Daily Loaf

Forget going to the overcrowded malls this year, fighting your way through throngs of other frantic holiday shoppers. Why buy the same overpriced, over commercialized gifts that everyone else will be putting under their trees? Go green this year with your gift giving – not only giving to someone else, but giving back to the Earth.

Check out some of these standout items from these eco-friendly purveyors that will surely make quite an impression on all of the recipients on your list.
Read the rest of this entry »

“Hi Dream Momma, I’m a female and live in St. Pete. I’ve been reading your dream stuff.  I need to know why I’m dreaming of fighting and defeating vampires all the time. I think it has something to do with my relationship but not sure. After waking up from these dreams I’m really tired. Please shed some light on the situation.” (sic)

Dream Momma suspects you are right. Relationships can be draining, especially if you’re involved with an emotional bloodsucker.  Ask yourself the following questions and if even one answer is “Yes” get a silver bullet or a sprig of garlic and wear one of them around your neck (and your waist). Read the rest of this entry »

“Dream Momma, I am starting to dream about you! In my dream I was going to a place, near a lake, to receive three awards.  You were there.  I asked you if you were waiting for me and you replied you were.  I went to pick up the three awards but the only one that I was interested in was broken. A silver strip had come undone and the prize was missing parts of it.  It was in the shape of a shadowbox filled with jet-black small stones, like aquarium gravel.  In the middle of the shadowbox were two dark female figures highlighted in silver.  Some of the stones had leaked out the back of the prize and I was upset by that.   Suddenly I had a Milky Way candy bar and a red leather purse in my hand.  I accidentally dropped them as I was approaching you and had trouble picking them up.  You said let’s eat here by the water. The place seemed like it was in a foreign land but we both agreed it was not.  I had this dream early in the morning after I read last week that you were presenting at the Positive Aging Conference.” (sic)

Dream Momma is flattered that she has entered your unconscious as a symbol of sorts.  Read the rest of this entry »

This elegant St. Pete salon is offering a very pretty deal for the CL holiday auction: a cut and color by master stylist Frank Prescott. Whether you want a subtle shift or a total transformation, Frank can work wonders; check out the before-and-after photos at the salon’s website, www.number9salon.com.

Estimated value: $200

This auction item closes Monday, Dec. 14 @ 1:30 p.m. EST.

Final bid: $110.99

Bidding for this item is closed.

Have you ever wondered what Williams Park would look like if it were actually green space?

You’re in for some exciting news. According to a report by the Transportation and Parking Department, presented on November 10th at a public meeting at the Sunshine Center, the City of St. Petersburg has hired the private firm PB Americas, Inc. to work with PSTA and conduct a study of the downtown area between Tampa Bay and 5th Ave N, and 6th St and I-275. The study will determine a new location for St. Petersburg’s most congested bus transfer center. Read the rest of this entry »

Poor Pete Yorn. He deserves a fate better than the hand he was dealt last Thursday night at Push Ultra Lounge, a hip downtown St. Pete nightclub. The New Jersey native has built quite a name for himself since the release of his excellent 2001 debut, Musicforthemorningafter. He’s slowly but steadily racked up a solid fanbase thanks to his consistent string of impressive albums, appearances on a slew of film soundtracks and constant touring. Adding to his notoriety is his latest effort, a critically-acclaimed album of duets with actress/singer Scarlett Johansson entitled, Break Up. For all his glowing achievements, all Pete Yorn got from the trendy St. Petersburg crowd was noise. A lot of it. And I don’t mean the between-song noise associated with appreciation and adoration for each number performed. I mean that devil-may-care, incessant conversation type of noise. And damn, was it annoying. [Photo by James Ostrand.]

