Daily Loaf

At this week’s Musical Festival feat. Samuel Adler, the renowned composer (who has written compositions for the Cleveland Orchestra, National Symphony, Pittsburgh Symphony, American Brass Quintet and more) visits Tampa to perform, observe and teach. Three Adler events are open to the public this week: the UT music faculty performs Adler’s chamber music at 7:30 p.m. on Thurs., Nov. 12 in Plant Hall’s Fletcher Lounge; Adler leads an orchestration seminar at 4 p.m. on Fri., Nov. 13 in the Ferman Music Center; and the UT Orchestra, Wind Ensemble, Glee Club, and Collegiate Chorale perform Adler’s music at 7:30 p.m. on Fri., Nov. 13 in Fletcher Hall. University of Tampa, Tampa, visit ut.edu for more info, free.

At tonight’s Children’s Home Fundraiser, Chris Markowski, (aka America’s Watchdog on Wall Street) and the Mortgage Banker’s Association of Tampa Bay host this fundraiser for the Children’s Home that includes live and silent auctions, butlered hors d’oeuvres, hand-rolled cigars, an open bar, a carving station and delicious desserts, valeted parking and live entertainment. Visit mbatampabay.org for tickets and info. Thurs., Nov. 12, 6:30-10:30 p.m., Westin Tampa Bay Hotel, Tampa, $50. Read the rest of this entry »

Dr. John’s stage persona (pictured), “The Night Tripper,” is as big and colorful as the Big Easy — he embodies the culture and heritage of his hometown of New Orleans, and his latest project is a tribute to Duke Ellington and Johnny Mercer. Dr. John and the Lower 911 take the stage with “The Sauce Boss” Bill Wharton. Visit mypalladium.org for more info. Thurs., Nov. 5, 8 p.m., Palladium Theater, $45.

This week’s installment in the Dalí and Beyond Film Series of shocking and surreal cinema is  5,000 Fingers of Dr. T, a live-action Dr. Seuss adaptation about Bart, who hates his piano lessons with Dr. Terwilliker and is dragged to a dream world where his piano professor is ruler and the students become his subjects. Visit salvadordalimuseum.org for more info. Thurs., Nov. 5, 6 p.m., Salvador Dali Museum, St. Petersburg, $5 after 5 p.m. Read the rest of this entry »

Thousands voted, but only one of our College Guide contestants could win it all: Amanda Abadi of the University of Tampa.

Her inventive video — which we refer to informally as “Crocodile Dundee Meets UT” — drew 6,694 votes in our College Guides 2009 contest. (Watch the video after the jump.) Readers were asked to choose their favorite entry from a collection of videos, photos and essays created by seven students as portraits of their respective schools.

Amanda is a second-year MBA student at UT, which she also attended as an undergrad; all that experience must have helped, because her video takes in just about every corner of campus life. 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.)

You came, you saw, you voted: The winner of this year’s College Guide contest is Amanda Abadi of the University of Tampa. Her inventive video, which could be retitled “Crocodile Dundee Meets UT,” drew 6,694 votes. Amanda wins the title CL College Guide 2009, plus a CL briefcase stuffed with movie and concert passes, CDs and DVDs and assorted CL gear plus a $500 shopping spree from CL Deals.

Submission #1: Alex Vera | My UT: “Yes, I’m Losing My Mind”

Alex Vera
University of Tampa
Junior, Graphic Design
21, Tampa
My UT is: “The Minaret, my second home.”

Alex’s video takes viewers behind the scenes for a day (and night) in the life of the UT students who put out the school’s Minaret newspaper. Note the tempers fraying as the night stretches into morning.
(Editor’s Note: Despite any impression you might get from the photo, Alex is not UT’s Spartan mascot. We just happened to have a Spartan costume at the photo shoot, and Alex is an amazingly good sport.) Read the rest of this entry »

Submission#2: Amanda Abadi | My UT: “Where in the world is Spartacus?”

Amanda Abadi
University of Tampa
2nd Year, Masters in Business Administration (Management)
23, Detroit
My UT is: “Community-focused, auspicious, cultural and enriching.”

Amanda’s video follows the intrepid Dingo Dundee as he scours the UT campus in search of the university’s elusive mascot. Dingo goes everywhere from offices to classrooms to the John H. Sykes School of Business, where a surly student tries unsuccesfully to ignore the weird guy with the Australian accent.

Read the rest of this entry »

Submission #1: Alex Vera | My UT: “Yes, I’m Losing My Mind”

Alex Vera
University of Tampa
Junior, Graphic Design
21, Tampa
My UT is: “The Minaret, my second home.”

