Daily Loaf

According to beer judging guidelines, brown ales should be a celebration of sweet dark grain. English style browns exhibit a heavier, dominant malt character with very little hops presence, while American browns tend to balance malt and hops flavors, sometimes with a modest degree of citrusy bitterness. Alcohol content of both types is usually moderate, somewhere between 3% and 5% ABV.

Jackie Brown, a noteworthy brown ale from Mikkeller, defies categorization under both English and American style. This specialty beer takes the generic base style of brown ales, with the signature appearance, aroma, and mouthfeel and adds a mountain of nugget, simcoe, and centennial hops, resulting in a brown beer that’s bitter as hell. Read the rest of this entry »

Routes Music is a documentary film acting as a roving music census, taking in the true musical passions (and disgusts) of the American people. We’re traveling all across the country, stopping along the way to interview local bands, take footage of live performances and chat with anyone and everyone. Learn more about the documentary here; check out all previous entries here.

“Where eeez yer pipe?”

A 6’4 security guard towered over me, glaring.

“Where eeez yer pipe?” he repeated in a thick Islands accent.

“What?” I replied, not sure he really just asked me what I think he just asked me.

“Where eeez yer pipe?” he asked again.

“My what?” I said again, still shocked.

“Yer pipe. Yer pipe.”

Now he was aggravated. I’m enjoying feigning ignorance.

“I don’t know what you’re saying, man.”

The guard switches tactics.

“Drugs?”

I smile.

“No, no drugs.”

“OK, go ahead.”

So began my very first experience at an extended-day music festival, and only my second time ever seeing the seminal jam band, Phish. Luckily, the rest of the three-day fest at the Empire Polo Grounds in Indio, Calif. went smoother than my entry.

Read the rest of this entry »

It’s depressing to think that much of the music I grew up with and love is now considered classic rock. The name “classic rock” evokes an image of elderly rockers, banging out overplayed tunes that can often be heard in the aisles of the local Publix. I suppose I take it a bit personally because I don’t think of myself as old. But, as my daughter once pointed out, most old people don’t. It’s a disturbing trend that goes right along with the recent revelation that my first car, a 1975 Mustang, is now considered an antique and items from my childhood show up on Antiques Roadshow from time to time. Maybe, when I finally give in to old age, these things won’t affect me so much. But don’t expect that to happen any time soon.

Friday night’s triple bill at the Ford Amphitheatre featured REO Speedwagon, Styx and Nightranger, all of whom qualify for the classic rock moniker. Still, despite this branding, these three bands managed to convince thousands of people to hand over their hard-earned money in exchange for a few hours of music and fun. In these tough economic times, that have seen the cancellation of many big name tours, this feat is one that should not be dismissed as a fluke or written off as a trip down memory lane. This was an old fashioned rock show that had the crowd on their feet dancing and screaming all night long. Even the weather held out and offered comfortable temperatures and a cool breeze.

Read the rest of this entry »

When approaching any piece of media, it’s vital to engage the work on its own terms. What are the creators trying to accomplish? Do they have a specific audience in mind or message they’re trying to convey? How did they use the resources at their disposal?

So it would be unfair to judge the second Brady Bunch porn parody, Not The Brady’s XXX Marcia, Marcia, Marcia, on the quality of the acting, writing, or cinematography. It makes no claims to excellence or even competence in any of these areas (and a good thing, too). It’s a porn movie that parodies an already ridiculous, previously parodied TV show, The Brady Bunch. Its goals are to turn you on with hot, XXX sex and to make you laugh. Sadly, it doesn’t do a very good job at either. Read the rest of this entry »

The Dalmore is a classic name in Scotch — located way up in north Scotland, just past Inverness and the Highlands — but one that has received little credit here in the colonies over the past decade or so. With a change from Jim Beam to a new marketing company, and an alliance with big daddy Southern Wine and Spirits for distribution, The Dalmore is trying to change its image here in the States.

Which is why I found fully-kilted Richard Patterson — Master Blender of The Dalmore’s parent company Whyte & Mackay — in my office, pouring much of The Dalmore’s line. Although most Scotch distilleries try to maintain a “house style” that’s consistent through the years and across different varieties, this was different. Each pour opened up a whole new range of textures and flavors, with a few subtle notes tying the line together.

Here’s the rundown: Read the rest of this entry »

Avocado Café n’ Bakery
14941 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., Tampa, 813-631-9703‎
Hours: Mon.-Fri. 10 a.m-7 p.m., Sat. 9 a.m.-6 p.m.

