shock of the grocery store, Law’s farm is like an eden. He grows pro duce in the dirt, cultivating the land against all the odds, feeding families through sales of CSA memberships and folks coming to the farm or markets to purchase produce directly.
Greens N Things Urban Farm
This is truly as local as it gets. Come to the farm, hand farmer Eric some money (or sign up for the CSA), walk away with produce that was in the ground probably just that morning. Then, go brag to your friends that you know your farmer by first name and bring them along next time. In terms of consistent bang-for-your-buck, the CSA is hard to beat. Full and half shares are typically purchased at the end of farm season, for the upcoming year. An investment in the farmer that comes with a return of produce. And because of how local this produce is, the food lasts longer (if you can stop yourself from eating it all). And it comes with a shift in a way of living when it comes to food planning, storage, and what to do with waste. Also, at this point it’s cheaper than any grocery store.
Farming is brutal work at any level. But watching Law and his farm come back season after season, through hurricanes, frost, drought, pandemics and extreme heat is something to behold. He and the land are scrappy, resilient, and indomitable. The fact that it’s all to keep a community fed and fed well makes it mean so much more. Plus, at a time where larger food systems are collapsing for so many reasons, Law is actually doing something about it. And you can be a part of it too. greensnthingsurbanfarm.com
you of the humanity that makes your neck of the woods worth living in. With four locations across the Bay area, Coffee Uniting People (aka CUP) is a nonprofit concept built around access and opportunity—featuring a staff of people with and without disabilities working together. At the downtown location inside the Embarc Collective, employees customize every paper cup before the shop even opens. In a world that seeks to divide us every time we open a social media app, CUP shops are special places that not only reminds us of our shared struggle, but invite us to celebrate the little things that make life worth living. mightyfine.org—Ray Roa
Best Food Critic on Instagram Call Anthony
With over 40,000 followers on Instagram, Tampa native Anthony Gilbert is a self-proclaimed food critic known for delivering honest culinary opinions while still entertaining his vast audience. Man, without Gilbert, man, Tampeños would never know if the banana pudding at their local gas station was actually “fresh”, if the newest viral food was worth the
hype or which corner store boasts the best boiled peanuts. Gilbert usually highlights small-scale, Black and brown-owned businesses in East Tampa that often fly under the radar of professional food journalists in town. While some of his new content consists of reviews that are contracted from local restaurants (and marked as such) or not about food at all, he’s still pointing his followers in the direction of small businesses, restaurants and gas stations throughout Tampa—and that’s a lasting part of the CallAnthony legacy. @CallAnthony_ on Instagram—Kyla Fields
Best Food-Truck Ceviche Served By the World’s Nicest People Chilpayas
As two people who are prone to digestive trauma, it took us a while to work up the nerve to try the fishcentric menu at Chilpayas, a tiny South Tampa food truck specializing in Veracruz-style seafood. (Let’s just say there’s a lot that can go wrong with fish prepared in a sweltering truck in the hot Tampa summer.) But, boy, are we glad that we gave this place a shot. Over the past year, we’ve become regulars here, sweating it out at a picnic table on scorching
—Arielle Stevenson
hot weekday afternoons while avoiding our day jobs and enjoying some of the best and most unique seafood Tampa has to offer. If two people bonded by IBS can brave the ceviche here, you can, too—and, frankly, you should. Get an order of the shrimp tacos while you’re at it; any style will do, but we like them al mojo. Wash it all down with a Mexican Coke and you’ll be set until the afterparty. chilpayas.com
Kelly Buttermore & Justin Peters
Best Fusion Cuban Sandwich Cuban Street Tacos at Shaker and Peel
Pineapple Hospitality Group is notorious for rolling out monthly specials at all of its restaurants. Oldsmar’s Shaker and Peel, which opened six years ago this month, keeps its own blackboard specials fusion burrito and taco-related, and cooked more than ever during the holidays with a Cuban sandwich taco. While they’ve been in the Pineapple vault since its month-long run, a plate cost $12 and came with three tacos encasing roasted pork, soppressata ham,
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CREATIVE LOAFING • BEST OF THE BAY 2025 CRITICS PICKS: FOOD & DRINK ENCORE
Swiss cheese fondue, dill pickles, and Cuban mustard aioli, on a pressed flour tortilla. Yep, quesadilla style. We’d tell Ybor City to eat its heart out, but while the specials do rotate every few years or so, it’ll probably be a hot minute before we see the Cuban taco again. shakerandpeel.com—Josh Bradley
Best Goth Chicharrones
Squid Ink Crisps Served with Hamachi Collar, Il Ritorno
Earning a coveted Michelin recommendation earlier this year, Il Ritorno remains one of the area’s most impeccable restaurants. Hamachi collar isn’t always on the menu, but when it is, order it. The rich fatty collar, located just behind the yellowtail’s head and gills, was once considered an “off-cut,” in western kitchens and often used for stock. Il Ritorno’s award-winning Chef David Benstock knows better. The insanely tender hamachi collar was served with squink ink crisps, a kind of pork rind…a little gothy chicharrone-like chip. There was some ethereal crème fraiche adornment on the side. To enjoy: layer squid ink crisp with a scoop of effortless hamachi, top with créme fraiche, devour, repeat. All in all, one of the most satisfying and messy fine dining experiences of my life thus far. This isn’t the first time Benstock and his crew have gotten creative with squid ink, including if I recall correctly, a squid ink hot dog bun at one point and another that’s become a signature dish, squid ink pasta. Cheers to Chef Benstock and his kitchen who not only continue delivering beautiful and well-made plates year after year, but also push what’s possible in a town that’s not always the most open-minded about what’s on its plate. We are all the better for it. ilritornodowntown.com
—Arielle
Stevenson
Best Hidden-Away French Cafe
Alsace Bistro
It’s not easy to find, partly because the last place you expect to find a cozy escape to France is at the far end of a strip mall in Tierra Verde. Oh, but what an escape it is, not least because its co-owner/chefs, David Weiss and Jean-Sebastien Kappler are French themselves and well-versed in the Franco-German cuisine of the Alsace region.Think duck à l’orange, boeuf bourguignon, crocks of piping hot French onion soup, heaps of red cabbage and crepes of all kinds — all hearty servings, and none at prices that’ll break the bank. And the atmosphere, especially on a rainy night, is so intimate and homey, with red-and-white-checked tablecloths on tables close but not too close to each other, that you might be able to imagine you actually have landed in France (minus the airfare). alsacefrenchbistro.com—David Warner
Best Hiroshima Chop-Chop Style Okonomiyaki, Whatever That Is Chanko
Ha ha, don’t be silly, of course we know what Hiroshima chop-chop style okonomiyaki is. Sure do! We eat it all the time, and we can definitely tell you what’s in it! Let’s see, it’s got, uh, cabbage, for one thing. And noodles, of course. Um, there’s a crepe in there somewhere, too. And, uh, an egg? Two eggs? And fish… flakes? (long pause) OK, fine, we have no idea what Hiroshima chopchop style okonomiyaki actually is, we just know that it’s delicious, and that no restaurant in Tampa does it better than the effortlessly cool, reliably delicious Chanko. Actually, we’re pretty sure that no other place in Tampa does it, period, perhaps because they don’t really know what it is, either. Their loss! chanko-ichiban.com—Kelly Buttermore & Justin Peters
Best Jamaican Restaurant That Can Make a Geezer Feel Right at Home Island Flavors & Tings
A white, male Baby Boomer walked into a small restaurant in a rundown strip center on a worn-out stretch of 49th Street in Gulfport that’s owned by a Black woman, run by Black women and caters to a mostly Black clientele. He instantly felt welcome.