While I’m no prude and no stranger to the trappings that come with a bar show, I certainly wasn’t prepared for the complete and utter lack of respect and interest in Yorn’s performance. It seemed as if paying attention to him was the last priority of most of the attendees. Talking, to each other and on cell phones, texting, taking photos of each another — activities that most were fully immersed in for the bulk of the night.  My friend Kim put the evening’s ridiculous scenario into perfect pop-culture perspective. She said it felt like we were in a nightclub scene from a Melrose Place episode, hanging out, talking and looking cool while some nameless, faceless, innocuous singer was on stage plugging away. The difference was, of course, that some of us who were jammed into the club were actually there to see (and to TRY to hear) Pete Yorn. And boy, did we try. Read the rest of this entry »

The Table Restaurant in St. Pete, which has flirted with two new names recently — The Place and St. Pete Brasserie — as well as different culinary themes, will begin serving its French-inspired menu this weekend, according to GM Andrew Wilkins. Almost all the prices, excepting a ribeye and bigger portions of lamb and filet mignon, are decidedly under $16. Wilkins is also planning to offer a free cocktail with the purchase of an entree, as well as a 4-course prix fixe menu from 5-7 p.m. for $19.

The menu lists the name of the restaurant as The Table Brasserie, so that back-and-forth saga is obviously still ongoing. Wilkins says that his funding still hasn’t come through, so he’s just moving ahead with the changes he can make in the short term. Hence, the new menu. Check it out.

Full menu after the break (be aware that details may change before this weekend): Read the rest of this entry »

Welcome to On the Radar, where we preview up-and-coming arts events to mark your calendar for. We don’t need special incentives for a scenic stroll through the hills of St. Pete’s Historic Roser Park, but this weekend there’s even more reason to check out the bungalows, brick-lined streets and moss-draped, overgrown oaks that shade the roads: the Historic Roser Park Art Festival brings together more than 70 artists from all over the country who shut down the streets with their displays of paintings, pottery, jewelry, sculpture, photography and craftwork. Read the rest of this entry »

“Dream Momma, A reoccurring dream I had as a child was that I was riding in a van (sitting on the floor) with Punky Brewster and the black guy on the
 show. It was a hula-hoop van, don’t ask. We stopped at this bank, and the driver tried to catch me with a hula-hoop as I got out, he was trying to keep me from going and stopping a crime. Punky and dude and I went and hid behind a bush, and these three bank robbers were walking from the bank all pink panther like. Their faces were like those you see on neighborhood crime watch signs. Then I woke up.” (sic)

Hmmm. Dream Momma will help you. Vans, unlike let’s say, a sports car, are symbols of two things. One is work and the other is a group of people. Sitting on the floor of a van indicates your status in the family or at work. Perhaps you were the youngest or in now-time at work, the newest hire.

For other readers out there, if, in a dream, you are in a car, pay attention to the type of car. Read the rest of this entry »

“Well, I’ll start of with the basics you’ll need to know to understand how this is so confusing to me. All my life i’ve constantly been told by girls “i only like you as a friend” There this girl in real life who i really like, but we’re just friends, best friends to be exact, and i’m totally fine with that. In fact, i am great with it because relationships often die out but friendships don’t. She is in my dreams almost every night, but last night, “she was in my dream but only in the background a couple of times and we spoke a little bit. The strangest part is now, there was this girl in my dream (who i don’t know in real life, she was obviously made up in my dreamland) who is completely not my type in looks and personality. But for some reason i started to like her, a lot, and just as i was getting the courage up to ask her on a date, she makes it very clear that we’re just friends. Not only that, but one of my childhood friends who i am still currently friends with also liked her but she also only liked him as a friend too, but i was willing to go behind his back to go on a date with the girl who we both liked (and i wouldn’t do that in real life, i’m not that kind of guy)” (sic)

Dream Momma likes this dream because it is such a good example of the sexual shadow at work. Read the rest of this entry »

11:11, Let There Be Light, Art, Sound This sneak peek of the exhibit (which officially opens Nov. 11) includes live music, artworks from local artists, a drum atrium and a costume contest on Halloween night. Visit studio620.org for more info. Oct. 27-31, noon-4 p.m. Tues.-Sat., reception 7 p.m. Sat., The Studio@620, St. Petersburg, free.