As if Acropolis and Mr. Dunderbak’s weren’t big enough draws to this little North Tampa strip center, there’s also tasty Venezuelan fare at Avocado Café n’ Bakery. If you have ever tasted an arepa con queso at a local art festival and thought it was the best thing ever, you’ll love this place. There are seven arepa variations offered — all at $5.49 each or less — though you may need two of them. One of the best is the Pabellon arepa: mildly seasoned shredded beef, black beans and cheese on the white corn cake.

There’s also Read the rest of this entry »

Cafe Dufrain
3 stars
707 Harbour Post Drive, Tampa, 813-275-9701 or cafedufrain.com

One glance at Cafe Dufrain’s new menu — which is still evolving — and you can see where new chef Ferrell Alvarez has come from. Alvarez spent the last seven years next to Marty Blitz in the kitchens of Mise En Place, Chef de Cuisine in Tampa’s grande dame of modern American dining. He moved over the bridge to Harbour Island this summer to serve his own brand of cuisine in the casually elegant restaurant with expansive views across the water, at prices that are much more comfortable to the pocketbook than his former home.

I can recognize Blitz’s influence, though, just by reading Alvarez’s entree list, each entry topped by a bland protein — veal flank steak, Korean short ribs — followed by a procession of fabulous-sounding concoctions that always seem more interesting than the headliner. Polenta sandwich, duo of kimchi, “loaded” frites. Ordering becomes a gut-wrenching choice between groups of side dishes you don’t want to miss. Can I order several plates of accompaniments, hold the protein?

Those sides, which list ingredients and techniques that range from North African preserved lemon to the aforementioned kimchi, illustrate Alavarez’s excitement and vision. It’s modern food that flirts with trends without being trendy, unique enough to stand out in Tampa’s stifled dining scene, with a flair for gorgeous presentation on the table. All of that sets the bar rather high, however, for when you finally put fork to mouth. Read the rest of this entry »

Do not use the word inexpensive. It conveys entirely the wrong sentiment. Inexpensive is a word marketing gurus spout when selling low-end versions of high-end products. It’s a tool the wealthy use to determine socio-economic pecking order, to know when to sneer or raise an insouciant eyebrow, to peg poseurs striving for more than they can afford.

Inexpensive implies reduced quality.

Cheap, on the other hand, is a bargain. Getting something for less than it’s worth. The hallmark of value. And a prime criterion for students in search of dinner.

All three of these restaurants, scattered conveniently across the Bay area near local campuses, proudly serve flavorful, filling and — most importantly — cheap food. Nothing inexpensive about them.

Reviews after the break:

Ricky P’s Po Boys
3.5 stars
6521 4th St. N., St. Petersburg, 727-525-2023 or rickyps.com

Damn, if Ricky P’s Po’ Boys ($5.99-8.99) doesn’t just look the part. The tiny storefront on N. Fourth Street in St. Pete has barely enough parking to accommodate a lunch rush, a counter that’s so close to the front door you’ll likely be lining up outside, and just enough tables to tease you into thinking you’ll be able to eat your sandwich in comfort. It feels exquisitely cheap.

For a po’ boy joint, Ricky P’s has a fairly expansive selection of non-po’ sandwiches and hot dishes, including better than average gumbo based on a seriously expressive roux, beans and rice spiced by a prodigious amount of cayenne-infused andouille sausage, and the best jambalaya I’ve had in the Bay area. Maybe that’s not saying much, considering the lack of Big Easy eateries around town, but this moist, tomatoey rice would likely compete on equal footing with non-cheap options.

Ricky P’s sloppy roast beef is loaded with salty gravy that’ll soak the bun by the time you get your take-out home, like a Chicago beef dip that’s soaked from the inside out. Get it “ferdi”-style — with added ham and melted cheese — because, well, why not? The muffuletta is slathered in a damn fine spicy olive salad, the Cuban is typical and the cochon de lait — pulled pork topped by “cajun” slaw — is a backyard barbecue treat with almost enough juice to compete with the drippy beef sandwich.

Ricky P’s eponymous traditional po’ boys, although tasty, are actually the least exciting items on the menu. Stacked with lettuce and tomato and slathered in dressing, the fried shrimp or oysters are often cooked a little earlier to be ready for the lunch rush. When the seafood is fresh, hot and crunchy, the sandwiches are excellent. After a short rest in a steam tray, however, the sandwiches are merely good. Still cheap, though.