Alex’s video takes viewers behind the scenes for a day (and night) in the life of the UT students who put out the school’s Minaret newspaper. Note the tempers fraying as the night stretches into morning.

(Editor’s Note: Despite any impression you might get from the photo, Alex is not UT’s Spartan mascot. We just happened to have a Spartan costume at the photo shoot, and Alex is an amazingly good sport.) Read the rest of this entry »

Loyal fans of the influential writer – who is remembered as being the father of the beat generation – are bound to be moved by The End of the Road: An Evening with Jack Kerouac on the 40th Anniversary of his Death, an After Hours Series production at American Stage. The one-man play by Steve A. Rowell and David A. McElroy begins in July 1969, several months before Kerouac died. The audience will get a look into Kerouac’s mind as he neared the end of his life and reflected on the work he created, his life and other events that unfolded during his time. Even the most hardcore Kerouac fans might be surprised at Read the rest of this entry »

Today, award-winning local actress Sharon Scott debuts Mahalia, Just As I Am, her new musical about the life and times of gospel great Mahalia Jackson. The powerhouse vocalist was the first artist to be awarded a Grammy in gospel, but everything wasn’t coming up roses – the show follows her continued struggle with segregation in the South in the midst of Mahalia’s rise to fame. (Pictured: Sharon Scott as Mahalia Jackson) Oct. 16-25, 8 p.m. Fri.-Sun.; preview performance, Thurs., Oct. 15, 7:30 p.m., The Studio@620, 620 First Ave. S., St. Petersburg, $15-$25, 727-895-6620, studio620.org. – Franki Weddington

Meet the author and pick up your autographed copy of Paul Abercrombie’s Organic, Shaken and Stirred: Hip Highballs, Modern Martinis, and Other Totally Green Cocktails, along with two tickets for drinks detailed in the book. Visit inkwoodbooks.com for more info. Thurs., Oct. 15, 5:30-7:30 p.m., Restaurant BT, 1633 W. Snow Ave., Tampa, $30.

The Visiting Artists and Scholars Series continues with Lance Winn, the director of the University of Delaware’s MFA program. Winn discusses form and formlessness, using a series of smaller images to create what appears to be one large image from far away — his interpretation of “how personal experience fit into the overall picture of society.” Contact Ashleigh Gallant at agallant@arts.usf.edu for more info. Thurs., Oct. 15, 7-9 p.m., USF Marshall Center, 4202 E. Fowler Ave., Tampa, free.

After the break: Writers at the U,  Almost Maine at the library, and the Dali and Beyond Film Series. Read the rest of this entry »

The city closes down two blocks of Central Avenue for the third edition of Creative Clay’s now-annual fundraiser, FolkFest St. Pete. The free two-day street party celebrates all things folk with food and drink, art booths spotlighting the works of a range of local artisans, and a solid lineup of music throughout. Florida’s finest singer-songwriters,  folk and blues artists join national talents on the outdoor stage. South Carolina kicks off the music on Saturday, with sets by Dave Hardin, Green Grass Boys and TC Carr, Sarasota Slim and Nitro, Rebekah Pulley and the Reluctant Prophets, Ben Prestage, and The New Familiars of Charlotte, S.C. to follow (and in that order). The Sunday bill features Veronica Jackson, Ella Jet, a “Tribute to Woodstock,” Have Gun Will Travel and the main headliners and a big score for the fest – NY’s Donna the Buffalo (pictured), their folky, rootsy jams marked by elements of zydeco, old time fiddle music and three-part harmonies. Sept. 26-27, beginning at 10 a.m. both days, Central Avenue, between 11th and 13 streets N., St. Petersburg, free admission. –Leilani Polk

Time to start mapping a route that hits every major museum and attraction this side of the Bay: ArtsAlive 2009: Free Museum Day includes the Salvador Dali Museum, the Dr. Carter G. Woodson Museum, the Florida Holocaust Museum, Florida International Museum, Great Explorations, the Fine Arts Museum, the St. Pete Museum of History, the Morean Arts Center, the Pier Aquarium, the Leepa-Rattner Museum of Art, the Florida Craftsmen Gallery and more. Visit stpete.org/artsalive for museum hours and more info. Sat., Sept. 26.

