Creative Loafing Tampa — February 29, 2024

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Cassandra Yardeni Wagner OPERATIONS DIRECTOR Hollie Mahadeo DIRECTOR OF AGENCY SERVICES

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DIRECTOR OF DIGITAL CONTENT STRATEGY

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DIRECTOR OF DIGITAL CONTENT STRATEGY

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EDITORIAL POLICY — Creative Loafing Tampa

Bay is a publication covering public issues, the arts and entertainment. In our pages appear views from across the political and social spectrum. They do not necessarily represent the views of the publisher.

EDITORIAL POLICY — Creative Loafing Tampa Bay is a publication covering public issues, the arts and entertainment. In our pages appear views from across the political and social spectrum. They do not necessarily represent the views of the publisher.

Creative Loafing Tampa is published by Tampa Events & Media, LLC, 633 N Franklin St., Suite 735. Tampa, Florida, 33602.

Creative Loafing Tampa is published by Tampa Events & Media, LLC, 633 N Franklin St., Suite 735. Tampa, Florida, 33602.

The physical edition is available free of charge at locations throughout Tampa Bay and online at cltampabay.com. Copyright 2023, Tampa Events and Media, LLC.

The physical edition is available free of charge at locations throughout Tampa Bay and online at cltampabay.com. Copyright 2023, Tampa Events and Media, LLC.

The newspaper is produced and printed on Indigenous land belonging to Tampa Bay’s Tocobaga and Seminole tribes.

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GASPARILLA MUSIC

FESTIVAL

THEE

BABY BRIsKET

Our from-scratch Smoked Brisket Gravy over Biscuits and our signature Hug in a Bun from-scratch Cinnamon Rolls

OYSTERCATCHERS

Specialty

featuring local Estuary oysters, green apple relish, vanilla ponzu, buba arare, and shiso

ELEVAGE THE BRINEHOUSETHE REZ GRILL at the hard rock

WILD ROVER BREWING

Samples of our Afternoon Tea delights!

SMALL GIANT

Fresh, low-sugar, local craft brewed kombucha, kombucha powered sparkling water and zero-proof elixirs created with our kombucha HOTEL

The big guava - mango, pineapple, guava nectar, spinach, chia/ flax seed. AND the RSC Acai- unsweetened açaí, banana, spinach, agave, chia/ flax seed, all served with an optional organic, gluten free granola.

the dan

mother kombucha & MORE SAMPLING FROM

Oysters

Chicken & Waffles

Colada French Toast with charred pineapple, toasted coconut, meringue & brioche

Chocolate-Pistachio Bread Pudding - dates, dark chocolate, pistachio anglaise

Potato & Leek Quiche w/ sliced Norwegian smoked salmon, avocado horseradish aioli, rock greens & heirloom tomatoes

Avocado Toast with Tuscan bread, smoked salmon, Meyer lemon, and chive

Out and about it

Photos by Dave

Decker

Afull day of music took over St. Petersburg's Bayboro Brewing last Friday organizers for We Out Here, a femme-centric festival celebrating themes of empowerment, defiance and underground rock. Highlights from the festival included War On Women, Doll Parts, Pohgoh and more. See more photos from the festival via cltampa.com/slideshow.- Ray Roa

do this

Tampa Bay's best things to do from March 1 - 7

Nice ash

For decades—centuries, actually—Ybor City has been regarded as the “cigar capital of the world,” and Tampa’s annual celebration of all-things tobacco is certainly keeping the historic district’s reputation going. Tampa Cigar Week 2024 happens at various venues throughout the greater Bay area—from Cigars International Superstore in Brandon to North Ybor’s newly-renovated J.C. Newman Factory—and features a wide variety of events like rolling classes, meet and greets with industry professionals, comedy shows, golf tournaments, tasting and pairings, “cigar crawls” through the heart of Ybor City and a variety of themed parties at hotspots like 1920 Ybor and La Faraona Cigar Lounge. Week-long tickets to all events run between $175-$275, but guests can also snag passes to individual parties on the Tampa Cigar Week website. Tampa Cigar Week 2024: Wednesday-Sunday, March 6-10 Various times and venues. $50-$275. thetampacigarweek.com—Kyla Fields

Party Arty

Artists compete for $100,000 in prizes this weekend during the Gasparilla Festival of the Arts (GFA) at Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park the first weekend in March, with Best of Show going home with $15,000. GFA’s full 2024 program includes a Carmada appearance, a glass art experience courtesy of Duncan McClellan, chalk walk, plus a mini music festival you can read about on p. 53. Gasparilla Festival of the Arts. Saturday-Sunday, March 2-3 No cover. Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park, 1001 N Blvd., Tampa. gasparillaarts.com—Ray Roa

Guild-ed age

Each year in the beginning of March, the Florida Brewers Guild hosts its annual sampling party that marks the official start of Tampa Bay Beer Week— and 2024’s rendition is right around the corner. This year’s FBG Festival features 100 craft breweries from every corner of the Sunshine State offering over 300 beer samples, local vendors, food trucks, live performances and the chance to chat with fellow craft beer enthusiasts. Both ticket tiers grant guests unlimited access to sips out of commemorative beer glass, but VIP ticket holders also get goodie bags, their own VIP tent and an extra hour of sampling. And if you have a designated driver that still wants to experience the non-beer festivities, they can snag a discounted $20 ticket to attend the Florida Brewers Guild Festival. For the full round-up of Tampa Bay Beer Week events—which happen from March 2-10 at various locations on both sides of the bridge—head to p. 29.

Florida Brewers Guild Festival: Saturday, March 2 1 p.m.-5 p.m. $60-$90. River Tower Park, 455 E Bird St., Tampa. floridabrewersguild.org—Kyla Fields

JCNEWMANCIGARCO/FACEBOOK

FLORIDABREWERSGUILD/FACEBOOK

GASPARILLAARTS/FACEBOOK

Reach for the Skyway

Just driving up and over the Skyway Bridge is scary, but this weekend 8,000 people will take part in a 10K run that sends them 200 feet above sea level. The point-to-point race— which goes from Manatee to Pinellas County—aims to raise funds and awareness for the Armed Forces Families Foundation (AFFF), which supports military families across the country. And yes, for drivers, that means that the northbound span of the Skyway will close at 3:30 a.m. on Sunday morning and reopen at 11 a.m. Only VIP registrations remained at press time, and a viewing area is available at Tropicana Field.