Tun-Du-Ree
3 stars
1506 W. Kennedy Blvd., Tampa, 813-251-2111 or tunduree.com

We originally wrote about Tun-Du-Ree ($3.99-7.99) several years ago, back when the little Indian take-out joint was still housed in a trailer in an empty lot near Interbay. Owner Bhava “Pat” Saravana spent a year looking for a permament spot, eventually finding one to his liking on Kennedy, between SoHo and Downtown. Gone was quaint and rustic in favor of Tun-Du-Ree’s new look: vibrant, well-designed and positively chain-like. The website even has a tab for “locations.” Plural.

The menu expanded as well, but on the whole the changes were more physical than culinary. Tun-Du-Ree’s food is still simple, tasty and cheap.

The restaurant’s heartier entrees — like vindaloo or korma — are stripped-down versions of what you’ll find at your neighborhood sit-down Indian spot, flavorful enough, but without the depth. Fast food.

You’re better off ordering the kinds of dishes that fast food joints do best, like Tun-Du-Ree’s deep-fried samosas, the dumplings covered in a crackling-crisp shell and stuffed with deeply spiced potatoes, or spinach and cheese. Parantha — a flatbread stuffed with lentils and griddled — is flaky and rich, with an immense amount of spicy heat that works wonders with bright mint sauces.

Tun-Du-Ree’s real bargains are the “snack” wraps loaded with seasoned and stewed chick peas, or the restaurant’s trademark roast chicken, stacked with fresh veggies and slathered in more of that mint sauce. Those are the kinds of sandwiches that’ll keep you from driving through the McD drive-through next door.

Jerk Hut
3 stars
207 E. Twiggs St., Tampa, 813-223-4473; 926 E. Fowler Ave., Tampa, 813-977-5777 or jerkhut.com

The Jerk Hut ($5.99-12.99) was always a hidden gem in Tampa’s downtown business district, a dark den of flavorful foods stocked with rickety furniture and colorful characters. Then, they moved their northern location — out by USF — to a big new spot. Suddenly, that Jerk Hut has a mojito bar. Sunday brunch. Regular live music in a festive party-atmosphere.

Thankfully, the food is the same cafeteria-style Jamaican stews and curries that still make the downtown location a non-secretive secret hang-out.

At both spots, jerk is a worthy choice, the Hut’s take on the classic spice rub uncompromisingly potent in both spice and herbaceous punch, conveyed by chicken that manages to be juicy and tender no matter how long it appears to have sat in a steam tray.

Venture away from the chicken and you’ll find luscious oxtail stewed slowly until the bones’ gelatin infuses the tender meat and veggies; curried goat coated in fragrant spices that temper the pungent meat; and stewed veggies that make you understand how Rastafarians can endure being vegetarian.

Although the $15 cover charge almost breaks the “cheap” barrier, the Sunday brunch at the Fowler location is still an incredible deal if you plan on hanging out and eating all that you can eat.

(Want to follow all of CL’s Food, Drink and Restaurant news? Bookmark the food section of the blog, add the CL Food RSS feed to your reader of choice, follow @BrianRies on Twitter, or check out the Food Section page multiple times daily.)

I’ve got mixed feelings writing this review, and not just because it means I have to figure out how to use umlauts. No, those mixed feelings are more primal, more basic than that – they are the painful discomfort associated with having something not live up to your expectations. And my expectations for Brütal Legend were as high as they get. Lead designer Tim Schafer made Psychonauts, my favorite game of the last console generation.

He’s been a consistently innovative, funny, and entertaining game developer with a unique sense of style. He always pushes the limits, always tries to give us something we haven’t seen before, and he does all those things with this game too. I firmly believe that reviewers should do everything they can to ignore their own expectations. Each game deserves to be taken on its own terms, judged according to what’s actually there, not what I wanted to be there. Judged on its own, Brütal Legend has all those Schafer hallmarks: an evocative, unique setting, a smart-yet-ridiculous sense of humor, and well-written, engaging characters. It’s also only kinda fun. Read the rest of this entry »

Alton Brown is an odd poster boy for the modern Food Network. His Good Eats cooking show, which debuted on the network in 1999, is quirky. Incredibly informative. Culinarily wonky, even. Not the kind of thing you’d expect from the sanitized, simplified, housewife-friendly cooking channel that counts Paula Deen, Rachael Ray and Giada DiLaurentis’ cleavage as its primary stars.