The colorful interior oozed positive vibes. The servers on the cafeteria line were friendly and helpful; a couple of Black women customers introduced themselves and started a conversation. The food—brown stew chicken and a quarter jerk chicken, with rice and peas—was fantastic. After the meal, the white male Baby Boomer got into a lively conversation with a Black male customer named Don. It’s experiences like this that give one hope in divisive times. Island Flavors & Tings does mostly takeout, but if you can, hang around and eat in, regardless of your pigmentation.islandflavorsandtings.com—Eric Snider
Best Late Night All-You-Can-Eat Sushi Nine Spices Hot Pot, Clearwater
The hot pot and Korean barbecue at both locations of this Pinellas establishment are tasty as hell (as well as the conveyor belt with vegetables, crab, and little cakes), but last year, Nine Spices introduced an all-you-can-eat sushi menu. That experience is $28.99 (or a $5 add-on if you’re more in a hot pot or barbecue mood) and whether you want to start with the in-house “Nine Spices” roll—with mixed seafood, cream cheese, asparagus, roe, scallions, eel sauce, and spicy mayo—or finish triumphantly with the best volcano roll in Tampa Bay, you won’t even be waiting that long for plates to come out. The res -
Best Local Food Event, Large-Scale Division
Tampa Bay Food Fight
This year’s edition, held in mid-February at what was then-called Amalie Arena, featured sample dishes from 40 local restaurants; 15 craft cocktails, plus beer and wine; a chef team battle betweenTampa and St. Pete that was judged by celebrity chefs; a guest appearance by WWE legend Titus O’Neil; a cooking skills competition; live and silent auctions; as well as other festivities. For the price of (not-exactly-cheap) admission, you could meander from one table to the next, eat and drink all you wanted.The restaurants—many different types, not just fine-dining—put a lot of effort into giving their tasty offerings some visual flair. Proceeds from Tampa Bay Food Fight benefit Metropolitan Ministries Job Training Programs. Next year marks the ninth annualTBFF, don’t miss it. tampabayfoodfight.org—Eric Snider
Best Long Time Coming Lara
Take a bite of the toast with chicken liver pate and guava gelee and you’ll know that Chef Suzanne Lara is boldly going places others will not. Her restaurant, bar and apothecary opened
taurant is also open until 1 a.m. every night, so you don’t have to worry about rush hour traffic causing you to arrive at your afterwork dinner at closing time. ninespicesclearwater.com—Josh Bradley
Best Life-Giving Sustenance On The Sweaty Walk From HCC To The Commodore Retro House Coffee Bar & Asian Bistro
Summer sucks. It’s hot and humid and for 15 minutes each day the skies open up with apocalyptic rainstorms. If you ever have to take the long walk from central Ybor to The Commodore, and wonder whether or not you’ll melt before you get there, don’t risk melting. Take a break and stop for a visit Retro House. The entrees are meticulously prepared, the wings are phenomenal, the coffee is fresh-roasted, and the mango calamansi tart is good enough to inspire a namesake beer from our friends at Common Dialect in Seminole Heights. retrohousetampa.com—Kelly Buttermore & Justin Peters
you to expand your understanding of grocery. Sure, it’ll always have staples: potatoes, onions, cheap frozen pitas, and the best feta-by-weight in St. Petersburg. But when man makes a list, City Produce laughs. Ditch the regimented shopping experience and let your culinary senses guide you. Find a type of squash you’ve never used. Buy prawns from a giant styrofoam bucket. Get a dusty can of stuffed peppers. Abandon all forethought and make that impulse buy your main course. City Produce Fruit Market on Facebook—Valerie Smith
Best Meanest Hostess In All The Land Walt’z Fish Shak
The reviews of Walt’z Fish Shak—a ramshackle Key West-style joint right on John’s Pass in Madeira Beach—all broadly agree on two main points. First, the fresh-caught fish there, cooked by Walt himself, is reliably excellent. Second, the hostess there— Walt’s wife, Sue—may well be history’s greatest monster. “She is the rudest person I have ever encountered,” one recent reviewer concluded. “She rolled her eyes at me when I asked if they were open and then accused me of backing into her tree in the parking lot (I did not hit a tree),” said another. And yet, weirdly enough, when we went there last year, Sue could not have been nicer to us. The fish was great, but we sort of felt cheated out of the full Walt’z experience. Pro tip: If you go, start your visit by asking if you can use the restroom without purchasing anything. That’ll get Sue’s dander up for sure. waltzfishshak.com
—Kelly Buttermore & Justin Peters
Best Need-Not-A-Want Garlic Knots
Nona Slice House
That feeling of fatness you get when you’re the only one who eats the garlic knots your friends agree to share with you doesn’t exist at the Safety Harborbased Detroit-style pizza joint. Nona’s well-risen, house-tied knots are tossed in olive oil and garlic, baked off, and topped with romano cheese and fresh basil. They’re filling as hell, too, which is why a half portion, which runs you $4.50 (so a little more than a dollar per knot) will probably hold you over while you await the arrival of your thick, square pie. Even an individual on a strict keto diet won’t be able to resist the doughy goodness of a Nona knot dipped in marinara sauce. thenonaslicehouse.com—Josh Bradley
Best New Rooftop Bar
Sparrow
last February, after her 20-year journey through the Tampa food scene where she washed dishes at the long-shuttered Viva La Frida, helped open the recently-shuttered Ella’s Americana Folk Art Cafe, and also changed the dining scene in “NoHo” with Cass Street Deli. Chef Lara—whose last stops before her new Ybor City restaurant were Rooster & the Till and Corner Club Cafe—brings all that experience and memory (the drug eggs are an homage to a snack a fellow cook used to bring for post-shift cleaning) to her new spot, which has added yet another layer to the already intriguing 1900 block of 7th Avenue. “We’ll see what Ybor will let me get away with, but hopefully I can have some fun and maybe inspire some other chefs to have some fun too,” Lara told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay in the runup to the opening. Welcome home, chef. tampalara.com—Ray Roa
Best Market Where You Can Abandon Your Grocery List City Produce
You ask a lot of your grocery store. If Publix doesn’t have your brand of peanut butter in stock, they risk losing your business to Walmart. City Produce asks
Perched atop the new Moxy Hotel above St. Pete’s glittering skyline, the Sparrow Rooftop offers more than a view—it’s a liftoff. Here, golden-hour light spills across plush turquoise couches, a marble-topped bar, brass accents, and terrazzo floors, reflecting a clean, retro vibe. Meanwhile cocktails arrive like tiny revelations, equal parts art and alchemy. There’s a cinematic quality to sipping a smoky mezcal Negroni as St. Pete’s growing skyline blushes pink. The Sparrow isn’t about flash; it’s about atmosphere: urbane yet unpretentious, where locals and dreamers alike hover in the communal glow. It’s a new rooftop respite that turns any evening into a quietly transcendent flight. sparrowrooftop.com—Jon Palmer Claridge
Best Pastrami Sandwich for People Watching
5 Bucks Drinkery
Get a front-row ticket to witness the energetic and diverse urban life of downtown St. Petersburg. This sandwich ($13.99, with fries) pairs great with a beer. Order from the kind staff working the downtown Five Bucks Drinkery location, and revel in what’s packed between two rye bread slices: thinly sliced pastrami, Swiss cheese, and Dijon mustard (ask for hot sauce, to add spice). On multiple visits to the location, I’ve enjoyed the consistency of the sandwich, continued on page 37
Black Radish Bodega
DAVE DECKER
CREATIVE LOAFING • BEST OF THE BAY 2025 CRITICS PICKS: FOOD & DRINK ENCORE
always coupled with people watching during a weekend. From locals to visitors, there are folks dressing fashionably, raconteurs ready to relax, buds with matching outfits, workers in uniforms, the spot has it all. And many bachelor and bachelorette parties, too. fivebucksdrinkery.com—S.G. de León y León
Best Pastries with a View
Cafe Clementine
With a rotating, seasonal menu of picture-perfect baked goods—and a solid beverage and lunch program to match—this St. Pete bakery delivers a near-perfect cafe experience each and every time. Its pastry, beverage, and lunch menus change with the seasons, with a summer rendition featuring items like a corn custard cruffins, watermelon and heirloom tomato gazpacho, a grilled peach and burrata salad, espresso-glazed croissants, guava and cheese crumb cake, loaded bread puddings, and much, much more. Cafe Clementine is definitely one of the more popular coffee shops and bakeries in The ‘Burg, and sometimes, the hype is well-deserved. cafeclementinestpete.square.site –Kyla Fields
Best Pillowy Pancakes Ohana Cafe
The cozy, Hawaiian mom-and-pop, which recently moved business from Dunedin to a much more compact location in Palm Harbor, serves breakfast and lunch Tuesday-Sunday, and takes pride in having a menu diverse enough for you to bring your vegetarian and gluten-free friends. If the vegan-slash-GF “Lucy” pancakes aren’t your bag, the standard pancakes you can order are among the fluffiest in the area, and you can even smother them in housemade macadamia nut sauce while also chowing down on your choice of turkey or pork bacon, and an organic egg. That’s not to say you can’t also order a burger at 8:30 a.m., though. theohanacafe.com—Josh Bradley
Best Place For Tits, Republicans, and Legitimately Excellent Fried Shrimp
The Original Hooters
Life, as they say, can take you to some pretty unexpected places. In late 2024, life, and an overdeveloped sense of irony, took us to the original Hooters in Clearwater. There are many Hooters’ (Hooterses?) in this great land of ours, and most of them are terrible in more ways than one. But we were shocked to discover that the original Hooters on Gulf to Bay Boulevard—one of the few locations worldwide that’s still managed by the chain’s founders—was actually pretty good! Sure, the servers’ uniforms were exploitative, and sure, literally every other customer in the place was giving off MAGA vibes. But if you can overlook those factors—a big if—it turns out that the original Hooters makes some damn good fried shrimp that are well worth the trip over the causeway. Pro tip: Get two orders; unlike other, um, elements here, the shrimp are on the smaller side. originalhooters.com—Kelly Buttermore & Justin Peters