Skyway 10K. Sunday, March 3 $300 (VIP only). Viewer area and expo is at Tropicana Field. 1 Tropicana Dr., St. Petersburg. skyway10k.com—Ray Roa

Tasting time

In addition to both sweet and savory samples from dozens of South Tampa restaurants, one of Tampa's longestrunning food festivals also features live entertainment, chances to win prizes, a beer garden, non-food vendors and scenic views of Hillsborough Bay. South Tampa concepts that have participated in previous years include: Cru Cellars, Ava, Bulla Gastrobar, BellaBrava, Luv Child, Forbici, Bolay, The Brass Tap, MacDinton's Irish Pub, Sweet Soul, Flames Indian Cuisine and Daily Eats. A few popular chains like Outback Steakhouse, Shake Shack and Planet Smoothie usually hand out samples at Taste of South Tampa, too. VIP includes early admission, access to a VIP-only eating area and additional food and drink options.

Taste of South Tampa. Sunday, March 3 1 p.m.-4 p.m. $40 & up. Tampa Garden Club, 2629 Bayshore Blvd., Tampa. business.southtampachamber.org—Kyla Fields

Say yes

There probably won’t be any Hi-C Ecto Cooler on tap, but Tampa Theatre’s annual celebration of cinema (this year it’s “Ghostbusters”) and wine is back on Franklin Street, complete with different options for the weekend: Friday’s two-tiered tasting with more than a dozen wineries plus nearly two-dozen restaurants, and a more-orless sold-out Saturday wine dinner pairing happening on the historic theater’s stage. WineFest 2024: Grapebusters. Friday-Saturday, March 1-2 $80. Tampa Theatre. 711 N Franklin St. Tampa. tampatheatre.org—Ray Roa

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Leaps of faith

CL readers chime in on what Tampa Bay needs to be a better place in four years.

By Ray Roa

It's a leap year, and while it’s strange to think about life four years ago (on the edge of pandemic!), Creative Loafing Tampa Bay recently looked four years ahead and asked our readers to tell us what Tampa Bay needs to be a better place in 1,463 days.

We asked survey respondents to write about what they wanted their community to look like the next leap year. Nearly 200 people chimed in—from service workers, elected officials and even journalists—and we’ve compiled the ideas into three pages of ideas, including the most prevalent concerns to the most obscure suggestions. There’s even more to see online at cltampa.com/ news.

We’ve broken up the responses by category below—and there was no way we could fit it onto three pages. See a more complete rundown on cltampa.com/news

Transit

LOCAL NEWS

Top of mind for an overwhelming majority of respondents: transportation. People want to spend less time driving. They are keenly aware of the hidden costs baked into having to get in their cars to go to work. Whether it’s for work or play, residents just want to get where they’re going without going through an existential crisis.

After transportation, housing was the biggest concern—people just want to be able to live. “If we want Tampa to be a real city, and not just a collection of suburbs, we need mass transit that will support density, which will also help our affordable housing problem,” Tom Scherberger, former Tampa Tribune and St. Petersburg Times editor, wrote.

Other concerns included the environment; people want more trees to improve air quality, combat the urban heat island effect. “More kids climbing trees, more fruit growing in the right of way,” Kali Rabaut added.

Other concerns included safety (more cops, less cops), an increase in “third places,” and even the possibility of an NBA team or new city flag.

The results told us that our readership is engaged, a little enraged, but completely invested in the place they call home, not just for themselves but for future generations, too. I hope we get to do this more often than every four years, and more than that, I hope that we’ve made some progress next time this survey comes along.

Express buses, light rail, trolley. The ferry is a great idea, but how do people get there more effectively other than as a quick ride for fun. Connect important places (USF, Armature Works, International Mall, Ybor, etc) to residential areas (Carrollwood, Town N' Country, Seminole Heights, etc.) and other important places. It will reduce traffic, make it easier for those from further out to park, and make it easier to use those important economic engines of the area. And, high speed rail to Orlando, Sarasota, Jacksonville, and Miami. Again, connecting some of these places to Tampa's economic engines.—Randi Zimmerman, General Manager, WMNF Tampa 88.5-FM

While the need for broad public transportation is often raised, I'll mention a specific area of focus—additional transportation options to cross the bridges and other waterways. While the ferry between Tampa and St. Pete has been a nice addition (though it needs more frequency, year-round duration and more ground transport at each end), we need many more options beyond just widening our already high-traffic bridges, for both resident and tourist audiences. This could be boats that take you on the Gulf from the Clearwater beaches to downtown St. Pete, or light rail, or helicopters to fly you from Hyde Park to Dunedin! Cross-water transportation will create a more cohesive Tampa Bay region connecting Tampa, St. Pete and Clearwater and every town in between. Altogether, our Bay area has a ton to offer, each city with its own character and identity, but independently we’re just a number of mid-size cities, while combined we’re a powerful metropolitan area. We are better together—to attract economically impactful businesses, to make it more feasible to work across the region and to provide tourists with

the ability to visit all the attractions across the area—to name a few.—Katherine

Greif, Chief Operating Officer & Deputy Di-

rector,

The Dali Museum

Ferry transport from Riverview to Tampa seven days a week. The Mosiac Park is offering their docks to provide the ferry service from Riverview to Tampa. There is very heavy traffic, too many cars on the road heading the same direction. It will help with air quality, less pollution. Imagine arriving to work less stressed from driving, or more job opportunities for people that do not drive. The ferry transport will also benefit tourism and bringing tourist and residents to businesses near Ruskin, Riverview, Gibsonton, Apollo Beach area.—Maryvette Romero

“More fruit growing in the right of way.”