But, somehow, Brown has been able to carve out a home on the Food Network as the resident Mr. Wizard of food, perfect as the knowledgeable color-man on Iron Chef America, or whenever the honchos need to trot out someone with both credibility and charisma. Good Eats continues to garner solid ratings and the recently released Good Eats: The Early Years ($37.50), a collection of recipes spanning the first six seasons of the show, will likely be a holiday cookbook success.

Back in 2002, after three solid seasons of incredible recipes based on serious culinary and scientific principles, Read the rest of this entry »

I consider myself a fairly patient person, especially when it comes to service in restaurants. I, along with millions of others, toiled in commercial kitchens and dining rooms across the country, and certainly understand the often horrific treatment endured by smarmy scumbags masking as diners. But enough is enough. I must kvetch about wine service in restaurants. Wine is conceivably the most lucrative cash cow a server has at his/her disposal, yet so many abuse the privilege of potentially making 15 percent for simply opening and pouring a bottle. To futz this up is ludicrous.

My least favorite flubs: Read the rest of this entry »

Before judging their latest album The Resistance too harshly, I wanted to hear how Muse’s poppiest, most ambitious album to date would sound live. The Devon, England quartet (lately touring with a fourth member so frontman Matt Bellamy can focus on guitar and vocals, and not worry about keyboards anymore) wasted no time launching into the bass-driven protest anthem and current single, “Uprising.” (Video after the jump.)

Whenever I like the opening band more than the headliner, I worry about several factors. How long will they play? Will the sound be mixed right? If it’s an arena or stadium show, will there be video screens? In Muse’s case, I wondered if U2 would share their high-tech toys with the other children. In this respect, U2 and their the 360 Tour management deserve lots of credit. Muse sounded home stereo-clear and made liberal use of the giant videoscreen attached to U2’s “spaceship.” In fact, Muse sounded even better than U2 because Bono’s vocals were distorted throughout the entire evening.

The only other time Muse hit Tampa, they played eight songs over 45 minutes in an opening slot, never hitting any material written before their U.S. breakthrough, Absolution. U2 alotted Muse the same timeframe and Muse drew from their past three albums evenly, again eschewing their first two records. Read the rest of this entry »

Sierra Nevada 2009 Southern Hemisphere Fresh Hop Ale
6.7% ABV, 24-ounce bottle

Sierra Nevada has always been the safety date for craft brew lovers, when they’re forced by circumstance to buy beer at grocery and liquor stores with limited selections. Partly, that’s due to this brewery’s amazing success at penetrating the market — it’s ubiquitous at almost any retailer that branches out even a little from American mega-brews. Partly, that’s because Sierra Nevada has been able to maintain craft-brew style throughout its 29 years of business, even as the brewery’s production has risen over 800,000 barrels per year.

The Southern Hemisphere Harvest Fresh Hop Ale represents both Sierra Nevada’s small-batch quality and its ability to market a schtick. The brewery has been making fresh hop beers for over a decade, shipping in newly-picked flowers from Washington State every fall that haven’t been dried or pelletized like much of the hops used for beer. Theoretically, that means more pronounced floral and drying notes from the fresh oils and resins, resulting in an annual ale that’s bright and bitter and distinctly seasonal. Turns out, once a year isn’t enough.

In 2008, Sierra Nevada expanded its fresh hop line to the spring, sourcing the powerful buds from South American growers (with their opposite growing season) to produce a brother for fall’s fresh beer. With the brewery a few weeks away from releasing the latest domestic version, it seemed time to put a cap on the Southern Hemisphere variety. Or, well, pop a cap, I guess. Read the rest of this entry »

Pedigree:

Beecher’s began in 2002, less like a farmhouse start-up than the cheesemaking equivalent of a brew pub. Owner Kurt Beecher Dammeier took over a space in the popular Pike Place Market in Seattle, complete with a fully exposed cheese kitchen and cafe. Now, using local milk from herds around Seattle, Beecher’s has racked up a wide array of national and international awards for its cheeses.

Beecher’s Flagship is stored covered, in 40-pound blocks, but every year some of the curds are set aside to make 18-pound reserve “truckles” (small wheels), which are aged in open air and develop a natural mold rind. Although almost identical to cheddar, the Flagship has an added culture (often used in Gruyere and Emmental cheeses) that diminishes bright acidity and accents richness.

