Daily Loaf

Tampa is getting its first 15 minutes of Today Show Super Bowl exposure — more like five minutes so far —  via weatherguy Al Roker, who’s broadcasting his morning reports from Centro Ybor. Viewers aren’t seeing much local scenery from this vantage point — just glimpses of balconies and the Centro courtyard crowded with the usual Today Show attention-getters. (The GaYbor District Coalition’s sign had good visibility, as did the Florida Aquarium’s shark — and yep, our own cltampa.com sign.) A few local businesses got a big boost; Teatro on Seventh served Roker churros on its balcony; Tampa Bay Brewing Company got to show off a lineup of its best brews and Columbia Restaurant sent in the flamenco dancers. (And, in the 9 a.m. segment, Castillo’s Cigar Factory rolled a cigar for Roker, which he employed for a quickie Groucho impression.)

Next Thursday from 7 a.m. until 10 a.m., NBC’s Today Show will broadcast celebrity weatherman Al Roker’s segment from Ybor City’s Teatro on Seventh, a restaurant that opened in October 2008.

Read more about Teatro on Seventh
Teatro’s website

Teatro on 7th (1600 E. 8th. Ave., Ybor, 813-248-9400) has been open for about six weeks, but there’s been little fanfare so I thought I’d give its menu a shout-out. Owners Philip Zeltsar and Bill Haines have a long history in the restaurant business in and out of Tampa, most recently at Bernini where Zeltsar was chef and Haines was GM.

The menu looks modern American with some international influence — which means you’ll never know how good it is without sitting down and eating — although a few interesting ingredients pop up, like green papaya and cucumber dill raita. Blue cheese with poached lobster? They’ll have to sell me on that one.

Get info on Bin 27 Bistro, Cupcakes! Cupcakes, and gossip about The Independent after the break: Read the rest of this entry »