can be done to change that. But having an option to avoid driving is very necessary. Also, those without cars, or the ability to afford insurance won’t be forced to spend close to $100/day to take Lyft & Uber to work, to run errands, etc. Insurance is more expensive than ever, because of one ticket in 27 years of driving I now pay $400/month for one car. It’s outrageous & I would choose mass transit every day instead of driving. It would majorly decrease drunk driving accidents & pedestrian deaths and injuries. We are a cool and diverse city, our transportation system should be forward thinking and moving ;-)—Katie Knaff, A server, an entrepreneur & Tampa native that loves her city

Legitimate and affordable mass transit that is available to everyone in all areas, and runs at all hours. Because driving is more expensive and dangerous than ever. Driving around town is truly terrifying and not much

Transit! Walkability, multi modes, high capacity mass transit, the ability to live car free as density increases. We’ve been fighting for this and denied by deliberate, Republicans blocking us and our actions for over 35 years. To make it a reality we have to elect politicians not beholden to development (both

AS FAR I THE EYE CAN SEE: CL readers are completely invested in the place they call home.

GREGORY BOWERS

housing and road builders) and automobile dealer special interests. Publicize the boringby-design transportation planning meetings, and the efforts of transit advocates (who work in tandem with other groups focused on land use, housing and equity issues because they are all intricately interrelated) to educate the public and get past inability to visualize this attainable goal. Challenge the right wing narrative. Tons of case studies elsewhere in hot, car dependent places making the change. The climate crisis is here, transit can’t wait.—Michelle Cookson, Founding member & officer, Sunshine Citizens

Affordable, efficient mass transit to connect residents and visitors to small businesses and cultural spaces that need consistent foot traffic. Density is filling in our neighborhoods but we need to connect the neighborhoods too. We need investment in county-wide transit that connects regionally and fast transit options for connecting the urban core.—Michele Smith

Housing

Housing for people instead of cars. Tampa Bay will continue to grow, whether we make big investments in transportation or not. The

high frequency transit corridors to incentivize low-car households. The only people who make the city cool are leaving. The artists are leaving, the musicians, etc. The cool people are being priced out. I have lived in St. Pete for my 27 years of life. My peers are being priced out. They cannot afford to live here even though they'd love to. We have an immense undersupply of housing and it needs to be solved before we lose the last of what makes this city interesting. We easily could, we just need a bit of political will. This city is becoming soulless due to arbitrary policy positions pushing residents out. Remove them.

Warren Willingham

ILLUSTRATION BY BOB

WHITMORE

Affordable housing, rent caps and laws on short term rentals. The cost of living is outweighing the pay. Tampa natives are being priced out of where they grew up and want to live. I own a small business and it's ridiculous that cheap rent is still over 30% of my pay, some people paying close to 50%. Pass the laws and enforce them and make it easier for people to add ADUs on their property.

Amara Stasko

Arts

question is whether it grows up, with density, walkable neighborhoods, and new transit demand, or if it continues to grow out, with more traffic, greenhouse gas emissions, and unserviceable sprawl. With the funding train leaving the station after All For Transportation was overturned, Tampa residents have to acknowledge downtown Tampa can no longer wait for regional transit to achieve its 21st century potential. Our urban core and adjacent neighborhoods need to be rapidly retrofitted for real alternatives to driving, and to build demand for transit, for the people who live there. One of the most effective ways to do this is to stop mandating excessive space for cars that goes drastically underutilized, which drives up the cost of housing and commercial businesses, makes most forms of missing middle housing infeasible, and promotes carcentric suburban style development in our urban core. If the state or county won't let us have transit, we have to skip it for walkability and bikeability wherever we can.

A robust system of public support for the arts. We used to assume that recognizing the importance of a strong arts scene to building a robust and sustainable local economy was a nonpartisan position. Unfortunately, as we've seen in recent developments at the county level and in Tallahassee, that's no longer the case. Our continued growth is contingent on providing the cultural experiences expected by the people who are moving to Tampa Bay. Therefore, it's vital we ask the question of all candidates for local and state office their opinion on public funding for the arts, while doing our best to impress upon those already in elected positions the role arts funding plays in the local economy in order to better enlighten them and hopefully change their minds.

—Timothy Burke, independent journalist

“Please leave Ybor City alone.”

—Nathan Hagen. Chapter Lead, YIMBY Tampa

Upzoning to townhomes and quadruplexes throughout neighborhoods. Encourage very high density within a quarter-mile radius of

Tampa Bay needs to focus more money, via tax incentives, on local film and television production. In 2016 Florida stopped offering tax incentives for film and television production. "Florida Man," a Netflix show set in Florida, is filmed in North Carolina. Ben Affleck's "Live by Night," a love letter written about the golden age of Ybor was filmed in Georgia. Local creatives have to choose if they want to work in their industry of choice and move away, or change careers to stay in the Tampa Bay Area.—Taylor Edwin Ashley, Production Manager

Increased funding for the arts. Investment in arts leads to creativity which leads to innovative thinking that can help grow businesses and provide alternative solutions to other regional issues. We need to push elected officials to prioritize early arts educational opportunities and encourage the private sector to increase support of the arts.—David Cox, Executive Director, Gasparilla Music Festival

Art after dark. Museums need to stay open on weekend nights. Tampa Museum of Art closes at 5 p.m.; ditto, St. Pete. Why? There's no finer hook up than a fine art connection. There's nothing more I'd rather do on Friday evening than meet my honey at the museum, grab a glass of wine, gab over a painting.—Thomas Hallock

Infrastructure

Tampa Bay needs more third spaces, aka community building locations that aren't your home or work, where you don't have to pay for anything to be there, and you have the option to be out of the elements. We need more third spaces because across physical locations, socio-economic status, etc., there are a lot of things dividing us, and between work & home, we need a space to build community & connections. Government sponsored activities to generate conversation and connection would be a great start. Large buildings opening their spaces during off hours for facilitation of events like Creative Mornings, meetups, networking, organizing, etc. People recognizing there are spaces already doing this such as the libraries, public parks, and art galleries like the Factory, and using them as a jumping off point for their ideas would take this to the next level.