Taste:

The first taste of Beecher’s Flagship Reserve is a slap in the face for all those pounds of supermarket cheese you’ve bought over the course of your life, a multitude of flavors and textures assaulting your senses. Read the rest of this entry »

Marrakech Restaurant
2.5 stars
2402 S. MacDill Ave., Tampa, 813-258-9100

Philippe and Nassira Coriou, husband and wife owners of Marrakech Restaurant in Tampa, come from separate continents, across the Mediterranean Sea. She’s Moroccan, he’s French, two nationalities that have an entwined history apparent to anyone who’s seen Casablanca. And, although Philippe is a classically trained French chef, the menu at Marrakech is almost entirely devoted to the cuisine of his wife’s homeland.

That means rich dishes that blend sweet and savory on the same plate, often using dried fruit like prunes, aromatic spices like cinnamon and less common ingredients like preserved lemon. Entrees are divided between humble couscous topped with rich meats and stewed vegetables; elegant pastry pockets called pastilla, stuffed with vegetables, chicken or seafood; and an array of dishes served in the impressive, portable clay ovens called tagine.

And, like Tampa’s recent flirtation with Ethiopian food at Queen of Sheba and the defunct Abol Bunna, it’s traditional. Perhaps too traditional. Read the rest of this entry »

Pedigree:
Ubriaco — Italian for drunken — originated in the Veneto, when wine and must (the crushed grape leavings after juice has been drained out for wine) from local wineries was an easier and cheaper way to preserve cheeses. This particular version of the cow’s milk cheese is soaked in must and wine from local moscato production for few days and then aged for around 8 months, giving the previously soft cheese a firmer texture and a golden rind flecked with dried grape skins.

Taste:
This ubriaco starts with a surprisingly sharp bite that immediately mellows into a tropical sweetness that tastes markedly of pineapple. Near the rind, the intensity of that fragrant fruit is almost overwhelming, while the center of slices from a wheel of Ubriaco al Moscato Read the rest of this entry »

400 Beach Seafood and Tap House
3 stars
400 Beach Dr., St. Petersburg, 727-896-2400

An estimated 2,000 people reportedly showed up for the opening celebration at 400 Beach, suggesting that this new restaurant on Beach Drive in St. Pete was destined to become a hip, upscale mecca for movers and shakers, not for the hoi polloi. But the latest project of Parkshore Grill’s Steve Westphal — housed in a bayfront spot briefly infamous as the aborted home of a restaurant from lying Food Network chef Robert Irvine — isn’t that kind of place. A few weeks after the opening, on a typical weekday night, there are young kids bouncing in booths, strollers parked next to outdoor tables, and a wide gamut of St. Pete residents drinking beer and downing fish in a spot that is suprisingly more mid-range than chic.

The biggest surprise is the price: dinner entrees range from $12 to $30 with most firmly in the mid-teens. When it comes to the decor and the drinks, the surprises are a tad less happy. Read the rest of this entry »

Video games allow us to simulate amazing feats and experience what it’s like to possess superhuman abilities, or to put it another way – to act like superheroes. Even games like Halo or Call of Duty owe as much to the super-heroic experience as they do to modern warfare. In real life, you can’t just shrug off a burst a machine gun fire by hiding behind a rock for five seconds. That’s a bona fide, Wolverine-style super power. It’s off then that there have been so many bad superhero games over the years. But we’re in a new golden age of such games, and if you read my Batman: Arkham Asylum review then you know it’s possible to make a superhero game that perfectly captures that comic book experience. Batman focused all its efforts on simulating one particular hero. The new Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 takes the opposite approach, offering a whole comic book universe of heroes to choose from in an attempt to recreate the world of Marvel Comics in one giant epic tale.

Ultimate Alliance’s story is drawn straight from two recent cross-over events in Marvel Comics – the Secret War and The Civil War. The Civil War in particular strove to achieve some really interesting political and social relevance with the legal and moral issues facing superheroes mirroring real world debates about freedom vs. security in the age of terror. With Marvel’s heroes split into two camps – Pro-Government led by Iron-Man and Pro-Freedom led by Captain America – the high drama of brother against brother that only comes from a civil war played out in dark, dramatic fashion across the pages of dozens of different comic book titles. This game offers a pretty close (but not by any means exact) version of that story, leaving it to the players as to which side they will support. And of course since it’s a video game, you can always go back and play it again from the other side. Read the rest of this entry »

Recently, craft and macro-brewers alike have seized upon a formula that’s worked for the greeting card industry and the Food Network for years now: holiday-themed product. It’s an easy sell for Hallmark and its ilk, and televised cooking shows have made a good go of showcasing cooking focused more on big holidays than seasonal ingredients. But beer? Shoehorning iconic flavors into brews — available for a limited time only! — seems more of a stretch.

