Daily Loaf

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Tuesday, October 27: Snookers Grill
Champagne and Sushi. It seems like the words I’m reading are too good to be true, but unless my eyes are deceiving me, it appears that Snookers is offering unlimited — yes, like, all you could ever imbibe — champagne and chef-selected sushi. Those just happen to be two of my favorite delicacies, and though I admit to never having tried them together, it sounds like a damn fine idea. $15. 7-9 p.m., 606 N. Pinellas Ave., Tarpon Springs. (727-937-6665)

Wednesday, October 28: Splash! An Ocean Grill
Kennedy White House Wine Dinner. It’s no run-of-the-mill wine pairing, that’s for sure. Sommelier and foodie Perry Thomas dares you to test your tastebuds against the personal favorites of the Kennedy family, with a menu that includes: Clams Jaqueline, Little Neck clams stuffed with  pernod spinach and watercress, topped with asiago bread crumbs and oven roasted, paired with Chateau La Freynelle, Bordeaux Blanc, 2007; Homard en Bellevue, rock lobster medallions stuffed with a shrimp mousse and asparagus, served in a chilled lobster consommé with caviar-stuffed new potatoes, paired with Jadot, Pouilly Fuisse, 2007; Spring Lamb a la Broche aux Primeurs, lambsickles pan seared and glazed with a rosemary and garlic mint aspic, served with pan roasted thumbelina carrots and truffled fingerling pommes frites, paired with Chateau Bellevue Peycharneau, Bordeaux Superior, 2005; Salade Mimosa, fresh baby spring greens tossed in a light champagne-horseradish vinaigrette, garnished with sliced avocado, lump crab and chopped egg yolk, paired with Piper-Heidsieck 1785 Champagne; and Strawberries Romanoff, Plant City strawberries macerated in Grand Marnier topped with crème anglaise and chantilly cream, paired with Chateau Laribotte, Sauternes, 2003. Reservations required. $90. 7 p.m., 3973 Van Dyke Road, Tampa (813-269-8611)

Many more events after the break: Read the rest of this entry »

Every Tuesday night, Soft Rock Renegades (a DJ team made up of Cameron Correa and Jack Spatafora) bring hot jamz to Crowbar, spinning a range of weeknight kick-back music ranging from hip hop (The Roots, De La Soul, Dr. Dre, Beastie Boys, A Tribe Called Quest), to electronica (LCD Soundsystem, !!!, Thievery Corporation, Chemical Brothers, Animal Collective, Junior Boys), to old school rock (Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, The Kinks, The Rolling Stones, ZZ Top, David Bowie) to new school rock (The Sea and Cake, Radiohead, TV on the Radio, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Santigold) and more. For this week’s edition, SRR welcome Orlando experimental electro duo DiViNCi & Beef Wellington (pictured). This will be their last performance before Divinci hits the road with his fulltime group, Solillaquists of Sound, to promote their new album, ‘No More Heroes,’ out August 4. Tues., July 21, 10 p.m.-3 a.m., Crowbar, 1812 N. 17th St., Ybor City, free admission; $5 liters — Leilani Polk

Stageworks Theatre presents a staged reading of A Tennessee Walk, a quirky folk tale about a circus visiting a small town in Tennessee in 1916, and winner of the Longjohns Awards for outstanding Florida playwrights. Visit stageworkstheatre.org for more info. 7 p.m. Tues., July 21, Shimberg Playhouse, Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center, 1010 N. MacInnes Place, Tampa, $5, 813-251-8984.

SciCafe, a literary and scientific discussion group, hosts this chat about the “perks” and pitfalls of caffeine intake. Dr. Mark Eichenbaum leads the discussion. Enjoy free food, swag, trivia prizes and drink specials while expanding your horizons. 6-7:30 p.m. Tues., July 21, Red Mesa, 128 Third St. S., St. Petersburg.

Zurritos continues its domination of the Readers’ Poll, trouncing popular competitor Red Mesa by a score of 104 to 45. Zurritos advances to the Final Four and will compete against the Pinellas North winner next Tuesday.

Voting for the second match of the Edible Eight begins at 2 p.m. today — with Acapulco Grocery facing Mema’s Alaskan Tacos — and continues through the weekend, so be sure to support your favorite spot! For all results check out the Tournament of Tacos Readers’ Poll info page.

Updated bracket with all the matchups after the break:

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Zack Gross’ Zurritos has marshaled a huge fanbase for this tournament, while Red Mesa has suffered from rather tepid turnout. Can the long-standing St. Pete modern Mexican fixture beat the popular Zurritos?

Which taco deserves to move on to the Final Four?

Vote after the break –

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No contest here, either in flavor or popularity: Red Mesa takes the voting handily and moves on to the Edible Eight.

Don’t forget to vote in today’s match: Acapulco Grocery vs. Estela’s.

Considering the respectable voter turnout in Red Mesa’s first round contest — where its tacos garnered over 70 votes — compared the the tepid taco voting in Zapata’s contest, it seems the Mesa should have an easy time in this contest. As well it should, in my opinion, since the tacos at that St. Pete favorite are vastly more interesting than Zapata’s standard offering.

Still, this is a popularity contest. Who will get out the vote? Who deserves to move on to the Edible Eight?

Vote after the break –

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The first day of Tournament of Tacos competition saw some fierce competition, although the outcomes for both the readers’ polls and my critic’s picks could perhaps have been predicted. First seeded Red Mesa faced dark horse El Tenampa in Pinellas South, while first seed Acapulco Grocery faced unknown Florence La Mexicana in Tampa South.

Who advances to the Savory Sixteen? Which taco took the popular vote?

Find out after the break:

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Red Mesa is the one spot in the Bay area that serves Mexican cuisine with a little upscale style, while Tenampa is a classic combo-plate joint. But don’t judge a book by its cover — the best tacos in town can come from most low-down spot and fussy food doesn’t always equal success. So which taco deserves to move up to the Savory Sixteen?

I’ll reveal my pick tomorrow, but you still have a say. Vote below for your favorite in this taco-a-taco showdown and we’ll track the results in our readers’ poll. Who knows, maybe you guys have the refined taste and exceptional skill to match my critic’s picks. And if you haven’t tasted these two worthy competitors, this is a perfect excuse for an extended, taco-tasting lunch.

Check out all of CL’s Tournament of Tacos coverage here for both future matchups and daily results, until the tournament ends April 1.

So who wins: Red Mesa or El Tenampa Mexican? (And don’t forget to vote in today’s other matchup!)

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Check out the full Tournament of Tacos bracket after the break: Read the rest of this entry »