—Sav Gibbs

Ogden, founder Deviant Libation

We need our venues, especially small and mid-sized, to thrive because they provide space for artists to grow. Everything beautiful about Tampa hinges on community, music, and the arts at large. We are better for experiencing the creations of the many talented artists in this area. I don't pretend to have the answers, but in a cold and indifferent world I take a lot of solace in experiencing the myriad of creativity as presented by extraordinarily talented and heartfelt creators. All I can think to do is support them and the hosts and promoters who present them, and encourage others to do so. —Tim

To be a better place four years from now, and for many, many years beyond, Tampa Bay needs to appreciate, preserve, and honor its structural history. We’ve lost entire blocks of buildings, some a hundred-plus years old, to the wrecking ball in Tampa Bay city centers this decade alone. Historical architecture is what sets a place apart from Anytown, USA.

Destruction, often branded as “revitalization,” doesn’t happen all at once—it’s death by a thousand cuts.—T.J. Chaltry

Less unchecked sprawl, cheaper utilities to help cost of living, encouraging employers to at least give cost of living raises for those of us that have stagnated since Covid. Help with the cost of insurance doubling over the last year. Because us actual residents are living on the edge of alive out here while Tampa tries to make it better for more folks to move in. I don’t know how—incentives, rates, negotiation. If I knew how I’d be in government jobs. —Lindsey

Welch

More bikeability. Making Tampa more bike-friendly is the right step in addressing various challenges including decongesting traffic, improving people's health, and improving pollution. Wouldn't it be great to have a future where we're spending less time in traffic jams, visiting the doctor less often, and breathing cleaner air? I grew up in Tampa but lived in Berlin, Germany the past nine years. I didn't own a car there and rode my bike to work as well as used it to do errands, and meet up with people. It was amazing. I just returned to Tampa and miss riding my bike everywhere. Tampa can become more bike-friendly like other cities in the U.S. and in Europe.—Carla

“Our regional CCC could build many of the same things.”

of the greatest urban forests in the world. Up until recently, Tampa was the number one city on planet Earth when it comes to trees per acre. But that is slowly being eroded as developers push for rezoning, and poachers remove trees illegally. Over the next four years Tampa could make a lasting name for itself by mustering the political will to become the "City in the Forest.” Imagine an innovative city that creates homes and buildings designed to preserve trees, and becomes world renowned for planting and preserving trees that help in the fight against global warming. We have the opportunity to create a city unique among the great cities on the planet. A city famous for its love of trees.—Bob Whitmore

Party

Rojas Paz

Roads/sidewalks for our kids and families and residents to use for recreation. Our kids want to ride scooters and bikes in the neighborhood and to schools and our neighborhood roads are full of potholes and totally uneven. This is different then repaving the interstate or Dale Mabry. This provides outdoor play and recreation in our neighborhoods. Everyday my children grow is one more they can’t ride their bikes down our street safely with no sidewalks and a bumpy, uneven road.—Mary Platts

More bicycle infrastructure. Public land trusts. The median wage in Tampa Bay is around $34,000. Someone making this can afford about $650 in monthly housing costs, including utilities, but the average rent is about three times that. Tampa Bay obviously prefers to pay its workers very little, but where are they supposed to live? Public land trusts take housing out of the market and make it invulnerable to the kind of market absurdities we've been experiencing lately.

Josh Bobst

Environment

Trees. The City of Tampa is unique, in that it is nestled within what is arguably one

Every city has a district like Ybor City, why can’t we just own it and appreciate it for what it is? Every time I open up my Tampa news feed there’s some new article on zoning woes and closures of a bar or restaurant that had been in business for years (RIP Boneyard). Nashville has Broadway, Memphis has Beale Street, New Orleans has Bourbon Street. Tampa has 7th Avenue and Ybor. A healthy night life is good for the city. Bars and clubs and restaurants are what we need to keep young minds in Tampa and stop the “brain drain” that might send our productive human capital elsewhere. I truly believe that zoning 7th Avenue as “wet” could solve several issues. I’m sure sales would go up (along with it tax revenue). I am not an attorney, but there could be some opportunity with the open availability of alcohol I believe you’d effectively be banning firearms from that “wet” zone. “Florida statutes specifically prohibit bringing a concealed weapon into "any portion of an establishment licensed to dispense alcoholic beverages for consumption." —Devon Ingandela

People

Cities like Tampa are often told that our biggest challenge is attracting and keeping our “best and brightest,” with the inference that our best and brightest are only those from prestigious higher learning institutions. We need to add some identities to who our “best and brightest” are in policy (read the councilman’s complete submission via cltampa.com/news).—Luis

Viera, Tampa City Councilman District 7

Policy

A new "Official" municipal flag (representing the City of Tampa residents). Every great city deserves a proper and inspiring municipal flag flown over City Hall. One that

reflects the vibrancy and history of the city in which its citizens reside. It is past time that we address the abomination that currently is our City of Tampa flag.—Mario R. Núñez, Creator/Host of “The Tampa Natives Show”

New design codes are not the answer. Any time the City of Tampa is given a new rule book, they just add it to the old rule book and now we have a whole new set of codes that are up to the interpretation of whatever city official or inspector is left to interpret them. We need a small business czar for the city: a single office or individual tasked with shepherding new ventures through the maze of city bureaucracy and clearing hurdles wherever necessary. Someone needs to have the authority to make common sense decisions when city officials revert to their standard circular firing squad position.—Devon Brady, Tampa Fire Captain

Work

A regional Civilian Conservation Corps. In 1933, President Franklin Roosevelt established the national Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) as a part of his New Deal programs. The purpose of the CCC was to provide manual labor jobs and relieve pressure on families who had trouble finding work during the Great Depression. The Tampa Bay CCC–following similar principles of the CCC

and AmeriCorps, which began in 1993 under President Clinton–would focus on a number of the key areas where we know we need improvement.

Corps members could serve in a variety of capacities, including as stewards of our natural spaces in Tampa Bay, partnering with local parks professionals. They could also assist our first responders and recovery officials when disasters strike, working to repair homes, help survivors, and help restore our communities and neighborhoods after events like devastating hurricanes. They could also help with distribution at local food banks, take on issues of homelessness and work with leaders in government and in nonprofits to address growing food insecurity, particularly in our food deserts.