Best Place To Eat Even If You Can’t Afford To Shop There Bazille At
Nordstrom
Whether or not the price tags at Nordstrom give you agita, you risk no indigestion joining the ladies who lunch at Bazille. And not just ladies: families, co-workers, and diners of all sorts know that Bazille is a find. You really can’t miss with anything on the menu: the pastas, the burgers, and above all the Wild Salmon Niçoise Salad—a big slab of herb-roasted salmon over greens, beans, eggs, tomatoes and more—can’t be beat. Generous servings at reasonable prices make this a good choice for a big lunch (have a snack for dinner!), but do not miss the strawberry shortcake. Served on a giant, housemade shortbread biscuit under clouds of whipped cream, it’s splurge-worthy (though questionable if you plan to try on trousers afterwards). shopinternationalplaza.com—David Warner
Best Place To Get High-Octane Porters And Excellent Sandwiches In A Genderfluid Environment
Deviant Libation
/
This Little Pig Food Truck
Picture your typical brewpub. Are you picturing a cavernous warehouse setting with giant Jenga, little kids running around everywhere, and, like, 15 very mid beers on tap? Lucky for you, Deviant Libation isn’t most breweries. Founder Tim Ogden, formerly of Cigar City and Tampa Bay Brewing Co., crafts impeccable beers while convening a cozy, welcoming, and chill environment that has become a mecca for the region’s hardcore scene and a curated haven for misfits of all sorts. It’s also a distillery—try the Princess Peach cocktail, made with house whiskey and secret ingredients. Tim’s partner in crime, chef John Thompson, bangs out killer burgers, sandwiches, and vegetarian dishes from his food truck that permanently resides in Deviant’s courtyard. deviantlibation.com / followtheflyingpig.com—Kelly Buttermore & Justin Peters
Best Place to Store Undergarments for Safe Keeping During a Hurricane Mahuffer’s
Indian Shores storied dive reopened in July, months of closure due to extensive damage from last year’s hurricanes.One burning question from fans was how the
elevated without pretense. Think oysters that taste like a sea breeze followed by a biscuit so tender it practically sighs. The room hums with the pleasure of people remembering how to linger, laugh, and taste again. At The Helm, brunch isn’t recovery—it’s resurrection, with a mimosa that practically demands a second round. helmtampabay.com—Jon Palmer Claridge
Best Pretzel Rolls Reign Supreme Sandwich
Montreal Corned Beef Sandwich at Dunedin Smokehouse
If your inner West coast (or in this case, your inner Canadian) is showing and you’re not in the mood for barbecue, downtown Dunedin’s 14-year-old smokehouse, encased where the old Angry Pirate Galley and Rum Shack once sat, will meet your needs. On their sandwich menu in between pulled pork, burgers and beyond is this sammy with corned beef, apple slaw, and stone ground mustard, which would absolutely thrive in a Jewish deli. It’s $17.50, but if you order with a side of their housemade fries or the major upcharge that is brisket poutine? Forget it. thedunedinsmokehouse.com—Josh Bradley
Best Quaint French Restaurant in a House
146 By Parts of Paris
Formerly known as just Parts of Paris, this cozy eatery occupies a restored 1930s bungalow. Better still,
naughty nautical decor fared, and the answer is, surprisingly well. The interior looks relatively unscathed, though some furniture has been replaced and the years of, shall we say “charm,” got a bit of a cleaning. The bras and signed dollar bills remain, as does the kama sutra themed astrology decor just off the inside bar. Mahuffer’s hosted live music on the Fourth of July, with Peter Hill, AKA Dick Mountain, reprising his role as the house act. Hill notoriously stayed at the bar during hurricane Helene and live posted on his Facebook throughout to keep worried fans near and far updated on the state of the bar and, of course, the cat. @Mahuffers on Facebook—Jourdan Ducat
Best Post-COVID Beach Brunch
The Helm: Provisions & Coastal Fare
In the hushed aftermath of COVID’s long pause, The Helm: Provisions & Coastal Fare arrived like a clarion call to brunch. Sunlight streams across plates of justcaught fish reimagined with citrus and herbs, alongside brioche that feels positively Parisian. There’s a breezy confidence here, a reminder that Gulf dining can be
it’s situated on a neighborhood street made of brick just north of Safety Harbor’s Main Street. The low wooden ceiling is a constant reminder that you’re in a house. If you get there early—say five-ish—you can enjoy a quiet, intimate French meal with (recorded) jazz playing in the background at low volume. After 6:30 p.m., the place tends to get a little more lively. The menu is decidedly French, with offerings like brûlée de crabe, fricassee de poulet, and escargot. Don’t skip the onion soup gratinee. 146 boasts an extensive craft cocktail menu and several good wines by the bottle and the glass. A few interesting beers, too. partsofparis.com—Eric Snider
Best Reason to Listen to Local Influencers
Offset Sandwich Exchange
Sure, there’s an excess of local “foodie influencers” that love to tell the internet about the best “hidden gems” or other culinary superlatives in town. But one thing that the St. Pete girlies got right is the virality of Offset Sandwich Exchange’s chicken caesar salad
wrap—because it’s actually that damn good. Husband and wife duo Amy DePalma-Harrell and John Harrell run the small food trailer permanently parked outside of Green Bench Brewing, known for its rotating menu of smashburgers, cheese curds, loaded hot dogs and sandwiches. But one item in particular—its chicken caesar salad wrap with housemade dressing, freshlygrated parmesan and lemon zest—has got the local influencers in a tizzy, causing the food truck to consistently sell out each day of service. Over the summer, the duo actually had to change the way it runs the food truck, selling the popular wrap during the first few hours of service and transitioning to the rest of the menu for the remainder of the day. offsetsandwichexchange.com—Kyla Fields
Best Reason To Skip The Beach Cheeky’s
A meal with Nate Siegel is an easy Top 10 Bay area dining experience. Soft-spoken but intensely passionate, the 40-year-old Plant High School alum has been involved with hospitality for nearly half his life—and has a lot of ideas about the industry. After cutting his teeth in New York after college, then making his way through local staples like Mise en Place, Siegel co-founded the popular Willa’s and Willa’s Provisions concepts in “NoHo.” Now he’s struck out on his own for Cheeky’s, a brazen take on the beach bar and restaurant that skips the sand altogether. Three miles from the St. Pete Pier, five miles from Gulfport’s Williams Pier, and six miles from that Publix on Treasure Island—the fish and raw bar is in the concrete jungle, but you wouldn’t know it from the menu or ambience. Modeled after restaurants he remembers from summers in Montauk, New York, the interior has the ‘84 Houston Oilers colorway all lit up by open windows that let the summer breeze through (Cheeky’s didn’t have air-conditioning until two months ago, and will cut the A/C when the temps dip again). Siegel and his team have also curated a menu made for the crew that loves settle in to get drunk on oysters (good, better, best options rotate, and come from Florida and the Eastern seaboard), maybe drunk in general (prepare your brain for the frozen offerings), or a combination of both (oyster shooters come with a choice of beer, tequila, or vodka). Its fried oyster burger is already a Best of the Bay winner, but the whole spread of apps (guava jelly with hush puppies, yes please), handhelds, crudo, and even fun hot sauces, beg for repeat visits so you can soak up every detail. The best part? You won’t have to vacuum your car when you get home. cheekys.net—Ray Roa
Best Red Snapper to Go Thoroughly Mad For Madfish
A generous filet sits atop a bed of risotto and broccolini, bathing in a pool of French beurre blanc sauce. Thoroughly enticing. The pan-roasted red snapper has a delicate crust that gives way to moist flesh. Thoroughly delicious. The accompaniments, especially the risotto, are thoroughly terrific. The velvety sauce, with a hint of lemon, pushes this elegant dish into next-level status. Madfish, on St. Pete Beach, a former diner, is a small, narrow space with nautical design elements. Thoroughly comfy. madfishonline. com—Eric Snider
Best See Yuh Later
King State’s last days
Late last fall, with a big, beautiful peltophorum tree hugging the Western end of its cafe and parking lot, the team at Tampa Heights’ King State did what it does best: Pour coffee and round up the neighborhood. Its homies came out in full force, too, with Una Mas (then-helmed by KS alum Paola Chamorro Ward and Curt Hensley) making burritos on the patio while locals worked on laptops and said goodbye to the five-year community staple. King State employees will spin off, and founders Nate Young and Tim McTaguey may very well try something new, but it’ll be hard to replicate the Kang.—Ray Roa
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Moxy Hotel
CREATIVE LOAFING • BEST OF THE BAY 2025 CRITICS PICKS: FOOD & DRINK ENCORE
reasonably priced), making the whole experience a night to remember. calidastpete.com—David Warner
Best Sigh of Relief
The Re-Opening of Paradise Grille
A go-to spot for drinks and cheeseburgers and the iconic sunset bell, the Paradise Grille is more than just a snack bar—it’s a Pass-a-Grille Beach institution. But like so many other establishments along the Gulf, it suffered severe damage from last year’s hurricanes, sand and water destroying all of the equipment—a close to million-dollar loss, Director of Operations Mike DeMaio told WTVT. So when the restaurant finally reopened in January after four months of renovations, its many fans breathed a collective sign of relief: If Paradise was back, it was a sign that the Gulf beaches were coming back, too. paradisegrille.com—David Warner
Best Sliders in a Nightclub
Tryst
This place on Beach Drive in St. Petersburg is known more as a nightclub than a restaurant, but don’t let that deter you from dropping in for some sliders. Go early, when the music is low, and you can chat and better enjoy the food. These mini-burgers, which aren’t all that mini, come in pulled pork, fried chicken and classic hamburger. Get the trio, one of all three, as a starter or a meal. Most adventurous is the fried chicken—crispy then tender and moist, doused with a maple Buffalo sauce and joined by coleslaw. dinetryst.com—Eric Snider