Ghost Ship Spooktacular Under the bay, there be monsters…and a few of them have surfaced for this scary fun tour of the decades-old “haunted” ship. Visit the galley, mess hall, hospital, and radio room, where ghouls, freaks and zombies lurk around every corner. Search for ghosts with the Florida Paranormal Research Group and the White Noise Paranormal Network, and visit the Demon Den Deck for a brew if your nerves get a bit jangled. The kid’s tour is a mite less macabre; bob for apples, play monster musical chairs, run in an eyeball relay race and compete in the costume contest. Visit americanvictory.org for more info. Oct. 29-31, Ghost Ship 7:30-11:30 p.m. Thurs.-Sat.; Kid’s Spooktacular 2-4 p.m. Sat., American Victory Ship and Museum, Tampa, Ghost ship, $20; Kid’s Spooktacular, $10 adults, $5 kids 4-12.

Hit the break for more on Guavaween, graveyard walks, haunted houses, weird art and more, and check back as we add to the list of spooky spectacles. Read the rest of this entry »

Gratzzi’s not dead yet! CineBistro ups the ante on beer and fries theaters! The Table will not be The Spot, or will it? Primi changes owners, but not much else!

Read on for all the details!

Gratzzi closed up shop in Baywatch a few weeks back, right around the same time that Pacific Wave closed on the other side of Downtown St. Pete. For Pacific Wave, the closure was about revenue, and the economy, and being tired of struggling in an industry that’s tough in the best of times. For Gratzzi, though, it was more about the fact that Baywalk is on life-support, with relatives eager to pull the plug and divide its meager posessions. Don’t count Gratzzi out. The Italian restaurant is planning to re-open in the former home of Pacific Wave before the end of the year, if things go well. Owner Domenic D’Angelo will scale back his upscale menu to concentrate on homier dishes that cater to diners’ reduced budgets, with the smaller space a better match for the more casual fare. Read the rest of this entry »

“Hello Dream Momma!

I saw your video from the St. Petersburg short film festival on http://www.roblimo.com/ and a dream that I had in the wee hours of Saturday came to mind. I was starting a job at a company I worked for 25 years ago, and only one person was still there (she would be close to 70 now and I haven’t had any contact with her in probably 20+ years). A gentleman in a suit, carrying a large bouquet of flowers (fall colors, I remember distinctly with no roses) had a single red rose in his other hand, which he gave to me and said welcome back. I knew this person wasn’t an employee, however I did thank him and call him by his name…Morley Safer. “Thank you, Morley!”

I normally don’t have dreams stick in my mind but this one was way far out there to say the least. Any clues as to what it might mean?” (sic)

I sure do! It’s a wonderful, affirming dream. Your unconscious, via your dream guide, is 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.)

This is Dexter, a handsome young pup who currently resides at the SPCA.

Next Saturday, October 24th, brings us the 19th annual Pet Walk hosted by the SPCA Tampa Bay. The one-mile walk starts at 9 a.m. at beautiful North Shore Park in downtown St. Pete.

The registration fee is just $10, and includes a bandanna for your furry friend. Other fun features include an adoptable pet parade, K-9 obedience and agility demos, a doggie spa area, fly ball, and a pet Howl-O-Ween Costume Contest (The only catch: you must raise at least $100 for your pet to be eligible to enter.)

And don’t think this event just caters to your pet! There is also plenty of food and vendors for the humans, face painting for the kids, and a photo op for you and your pet in the pumpkin patch! Read the rest of this entry »

If you’re interested in clean energy solutions, climate change, and the environment, be sure to attend the Repower America event tonight in St. Petersburg:
Read the rest of this entry »

WineBurgers
3 stars
1110 Pinellas Bayway, Tierra Verde, 727-865-0633 or wineburgers.com

If you want to eat out on Tierra Verde, there’s just one place to go. Smack dab in the middle of the island, right on the Pinellas Bayway, is downtown Verde, a strip mall and a half of restaurants that run the gamut from Chinese take-out to German schnitzel. And tucked into a hidden corner on the second floor of one of the buildings, next to a realtor and a spa, is WineBurgers.