The Civilian Conservation Corps of the mid-1930s built many of the parks and landmarks you know and love today. Our regional CCC could build many of the same things our Tampa Bay citizens will love and appreciate for generations to come.—Benjamin

J. Kirby, Director of Communications &

Community Engagement for HCA Florida St. Petersburg Hospital

WHAT’S IN A FLAG: What would you put on a new City of Tampa flag?

FENG OR PROLUX PHOTOS/ADOBE

THRU

Honoring Heroes:

Regener-Eyes® Pays Tribute to Two-Time Purple Heart Recipient

There are simple reminders of the sacrifices made by our military, with the Purple Heart standing out among them as a symbol of honor in the United States military, awarded to those who have been wounded or have lost their lives in service. It not only speaks of the bravery exhibited by its recipients, but also of the heavy toll exacted in safeguarding our nation's freedoms.

Regener-Eyes®, a company deeply ingrained in appreciation and respect for our US Military, strongly identifies with the significance of the Purple Heart. Inspired by the mission of Wounded Warriors Family Support, an organization dedicated to aiding the families of wounded, injured, or fallen veterans, Regener-Eyes®'s CEO and Founder, Dr. C. Randall Harrell, felt compelled to take action.

Wounded Warriors Family Support serves as a beacon of support for veterans and their families, providing invaluable services such as caregiver respite, veteran training, and family retreats. Organizations like these embody the spirit of gratitude and support for our military

community, reminding us of the enduring impact of their service. Dr. Harrell recognized the unmet needs faced by veterans and Purple Heart recipients.

Understanding the daily challenges confronting these individuals, Regener-Eyes® acknowledges the importance of recognizing their sacrifices in meaningful ways.

GySgt. Ronald C. Newton, a local Tampa Bay two-time Purple Heart recipient and wounded veteran, expressed appreciation for the simple yet meaningful gesture of a designated parking spot. "In today’s world, it is hard to believe that veterans are often overlooked. It is with pleasure that I tell you, this old Marine, that your company has gone out of its way to support wounded veterans. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for remembering us all," he shared. His sentiment encapsulates the

profound impact such gestures can have on those who have sacrificed so much for their country.

GySgt. Ronald C. Newton, USMC Retired, served from December 1964 to 1968 and was medically retired. He was wounded twice and received two Purple Hearts during his service. GySgt. Newton shared his harrowing experiences, including being shot down in North Vietnam and his injuries sustained in combat. He expressed gratitude to Regener-Eyes for recognizing and providing parking spaces for wounded veterans, emphasizing the importance of such support in veterans' lives.

Regener-Eyes® seeks to inspire other local businesses to follow suit in honoring our military members. By offering tangible symbols of recognition and support, we can ensure that the sacrifices of our veterans and Purple Heart recipients are never forgotten.

Regener-Eyes® proudly dedicates a Purple Heart parking spot at its headquarters in honor of local Tampa Bay hero USMC Gunnery Sergeant Ronald C. Newton, a two-time Purple Heart recipient. This spot is made available to any Purple Heart recipient. Regener-Eyes® extends its gratitude to Gunnery Sergeant Newton for his courageous service to our country in the United States Marine Corps. The establishment of a Purple Heart parking spot near an accessibility ramp, serves as a powerful symbol of gratitude and respect for the sacrifices made by our military members. Through small initiatives like this, we can ensure that their service and bravery are always remembered and honored.

Visit regenereyes.com to learn more.

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Character building

Here are a few things Tampa could learn from St. Pete.

By Linda Saul-Sena

St. Pete and Tampa are siblings, not twins, and this isn't a competition. Both have their strengths and it would be dull, indeed, if they were mirror images. However, in the spirit of healthy family dynamics, there are certain qualities which sharing would improve and I'm attempting to underscore a few.

The origin story for each town was wildly different.

In 1824, Tampa started as a military post, Ft. Brooke. The town was small and housed less than 800 people until 1881 when Henry Plant, brought his steamship company and railroad to town. His trains were a catalyst for Don Vicente Martinez Ybor to build his cigar factory here and establish Ybor City, immediately adjacent to Tampa. Although the grounds of the Plant's Tampa Bay Hotel (now the University of Tampa )were lavishly landscaped, the rest of Tampa was industrial with primarily working class housing—think hardscape and utilitarian.

in its originality.

Studio@620 opens its doors to warmly welcome the entire community. Jones told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay that "when you go home to see your family, you don't have to make a reservation...it's there for you. In the same way, just knowing that place exists is comforting." His venue, now in the hands of theater veteran Erica Sutherlin, is a gift to the city.

In the Grand Central District of town, Tombolo Books offers not only a broad and deep variety of books, but a lively series of activities ranging from author's talks to children's story time to in store book clubs.

How did St. Pete score such a place? Alsace Walentine, the founder and co-owner, shares a great backstory.

COLUMN

When St. Petersburg was incorporated in 1903, the population was 300 and it was established as a winter escape. One of the city's founders, Peter Demens, hailed from St. Petersburg, Russia, and named the area in honor of his homeland. The fishing industry was part of the local economy, but in 1908, William Straub, the editor of the St. Petersburg Times for 38 years, campaigned to move the docks, warehouses and boat repair south of the town center and create a waterfront park—think green and a water view.

After 60 years, Tampa reworked its waterfront, but it's been playing catch up for decades.

Both Tampa and St. Pete have dreadful histories of racism in housing, public education and amenities. However, 20 years ago, a gifted actor turned cultural empresario, the recently-retired Bob Devin Jones, created Studio@620, where "The Answer is Always Yes." This extraordinary place hosts theatrical productions, dance performances, literary readings, film screenings, art exhibitions, poetry, comedy and concerts.