Which brings us to the spate of pumpkin ales hitting the market right about … now. There are dozens available, with flavors derived from fresh pumpkin, pumpkin puree or the usual formula of scientifically-derived pumpkin essence. And, as usual, the better the ingredient, the better the beer.

Post Road Pumpkin Ale — from the exciting Brooklyn Brewery — and Wolaver’s Will Stevens’ Pumpkin Ale both go the all-natural route, using whole pumpkins blended directly into the mash. Read the rest of this entry »

Nola Cafe
2 Stars
301 W. Platt St., Tampa, 813-258-8778 or nolacafe.com
(See all recent restaurant reviews.)

You can see Nola Cafe from the Crosstown Expressway, if you’re looking at the right spot, but finding it while cruising down Platt is tough unless you happen to see the rustic, handpainted signs promising “Po’ Boys!” and “Jambalaya!” The little cafe is hidden in an awkward strip mall facing the pharmacy drive-through of a Walgreens, tucked into the back, the kind of spot you hear about and track down. In the Bay area, New Orleans cuisine is like that — rare, almost secret, with little of the fanfare that sprang up a few years ago after Katrina.

In unfortunate good timing, Nola opened a year before the hurricane devastated owner Louis Robert Jr.’s Louisiana home town. After the storm, the restaurant easily turned into a hub for New Orleans expats and well-wishers who wanted to eat and talk their way through the tragedy. It has the right vibe for that, with a newsstand tucked into a former closet, well-worn furniture and jazz standards playing through the speakers. Robert works his way through the closely arranged tables, talking up his restaurant’s inspiration and letting “le bon temps rouler.” With his help, Nola feels like the Morning Call Coffee Stand that was the restaurant’s New Orleans inspiration.

The food, however, is a much paler homage to New Orleans. Read the rest of this entry »

In a way, The Fine Print (A Collection Of Oddities and Rarities 2003-2008), perfectly encompasses the “duality” the Drive-By Truckers have made a career of writing about. On one hand, it’s the best album they’ve released in years. On the other, the bulk was recorded years ago. The Fine Print features that classic sound DBT fans grew to love. But most of the album is played by a lineup long gone. That said, The Fine Print is also the last album DBT was required to produce for New West Records, a label the band had grown increasingly un-infatuated with over the years. Its release finally enables DBT to move forward on their own label, Ruth Street Records.

The Fine Print is largely culled from sessions that gave birth to DBT’s 2004 album, The Dirty South. None of the tracks are especially new to any DBT enthusiast — two are by ex-Trucker Jason Isbell and surprisingly none are Shonna-fronted. (I say “surprisingly” because she’s currently a “singer” in the band.) Read the rest of this entry »

This summer, Depeche Mode and Aerosmith shared more in common than either the bands or their fans would probably care to admit. Both penciled in stops at the Ford Amphitheatre and were among the most anticipated big shows of the Bay area’s 2009 concert season. Both bands hit some pretty serious snags on the road. But where Aerosmith was de-railed by careless stage antics, Depeche Mode soldiered through throat problems, torn leg muscles, and even a malignant bladder tumor! This summer, the balls clearly belonged to the morose. (All photos by Tanya Taylor.)

A mostly-full Ford Amp cheered and sang along with Depeche Mode and a healthy, active Dave Gahan for nearly two hours this past Friday night. While the show didn’t offer the same people-watchers’ paradise as Slayer and Marilyn Manson did, there was a nonetheless interesting assortment of young hipsters, old DNA veterans clad in black vinyl, younger Castle-goers dressed similarly, and middle-aged women in mom-jeans who only wanted to hear the Violator singles.

I thought, however, the most interesting moment of the evening — the one that says the most about our music culture — came during the openers: Swedish trio Peter Bjorn and John. Read the rest of this entry »

Mixed martial arts (MMA) fans In Tampa enjoyed an action-packed nine-bout fight card hosted by the Xtreme Fighting Chamionships (XFC) at the St.Pete Times Forum on Saturday. In the main event of the evening, Pablo Alfonso was crowned as the new XFC Bantamweight Champion after a four-round war against defending champion Jason Goodall. War Machine defeated Mikey Gomez in the co-main event of the  XFC Evolution bouts. Read the rest of this entry »

System: YooStar

MSRP: $169.99

Launch Date(s):