It used to be Crazy Conch, a typical island-fine-dining spot most well-known (to me, anyway) for crab cakes good enough to win a Best of the Bay Award back in ‘08. Earlier this year, owners Michael Peel and Sally Herb closed down their seven-year old restaurant, rebranded, refocused and re-opened as WineBurgers.

It’s a simple concept — take hamburger standards, mix with great ingredients, execute well and serve with a wide variety of adult beverages. The formula has worked well over in Tampa at Square One, and has been all the rage in big cities for well over a decade. And WineBurgers has the basics of the concept down pat. Read the rest of this entry »

“I live in St. Petersburg, in my dream i was sleeping and i suddenly wake up and look out  the window. my ex boyfriend is sitting with a girl next to a pool. all i could see is the back of my head and my ex and the new girl. my ex looks up and gives me the goofiest smile and starts waving, i give him the finger. next thing i know he’s climbing up the side of my house, and i help him climb through the window and into my room. he stands on my bed and he starts talking to me. next thing my dream switches to me in a room with my mom and i am slowly getting a belly, and i realize that i am pregnant. i’m confused why nobody is freaking out except me, and when i go to touch my belly half of it deflates and it becomes see through, and inside there is a snake growing inside of me. i start freaking out and my mom tells me that this happens to everybody when theyre pregnant. i got to school the next day and no one seems to notice that i am pregnant. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?” (sic)

You’ve had a heavy dream, dark and rich with hidden family myths that you are intuitive enough to sniff out.  It means that in your family belief system, sex is related to betrayal. Read the rest of this entry »

St. Pete’s The Table has ridden a rollercoaster of ups and (mostly) downs since it opened just two years ago. (The long tale, in chronological order: here, here, here, and here.) The original owners walked away from the place, then a new team of owners stepped in, chefs came and went, then the ownership shifted again.

It looks like more change is on the way. According to newish operating partner Andrew “Wilko” Wilkins, the restaurant will cease using The Table as its moniker after tomorrow night, and will close for approximately one week before re-opening as a “new restaurant tentatively named ‘THE’ Place, along side its new companion ‘THE’ Place To Go.”

Chef J. Ward will remain in the kitchen, and will spearhead a menu change that will Read the rest of this entry »

Bradley’s life-long dream did not resemble bartending at Cha Cha Coconuts at the St. Pete Pier.  Tonight he’s slinging drinks for college kids and snow birds; tomorrow he’ll be once again reexamining how it all went to hell.  But, as he pours the Merlot into the lipstick-stained glass he gets a head start on tomorrow’s pity party.  Most of the blame could be attributed to him falling for that vapid girl last year.  Yeah, most all of his problems came from getting hung up on women, the wrong women.

Read the rest of this entry »

The city of St. Petersburg’s controversial dispute over whether to privatize a sidewalk in front of downtown’s popular entertainment complex, Baywalk, was decided today after a surprise tied vote by city council.

The 4- 4 vote was a change from the preliminary 7-1 vote that was cast to put the issue before two public hearings, with Wengay Newton being the lone dissenter. At the second public hearing today, council members Leslie Curran, Herbert Polson, and Jeff Danner Jim Kennedy joined Newton’s dissent, keeping the sidewalk open for public use.

The possibility of making the sidewalk at Second Ave. North between First and Second St., a popular spot for protesters, panhandlers and youth, into a private walkway owned by Baywalk caused a dispute over what some considered a violation of First Amendment rights.

For more than five hours, the council listened to 72 residents, business owners and members of civilian groups speak, trying to influence the decision of the council members.

