Daily Loaf

If you love beer — or even moderatly enjoy it — and haven’t been to the Oldsmar Tap House, you’re doing yourself a massive disservice. The beer-intensive, yet laid back, environment and a constantly rotating tap list make OTH one of the local centers of the beer geek universe. Coming up on the event calendar – April 23rd is Chimay Night. Explore the palatable product line from one of the world’s seven beer producing trappist monasteries, where brewing is conducted or overseen by Cistercian monks. Get a free gold-rimmed Chimay goblet with your first Chimay Premiere, Cinq Cents, or Grande Reserve (while supplies last). You can also explore another 30+ taps along with a wide selection of craft and import bottles. Live music by OTH All Stars. 300 State Street East #107. Oldsmar (813) 855-9181

Home Depot is handing out a few freebies to help you go green for Earth Day (April 22nd):

According to the Home Depot website, you can stop in at your local store and pick up some items to help you make your home more green. The two items that caught my eye were the free CFL bulb and the free aerator insert for faucets. The aerator insert will help save water and is often overlooked as an easy way to conserve resources. There’s a limited supply to both these items but you don’t have to buy anything to get them. The website also says the CFL bulbs have been available since April 19, but it doesn’t specify if you’ll have to wait until the 22nd for the aerator.  You might want to call ahead to your closest store for details on the offer and verify if they have any left before you head out. Read the rest of this entry »

This is a good weekend if you’re looking for free things to do. Since that’s pretty much what I look for, I’m happy to present two different opportunities to have fun without spending a dime.

The first is the Wesley Chapel Celebration of the Arts, held at 28211 Paseo Drive. Now, to be honest, I didn’t even know that Wesley Chapel had an art event until pretty recently. But apparently a lot of people know, because they’re expecting about 2,000 people this weekend. They’ll have a great deal of art on display from about 60 artists in various booths (the juried show includes a $1,000 grand prize). They also have a student’s art display and an area reserved for children’s activities. There’s a lot to experience, including music. They’ll have jazz performances Saturday evening on the stage. You can buy VIP tickets if you want, but the concerts are absolutely free as well.

The Celebration of the Arts runs all weekend, so you have plenty of time to check it out with friends, family or whoever appreciates art. It should be a fun event. You can check out all the activities on Saturday from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. (with music afterward) and on Sunday from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m. For more information, go to www.shopsatwiregrass.com and search under Events.

 The other event is Saturday on Davis Island at Seaplane Basin Park (across from the airport). They also have live entertainment and music, as well as an art show. But they also have free food Saturday from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. and a British Motor Classic Car Show that will feature nearly 100 different cars. Want to see a Rolls Royce and an Aston Martin? This is the place to go. This is a pretty big British car show, so this is a chance to see plenty of classics up close.

They also have plenty of events for children, including free plane rides. Yes, free plane rides. Last year they took about 150 kids on free trips. That’s pretty cool. They’ll also have static displays featuring fire engines and airplanes, too.

This is the third year of Islands Fest. Last year they had 5,000 people and it should be another good turnout this year. Plus, the whole thing is completely free. The event runs from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. You can find more information at www.islandsfest.com. 

So if you’re looking for something to do this weekend, you have no excuses.

P.F. Chang’s China Bistro offers a 15 percent discount off your total total bill on April 15th. Counts for both food and beverage.

Participating mall-based Cinnabon franchises sweeten your Tax Day with free Cinnabon Bites on April 15 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. See details and enter their essay contest about how Cinnabon saved your day. Winner receives $100 gift card.

Chick-Fil-A presents Instant Rebate Day. Make a purchase on April 15, save your receipt, then return by the end of the month and use your receipt to redeem for the same purchase.

Other freebies: In honor of of their 39th birthday, Seattle’s Best Coffee is giving away a free medium coffee from Tuesday, April 7, through Tuesday, April 28 if you are also 39 years old. Limit one cup per person. Locations near you.

This week’s free beer sampling is set for Thursday the 9th from 11am until 2pm. Stop by Datz Deli for lunch and enjoy free samples of Samuel Smith’s Organic Cider, Southampton India Pale Ale, and a variety of brews from Green’s Gluten Free Beer.

And don’t forget, this Saturday, Datz presents All Hail the Ale, a sampling featuring 8 of the world’s finest beers paried with cheese and charcuterie. $25 per person includes commemorative glassware. Starts at 7 pm. Reservations required. Call 813-831-7000 or contact dixon@datzdeli.com to reserve your spot.

