Daily Loaf

The classic dinner/movie pairing has long been the go-to option for newbie daters, film geeks and parents just looking for a break from the kids. We’ll set the winner of this auction up with dinner at The Belleair Grill and Wine Bar, downtown Clearwater’s home of new American favorites with a touch of of European influence. (Be sure to check out the wine list.) After dinner, head over to Beach Theatre on St. Pete Beach and check out a flick — Beach offers some of the best and most eclectic screenings in town. Where the night goes from there is up to you..

Estimated value: $70. Suggested opening bid: $10

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PassportToVacations.com is offering a three-day/two-night certificate for a hotel stay in over 300 North American destinations from San Francisco to St. Pete Beach, from Oregon to Orlando. You choose from among some of the top chains in the country, including Wyndham, Radisson, Clarion and lots more.

Estimated value: $400.

Current High Bid: $80.

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Welcome to On the Radar, where we preview up-and-coming arts events to mark your calendar for. Today’s edition is a classic foreign film from the Janus catalog.

Three years after the debut of his best known film, The 400 Blows, French director Francois Truffaut went on to create one of the most famous love triangles in cinematic history. The title characters of his 1962 film, Jules et Jim — screening next weekend in St. Pete Beach — are best friends (one German, one French), enjoying convivial bachelorhood just before World War I. When they meet the beguiling Catherine—played by Jeanne Moreau in the flush of youth—major relationship drama ensues. As Catherine alternates between romantic entanglements with the two men over subsequent decades, profound marital discontent, infidelity and the emotional tensions of childbearing all come in for Truffaut’s coolly intellectual and vaguely absurdist treatment. The screening is part of Beach Theatre’s summer Sunday Morning Classics series, a look at classic foreign films from the Janus catalogue recently re-mastered in high-definition; the series concludes next week with Brazilian tour de force Black Orpheus. Sun., Aug. 23, 11 a.m., Beach Theatre, 315 Corey Ave., St. Pete Beach, 727-360-6697, beachtheatre.com. – Megan Voeller

Clearwater features two of the Bay area’s finest chefs — Chris Ponte of Cafe Ponte and David Miller of Savant — while the beaches and islands have some incredible seafood spots. Which restaurant is the best of the bunch? That’s for you to decide. Scroll past the list to the poll and cast your vote!

(Check out next week’s food issue — Tampa Bay’s Top 50 Restaurants — for more detailed information on each restaurant. And don’t forget to vote in the four other regional top tens.)

ABC Seafood, 2705 54th Ave. N, St. Petersburg, 727-522-1888
Cabana Del Tio, 1709 Drew St., Clearwater, 727-466-0504
Café Ponte, 13505 Icot Blvd., Clearwater, 727-538-5768 or cafeponte.com
Caretta on the Gulf, 500 Mandalay Ave., Clearwater, 727-674-4171
Floridian, 4424 W. Kennedy Blvd., Tampa, 813-287-6662; 230 Treasure Island Causeway, Treasure Island, 727-367-6662; floridianrestaurant.com
Greektown Grille, 1230 Cleveland St., Clearwater, 727-230-6850 or greektown-grille.com
Guppy’s on the Beach, 1701 Gulf Blvd., Indian Rocks Beach, 727-593-2032 or 3bestchefs.com
Kelly’s For Just About Anything, 319 Main St., Dunedin, 727-736-5284 or kellyschicaboom.com
Maritana Grill, 3400 Gulf Blvd., St. Pete Beach, 727-360-1881
Savant Fine Dining, 2551 Drew St., Clearwater, 727-421-9975 or savantfinedining.com

VOTE AFTER THE BREAK! Read the rest of this entry »

The past few days saw some of the closest battles yet in the Tournament of Tacos, mostly among mid-seed spots desperate to show their worth and make it into the next round of the tourney.

Here were the matchups:
Taqueria Mi Mexico vs. Algusto
Zurritos vs. Agave
Sabor Latino vs. Maya’s
El Toro Negro vs. Los Mariachis

Is there a dark horse vying for the Final Four? Who advances to the Savory Sixteen? Which tacos took the popular vote?

Find out after the break:

Read the rest of this entry »

Zurritos is the brainchild of Beard Award nominee chef Zack Gross, who turned the spot into a quick burrito and taco joint after moving his Z Grille down the street and around the corner. Agave is a St. Pete Beach Mexican restaurant that’s more authentic than most, with regulars and tourists lining up outside the door even on weeknights for the food and killer tequila selection.

Check them out for yourself and vote now. 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. 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 past and future matchups, daily results, contact info for contenders and updated brackets.

So who wins: Zurritos or Agave? (And don’t forget to vote in today’s other matchup!)

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