The breadth of the programming is staggering and this is all accomplished with three staff members and lots of volunteers. Studio@620 has always welcomed performers and audiences from all parts of the community, Black, white, young, old, rich and not. Ticket prices are reasonable and the non-intimidating vibe encourages participation from a wide variety of artists. A peek at the schedule, filled with the Radio Theatre Project, which was inaugurated there, to a Shopizaar, is exciting

provide the energy by attending the myriad public meetings and discussions on the future of homes, buildings and neighborhoods.

Since historic structures need resources and protective laws to sustain them, Preserve the 'Burg is also busy educating the public about what is necessary for stewardship. Funds, both public and private need to be raised and owners need to understand the value of their historic properties.

focussed on the residential development downtown. Growing up, he observed that Tyrone Mall killed downtown shopping and that most retail west of 9th Avenue was dead. Since the low-rise building profile wasn't challenged, these areas remained intact and are now renovated and dynamic.

"I think people intrinsically know what makes cities fun and vibrant.”

The organization is part of the civic discourse and helps laypeople navigate zoning and tax breaks for preservation, helping bridge the gap between development interests, elected officials, city administration and neighborhood groups.

Manny Leto, the director, understands the complex dynamics of place-conscious development."

Pinellas is the most densely populated county in Florida, with close to 3,500 people per square mile. According to the county itself, only Broward, with 1,470 people per square mile, gets close.

Jackson pointed out the obvious: growth for Pinellas could only be vertical and more dense. Clear zoning rules, crafted by the local government, have directed growth which mostly satisfies both the public and developers.

"The fabric has never changed and zoning enhances the character of these corridors,” he added.

She spent 16 years at the legendary Asheville, N.C. bookstore, Malaprops, directing events and learning the book biz. When her wife moved to Florida for business, she fell in love with St. Pete but recognized the critical lack of an event-driven independent bookstore.

She opened this store in December 0f 2019, 90 days before Covid, and survived the shutdown by delivering books by bicycle within a three-mile radius. Finding a space next to Black Crow Coffee, an existing coffee bar, was a win, allowing customers access to snacks without having to organize that business. Walentine has been gratified by the community's enthusiastic response. "My life has busted wide open with this store,” she told CL.

At Tombolo, Walentine cultivates a community’s love for reading and need for books, while serving schools, businesses, and nonprofits not just from St. Pete, but across the U.S.

“Just this past weekend we had customers from Boston, Maine, Chicago, Minnesota, St. Louis, Philadelphia, Tacoma, Baltimore, and Pennsylvania! I've never once regretted the leap of faith it took to open Tombolo Books,” she added.

Preserve the 'Burg is historic preservation's effective voice in a place where new development threatens to erode the scale and charm of the town. This not-for-profit's slogan, "Educate, Advocate and Celebrate" elegantly summarizes their mission.

The group organized in 1977 and now claims a paid executive director in addition to an army of volunteers who lead the walking tours, help with the outdoor movie series and organize the many celebrations of local treasures which have been protected. Volunteers

"I think people intrinsically know what makes cities fun and vibrant: a mix of old and new architecture, unique places—think about your favorite brewery or that quirky hotel you stayed at once—but they might not know the term adaptive reuse,’” Manny Leto, director for Preserve The ‘Burg, told CL. “That's where organizations like ours come in. We get the wonky stuff and can help educate people about how historic architecture can enhance a city's quality of life and identity."

When considering who to talk to for this article, I was fortunate in identifying a real insider.

James Jackson, the City of St. Pete's Senior Project Coordinator is an ultimate insider when it comes to the history and inner workings of the Sunshine City. He grew up in St. Pete. His grandparents, whom he visited often, lived in Tampa and he worked as the City of Tampa's City Architect, the first African American in this role, under three mayors, so his perspective is keen.

Jackson saw that Tampa's economic thrust was toward business, encouraging banks to build high rises in the CBD, while St Pete

By carefully outlining public expectations for parking, height, landscaping and setbacks, everyone knows what they can expect to build. In residential neighborhoods, density can be carefully created by ADUs (Additional Dwelling Units) with off-street parking mandated for the extra living space.

Jackson credits Randy Wedding, the St. Pete Mayor who was professionally an architect, for bringing Interstate exits to downtown and encouraging businesses such as Raymond James to locate their suburban campuses in the Gateway area, rather than downtown.

Wedding was an architect by trade and served the city between 1973-1975. At the same time, Tampa had Mayor Dick Greco, an actual developer, who once staged a “bloodless” bullfight in Ybor City. In his 2005 book “Land of Sunshine, State of Dreams,” historian Gary Mormino wrote how the exhibition went off the rails when a state trooper had to kill a stampeding bull with a high-powered rifle.

Quite the contrast.

So, St. Pete is rocking in a lot of ways, and Tampa would be wise to take note sometimes. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

EMOTIONAL UMAMI: Tampa could pick up a few hints from St. Pete’s flavor profile.

CITYOFSTPETE/FLICKR

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Cellar-bration

Webb's City Cellar is riding high into Tampa Bay Beer Week.

By Kyla Fields

In the heart of downtown St. Petersburg in between Central Avenue and 1st Street

North—across from Green Bench Brewing Co.’s popular turf and patio—there’s something special to celebrate amidst the many barrels and frigid temperatures of Webb’s City Cellar..

Green Bench Brewing Co. at 1133 Baum Ave. N has established a reputation in St. Pete for its kid and dog-friendly courtyard and crisp IPAs and pilsners, while sister concept Webb’s City Cellar is its five-year-old tasting room counterpart that offers a more specialized experience and a funkier taplist.

While Webb’s City Cellar may be the smaller concept in terms of volume, a globallyrecognized hospitality foundation recently gave it a nod that may put it on the map as a national destination for unique beer, cider, ales, mead and more.

But when 36 year-old owner Khris Johnson took the plunge to open the specialty tasting room over five years ago, he and his team weren't so sure that it would be well received by their consumers.

“I remember how challenging Webb’s City Cellar was at the beginning to like, even conceptualize,” Johnson tells Creative Loafing Tampa Bay. “Honestly, it felt like there was a high failure rate when we built it, but our mission has always been to challenge both ourselves and the market.”