The excellent folks at Datz Deli in Tampa have invited me to conduct weekday beer tastings and special beer and food pairing events. So here’s the agenda:

March 30th : 11am-2pm. Free samples of Lindeman’s Framboise and Young’s Double Chocolate Stout, with plenty of beer available to go. This is the first time Datz will be open on Monday.

April 1st : 6pm-7:30pm. Free beer and food samples hosted by Tampa Bay Metro.
Featuring Southampton Brewing’s Double White, Altbier, and IPA.

April 9th : 11am-2pm. Free beer samples. Specific brands coming soon.

April 11th : 4pm-7pm. Datz presents All Hail the Ale. Featuring 8 of the world’s best beers paired with gourmet food: Ayinger Dunkel Weiss, Westmalle Trappist Dubbel, Orval Trappist, Brooklyn Local 1, Brooklyn Local 2, Dogfish Head Fort, Stone Oaked Arrogant Bastard, Lindemans Gueuze Cuvee Rene. $35 per person includes beer, food, and commemorative glassware. Reservations required. (813) 831- 7000

Tampa Theatre is a local landmark with a rich history, but its impact on the area goes beyond the actual movie theater. Once again, Tampa Theatre offers its Sunset Cinema series, where they show movies in outdoor locations for free. It’s a fun way to experience a family-friendly classic.

Tonight they’ll be showing “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” (clearly the best in the Indiana Jones series) at River Tower Park, 401 E. Bird Street in Seminole Heights. An inflatable, 50-foot-wide screen and powerful sound system provide excellent visual and sound effects. If you’ve been to this event before, you know what I mean. The picture is sharp and the sound is clear. That means you can actually enjoy the movie.

You’ll also enjoy the price, since it doesn’t cost a thing. Just bring your lawn chairs, snacks, pets, Frisbees, coolers or whatever you want, stake out a good spot and enjoy the atmosphere. No alcohol or fireworks are allowed, and they’ll also have concessions on sale if you don’t want to bring your own.

The movie starts at 8, but the gates open at 6. It’s probably a good idea to get there early, find a good spot and just relax for awhile. Other movies in the Sunset Cinema series this year include “Field of Dreams,” “Back to the Future” and “Shrek.” I’ll mention those when they come up, too. But for now, enjoy the outdoor show this evening.

For more information, click here.

In a sweet respite from bad economic news, Rita’s Italian Ice is giving away one free, 10-ounce cup of Italian ice per person on Friday, March 20 from noon until 10 p.m. In the 17th year of celebrating this First Day of Spring promotion, they plan on doling out one million ices at their 500 locations in 17 states. Locally, Ritas are found at:

11640 N. Dale Mabry Highway in Carrollwood
11625 Sheldon Road in Westchase
3841 W. Kennedy Blvd, Suite 2 (Collier Center) in Tampa
13147 86th Avenue N. in Seminole 
1010 Court Street in Clearwater

More locations on their website

To many foodies, attending the New Orleans Food and Wine Experience is like trekking to Mecca. Some of the best food in this country originates from this home of Cajun and Creole goodness. The folks from Bravo’s Top Chef and New Orleans Online are giving away an all-expenses paid, weekend vacation for two to New Orleans for the NOFWE. Dates are May 20-23, 2009 and include the following:

1) Round-trip coach class domestic air transportation for Grand Prize Winner and Guest from a major airport nearest to Grand Prize Winner’s home;
2) 4 days/3 nights at the Omni Royal Orleans Hotel in New Orleans, LA (one (1) standard room, double occupancy); Read the rest of this entry »

Pizzaiolo Bavaro, a brand-spankin’-new pizza joint in downtown Tampa featuring Neapolitan pies, big brick ovens and custom made wood pizza peels, is giving away free pizza today from Noon to 2 p.m. The grand opening is slated for tomorrow.

It’s located at 514 N. Franklin St., corner of Twiggs St. & Franklin Ave., (813) 868-4440.   Read the rest of this entry »

How fitting that the Cheap Bastard gets to post this freebie on the way out of town to enjoy the show.

Phish is offering free mp3 downloads (through a “pre-order”) of the 3 night run at the Hampton Coliseum.  Go to livephish.com and snag yours today.