Available at Bloomingdale's on 8/24/09

Available at Best Buy on 9/8/09

If you haven’t said it before, you know someone who has: “I could’ve made that movie!” “I could’ve played that part better!” Some movie industry veterans got together to give you the chance to star in famous film scenes and see if you can do a better job. Film geeks, meet Yoostar. Read the rest of this entry »

I reviewed the new Queenshead Eurobar — essentially more a gastropub than a bar, Euro or otherwise — yesterday, and liked the place quite a bit, thanks to food from chef Chris Greer and gregarious owners Paul Smith and Darren Conner. It’s a great addition to the Grand Central district with a distinctly neighborhood vibe to the clientele, although the place is good enough to become a destination for other St. Pete residents.

Here’s a more expansive look at the new place, and its food, thanks to photographer jamesostrand.com and amateur videographer David Warner:

Queenshead is housed in a '50s era gas station, which means covered seating in the former home of the pumps.

Read the rest of this entry »

Queenshead Eurobar
3.5 stars
2501 Central Ave., St. Petersburg, 727-498-8584
Photos by JamesOstrand.com. Also check out our photo and video montage of Queenshead.

How lightly do I have to tread in this review? For a straight writer, reviewing a largely gay bar and restaurant owned by two gay men — called Queenshead, for God’s sake — is tough to do without resorting to stereotypes and puns. Thankfully, the food is good enough — and the scene inclusive enough — to make all that filler moot.

The owners are British ex-pats Paul Smith and Darren Conner. Conner has experience working in the restaurant and bar scene across the world, from England to Cambodia, while Smith has a past life as an art director for tabloids like the National Enquirer and The Daily Mirror. Queenshead’s menu is more straightforward than either of those former careers might indicate.

It’s largely British gastropub fare peppered by American fine-dining influence, with dishes that range from seared scallops with brussels sprouts and bacon to chicken curry with a corn fritter. And, considering that many people will see Queenshead as more of a bar and scene spot, much of the food is better than expected. Props to chef Chris Greer, who worked under Domenica Macchia last year at MJ’s. Read the rest of this entry »

Eleanor Friedberger of the Fiery Furnaces; all photos by Phil Bardi.

To satisfy the ravenous music-consuming beast inside me, I end up making the 90-minute trek to Orlando rather frequently. Far too many bands don’t or won’t stop in Tampa for whatever reason and some of these bands I simply have to see.

Yes, the Fiery Furnaces were headlining a show in Tampa on Saturday night. But they were also playing The Social in Orlando the Sunday after (August 23), and that particular bill featured the White Rabbits. I’m a big fan of both, so it seemed like a no brainer to set up review coverage for the O-town show. I made all the proper press arrangements with Thrill Jockey (the indie label that reps FF), jumped in a car with some like-minded friends, and set out to enjoy a night of great music and fun times.

Only, the night didn’t start out so fun. In fact, I had to deal with some authentic, grade-A machismo bullshit that has turned this concert review into a partial rant against the “Man In Charge” at The Social. Read the rest of this entry »

Saturday evening at Ruth Eckerd Hall, legendary folk rock trio Crosby, Still and Nash took the stage to a standing ovation and I was able to snap photos of the first few songs. They opened the sold-out show with “Helplessly Hoping,” a track from their 1969 debut, Crosby, Stills and Nash, and followed it with the classic sing-along, “Teach Your Children from 1970’s Déjà Vu, which was originally recorded with Neil Young and featured Jerry Garcia on pedal steel.

Stephen Stills, Graham Nash and David Crosby are CSN.
(More pictures after the jump) Read the rest of this entry »

Back before it was the Wii, Nintendo had code-named its new console The Revolution, and when the best selling console of this generation did come out a few years back, its motion controlled game play was indeed revolutionary. Like so many revolutions, it didn’t quite live up to its original promise.

Take the original Wii Sports, which came bundled with the system and offered a whole new experience – tennis, golf, baseball, bowling, and boxing that all felt somewhat, or even a lot like the real thing. You couldn’t help but smile a big, delighted grin the first time you tried it. But then came almost everything else for the damn Wii. Shovels full of middling to poor games, just a few bright gems (mostly from Nintendo) trying to shine from the towering dung heap of third-party cash-ins and motion-gimmick nonsense. My Wii, like that of many gamers, sat lonely and empty and un-played.

But those big, goofy grins are back baby! Read the rest of this entry »

Electronica, ’80s pop, hip-hop, traditional Japanese music, jazz, salsa — Sweden’s Little Dragon draws from this mishmash of influences to create their own uniquely individual sound.