With an intimate, ninr-seat bar and high top tables amongst its many barrels, foeders and other brewing equipment, Webb’s City Cellar offers a cool, industrial ambiance that differs from the brewery’s bright and airy space. Although Webb’s City has only been open since 2019, Johnson and his team have been releasing specialty beers under its brand since Green Bench’s inception in 2013. What originally started as a “small climate controlled closed that could originally fit about 20-25 barrels” has evolved into a unique tasting experience that just snagged a James Beard semifinalist nomination for “Outstanding Bar” last month.

By April, Johnson will find out if Webb’s has been selected as a finalist that travels to the award ceremony in Chicago this summer.

According to the foundation itself, bars that earn a semifinalist nomination must “demonstrate consistent excellence in curating a selection or in the preparation of drinks, along with outstanding atmosphere, hospitality, and operations, and contributing positively to its broader community.”

Whether Webb City Cellar takes home the prestigious award or not, making it to the semifinalist stage is still incredibly impressive, especially since it’s the only business in the greater Tampa Bay area that was represented in the James Beard Foundation’s 2024 nominations.

Notably, Webb’s City Cellars is the first bar/brewery in the greater Tampa Bay area that has been recognized by foundation.

Tampa Bay as a whole has snagged a few semifinalist nods over the past two decades, but its Beard roster has been overwhelmingly dominated by Tampa institutions like Bern’s Steak House and Columbia Restaurant. Perhaps Green Bench Brewing Co. and Webb’s City Cellars can help usher in an era where exemplary hospitality concepts in St. Pete can start gaining national recognition, which is particularly important since the Michelin star has not—and may never—make its way across the bridge.

With the Beard under his belt or not, Johnson still looks toward the future of his business—and the brewing industry as a whole—with calculated optimism.

“We’ve never wanted to simplify things for the consumer and we don’t really believe in the ‘market not being ready for something,’" Johnson explains. “Beyond the James Beard nod and everything that comes with it, it’s just been amazing to see how our market has embraced everything we’ve done so far. But I think I spend more time thinking about the work that still needs to be done more than what we’ve done up to this point.”

And next month, regulars and beer nerds alike will embrace funky ferments and celebrate Green Bench’s ethos of curiosity, education and quality at its annual “Foeder for Thought” event.

Every year, Green Bench’s annual Tampa Bay Beer Week event focuses on fermentation-

FOOD & DRINK EVENTS

Tampa Bay Beer Week

March 1-10. Everywhere tampabaybeerweek

forward brews and education around them, but this year’s celebration coincides with Webb’s City Cellar’s fifth anniversary on Friday, March 8. The 2024 rendition is an expanded block party on Baum Avenue filled with plenty of flowing beers from Green Bench and visiting breweries, live entertainment, educational panels from head brewers and commemorative merchandise.

Despite the wave of James Beard-related media coverage, the start of “season” for the local hospitality industry, and upcoming an-

niversaries, Johnson is still well aware of the trials that all small businesses are experiencing right now and is not taking the regular closures of craft breweries around the country lightly.

With the business’ platform from the James Beard nod and the wave of new customers it has garnered, Johnson hopes to be transparent about industry issues like inflation, equity, and the “plummeting of profitability” he’s experienced since 2020 (but not yet passed onto consumers).

CELLAR DWELLER: Webb’s City Cellar is a pretty cool place to be right now.

VISIT ST. PETE/CLEARWATER

But profit aside, he still maintains the same enthusiasm that he did when he first started home brewing 15 years ago. “I celebrate this industry as a whole—I love beer. I still love beer, like, I'm so passionate about it. I’ll never know everything there is to know about beer and that excites me.”

Looking forward, Johnson hopes to continue brewing unique beers, meads and ciders and possibly start experimenting with spontaneous fermentation. He may even open a third “experience-based concept surrounding beer and cider.”

While there’s a possibility of opening other Green Bench tasting rooms around Tampa Bay, Johnson will most likely stay in his home of St. Pete—the city he’s spent the last decade doing his best to represent within the brewing industry and beyond.

“We don’t want anybody to forget what we've been through as a city or take for granted how special this place is. And that

history is a part of what makes it special,” Johnson—who spends much of his spare time advocating for fellow Black brewers, distillers and business owners—explains. “If we're going to promise to represent the city as best we can, we have to create the best products and customer experience that we possibly can. That has been our mindset since day one.”

Head to @GreenBenchBrewing on Instagram for the latest news on Green Bench’s TBBW events, latest beer releases and updates on its James Beard nomination.

out-of-town breweries and tap takeovers that cater to all palates—whether you’re into funky ferments and barrel-aged beers or crispy lagers and straightforward ales. Head to tampabaybeerweek.com for more information on its multitude of beer-centric events happening in March.

Did we miss your TBBW event? Email kyla@cltampa.com to be added to this listing.

FOOD & DRINK EVENTS

Tampa Bay Beer Week 2024 runs from March 1-10 this year, and the Bay area-wide celebration is filled with nine days worth of festivals, unique beer releases, pop-ups from

Saturday and 1 p.m.-8 p.m. on Sunday. FridaySunday, March 1-3. No cover. Rapp Brewing Company, 10930 Endeavour Way, Seminole. rappbrewing.com

The Other Side of the Pint Join the Bastet Brewing crew for an exclusive screening of the “One Pint at a Time” documentary, an hour and a half-long film that explores the few Black-owned craft breweries across the country and how their owners are striving to be more than just 1% of the industry. Attendees can get the first taste of a collaborative beer brewed with Atlanta-based Draught Season and can also purchase its limited “Beer is Black History” merch. Friday, March 1. 5:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m. $25-50. Bastet Brewing 1951 E Adamo Dr. Suite B, Tampa. @bastetbrewing on Instagram

Tap takeover at Clear Sky Trinity’s Escape Brewing Company takes over the taps at Clearwater’s Clear Sky Draught House with 14 of its lagers, Hazy IPAs, sours, wheat ales and pilsners. Friday, March 1. 6 p.m.-8 p.m. No cover. Clear Sky Draught House, 680 Main St., Dunedin. Escapebrewingcompany.com