Read the rest of this entry »

The University of Tampa Film Society hosts the Black Box Film Festival, a showcase of the year’s best student-directed films complete with a plethora of panel discussions and workshops with film industry professionals from across the country. Highlights include a lecture on the pitfalls of indie filmmaking (and how to avoid them) with The Reel Truth author Reed Martin; a presentation by the EXTREME stunt and driving team; and a screening of National Campus Movie Festival winner Sarah Wilson’s latest flick. The fest also secured an advance screening of Touching Home, starring Ed Harris and Robert Forester, which sees nationwide theater distribution in April 2010. Brothers Logan and Noah Miller, the co-producers, directors and actors of Touching Home (which also screens at Muvico BayWalk), lead a free “Guerrilla Filmmaking” workshop in conjunction with the Sunscreen Film Festival, and the dynamic movie-making duo are on hand to answer audience questions and sign copies of Either You’re In…Or You’re In the Way, their book documenting the whole crazy ride, from Hollywood nobodies to a silver screen debut with Oscar-nom actors on board. (Pictured: Noah Miller (left), Ed Harris and Logan Miller in Touching Home. Photo by David Moir) Black Box Film Festival, Sept. 24-26, University of Tampa, 401 W. Kennedy Blvd., Tampa, utampa.edu, contact jbusche@ut.edu for complete schedule of events; Guerilla Filmmaking workshop and Touching Home BayWalk screening, Fri., Sept. 25, Muvico BayWalk 20, 151 Second Ave. N., St. Petersburg, 5:15 p.m. workshop, 7 p.m. screening, book signing to follow screening, touchinghomemovie.com. –Franki Weddington Read the rest of this entry »

Welcome to On the Radar, where we preview up-and-coming arts events to mark your calendar for. This Thursday marks the beginning of the University of Tampa Film Society’s Black Box Film Festival, a showcase of the year’s best student-directed films complete with a plethora of panel discussions and workshops with film industry professionals from across the country.

Highlights include a lecture on the pitfalls of indie filmmaking (and how to avoid them) with The Reel Truth author Reed Martin; a presentation by the EXTREME stunt and driving team; and a screening of National Campus Movie Festival winner Sarah Wilson’s latest flick. The fest also secured an advance screening of Touching Home, starring Ed Harris (pictured on set, center) and Robert Forester, which sees nationwide theater distribution in April 2010. Read the rest of this entry »

An African-American man laments the fact that people lock their cars when he approaches and says that people write the story of his life based on scripts from TV.

A young man who thinks he might be gay asks, “Why does homosexuality get lumped in with alcoholism, pedophilia and drug addiction as something that is loathed?”

A 20-year-old virgin asks, “Who came up with the three-date rule?”

Stereotypes in America asks questions that are usually taboo, that aren’t discussed in polite company. Read the rest of this entry »

Urban Exploration from Thomas Pregiato on Vimeo.

I left for a week’s vacation right after Creative Loafing’s spectacular Mar. 28 party, Sensory Overload 4.0. But I didn’t want to let too much time pass without congratulating the winners of the two $1,000 scholarships we presented to student artists. A panel of arts professionals chose one scholarship recipient: Thomas Pregiato of Ringling College of Art and Design, whose video (above) translated the theme of “urban exploration” into a compelling interplay between images of a restless sleeper and rapidfire glimpses of a Sarasota dreamscape.

Dan Robinson's winning billboard

The other winner was selected online by readers, who submitted close to 5,000 votes via The Daily Loaf and a live Twitter feed the night of the event. The winner of the popular vote was Dan Robinson of the International Academy of Design and Technology; his witty concept for a billboard (right) sends a mixed message about heaven and music.

The judges who selected Pregiato as best in show were Amanda Cooper, curator of exhibitions at the Arts Center in St. Petersburg; Chance Chanthalansy, post-production director at Pyper Paul + Kenney; and David Meek of Philip Gary Design, aka Illuminations 33701 (who did magical things with light and sound the night of the event). The judges also cited winners in individual categories, recognizing high achievement in a competitive field. They were: Read the rest of this entry »

Mastering the financial and creative challenges of a career as an artist is never easy—and it’s especially challenging in the context of a recession. On Sat., Mar. 21, the 3rd annual Self-Employment in the Arts Conference at the University of Tampa aims to give practitioners in the visual, literary, performing and film arts a leg up on the climb to self-sufficiency. The daylong lineup includes sessions on marketing, networking, work-life balance and intellectual property led by professional artists, writers, filmmakers, professors and an attorney. This year’s conference is organized by Suzanne Williamson, a recent transplant to Tampa Bay whose experience as a visual artist makes her uniquely suited to the task.

You’re new to Tampa– what brought you here?