The foursome’s self-titled debut garnered them much praise and attention, and their follow-up, Machine Dreams (Peacefrog Records), is sure to extend their reach even further. A Japanese lead singer from Sweden singing in English? Can’t get much more globe-spanning than that.

Machine Dreams is a great model of how an album should be put together: an equal blend of upbeat and chill numbers that spotlight the band’s most worthy assets. In Little Dragon’s case, those assets are strange but memorable melodies and singer Yukimi Nagano’s soft yet arresting voice. She never sings far above a whisper, but it forces you stop what you’re doing and devote some attention to her music. Read the rest of this entry »

The GammaTesting.com guys dive deep into this ’90’s-era, comic-inspired, morally-devoid, open-world, super-dude action game and revel in the freedom of movement and wide range of epic combat options. Of course, no amount of car-throwing, copter-jacking or disease-tendrilizing can overcome brutal and blatantly manipulative boss fights, like the final one in Prototype.

Still, epic is good. Listen up! (Then check out all the other Gamma Testing episodes.)

Gamma Testing Podcast Ep15: Prototype

Jackson Street Bistro
2.5 stars
401 E. Jackson St., Tampa, 813-412-5777

People have long lamented downtown Tampa’s forlorn nighttime dining scene, but now that dinner is on a comeback thanks to places like Rawbar, what’s next for urban dining? Jackson Street Bistro — a new spot recently opened in the SunTrust building by the owners of East Lake Cafe in Palm Harbor — might hold the answer.

Although casual downtown restaurant options have been on the rise over the past few years, there are few spots for a classy breakfast or lunch unless you want to head to a hotel. That may explain the sort of shocked surprise on my face the first time I stepped into Jackson Street Bistro. I expected a simple salad-and-sandwich cafe and found a place that was chic enough to be fine-dining, with a long bar, floor-to-ceiling windows and a nice outdoor courtyard. It was loud, the kitchen was in the weeds, and the servers were scrambling to stay ahead of the tide of people that mobbed the place. On a Tuesday. At noon.

One of the reasons for the crowd might be Read the rest of this entry »

Can a game succeed solely because of pop-culture fandom? Thankfully, Ghostbusters manages to capture enough ghost-wranglin’ gameplay that we don’t have to answer that question. We love the plot, find some fault with the repetitive — occasionally brutal — gameplay, and appreciate the light hand with Ghostbusters 2 fan service.

So, does bustin’ make the GammaTesting.com guys feel good? Sure. Good, but not great.

Listen up! (Then check out all the other Gamma Testing episodes.)

Gamma Testing Podcast Ep14: Ghostbusters

Wood Fired Pizza Wine Bar
4 stars
2822 E. Bearss Ave., Tampa, 813-341-2900

It’s tough to maintain a passion for food when confronted with the daily grind of running a restaurant. But some people manage to maintain the joy that comes with working in something as artistic, useful and necessary as food, even amidst the nagging details of the business. Usually, that passion is reflected in what comes out of the kitchen.

You can taste it in every pie served at the new Wood Fired Pizza Wine Bar in northeast Tampa. Owner and pizza-maker Peter Taylor has a stock phrase to sum up his goal in starting the small shop: “I’m monetizing my passion.” Read the rest of this entry »

I’ve expressed my disdain — if not actual dislike — for flavored drinks, and for vodka in general, so perhaps I’m not the ideal person to review this newish flavor from Finnish liquor company Finlandia. Or maybe my love for the hearty Fins and the frozen tundra they call home will counteract those ill feelings towards anything as silly and inappropriate as cramming aromatic nonsense into bland ethyl alcohol.

Oh, um, perhaps I betrayed my feelings there. It’s just difficult to have sympathy for any nation that can concoct a flavor as profoundly odd as the one that wafts from a glass of Finlandia Tangerine Fusion. The first whiff comes across as an orange scratch-and-sniff circa 1985, the kind of concentrated faux-citrus flavor that seems more appropriate, these days, for infomercial cleaning solutions or truck stop air fresheners.

But wait, Finlandia uses only natural flavors in its Tangerine Fusion. Of course, when they say natural flavors they’re likely talking about atoms stripped from plants and recombined by chemists in a lab, not a few pounds of tangerine run through a food processor.

With the first sip of the vodka, I immediately peg the flavor thanks to a long childhood of aches and pains: Read the rest of this entry »