Men and women of varying ages and races argued for freedom of speech, for the protection of business owners, for the importance of Baywalk to the downtown community, and for accepting that privatizing the sidewalk was not going to necessarily save Baywalk. There must be a better option, they said.

They said the youth and the protesters were scaring people away; that privatizing the sidewalk would set a terrible precedent; that the diversity of St. Petersburg is why its residents value the city, and they don’t want it homogenized; that protesters were free to demonstrate elsewhere so their freedom of speech and assembly rights were not being impeded upon; that Baywalk would fail if the sidewalk were not privatized because new businesses wouldn’t sign on to the already sinking ship. There was a clear and seemingly even split in opinions among the community members.

Attorneys and members of the ACLU called the privatization unconstitutional, saying sidewalks are a public forum and therefore free speech zones. They cited the general economy and poor management as the main cause of the disintegration of Baywalk’s once thriving commerce.

Residents representing the St. Petersburg Chamber of Commerce, the St. Petersburg Downtown Partnership, and the St. Petersburg Downtown Business Association said privatizing the sidewalk would be good for business. They said people would come back to Baywalk if they could feel safe there again; if they didn’t have to be made to feel intimidated by panhandlers, protesters or teenagers.

Some came to say the real issue was racism, as the sidewalk is a popular place for black youth. Others argued for more creative options that would allow the sidewalk to remain a public forum while rejuvenating the struggling complex.

Lady Liberty, ain’t no sunshine when she’s gone – only darkness every day. Our St. Pete house just ain’t a home when she goes away. You can forget about solar panels in St. Petersburg, Florida. Mayor Rick Baker has completely robbed the city of all sunshine. And as for Lady Liberty, I wonder if she’s gone to stay. (Click here to hear the song that’s already playing in your head)

The St. Pete times recently reported that agenda items that come before the St. Petersburg City Council are a “done deal” before they are brought to a public forum, according to Councilman Jim Kennedy. This means that any time you or any member of the public speak at a city hearing, your testimony and evidence will not be considered by the board because they have already made up their mind in a meeting with the mayor days before. “It may be a done deal because it has been analyzed and its been massaged” said Kennedy, who openly admits that the Mayor regularly conducts private meetings with council members to ensure his ideas will get a majority vote.
Read the rest of this entry »

The City Council of St. Petersburg will make a decision this Thursday that will signal what path the city is taking for the future. The council will vote on spending nearly $700,000 in taxpayer money for more police and special projects for the owners of BayWalk, including privatization of the sidewalk outside the mall entrance.  BayWalk’s ownership, whose controlling interest is held by Wells Fargo Bank, said without the subsidy and the sidewalk, they cannot possibly turn around the failing entertainment complex.

From the standpoint of public policy that promotes sustainable economics, the council’s choice is clear, I think. Will it continue a worn-out policy of subsidies to out-of-town corporations and mainly profit the wealthy few? Or will it adopt an enlightened, sustainable public policy that promotes economic development of all local residents, in every community, not just the privileged ones?
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 »

India Grill — the popular St. Pete Indian restaurant — is back in downtown, on Central Ave. in the spot formerly occupied by Leafy Greens Cafe and The Kitchen. It’s the same as before, just moved a few blocks. Check out some of the dishes below (many more pictures — by jamesostrand.com — after the break):

Read the rest of this entry »

400 Beach Seafood and Tap House (400 Beach Dr., St. Petersburg, 727-896-2400)
This new restaurant by Steve Westphal (of Parkshore Grill), is in the the spot made famous as the potential home of a restaurant by lying Food Network chef Robert Irvine. 400 Beach’s focus is on seafood in almost all its forms, from baskets of fried clams to raw oysters to fish en papilote.

Take a look. (Pictures by jamesostrand.com.)