From the website:

Says Trey Anastasio, “We really wanted to show our gratitude to all the Phish fans for their support and the overwhelming response they’ve had to these shows. It’s going to be an amazing celebration and we only wish everybody could be there,” Phish will be recording the Hampton shows in a mobile multitrack studio, and mixing the shows overnight for immediate delivery on LivePhish.com. 256kbps MP3s will be available for free download for a limited time. FLACs and CDs are also available.

Quizno’s, the home of the toasted sandwich, is giving away one million free subs. They’re already up to 368,000, so hurry. The catch is – there’s always a catch, right? – you have to give ‘em a valid email address. No telling what Viagra/porn/hair replacement spam list you’ll end up on but a free sub is a free sub.

*The fine print: By completing the form, Entrants will automatically be entered into the Quiznos Q-Club marketing database (Entrants may opt-out of the Quiznos Q-Club at any time by visiting the opt-out page located at: www.quiznos.com/offers/Optout.aspx.)

Read the rest of this entry »

IHOP is celebrating National Pancake Day (which happens to be Mardi Gras or Shrove Tuesday) with a free short stack of buttermilk pancakes.

They invite you to make a donation for a really good cause – the Children’s Miracle Network program at All Children’s Hospital.  Last year IHOP raised more than $875,000!!!

The promotion runs from 7am to 10pm Tuesday Feburary 24, 2009.

Find out more about this year’s donation goals and other fun pancake facts at: www.ihoppancakeday.com

**edited for time correction** this is good until 10 PM – so go get your pancake on!

Just in time for Valentine’s Day, THE song for romance is available for free.  Amazon.com is giving away Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On” in mp3 format for download – and it is even a nice 256 kbps file.

Go here to get your groove on.

Available 2/13 & 2/14 only.

Word to the wise, skip the amazon.com download manager install.

Grab a friend, the folks at TGI Friday’s are giving away a free dinner.  Get the BOGO coupon here and head down.  They even have the foresight to save your relationship – the coupon is not valid on Valentine’s Day.

expires 3/1/09

enjoy!

Eckerd College’s International Cinema series is back this week with a double feature, loosely tied together around the theme of Asian hit men.

Ashes of Time Redux

The free action starts at 7pm at Eckerd College’s Miller Auditorium. Wong Kar-Wai’s wuxia delight Ashes of Time was redone for the big screen as Ashes of Time Redux and it’s astonishing how gorgeous it looks. As long as you don’t get all obsessed with minor details (like what exactly is going on and who is pining for whom), you will be blown away … this is a must-see on the big screen, playing in a new 35mm print!

At 9pm don’t miss Hiroyuki Tanaka’s inventive, intense and amusing Postman Blues: Sawaki is a postman, bored with his way of life until it all changes when his old schoolmate, who has just joined the Yakuza (Japanese mafia) smuggles a few items into his friend’s bag. Now the police are after him, and a series of coincidences convince them that this seemingly mild-mannered postal worker is a seriously dangerous man.

Warning: if you come to the series you may get hooked and have your Friday nights during the regular school year booked for the next decade. The series has been running for five years now and there are a number of folks who have been there every week for the last several. Come and bring your friends!

————–
All films in the series are free and open to the public, and screen in the Miller Auditorium of Eckerd College (4200 54th Ave. So., St. Petersburg). Tickets and reservations are not required.

For more information on the International Cinema Series, and to see upcoming films, go to www.eckerd.edu/ic

Questions? Contact the Eckerd College Office of Communications at 727-864-7979 or events@eckerd.edu.

The International Cinema Series is coordinated by me: Nathan Andersen, Associate Professor of Philosophy at Eckerd College.

Voted “Best Local Film Series” by Creative Loafing’s Best of the Bay 2007.

Great way to start hump day… free coffee from Dunkin’ Donuts. According to television ads, the remaining Wednesdays in February, Dunkin’ Donuts will be handing out a free medium coffee with no additional purchase required.

Mark your calendars… 2/11, 2/18 & 2/25

I haven’t personally confirmed this in Tampa, but many Chick Fil A’s across the nation are offing a free breakfast promotion of sorts during February, including down in south Florida.

Examples of the promotions in other markets: return of the free Wednesday offer (chicken biscuit or one of the new options) and a free breakfast item weekday mornings (this is the south Florida deal).
Anyone want to comment back with a confirmation?