I moved to Tampa last July from New York City with my husband, John Capouya, who accepted a full-time position as an assistant professor teaching journalism and writing at the University of Tampa. We love New York, but we wanted to change our lives. I was the photo editor of ARTnews magazine, and I am a photographic artist. I wanted more time to work on my art, and John wanted to teach full-time and write. We were drawn to Tampa and the university when we visited. We have really enjoyed meeting artists and participating in the cultural life here in Tampa. The photographic possibilities in Florida are so rich—I enjoy working here.

Read the rest of this entry »

Tampa Bay Jewish Film Festival Opening Night With the Mideast conflict appearing more intractable than ever, the 13th annual Tampa Bay Jewish Film Festival is offering a welcome respite: laughter. The festival’s opening night celebration is themed “The Funny Business About Religion,” and it features stand-up routines by a rabbi and a Muslim followed by the local premiere of Heaven Is Not There, aka Circumcise Me, a documentary about comic Yisrael Campbell (pictured), who converted from Catholicism to Judaism not once but three times. The fest continues through Sun., March 15 at venues around the Bay Area including the Tampa Theatre, Baywalk Muvico in St. Petersburg, and the USF Health Sciences Auditorium. More info at www.jewishtampa.com or the Golda Meir/Kent Jewish Center website at www.gmkjc.org.

Hook’s Kids College Fundraiser A party in honor of the late, much-beloved restaurateur Hook Atsavinh, owner of Hook’s Sushi Bar and Thai Food in St. Pete, who died in January at the age of 44. Proceeds will go toward a college fund for Hook’s children, Lauren, 4 and Jackson, 4 months. 6 p.m.-Midnight, Nova 535 Art Lounge, 535 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. St. N., St. Petersburg, 727-821-6682 or nova535.com.

Reflections on Women and War A lecture by Israeli author Gail Hareven compares her experiences as an officer in the Israel Defense Forces with the experiences of her mother, who was also a writer and served as a paramedic in the Israeli War of Independence in 1948. Presented by the University of Tampa’s Office of International Programs, the Department of English and Writing and the Women’s Studies Program. 10 a.m., Reeves Theater, University of Tampa. For more information, contact Brooke Pawlak at (813) 257-3501 or bpawlak@ut.edu.

The Brooklyn singer/songwriter who calls himself Phosphorescent (real name: Matthew Houck, pictured) brings his lovely acoustic ballads to New World Brewery, with support sets by fellow Brooklynites Virgin Forest, Orlando’s Attachedhands and Tampa’s King of Spain. 9 p.m., $7.

Ever wonder what happens to the half-billion tons of garbage produced by Americans each year? For tonight’s installment of the Indy Film Cafe documentary screening series, the Studio at 620 presents Trashed, which investigates the culture and consequences of “taking out the trash.” 8 p.m., $5 general/$3 members.

The Sustainable Design Assessment Team (SDAT) is a community assistance program that brings a group of volunteer professionals to select cities to work on sustainable design projects, like conserving natural assets, constructing viable transit systems, connecting neighborhoods, cultivating a strong local economy, and creating appealing public spaces. The Tampa SDAT, “Connecting Tampa,” focuses on improving the neighborhood planning process via a series of meetings with local officials, neighborhood reps, and other stakeholders to get input for a final report, which will outline suggestions on how to update and improve the city’s neighborhood planning guidelines. The public is welcome to attend tonight’s kick-off workshop. 6:30-8:30 p.m., Hillsborough County Bar Association, Tampa, free.

Today is Cans Across America, a record-setting food drive for hungry Americans by a non-charitable organization. The minimum goal is 396,833 pounds, all to be collected throughout the day today. University of Tampa has joined the effort and set a local goal of 2,000 pounds to go to Americas Second Harvest of Tampa Bay. Locals are encouraged to drop canned good donations off at UT’s Vaughn Center Courtyard, the Ultimate Dining Cafe inside the Vaughn Center, the Plant Hall lobby, or the Stadium Center between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. UT senior and singer/songwriter J.J. Paolino performs from noon to two in the courtyard, Theta Chi and WUTT Campus Radio build can sculptures in a “Can Do Builders Challenge,” and the Peace Volunteer organization offers info on hunger and homelessness and presents an installation piece that depicts the global population living in poverty.

Nothing like a free lunch to get you through the workday. Wendy’s gives away 1,000 of its 1/4 Single hamburgers in downtown Tampa as part of the fast food chain’s national “Great Taste Tour.” See how local artist Eileen Goldberg interpreted the classic Wendy’s icon in the “My Wendy, My Way” art contest, enjoy various live entertainment, and stick around long enough to snag one of the 2,000 Wendy’s gift cards that will be given away. 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Lykes Gaslight Square Park.