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

Really, just take the time to step a half-block off your downtown St. Pete Central Avenue restaurant crawl and you’ll find, or rediscover, one of the best restaurants in the Bay area. Primi’s inexpensive, classic Italian cuisine — filtered through the South African heritage of owners Arno and Irene Von Waltsleben —­­ is simple stuff, founded on chef Arno’s ability to squeeze deep flavor into every sauce. The sun-dried tomato tapenade is worth killing for. We’ve done it. 27 Fourth St. N., St. Petersburg, 727-895-4909, primiurbancafe.com.

Although chef/owner Zack Gross has dished up fine food at Z Grille for years, this year saw such a quantum shift in the downtown St. Pete restaurant that it deserves rookie status. First, a move down the street and around the corner to beautiful digs in the Signature Place building, where artful interpretations of Gross’ love for tattoos and skateboards give the place a casual but refined vibe. Then, the food, which has morphed from Baja-Mex to imaginative, modern American cuisine that ranges from elegant to playful. With those changes, Z Grille has become the destination for foodies in the crowded St. Pete restaurant market.

104 Second St. St. Petersburg, 727-822-9600 or zgrille.net.

Harvey’s 4th Street in St. Pete puts Applebee’s and all those other wannabe “neighborhood bar & grills” to shame. Its strip-mall storefront is gussied up with perfectly pruned foliage and decorative lights, and the interior is all charming hardwood and bric-a-brac. More importantly, the menu covers bar fare extensively (burgers, sandwiches, salads, dinner platters, seafood, pasta, etc.), and the food is consistently tasty, reasonably priced and available late — the trifecta for serving a neighborhood of loyal consumers. After more than 20 years in business, Harvey’s has proven itself everyone’s favorite neighbor in the Old Northeast.

Harvey’s 4th Street Grill, 3121 Fourth Street N., St. Petersburg, 727-821-6516, harveys4thstreetgrill.com.

• The Table is in the midst of another shake-up, with 717 South Michael Stewart, former GM Joe Moledo out and Andrew Wilkins (formerly of Mad Fish and Ceviche) in as GM. This comes after a long history of turmoil, including the loss of chef Pedro Flores earlier this year. Looks like the restaurant’s new thrust will be for lower price points and fewer staff changes. (Mouth)

• Ella’s Folk Art Cafe, the first of a new generation of restaurant slated to open in Tampa and Seminole Heights, started serving this past weekend.

The Columbia, OktoBEERfest, Domenica Macchia, and Grattzi’s after the break: Read the rest of this entry »

Domenica Macchia is on the move. Again. This week, my favorite fast-talking, passionate chef will take over the kitchen at Bella Brava, replacing outgoing chef  Trevor Lyman at the modern Italian restaurant on downtown St. Pete’s Central Avenue.

New Bella Brava co-owner Mike Harting (fresh from a long career with Outback Steakhouse), started looking for a new chef a couple of months ago. Macchia — who’s first generation Italian, and tried to get a job at Bella Brava in the restaurant’s early days — was the right fit. She left Diner 437 this past weekend, after opening the gastro-diner to pretty much universal local acclaim a few months back.

So, of course, I woke her up this morning to get her thoughts. She’s worried about people thinking she’s switching jobs too much, and doesn’t want to say anything bad about her previous employers, but most of all she’s happy. Excited. Even when she’s groggy from sleep, talking to Macchia is like talking to a culinary machine-gun:

Why’d you leave Diner 437? Read the rest of this entry »

A quick breakdown of this holiday weekend’s most worthy concerts. For a more comprehensive schedule, check out our Upcoming Events page.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 4
Depeche Mode (pictured) w/Peter, Bjorn and John English electronic music pioneers Depeche Mode have influenced anyone from Radiohead to Rammstein to Crystal Method, and are among the too-few bands that emerged from the 1980s with dignity intact and more than a just few charting singles (45 in the UK, 18 in the U.S.). I enjoyed a brief but torrid love affair with Violator in high school during a period when all the music I wanted to listen to had to be dark and intense and danceable. DM’s simple yet weighty lyrics — “Words are meaningless and forgettable” “Because when you learn / You’ll know what makes the world turn” “Never before is what you swore the time before” — were just what I needed at that moment in my life and to this day, frontman Dave Gahan’s affected vocals evoke very specific memories. The band just released their 12th full-length, Sounds of the Universe, and are supported this tour by Peter Bjorn and John (read my feature on PBJ here). 7:30 p.m., Ford Amphitheatre, Tampa, $43.50-$83.50