Best Small Wonder
Calida Kitchen & Wine
Plan way ahead to get a reservation at this gem. That’s not because it’s terribly exclusive—in fact, it’s one of the warmest and most welcoming spots you could wish for—but because it’s So. Tiny. Owners Dayna Bennett and Ian Florence took inspiration for the 25-seat Crescent Heights spot from intimate boîtes they remembered from Europe, and their culinary cues from both global travel and roots in California and Florida (hence the portmanteau name). Try to get the coveted table back by the kitchen window so you can watch Florence work his magic on everything from Chow Noodles to market-fresh fish, wielding a small blowtorch like a boss. The charming Bennett and her team of well-informed servers know their wines and can chat companionably about menu favorites (all
Best St. Pete Beach Surprise Buoy’s Waterfront Bar And Grill
Though hurricanes may have shut down St. Pete Beach institutions Woody’s and PJ’s, Buoy’s (formerly known as The Sloppy Pelican) is a great alternative on the waterfront. It’s on the same inlet that swamped Woody’s, but its dining room is one floor up, so you get the view sans the possibility of deluge. And the food is really good, unexpectedly so. One recent Sunday after a Beach Theatre matinee, we enjoyed a halibut special with fish caught that morning and seared perfectly, laid on a sweet potato puree and topped with a watermelon-andfennel garnish. This was patently not the same-old, same-old beach eats. Buoy’s scratch-made cuisine, friendly service and reasonable prices make it worthy of a visit on Sunday or any other day of the week. buoyswaterfrontbar.com—David Warner
Best Steak Flatbread
Bacchus Wine Bar
An inspired combination of ingredients that’s perfect for two. The unleavened bread—which makes it flatbread instead of pizza—is firm but not crispy. The sun-dried tomatoes and chimichurri add tangy bite. The mozzarella cheese is ideally proportioned, and the arugula kicks in a bit of crunch. But none of that matters if the steak is so-so. Not so at Bacchus, which serves hearty pieces of filet, cooked medium, richly flavorful with a texture like buttah. bacchusstpete.com—Eric Snider
Best Styrofoam Cup Filled With Far Too Much Soft Serve
Bo’s Ice Cream
From the outside, Bo’s looks like the sort of place you might beg your parents to stop at from the backseat on a family road trip—i.e., it’s a building literally shaped like an ice cream cone. But we’re not children, we don’t much care for soft serve, and we’d heard rumors that some of Bo’s most loyal patrons were rats—and so we stayed away for years. (A quick Google search confirms that the rat thing was from 2015. As proprietors of a theater that occasionally hosts more dead roaches than audience members, carry on, Bo’s.) In the end, though, we’ll try anything once, so we stopped at Bo’s one afternoon for
a kid’s size Blizzard/Flurry-equivalent. The children of Tampa must have insatiable appetites, because what was served to us was a volume of ice cream and candy that was nothing short of astonishing. We ate half of it before meekly declaring “I’m done.” Your ice cream mileage may vary. @bosicecream on Instagram—Kelly Buttermore & Justin Peters
Best Taco Bell In Tampa (And We’ve Tried At Least Three Of Them)
Taco Bell At Britton Plaza
First, we tried the Taco Bell on Hillsborough Avenue, where the food was always cold and they kept giving us big Sprites that we hadn’t ordered. Then, we tried the Taco Bell up in Carrollwood, where they put meat in Kelly’s bean-and-cheese burrito.Then, we contemplated no longer going to Taco Bell at all, but soon dismissed that option as a “total non-starter.” Then, we moved to South Tampa and discovered Taco Bell redemption in the chain restaurant’s Britton Plaza outpost. “It’s good tonight,” we often exclaim through bites of definitionally disgusting food as we eat in our car at 2 a.m. on a Tuesday. If you’re there past midnight on a weeknight, tell our friend at the drive-through that you know the pair that always declines sauce packets. She’ll tell you that “it’ll snow in Tampa before they want sauce!!” Then, she’ll say it every goddamn time you go there, until you stop going—if only temporarily, of course.
Kelly Buttermore & Justin Peters
Best Tiny Room Pizza Cristino’s Coal Oven Pizza
If you love the homely crampedness of Safety Harbor’s Gigglewaters but are in the mood for Italian food, this 18-year-old family restaurant is five minutes away from downtown Clearwater and the causeway. All of its thin-crust pies—including the utterly unmatched margarita pizza, with the freshest oregano a pizza has ever been topped with—are baked in a coal oven, and even the most extravagant pies on the menu won’t break the bank. And if you clear your plate like the big kid you are, some free gelato samples will come to the table before you check out. cristinoscoaloven.com—Josh Bradley
Best Twist On Surf ‘N Turf The Fried Oyster Burger At Cheeky’s
I am a freak for fried oysters, I love a good burger, and I also have fond memories of roadside seafood spots on Cape Cod. Never had I thought that all three could collide, in the Grand Central District no less, but that’s what Cheeky’s is serving up. The saline crunch of the oyster, the juicy meatiness of the smashburger, the breezy vibe— the fried oyster burger is a downright holy trinity. Cheeky’s is the brainchild of Nate Siegel, co-owner of the excellent Willa’s in Tampa, and his nod to New England makes me happy and nostalgic all at once. The drinks are stellar, too (try the Paloma). cheekys.net—David Warner
Best Use of the Word
‘Foodies’
St. Petersburg Foodies
This blog is a comprehensive guide of The Burg’s best bites, featuring everything from long-form restaurant reviews and “Best of” lists to interviews, news articles, recipes and happy hour roundups. And you’ll never, ever find a chain eatery or nationwide franchise on this hyperlocal blog. Co-founders Kevin Godbee and Lori Brown—both local entrepreneurs and businessfolk— started this project as a mere Facebook group about a decade ago, and quickly started publishing reviews and local recommendations on their own website. In a world of fast-moving Tik Tok videos and social media reviews, it’s always refreshing to read a longform, detailed restaurant review written by an actual resident of the city. And with over 30,000 local foodies in its Facebook group and a blog that’s constantly being updated with the city’s hottest new eats, St. Petersburg Foodies and company has its work cut out for it. Now, we’re just waiting for a Tampa counterpart to enter the chat. stpetersburgfoodies.com–Kyla Fields
(Still) The Best Vegan Food, Natural Wine, And Nicest Bar Bathrooms In Town La Sétima Club
La Sétima is mere steps away from our very successful comedy theater, The Commodore—no need to fact-check this—and, like The Commodore, it’s a real hidden gem. It has a great vegan kitchen that serves food late (try the boudin egg rolls), a funky naturalwine list, Coors Banquet in those little stubby bottles, and the most beautiful bar bathrooms this side of the Hillsborough River. Plus, we’ve spent the last two years coming here after Commodore shows every single weekend, so the bartenders definitely have the highest tolerance for bits—and improvisers— of pretty much anywhere in Tampa. lasetimaclub. com—Kelly Buttermore & Justin Peters
Best We’re So Pho-kien Back Pho Kien Giang
Best Two-For-One Halal Delivery Sometimes
Naz’s
Halal Food
“They give you two for one halal plates,” our friend Kyle told us with great excitement when Naz’s came up in conversation. “Literally, there’s no way not to get two-for-one halal from this place.” And yet, whenever we order from Naz’s, the deal is mysteriously gone. “I don’t know what you’re doing wrong, guys,” Kyle said when we complained to him. Neither do we! Mysterious disappearing two-for-one deals aside, Naz’s offers solid halal and they deliver late. If you find yourself craving chicken and rice late after shows one night, you could do much worse than to give Naz’s a try. And if you manage to land their elusive two-for-one deal, save a plate for us. nazshalal. com—Kelly Buttermore & Justin Peters
It’s no culinary secret that Pinellas Park is home to some of the best Vietnamese food in the Sunshine State, but one restaurant in particular is consistently packed out, even on weeknights. For the last decade or so, Pho Kien Giang has served its many customers out of an unassuming plaza on 49th Street N, but recently moved to a newer restaurant space a couple blocks away. It was closed for a few weeks while its new location got up and running, and on its first day back open, a line formed outside of its doors and remained there throughout the dinner rush. This no-frills, Vietnamese spot proves that you don’t need a social media presence or fancy food to retain a loyal customer base, just an amazing pho broth and friendly service. @ PhoKienGiangVietnameseRestaurant on Facebook–Kyla Fields
Best Wood-Fired Pizza Pop-Up Cipolla Rossa Pizzeria
Wood-fired pizza might be one of the greatest foods ever created. But making it in the hot hell that is Florida requires a certain kind of fortitude, and perhaps a slightly unhealthy obsession with making good ‘za. Cipolla Rossa Pizzeria owner Josh Anson has both. And he’s not just doing really good artisanal wood-fired pizza, he’s also doing it on wheels. That’s right, a mobile Italian wood-fired pizzeria. And it’s from-scratch sourdough pizza dough. Fermented like the good lord intended. Despite the sometimes brutal logistics of making wood-fired pizza in the tropics, Anson, a Culinary Institute of America grad and Pizzaiolo, has brought his serious pizza prowess to the highways and byways of Pinellas County. Nothing can quite mimic what wood-fired pizza tastes like, and Anson is some of the best around. cipollarossapizza.com—Arielle Stevenson
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La Sétima Club
CREATIVE LOAFING • BEST OF THE BAY 2025 READERS PICKS: FOOD & DRINK ENCORE
FOOD
Best All-Around Chef
Chef Chris Atrip / The Black Pearl
Finalists: ChefLynnessa Hughes / Haven, Chef Chad Johnson /Bern’s
Best All-Around Restaurant
The Black Pearl
Finalists: Red Mesa Restaurant, Council Oak—Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Best Asian Restaurant
Bamboozle
Finalists: Sunda New Asian, Yummy House
Best Bagels
Pete’s Bagels
Finalists: St. Pete Bagel Co., Dunedin Bagels
Best Bakery (Bread)
Mazzaro’s Italian Market
Finalists: Bacon Street Diner, The Sourdough Co.