This Valentine’s weekend, singles get some love too. Tijuana Flats gives strokes to all 21+, date-less diners with a “Smack My Ass and Show Me You’re Single” giveaway that offers a free beer or glass of sangria with the purchase of an entree. Couple welcome too.
Tijuana Flats locations.

Every year for the past several, Eckerd College’s “International Cinema” series has been offering up exciting and innovative films from around the world to anyone who wants to show up, most Fridays (7pm) during the regular school year.

Mind Game (plays THIS Friday, Feb. 6, 7pm)

Maybe this is shameless self-promotion, since I run the program, but it is free and open to the public and there are usually some empty seats in the Miller Auditorium that are nearly as comfortable as the couch you’ll need to vacate in order to make it down to south Saint Pete and check out what we have to offer. For the past few weeks, my students and I have been bragging about the great time we were having in Park City at the Sundance Film Festival, so now we’re giving you a chance to see some of the cool things that tend not to play in the local multiplexes. Nearly everything we screen is from a 35mm print (the real thing!), and our theater is very nice – no sticky floors and loud teenagers (unobnoxious teens are of course welcome)!

This week’s film (Fri, Feb. 6, 7pm) is a strange one: a mind-bending and innovative Japanese animation focusing on Nishi, a loser with a crush on his childhood girlfriend, on a psychedelic journey to heaven and back, chased by Yakuza. Mind Game is definitely not for children! Read the rest of this entry »

Going to the parade, concerts, parties or anything connected to Gasparilla? Have a Twitter account? Then you are all set to join CL’s Parade of Tweeters, covering all the festivities of Tampa Bay’s pre-eminent annual buccaneer bacchanalia for those of us who are going to be stuck at work or at home in front of our laptops.

Here’s how:

1. Sign up for a free Twitter account (or use your existing account).
2. Have a blast at Gasparilla on Saturday and/or in the days leading up to the pirate invasion.
3. Send us a tweet when you see something interesting, funny, stupid, naked, comment-worthy, etc. Just use your telephone’s txt messaging capability to send a tweet, using Twitter’s 140-character limit. (You can also submit tweets via your computer if you are at a party or on the Bayshore with wireless access.)
4. Make sure you include the hashtag #gasparilla in your txt msg. For example: “Holy beads! I just saw Gayle Guyardo! #gasparilla”
5. Hit send on your cell phone. Your tweet will automatically appear on our Gasparilla page, cltampa.com/gasparilla, along with the rest of the CL Parade of Tweeters’ info and photos from the frivolity.
6. As if that wasn’t enough for your 15 Minutes of Fame, we’ll take the best and run them in our print edition the week after Gasparilla. And we’ll chose the very best to receive a free meal, from our Eats or Bites programs in the CL Deals section.
7. And while you’re in Twitter online, be sure to follow PoHo for political news tweets and cl_tampa for all our Creative Loafing breaking news in arts, music, food and the rest.

On Tuesday, February 3 from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m., Denny’s restaurants will give away a free Grand Slam breakfast at all locations across the United States.

The dine-in only breakfast includes two pancakes, two eggs, two links of sausage and two strips of bacon. Customers will also get a coupon booklet for future free menu items. Read the rest of this entry »

All day long (Wednesday 1/28), Panera Bread is giving away FREE coffee.  Plus they are having samples of the new breakfast menu items for you to try (and try again and again).  Hunker down and score breakfast on the cheap. 

And hey, if you are feeling guilty about sample after sample after sample, they are accepting $1 dollar donations to support thier “Operation Dough-Nation Community Breadbox” program with the funds going to local programs that address community needs.

press release

To celebrate the official opening of Five Guys Burgers and Fries at Skypoint (777 North Ashley Drive in downtown Tampa), they’re giving away a free burger, hot dog and fries (at that location) to anyone who befriends them on Facebook. Read the rest of this entry »

Orville Redenbacher is rolling out a new line of “Natural Gourmet” pop corn.  Click on the link below and after answering a couple of brief questions, in a few short weeks you can have some munchies to go with your next netflix selection.

free popcorn

Celebrate Barack Obama’s historic inauguration by getting free stuff! Ain’t America grand?