REAX Rent Party w/Glasgow/Geri X/Nessie/Memphis Train Union/Will Quinlan & The Diviners/Military Junior/King of Spain/The Basiqs/Vera Violets/Life of Pi The print industry is experiencing some rather dark times right now, with newspapers across the country desperately trying to figure out how to survive in an era where the general public consume their news and information for free via the internet. Grassroots publications have been hit hardest, including Florida’s own REAX, which is hurting so bad it won’t go to press this month and is actively seeking donations of money and supplies to stay afloat. A bill of quality local acts have banded together to help by playing this benefit show, and the music ranges from the introspective roots rock of Will Quinlan & The Diviners, to the psychedelic fuzzed-out shoegaze of the Vera Violets, to the experimental dancetastic hip-hop of The Basiqs. Admission is cheap, so dig deep when the donation bucket is passed. 6 p.m., Crowbar, Ybor City, $5 (ages 18 & up) Read the rest of this entry »

The Grand Central Sunday Market is back!

Grand Central District has restructured its Sunday Market. It now takes place the first Sunday of every month from 11am-3pm, 2400-2500 Central Avenue. The next Green Market will be taking place on Sunday, September 6, from 11 am to 3 pm. Grand Central will be celebrating an “End of Summer Bash” with sales, a BBQ, and a lot more to look forward to. Patrons can take advantage of the vendors’ end of summer clear-outs. Vendors are getting ready for fall which means great deals for everyone!

Once again the Green Market will be featuring the African Drum Group, Repercussion. The streets of Grand Central will be filled with beats with a tribal flair.

This month the Grand Central Green Market and Street Fair is working with Localshops1.com to bring to the community a children’s clothing swap. Bring your gently used clothes the kids no longer wear and you can swap them out for other gently used clothes that someone else brought to exchange. We are also accepting adults gently used clothes, shoes, purses and belts for the clothing swap. Any clothes left over will be donated to a charity that is to be determined.

The Grand Central Green Market and Street Fair is a place for local farmers, vendors and crafters to sell their wares while drawing residents and visitors to the Eclectic Grand Central area. Grand Central District is a destination location for residents and visitors alike.
If you would like more information visit the website at http://www.grandcentraldistrict.org/ or
e-mail events@grandcentraldistrict.org.

For more information, please contact:
Aviva Bowman
Coordinator
2433 Central Avenue
St. Petersburg, FL 33713
727-328-7086
gcda@grandcentraldistrict.org

It all happened so quickly. After I heard the first gunshot, a liquid heat consumed my body; my inner ears were on fire and a tingling sensation ran from my head to my toes. Is this real? There was screaming and panic. My tunnel vision kicked in and I turned to the right and started sprinting. My boyfriend Jason’s hand was on my back, pushing me, silently urging me to run faster. The shots didn’t stop. I shoved everyone in my path out of the way — there was no way I was slowing down. I waited for a bullet to hit my calf, my thigh, my back, my head. For a few moments, frozen in time, I was sure I was going to die. It was just like a nightmare. Except it was real. It was Friday night. And it was at BayWalk in downtown St. Petersburg. Read the rest of this entry »

UPDATE: Voting extended to Noon on Wednesday!

Most of the races are still so close, anyone can win! (Except best steakhouse — it would take a beefy miracle to unseat Bern’s.) Vote now!

Here are some of the categories you should pay especial attention to: Read the rest of this entry »