Best Bakery (Pastries)
Mazzaro’s Italian Market
Finalists: Alessi Bakery, Moonlit Macarons
Best Bakery for Your Pet
Woof Gang Bakery / Clearwater, Dunedin,
South Tampa
Finalists: Bark Avenue Dunedin, Sweet Dog Bakery
Best Banh Mi
Bamboozle
Finalists: La V, Alesia
Best Barbecue Restaurant
The Dunedin Smokehouse
Finalists: The Brisket Shoppe, Q Southern BBQ
Best Bargain Restaurant
Lenny’s Restaurant
Finalists: Bacon Street Diner, Tchotchke’s
Best Beach Restaurant
Big Bamboo Bayside
Finalists: Tommy’s Hideaway Woodfired Pizza and Pub, Rumfish Grill at the TradeWinds Resort
Best Bowls
Pacific Counter
Finalists: Cali, Fresh Kitchen
Best Brandon Restaurant
Acropolis Greek Taverna
Finalists: Donovan’s, Stein & Vine
Best Breakfast
Bacon Street Diner
Finalists: Lenny’s Restaurant, Foody’s
Best Breakfast Sandwich
Bacon Street Diner
Finalists: Noble Crust, Blufin Waterfront Grill
Best Brisket
The Brisket Shoppe
Finalists: The Dunedin Smokehouse, Q Southern BBQ
Best British Pub
Cricketers British Pub
Finalists: Mad Dogs & Englishman, Jack’s London Grill
Finalists: Dominique at Reign Ladies and Gentlemens Club, Ashley DeansSonder
Best Beach Bar
Big Bamboo Bayside
Finalists: Frenchy’s Rockaway Grill, Bar Tiki CWB
Best Beer Selection
Big Bamboo Bayside
Finalists: The Rollin’ Mullet, Rosie’s Tavern New Port Richey
Best Bloody Mary
Tiki Tims Pub and Grill
Finalists: Bacon Street Diner, The Wet Spot at COCKtail
Finalists: Whiskey Exchange, The Living Room
Best Happy Hour
COCKtail St. Pete
Finalists: Sonder Social Club, The Living Room, Haven
Best Hotel Bar
COCKtail St. Pete at Mari Jean Hotel
Finalists: Blufin Waterfront Grill, L Bar at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel
Best Juice
Nature’s Food Patch Market and Cafe
Finalists: Xtreme Juice, Market at The Tampa Edition
Best Kava Bar
Mad Chiller World
Finalists: Bula Kavananda, UniTea Kava Lounge
Best Kombucha
Mother Kombucha
Finalists: Bonsai Beverage Co., Mad Chiller World
Best LGBTQ Bar
COCKtail St. Pete
Finalists: Blur Nightclub, Mr. D’z Men’s Emporium
Best Liquor Store
Luekens
Finalists: ABC Liquor, Bern’s Fine Wines & Spirits
Best Locally-Made Beer
Channelside Brewing
Finalists: 81Bay Brewing, Deviant Libation
Best Locally-Made Liquor
Cotherman Distilling Company
Finalists: St. Pete Distillery, Savaje Rum, Tarpon Springs Distillery
Best Margarita
Red Mesa Cantina
Finalists: Casa Tina, Tequila Daisy
Best Martini
Sonder Social Club
Finalists: The Ball St. Pete, Copper Shaker
Best Neighborhood Bar, Hillsborough
ThunderBay Bar & Grill
Finalists: Deviant Libation, The Rollin’ Mullet
Best Neighborhood Bar, Pasco
Rosie’s Tavern New Port Richey
Finalists: Steamworks, Molly Malones
Best Neighborhood Bar, Pinellas
Harvey’s 4th Street Grill
Finalists: CJ’s Backstage, Bauser’s Best Non-Alcoholic Cocktails
Gigglewaters
Finalists: The Ball St. Pete, The Honu Restaurant & Tiki Bar
Best Poolside Bar
The Wet Spot at COCKtail
Finalists: Big Bamboo Bayside, The Fenway
Best Rooftop Bar or Restaurant
The Canopy at The Birchwood
Finalists: Hi-Fi at The Fenway, The Social
Best Sangria
Red Mesa Cantina
Finalists: Casa Tina, Marina Cantina
Best Sommelier
Jayme Kosar—Society Wine Bar
Finalists: Adam Paul—The Black Pearl, Chris Ciarcia—Sauvignon Wine Locker
Best Sports Bar
Ferg’s Sports Bar & Grill
Finalists: Walk On’s Sports Bistreaux, ThunderBay Bar & Grill
Best Tequila Bar
Red Mesa Cantina
Finalists: Blufin Waterfront Grill, Thunder Bay Bar & Grill
Best Tiki Drinks
The Honu Restaurant & Tiki Bar
Finalists: Bar Tiki (Clearwater Beach), Pier Teaki
Best Whiskey Bar
Gigglewaters
Finalists: Whiskey Exchange, Haven Tampa
St. Pete Distillery
The waters outside the Gulfport Casino are said to be haunted.
Ghosted
The 24 most haunted places in Tampa Bay.
By Emily McLaughlin and CL Staff
The Tampa Bay area has a long history of weird, some say “paranormal” activities and conspiracies.
Brandi Stark is probably the most acquainted with them, at least on this side of the astral plane. She’s been leading ghost hunts and paranormal investigations in the area with Spirits of St. Petersburg since 1997.
We asked Stark for her take on the area’s spookiest places. Don’t get too creeped out, but you probably live near a haunted site. Sorry.
Mari Jean Hotel Before Mari Jean Hotel was bought and renovated in 2022, the almost 100-year-old building was a retirement home, a psych ward—where there were several stabbings and one instance of arson—and a hotel again, but gay.In a ghost hunt earlier this year, the Spirits of St. Petersburg team encountered four ghosts, ranging from a 38-year-old woman who fell, but didn’t die in the building, to a middle-aged veteran who had a cigarette hanging loosely from his mouth. —Alisha Durosier
Little Tina Before it was the Little Tina coffee shop (and Old Tampa Bay Book Company from 1995 to 2017), the building at 507 N Tampa
Street operated as a tailor shop in the 1980s. But one day, the owners abandoned it with all of the equipment still inside. When new tenants moved in following the departure, they soon discovered that the old ones never left. To save money, the bookstore’s owners kept the previous furniture, only to find out the chairs moved across the floor on their own. One night, as the alarm system went off, the owners found a pair of bloody scissors on the floor in a pool of blood. As the mystery remains unsolved, some who have walked past the shop claim to see a man in a top hat and a woman who seems to be in pain.
while others claim the creatures belonged to a voodoo priestess who once lived in Roser Park. Stark has investigated the urban legend several times as co-founder of the Roser Park ghost tours. Stark shows videos of her findings and explains the haunted examples she has seen to those who attend her ghost tours.
SCARY STUFF
Roser Park Stark said Roser Park is the most haunted neighborhood she has been to in St. Pete, thanks in part to its version of Beetlejuice. There have been rumors of “mini lights” haunting St. Pete’s Roser Park neighborhood for at least five decades. These tiny green light creatures are said to attack unsuspecting visitors anytime someone calls out, “mini lights, mini lights, come out tonight.” Some say that the tiny green people, also known as the mini lights, were part of a circus from centuries past,
Biglow-Helms Mansion Now a medspa, Silas Leland Biglow built the mansion at 4807 Bayshore Blvd. on the northwest corner of Bayshore and Gandy Boulevard in 1908 as his personal residence. But after his death in 1913, his widow sold the place to Dr. John Sullivan Helms, who renovated it into the private Bayside Hospital, and later back into a residence. Dr. Helm’s nephew, Jack Wilson, an artist, died in his studio in 1965 and is reported to roam the halls to this day. After that, it became a favorite spot for teens to break into, which sparked rumors of its hauntings. Some say Biglow’s spirit still lives there, while others claim the paranormal activity comes from the morgue that was located on the first floor. In 1988, the building received a Local Historic Designation from the city. Michael and Jennifer Pueleo purchased the property in the early 2000s, establishing their med spa called Faces of Tampa.
Mirror Lake While St. Pete’s Mirror Lake is picturesque, a few dozen people have died or
been killed in or near its waters since 1914. The nearby Carnegie Library is said to be haunted as well. Stark often retells one of the lake’s most well-known stories, about a lady in white. Dating back to 1935, a local nurse who was last seen drinking with two men was found murdered in Mirror Lake. Three men were eventually arrested for her death, including the two she was last seen with. According to Stark, the lady in white can be seen walking into or out of the lake, but vanishes whenever anyone tries speaking to her.
The Don CeSar and Suntan Art Center Built in 1928, the “Pink Palace” on St. Pete Beach is not only known for its extravagant grounds, but also for its haunted hotel rooms. And it’s haunted history extends two doors down into the Suntan Art Center. The hotel’s owner, Thomas Rowe, died in 1939. He was beloved by many within the local Florida community and after his death it left the neighboring Don Vista building without guests. Later, the start of World War II arose and the property was purchased by the Army to use as a hospital, submarine spotting station and Air Force Convalescent center. Now, some believe that Rowe never left the area after his death. The Running Man, aka Rowe, is rumored to haunt the Suntan Art Center, and some workers and visitors have said his presence is more than just a rumor. Always in a hurry, he speeds through the halls and walls of the Suntan Art
continued on page 50
VISIT ST. PETE/CLEARWATER
JACKPOT:
ART AFTER DARK AT THE MFA SPOOKY EDITION
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 30 | 5-8 PM
Enjoy trick-or-treating, hands-on activities, and eerie docent-led tours that uncover the darker side of the MFA’s collection, with fascinating stories behind select works of art. Wander the galleries after hours, soak in the mysterious ambiance, and uncover the hidden tales that make this night a memorable experience. Costumes encouraged—plus a friendly Halloween costume contest!
Valentin de Boulogne, known as Le Valentin, Denial of St. Peter (detail), c. 1620, Oil on canvas, Fondazione di Studi di Storia dell’Arte Roberto Longhi, Florence, Italy
Center, in 1930s era clothing, carrying a briefcase and papers. Stark said that while she and her team investigated the space, there was an alcohol smell to the atmosphere that could have been traces of Rowe’s old habit.