• Free copy of New Yorker inaugural issue for registering on the website
• Free Obama sticker from MoveOn.org
• Free Jack & Coke, button at TGI Fridays, plus more if you’re a member of the restaurant’s rewards program
• Taco Bell is apparently selling tacos at $.20 each (limit 10)
• Free donuts at Krispy Kreme
• Free makeup at department stores (Macy’s, Dillard’s, Nordstrom and a whole bunch more) as part of a class action lawsuit settlement

mmmm… cheeseburger…

The only thing better than a cheeseburger, is a FREE cheeseburger!  Champps Americana is giving away a free cheeseburger (or appetizer).  Details after the jump! Read the rest of this entry »

Krispy Kreme is honoring Obama’s Inauguration Day by offering a free doughnut of choice to every customer on January 20th. No purchase necessary and limit one per person. How sweet it is!

Store locator
Press release

Congratulations to the winners of our Shop Local + Shop Indie contest – Christina Hillenburg and Philip Benyola. They both won over $1000 in gift certificates to locally-owned and operated businesses, simply by pledging to spend $100 within the community (and not at big box retailers). See, it’s that easy.

For more contests, visit our CL Promotions page and click on Fun & Free Stuff. 

Listen to Christina win big!

Listen to Philip take it home!

Now this is what the holiday season is all about.

With everyone facing strained budgets, plunking down $60 or $70 bucks on a Christmas tree can seem unreasonable. So a local businessman, Rodney Taucher, is playing Santa and giving away trees tomorrow afternoon. Get the info after the jump:

Read the rest of this entry »

If your company is taking some budget hits to the chin this year, and the money is not there for a new desktop calendar, get a free one with a Florida plant-theme here.

I usually try to avoid the random free shit available on the Internet — much of it is rife with registration forms and hidden fees — but I found a bunch of offers that require little effort from you. And they make good stocking stuffers:

There’s a plethora of free 2009 calendars online from a children’s-themed Walden calendar for children to a Americans Helping Americans calendar perfect for grandparents.

For the raver in your family: Free glowsticks!

For the child geek: Gmail stickers!

For the vain child: a free photostamp for your Santa letter.

For the saltwater fisherman (or woman) in the family: One free issue of Saltwater Fishing Magazine.

Get a free movie from Redbox (those movie rental kiosks at Wal-Mart) by entering in these codes.

And finally, if your planning on taking the family out to an IMAX flick this month, print out this coupon for free popcorn.

National pizza chain Papa John’s is trying to buy our friendship — with free pizza. Continuing its online trend — they were the first national chain to offer online ordering — Papa Jon’s is offering a free medium cheese pizza to any Facebook user that adds the company as a fan.

From their release:

Beginning Monday, Nov. 17 – just ahead of Thanksgiving Eve, consistently one of the three busiest nights in the pizza industry – any Facebook user who becomes a “fan” of the official Papa John’s page will receive an online redemption code for a free medium pizza with any online pizza order.

“For our customers who already love Papa John’s, a free pizza is simply our way of saying thank you for their loyalty,” said Jim Ensign, Papa John’s vice president, marketing communications. “And for those people who aren’t as familiar with Papa John’s and our belief that better ingredients make a better pizza, we invite them to see – and taste – the difference with this special offer.”

I’m not one to pay to see a circus show. Too many ethical issues involved. But a free ticket? Perhaps — if I can sneak in my own popcorn.

The St. Pete Times forum is offering free tickets to an upcoming Ringling Brothers circus show if you bring them 10 non-perishable food items between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Friday. The tickets are for one of the eight January performances. The food benefits Metropolitan Ministries, a nonprofit that helps the poor and homeless. It’s kind of like helping disadvantaged people while watching disadvantaged animals. Depressing, but fun for the kids.

For more info, call 813-301-6500.

(h/t to TBO.com’s Janine Dorsey)

The Golden Corral buffet restaurant chain is offering a free meal to all current and former military men and women at their establishments nationwide tomorrow. “Military Appreciation Monday” runs from 5 to 9 p.m.

From their site:

The free “thank you” dinner is available to any person who has ever served in the United States Military. If you are a veteran, retired, currently serving, in the National Guard or Reserves, you are invited to participate in Golden Corral’s Military Appreciation Monday dinner.

Considering the quality of Golden Corral food, I’m not yet sure if this constitutes supporting the troops or siding with the terrorists, but, what the hell, it’s free.

Feeling the post-election blues? Wondering how you can support your (presidential) man after he already won? Don’t fret Obamaniac — Moveon.org is offering free “Yes we did!” stickers designed by Shepard Fairey, the same guy who designed the infamous “Hope” poster for Obama. Get them here.