The only part of the building he doesn’t enter is the center’s upper floor, which is said to be controlled by the spirit of a lady known as the Hostess. The ghost of a third person, seen in military dress blues, has been detected in the marching around the building in the last five years.
Sesh Aside from the spirit of fondu culture (RIP Melting Pot), the restaurant at 2221 4th St. N in St. Petersburg is haunted by something more sinister. Stark recounted the urban legend that Sesh is haunted by a ghost of an artist who found his wife in bed with her lover. The artist killed them and then himself in the back room. To this day, Stark said, their shadows occasionally appear in the dining room. Owner Matt Powers joined Stark on a paranormal investigation in 2021. Now embracing the haunted spirits, Sesh refers to the kid’s menu as “lil goblins.”
Comfort Station The great Woody Harrelson once said “Don’t let them catch you with your pants down” (in a movie about zombies, but still). This public restroom at Second Avenue NE & Bayshore Drive NE not only serves as a historic landmark in St. Pete, but also as a haven for haunted spirits around the area. There have been reported sightings of apparitions in the women’s bathroom, including one lady who appears in the mirror at night. Some have allegedly had conversations with her. No word yet on whether she can lend you a tampon.
Vinoy Hotel St. Pete’s Vinoy Hotel was built back in 1925, and visiting MLB players have been among those who reported ghost sightings. One spirit, described as a man wearing a top hat, has been said to haunt the sluggers that stay here.
Cuban Club Two gruesome deaths mark the history of Ybor City’s Cuban Club. An actor died by suicide in the club’s theater in the 1920s, and a board member was murdered by another in the club in 1934. Reportedly, both spirits have been tormenting the building ever since, along with a handful of other apparitions.
Gulfport Casino The original casino was destroyed back in 1921 due to a hurricane, and took many lives with it. Now, it is said that a man can be seen dancing further out in the water, where the casino was originally located.
Swope-Rodante, P.A. Now a personal injury law firm, the building at 1234 E. 5th Ave. was once a Tampa brewery. Local legend says that during its early days, a man died after a drunken fight. Some have reported hearing a strange voice, believed to be the man’s spirit roaming the halls—perhaps in search of representation.
Henry B. Plant Museum Now the heart of University of Tampa, the Henry B. Plant
Museum used to be a high-end, 511-room winter resort for the rich and famous, including the likes of Teddy Roosevelt and Babe Ruth. Many have reported seeing an abundance of ghostly spirits around the area, especially one known as “The Brown Man.” This spectre has been said to wear an all brown suit with glowing red eyes.
Fort Brooke Municipal Parking Garage
As was the sad case for many pre-’80s buildings, the garage at 107 N Franklin St. in Tampa was built on top of a forgotten cemetery. This graveyard held the bodies of over 100 soldiers killed by Seminole Indians during the two Seminole Indian wars. Some have heard Native Americans drumming and chanting there, and have seen strange shadow figures at night.
Beach Drive Inn Built in 1910, this St. Pete inn has its fair share of ghost stories. The most popular ghost is what the host of the A&E TV show “Psychic Kids” called “Montego Mary,” a spiritual resident of the Montego Room said to haunt its guests.
finds and paranormal activity. The owner says that many of the objects in the store have spirits attached to them, so that’ll explain some things being moved around, lights flickering off and on and even apparitions.
SCARY STUFF
David Falk Theatre What used to be Park Theatre is now a stage at the University of Tampa, where student actors pay respects to its resident spirit, Bessie Snavely. The actress appears as a sudden chill in the third-floor dressing room she reportedly took her own life in. The Minaret, UT’s student newspaper, reported that the lead actor in each of its productions traditionally buys Bessie a dozen red roses and must take them to Bessie’s designated dressing room the theater’s attic. There, they must say “Thank you and good luck,” for the show to have a good run. Women in the department can’t wear bright red dresses, because that color belongs to Bessie.
murder of Gangster Charlie Wall. His ghost has reportedly been seen hanging out at the doorsteps of the hotel, most likely looking for revenge. Tampa Theatre Open nearly 100 years, Tampa residents have reported seeing multiple spirits roaming the building, including the theater’s first projectionist, Foster “Fink” Finley. He worked at the Tampa Theatre for 15 years and eventually died of a heart attack inside the building.
Safety Harbor Resort and Spa Back in the mid-90’s the Safety Harbor Resort and Spa had some chilling ghost encounters. Employees at the front desk reported getting calls from empty guest rooms, and the housekeepers swore that they heard someone yelling their name from the women’s bath area. The original owner has also been known to haunt the grounds, twisting off salt shaker tops.
Gaspar’s Grotto This Ybor City staple is a must-visit for Tampa Bay residents living and dead, with many apparitions reported. Ghost hands have appeared in pictures taken at the 20-year-old bar, including a photo on display there. And patrons and employees have reported hearing noises in the back of the bar when no one is there.
Patty & Friends Antique Village Mall
This St. Pete antique store is filled with good
Sunshine Skyway Bridge The PinellasManatee connector’s seven decades have been filled with tragedy, including its collapse in 1980, hundreds of suicides and a few murders. Some drivers have reported seeing a blonde woman standing in the middle of the road who mysteriously disappears when they stop to help her. Others have reported her appearing and disappearing in their backseats while driving over the bridge.
The Old Federal Courthouse Before it was Le Meridien Hotel, Tampa’s Old Federal Courthouse was home to the grueling unsolved
Crown Colony House Opened in 1964, the Serengeti Overlook Restaurant, which used to be known as the Crown Colony House, currently sits in the middle of Busch Gardens. Guests have reported trays being flipped, dancing orbs and moving shadows. The theme park even had the ghost-hunting team, Haunted South, record some of the spooky happenings that went down.
The Cordova Inn Established in 1921, the St. Pete spot is said to be haunted by a former employee. Guests report seeing an apparition of a well-dressed man in an old-fashioned suit, and have concluded that he might be a former butler who saved the building from demolition on several occasions.
GHOST SHIP: Ghost hands have appeared in pictures taken at Gaspar’s Grotto in Ybor.
Thursday, October 30, 2025 • 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Haunted Masquerade Murder Mystery at Hotel Haya X Sage Coterie @ Hotel Haya 1412 East 7th Ave
Tickets $36.39 bit.ly/HauntedMasqueradeYbor
Friday, October 31, 2025 • 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Hallo-WINE @ Chateau Cellars Ybor
2009 N. 22nd St.
Tickets From $59.34 bit.ly/HalloWineYbor
Friday, October 31, 2025 • 5:00 PM - 11:00 PM
Marketplace TPA presents Night of Terror @ 1920 Ybor
1920 East 7th Ave.
Tickets From $16.32 bit.ly/NightofTerrorYbor
Friday, October 31, 2025 • 8:00 PM - 9:30 PM
The Gimmick’s HALLOWEEN COMEDY Show @ The Gimmick 2213 East 6th Ave.
Tickets From $10.01 bit.ly/GimmickHalloween
Friday, October 31, 2025 • 11:00 PM - 1:00 AM
sKared straight @ Mr B’s Restaurant 3401 North Nebraska Ave.
Tickets From $7.18 bit.ly/sKaredStraight
Friday, October 31, 2025 • 5:00 PM - 11:30 PM
Halloween Bar Crawl @ Showbar Ybor 1613 East 7th Ave.
Tickets From $36.40 bit.ly/HalloweenBarCrawlYbor
Saturday, November 1, 2025 • 4:00 PM - 10:00 PM
Tampa Day of The Dead Bar Crawl - Dia De Muertos @ Centro Cantina
Burgundy Grand Tasting at Chateau Cellars @ Chateau Cellars Ybor
2009 N. 22nd St.
Tickets From $116.69 bit.ly/BurgundyYbor
Sunday, November 16, 2025, • 11:00 AM
Chicken Yoga with Yoga Loft @ Hotel Haya 1412 East 7th Avenue
Tickets - $15.74
bit.ly/ChickenYogaOct
Where to Live:
Casa Ybor • casaybor.com
Casa Ybor offers unique retail spaces, office spaces, and apartment homes for rent or lease in both newly constructed and lovingly restored historic buildings throughout the vibrant National Historic Landmark District of Ybor City near Downtown Tampa, Florida.
La Union • bit.ly/LaUnionYbor
Community, connection, and culture come together at La Unión Apartments, where Tampa’s rich history and vibrant future unite. Inspired by the historic social hall once on this site, our Ybor City apartments honor that legacy by fostering bonds among residents, the neighborhood, and the area’s deep-rooted heritage.
Miles at Ybor • milesatybor.com
Step into the pulse of Tampa’s most vibrant neighborhood at Miles at Ybor, where modern luxury apartments in Tampa blend seamlessly with the rich cultural tapestry of historic Ybor City. These aren’t just furnished apartments in Ybor City – they’re your gateway to an elevated urban lifestyle that celebrates both heritage and innovation.
By Ray Roa
C CL Recommends
Halloween’s always extra special when it’s on a Friday, and even better for local live music fans who can wear costumes to a concert. Have a look at some of the best Halloween concerts you can get into this week, and see an extended listing of the best live music coming to Tampa Bay Oct. 30-Nov. 6 via cltampa.com. All shows are happening on Friday, Oct. 31 unless noted otherwise.
Antelope (Phish tribute) Antelope is no stranger to pretending to be someone else, but the Bay area’s resident Phish tribute will presumably turn the act way up for this set at what’s easily St. Petersburg’s best place to hear jam-centric sounds. (Cage Brewing, St. Petersburg)
Bang Out w/Real/Suffering Spirit/Blown Apart/Spittoon Ybor Heights’ beer garden and concert venue hosts a heavy-hitting, twoday rock festival Saturday-Sunday, but warms up with two Halloween events including a “Day After Devil’s Night” matinee featuring members of Midwestern industrial-rock band The Electric Hellfire Club (My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult member Rev. Thomas Thorn). After the hangout, is this halloween party headlined by bruising Tampa hardcore band Bang Out. Winner of the costume contest gets a year of free shows put on by Tampa promoter Locust Parade, which promises to get you out the door by 11 p.m. so you can do other Halloween things. (Deviant Libation, Tampa)
C Emo Night Tampa Halloween 2025: Sam Bips & Friends w/J/IN/X/Devotion and Desire/Peace Cult As Phoebe Bridgers says, Halloween is a time when we can be anything—and Emo Night Tampa takes that to heart. The 2025 lineup for its Halloween concert features Sam Bips & Friends covering Bright Eyes, J.IN.X channeling Kid Cudi, Devotion and Desire covering Bayside, and Peace Cult doing Green Day. These Halloween editions have become a kind of tradition. The last time Emo Night Tampa rolled out this all-covers show, bands tackled Jimmy Eat World, Blink-182, and Radiohead. What makes this Halloween extra scary is that Crowbar’s lease is set to expire in 2026 and while the venue has secured rights through then, what happens after is anyone’s guess—this could be one of the last Emo Night Tampa Halloween parties there. Owner Tom DeGeorge has spoken openly about the challenges independent venues face in Ybor City, where development pressures are changing the landscape. “Our 20-year anniversary is in 2026, and I really want to get there,” DeGeorge told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay in 2021. (Crowbar, Ybor City) Sophia Lowrie
C Ella Jet w/Radio Silent In a world of uncertainty, Ruby’s is a rock. St. Petersburg’s home for live music (mostly blues, jazz, rock)
has been a staple of the Bay area for 14 years now and on Friday welcomes a songwriter who’s been a big name in the area for even longer than that. Ella Jet is back after a few years in Nashville and comes to her Thursday residency with cutting new heartbreak songs in tow. (Ruby’s Elixir, St. Petersburg)
Final Friday: The Wandering Hours w/Lesa Silvermore Band/Sean Fote
Partygoers get $5 off the cover charge if they show up to this Americana-centric warehouse district show in costume. (Suite E Studios, St. Petersburg)
C George Pennington’s Halloween Odyssey Band There might now be a better guitarist working on Halloween. George Pennington III is fresh off a new album (American Odyssey, released over the summer), but turns into a figure in black for this rocking, blues, funk and jazz-flavored Halloween tribute to Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath. (The Ale and the Witch, St. Petersburg)
Halloween K-Pop rave Are you an adult demon hunter? The only thing this traveling Korea-phile pop-up doesn’t bring to the party is kimchi. (Orpheum, Tampa)
C HalloWeezer: W.T.F (Weezer Tribute Family) Dunedin’s hub for live music hosts a Misfits tribute on Saturday in its Moon Tower venue, and spends Halloween with a Weezer tribute band. Opening act Buffy and the Slayers is obviously an homage to the late-’90s cult-favorite TV series, but also plays hits from that decade, too. (Dunedin Brewery, Dunedin)
Haunted Fest: Disclosure w/Rezz/ Matroda/LYNY/Allan Daniel/Know Good/ Klo/TinyKat The St. Pete Pier tries on its wook costume for Halloween with a twoday EDM festival where U.K. duo Disclosure (“Latch”) headlines along with Croatian house DJ Matija Rodi ć (aka Matroda). On Saturday, the pier gets a visit from Isabelle Rezazadeh, a festival favorite better known as Rezz, who promises another “Nightmare On Rezz Street” set that’s typically featured unreleased music that probably won’t ever see proper distribution. (St. Pete Pier, St. Petersburg)
C Jack’s Mannequin w/Hellogoodbye Millennials can pretend to be young again at this show where Andrew McMahon (Something Corporate) brings his Jack’s Mannequin piano-pop project to First Block. Over the summer, the group celebrated the 20th anniversary of its Everything In Transit album (along with the anniversary of McMahon’s acute lymphocytic leukemia diagnosis), so expect them to be in high spirits for this one where Hellogoodbye (a favorite from the heyday of Drive-Thru records) opens. (Jannus Live, St. Petersburg)
Kodak Black Trump pardonee Kodak Black, a popular Florida rapper who regularly uses production by Bay area producers, plays one
TRICK OR TREAT, TAMPA BAY
of his biggest local headlining shows to date. (Yuengling Center, Tampa)
C Peter Frampton Frampton might as well call himself Mr. Never Say Never at this point. Half a decade after telling fans that his diagnosis with body myositis, a disorder that wreaks havoc on the body’s muscles, would keep him from touring, the 75-yearold Brit is back yet again. This time, he’s fresh off the news that next month will see him in Nashville taping a special for the 50th anniversary of his landmark album Frampton Comes Alive!. (Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater)
C The Venus w/Brother Cephus/ DJNotUrGirl B2B SmushySlugs/ Zanzibean B2B Johnny Champagne/ We’re Sweet Girls At the risk of sounding like the Steve Buscemi “How do you do, fellow kids,” meme, this no cover dive bar gig really does feature some of the best bands and party-throwers to come out of the Bay area over the last decade. Brother Cephus, a Tampa rock outfit anchored by the brooding guitar and vocals of brothers Seth and Gabe Davis, is joined by St. Pete’s king of electrified Americana The Venus. Rounding it out are DJ sets from Sector.FM favorites SmushySlugs, plus tunes selected by mixtape queens We’re Sweet Girls. (The Bends, St. Petersburg)
Also playing
3rd Rail Theory (fka Flakeys Gang) Friday, Oct. 31. 7 p.m. No cover. Outcast Brewing Company, St. Petersburg
Devil’s Playground: Precipice w/Killz On Contact/Alice’s Fever Dream/Karkaza/ End Of Us/Markuss The Karkuss and The Bloody Nuns/Castrofate/Six Feet of
Venison Friday, Oct. 31. 5 p.m. $20. Brass Mug, Tampa
Emo-Ween Bash: DJ Cub Friday, Oct. 31. 8 p.m. No cover. Independent Bar and Cafe, Tampa
Level Up w/Flozone Friday, Oct. 31. 10 p.m. $25.96. The Ritz, Ybor City
Marianne and the Professor Friday, Oct. 31. 7 p.m. No cover. The North End Taphouse, Gulfport
FEBRUARY 22 LAST DINOSAURS Jannus Live MARCH 10 STICKY FINGERS Jannus Live MARCH 20 ARTEMAS Jannus Live
APRIL 11 SONS OF LEGION Jannus Live
1320 CENTRAL AVE / DOWNTOWN ST. PETE
His oddball charisma is disarming, his campfire choruses are irresistible, and his concerts are a nonstop celebration. But Andy Frasco might show off a different side when he returns to Tampa Bay this winter.
For over a decade, the 37-year-old has carried the reputation of being the biggest party animal in the jam scene. It never was the complete picture, but these days he doesn’t try to fight against it. The Denverbased songwriter doesn’t care what you think of him, as reflected in lyrics about freedom from expectations, having a positive attitude, being yourself, and of course, having a damn good time doing it.
With a new album (Growing Pains , released in May), somewhat new touring band, and a slight pivot in songwriting tone, St. Petersburg is in store for a more self-assured and introspective Andy Frasco & The U.N. come December. That isn’t to say fans won’t see Tasmanian Devil energy, the dwindling bottle of Jameson, gobbling of mushrooms, or the crowd surfing ensue—with Frasco and his band, you never can know what to expect.
Tickets to see Andy Frasco & the U.N. play Jannus Live in St. Petersburg on Saturday, Dec. 6 are still available and start at $39.56.—J.C. Roddy
Emo Nite: Road To Warped Tour Saturday, Nov. 8. 9 p.m. $24.40 & up. The Ritz, Ybor City
Gente De Zona w/Jacob Forever Saturday, Nov. 8. 8 p.m. $47.50 & up. Yuengling Center, Tampa
High Press (EP release) w/Hollowhouse/ If I’m Lucky Saturday, Nov. 8. 7 p.m. $10. Music Hall at New World Brewery, Tampa
Flaw w/Fear The Hammer/Bear Within Us/Futures Theory/Awkward Stares/ Love Pit/Sidewinder Saturday, Nov. 15. 6:30 p.m. $22.95. Brass Mug, Tampa
Crimewave: A Goth, New Wave, and Darkwave Party Saturday, Nov. 29. 9 p.m.
Rod Stewart Tuesday, March 3. 8 p.m. $506.20 & up. Hard Rock Event Center at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Tampa
Justin Furstenfeld of Blue October Thursday, March 5. 8 p.m. $49.50 & up. Bilheimer Capitol Theatre, Clearwater
Little River Band w/The Lords of 52nd Street Friday, March 6. 7 p.m. $41 & up. The BayCare Sound, Clearwater
The Cream of Clapton Saturday, April 4. 8 p.m. $37 & up. Bilheimer Capitol Theatre, Clearwater
Eric Church w/Ashley McBryde Saturday, April 11. 7:30 p.m. $69.05 & up. Benchmark International Arena, Tampa
Doja Cat Friday, Nov. 13, 2026. 7:30 p.m. $74.95 & up. Benchmark International Arena, Tampa
Cancellations/reschedules
Andrés Cepeda at David A. Straz Center for the Performing Arts, Saturday, Nov. 1 Rescheduled for Tuesday, May 19
Jonah Marais at Crowbar, Tuesday, Nov. 11. Rescheduled for Friday, Nov. 14 at New World Brewery, Tampa
Love and leashes
By Dan Savage
Flashback: My last serious girlfriend was kinky. I am pretty vanilla—I’m not a natural sub— but I was game. We got into D/s play, and we went to some big fetish parties together. Her favorite “foreplay” was having me kneel between her legs while she showed me guys on dating apps she’d matched with and make me beg for her pussy. I was never into cuck stuff, but I have to admit that was hot (and obviously cuck-adjacent). Her fantasies weren’t my fantasies, but it turned her on so much it turned me on. And these really were her fantasies: she had an alt Twitter account since she was a teenager that was all FemDom content and pictures of tied up guys. We wound up breaking up for reasons that had nothing to do with our sex life or her kinks. We don’t live in the same city anymore, but we still follow each other on Instagram and DM on birthdays. Nothing inappropriate. We were together for three years and it’s been five years since our breakup.
Flashforward: My current serious girlfriend dug through my ex’s Instagram account and found pictures of us at fetish parties. She didn’t snoop on my phone—which means she didn’t read my DMs (thank God)—but she did scroll through hundreds of old posts on my ex-girlfriend’s account. She wound up finding pics of me in bondage and being dragged around by my ex on a leash at a few parties. (Was that snooping?) Now my girlfriend says she wants to “get into” my kinks. I told her that the things she was in those old pics weren’t my kinks. It was fun, I got into it because my ex was into it, but being dominated isn’t something I need. I would be down to explore it (or anything else) with my current girlfriend if it felt like it was coming from an honest place, but it feels like she’s in some weird competition with my ex. We’ve been together for two years and she can be insecure and now she’s worried I’m bored with our sex life and I’m going to break up with her for someone kinkier. The fact that I “refuse” to do kink with her is becoming a thing. But this feels fake to me, since she never mentioned kink until she saw those pics (which my ex took down when I asked), but my girlfriend claims she is interested in kink even if she only realized it when she saw those photos. I’m not sure what my question is or what I want you to tell me to do.—Vanilla Boy Kinky Past I’m always gonna err on the side of telling a straight boy to get down on his knees and beg his girlfriend for her pussy—so, if you’re a regular reader, VBKP, you knew that was coming. And since you knew I was gonna tell you to do that, I suspect being told to do that was what you wanted. (Are you sure you’re not a natural sub?)
Zooming out: You could leverage this moment—brought to you by the not-quitesnooping-but-close your current girlfriend was doing—to have a conversation about your authentic kinks and your hard-wired sexual
interests (which you don’t list) and your current girlfriend’s authentic kinks and her hard-wired sexual interests (which you also don’t list). If you’re both interested in more than just the vanilla sex, or your girlfriend is interested in trying new things, now would be a great time to compare your lists of non-vanilla sexual interests to see if there’s any overlap.
Dominant women are rare—that’s why dominant women can charge for it while dominant men have to give it away for free. Your odds then of dating two “naturally” dominant women in a row are pretty slim. But they’re not zero. So, while your ex-girlfriend seems to have been consciously aware of her kinks from an early age—as her long-running alt Twitter would seem to prove—it’s entirely possible seeing those pics of at a fetish party made your girlfriend aware of her kinks for the first time. Not everyone with kinks and/or in the kink scene was consciously aware of their kinks at thirteen; that’s especially true of cis women, who tend to become aware of their kinks in adulthood whereas cis men tend to become aware of them in adolescence.
So, I think you need to allow for the possibility that your girlfriend’s sudden interest in D/s play is just as authentic as your ex-girlfriend’s long-standing interest in D/s play, VBKP, and seeing those old pics of you was the inciting/exciting incident that brought your girlfriend’s into focus. And even if it turns out your girlfriend is just going through the motions for silly reasons (and competing with someone you dumped five years ago would be very silly), what’s the harm? If she doesn’t enjoy it, VBKP, or you don’t enjoy it—if D/s play doesn’t work for you and the current the way it worked for you and the ex—you don’t have to keep doing it.
me when I’m stoned. But everything is so fraught when it comes to my needs that I can’t talk about it when I’m not stoned. Basically, I’m tired of missionary-position sex once a week and I would like to wear a gay t-shirt once in a while without being judged or shamed. I feel like I’m being hollowed out. Anyhow, I need to figure out a fun non-stoned way to discuss without the conversation ending in tears.—High Isn’t Gonna Help
It’s the dick, right? You miss the dick? And the lack of dick in your life—other than your own—has you feeling unfulfilled? And does your wife sense that? Or does she know it, HIGH, because you blurt it when you’re high? And you’re high every night? And could her anxiety about you wanting to open the relationship for dick be why she’s making bi-and-gay shaming comments about your t-shirts?
If you can’t talk about your needs when you’re not high and your wife doesn’t want to talk to you when you are high—could be true or could be an excuse to avoid the conversation— your best bet is a couple’s counselor. You won’t be high (or shouldn’t be high) when you’re sitting on that couch in the middle of the day, HIGH, and you won’t be able to avoid—a good counselor won’t allow you to avoid—the conversation you made the appointment to have.
SAVAGE LOVE
P.S. I would hate to be in a relationship with someone who would freak out if they stumbled over evidence that I’d sent a nice note to an ex on his birthday.
Love your show, really helpful stuff. This is my first time writing in. I’m a 52-year-old bisexual man married to a lovely lady who’s five years older than I am. I feel like my soul (super melodramatic here) is shriveling up and dying. I’m sick of monogamy, sick of comfortable missionary-position sex once a week, and I’m really sick of the subtle bi-shaming comments like “that’s the gayest shirt I’ve ever seen.” She’s trying to be better, she really is, but navigating our divergent needs in our 12-year relationship is leading to communication breakdowns. Making matters worse, I have this awful habit of bringing difficult stuff up when I’m stoned—pot helps with my inhibitions (it also helps me sleep, so I’m stoned pretty much daily)—but she hates talking to
But first you’ve got to figure out what you actually want. Would you feel fulfilled if you and your wife had more and better sex—not once-a-week missionary, but something freer and queerer? (Is the wife willing to peg you?) Or do you need the freedom to have sex with other men? If it’s the first thing, say that: you love her, but you need more variety. If it’s the second thing, say that too—and that’s a hard thing to say, I realize, and an even harder thing to hear… so, yeah. It’s a conversation that may result in tears, but those kinds of conversations, as difficult as they are, rarely end in tears. Eventually, you have stop crying and start talking again. And that’s when the real work—and the real negotiations—can begin.
P.S. For the record: bisexual people can make and honor monogamous commitments. HIGH has, up to now, honored the monogamous commitment he made to Mrs. HIGH. Monogamy isn’t for everybody—gay, straight, bi, pan, omni, whatever—and it’s not always forever.
I was interested to see your response to MOMS, who is unsure how and when to tell her children she’s non-monogamous. I’m at a different stage of that quandary. I know that you believe that romantic partners shouldn’t be introduced to kids until the relationship is well established, and I agree with that. When my son was a baby, though, I often brought him on coffee dates (as long as my date didn’t mind, of course). Now he’s almost two, and he sometimes hangs out with me and my boyfriend, a man I kiss and hug who isn’t
my husband/his father. (I would no longer bring him on coffee dates with strangers –that just plain wouldn’t work!) Right now, this doesn’t seem any different to me from hanging out with any good friend of mine (I kiss and hug friends too – it’s not like I’m making out with anyone in front of my son). But I wonder what needs to change as he gets older and gets more aware of, well, everything. Should I restrict the time he spends with other romantic partners until they’re very well-established? I wouldn’t think twice about introducing him to a new friend, and my other partners aren’t potential new parents for him, so does it matter? Is this an opportunity to normalize non-monogamy right from the start? I’m inclined to be as open and casual about it as possible, but I understand your advice to MOMS—being “ethical” isn’t more important than my child’s feelings of comfort and safety.—My Open Marriage Matters Also
Adults are entitled to a zone of erotic autonomy—and parents are allowed to have sex lives—but kids are entitled to a zone of plausible deniability, at least where their parents’ sex lives are concerned.
So, if you routinely hug and kiss your friends, I see no reason you shouldn’t hug and kiss your boyfriend in front of your son—as long as we’re comparing apples to apples here. If “kissing a friend” means a peck on the cheek and “kissing a boyfriend” means a tongue down the throat, those kisses aren’t the same. But if you’re physically affectionate with your boyfriend in the same way you are with friends—brief, casual, non-sexual touch (in the case of your friends) and plausibly non-sexual touch (in the case of your boyfriend(s))—that’s fine. So long as your kid can’t detect the difference, you’re not forcing a conversation about your other romantic partners before he’s ready.
That said, if new boyfriends are constantly entering and exiting your life, you’ll want to draw a line between them and long-term friends who are fixtures in your world and your child’s life. Romantic attraction can be unstable—sometimes your instincts about a new partner are right, sometimes they’re wrong—which is why we don’t introduce new romantic partners to our families until after we’re relatively certain our instincts/ intuitions/genitals were right about them.
So: if your boyfriend has been around a while and the vibe is stable, I see no reason to hide his existence. When your son is old enough to ask questions, answer honestly but age-appropriately. There are lots of kids out there with openly poly and/or non-monogamous parents who are doing fine. But we don’t (or shouldn’t) have kids to normalize non-monogamy—he’s your son, he’s not the tip of the spear.
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counterpart
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