The Ultimate Brew Billed as the “official pre-party of Tampa Bay Beer Week,” this event features a massive, collaborative brew made of different types of hops from over 30 local breweries. Mingle with brewers and sip on a variety of local beers at this relaxed event that’s definitely, totally, and actually, “not a beer festival.” Friday, March 1. 6 p.m.-9 p.m. $30. TBBC (Westchase), 13937 Monroes Business Park, Tampa. Eventbrite.com

Florida Brewers Guild Beer Festival For the ninth year in a row, the Florida Brewers Guild hosts its annual festival in Tampa, which in 2024 brings over 100 breweries from every corner of the Sunshine State right to Sulphur Springs. Guests can enjoy over 300 different beer samples, food trucks, local bands and DJs. The complete vendor list will be available on the Florida Brewers Guild website soon. Saturday, March 2. 1 p.m.-5 p.m. $60. River Tower Park, 401 E Bird St., Tampa. Flbrewersguild.ticketleap.com

StrawBEERy

Fest weekend

Pinellas County’s Rapp Brewing Co. celebrates the launch of TBBW and the beginning of Florida’s strawberry season with its fruity beer drop, which includes a chocolate strawberry stout and strawberry lemon gose. The Seminole-based brewery is open from 3 p.m.-midnight on Friday, 2 p.m.-11 p.m. on

Brewers Ball This party brings both professional and amateur brewers together for the annual presentation of the Best Florida Beer Championships’ “Best of Show” winners. Tickets include food, music, and samples of winning beers. Sunday, March 3. Noon-5 p.m. $30-$60. River Tower Park, 401 E Bird St., Tampa. Eventbrite.com

Shakespeare on Tap! Local actors Giles Davies and William Glenn of Tampa’s Jobsite Theater will "give a tipsy one-night only pro-

DART ON OVER: The Kang of beers is throwing Lagerfest in a new location this year.

KING STATE

duction of Shakespeare skits” on The Independent's patio at 7 p.m., 7:45 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. The event will feature brews from Samuel Smith's Brewery of Yorkshire England, plus more options from the bar’s outstanding tap list. Monday, March 4. 6 p.m.-9 p.m. No cover. Independent Bar and Cafe, 5016 N Florida Ave., Tampa. independentbartampa.com

First Helping This limited-edition Tampa Bay Beer Week drop is for all of the sweet toothed beer-lovers out there. Corporate Ladder releases a variety of dessert-flavored brews on draft and in to-go packs—with flavors like strawberry jelly doughnut, banana pudding and barrel-aged sundae—which can also be enjoyed at its annual “Pi Day” party on Friday, March 8. Tuesday, March 5. Noon-10 p.m. No cover. Corporate Ladder Brewing Company, 4935 96th St. E, Palmetto. Corporateladderbrewing.com

Cinco de Marzo Ology Brewing teams up with South Florida’s Tripping Animals Brewing Co. for a night of Mexican lagers, margaritas and birria tacos. The Seminole Heights brewery hosts other food trucks throughout the week, with a lobster roll pop-up on March 7 and a collaborative “crawfishpalooza” with Louisiania’s Parish Brewing on March 10. Tuesday, March 5. 4 p.m.-8 p.m. No cover. Ology Brewing, 6401 N Florida Ave., Tampa. Ologybrewing.com

Try This! This Seminole Heights beer and wine bar hosts a tasting event where guests can enjoy small bites alongside a selection of locally-crafted beers or homebrews. Tuesday, March 5. 6:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m. $15. C.1949, 6905 N Orleans Ave., Tampa. C1949.com

Homebrew Wednesday Special Hoperations, a Tampa-based homebrew club where enthusiasts compare their beer, mead, and wine—

hosts a TBBW meet-up where attendees can sample a variety of homebrews and even vote for their favorite beer as part of the event’s “People’s Choice” competition. Wednesday, March 6. 7 p.m.-10 p.m. No cover. BarrieHaus Beer Co.,1403 E 5th Ave.,Ybor City. specialhoperations.org

Arkane in the Membrane This event’s $100 GA ticket comes with a bottle of Willett Family Estate Bourbon Barrel-Aged Stout, three hours of unlimited sampling of Arkane Aleworks’ best brews and commemorative merch. Its VIP tickets have already sold out, so don’t sleep on purchasing GA entry. Wednesday, March 6. 6 p.m.-9 p.m. $100. Arkane Aleworks, 2480 East Bay Dr. no. 23, Largo. arkanebeer. com/oznr

King State’s Lagerfest 2024 Since King State no longer has a beer headquarters with the recent closure of its Brutalist taproom

in St. Pete, Magnanimous Brewing’s new Seminole Heights spot will host the 30-plus lager-forward brews at 2024’s Lagerfest. A general admission ticket comes with unlimited pours and a commemorative glass. There’s also a Lagerfest afterparty at Tampa’s Independent Bar and Cafe from 8 p.m.-11:30 p.m. Thursday, March 7. 4 p.m.- 8p.m. $50-$80. Magnanimous Brewing, 6809 N Nebraska Ave., Tampa. Kingstate.com

Kaleidoscope Beer Fest This artsy beer festival features over 20 breweries slinging everything from light beers and IPAs to fruited sours, plus beer label artists creating live art throughout the outdoor event. And if you get too drunk, you may end up purchasing one of the art pieces for your living room or man cave. Friday, March 8. 5 p.m.-9 p.m. $45. Florida Avenue Brewing Company, 2029 Arrowgrass Dr., Wesley Chapel. Floridaavebrewing.com

LET'S ALL GO TO THE BAR: TBBC'S Ybor City location is always hop-pinin'.

VISIT TAMPA BAY

2nd Annual Lager Layover If barrelaged and wild fermented brews aren’t your thing, then head to St. Pete’s Grand Central Brewhouse for a night filled with crispy lagers and other palate cleansers. Enjoy live music and happy hour specials, too. Friday, March 8. 3 p.m.-7 p.m. No cover. Grand Central Brewhouse, 2340 Central Ave., St. Petersburg. Grandcentralbrew.com

Foeder for Thought This annual TBBW party—which seems to grow larger each year— once again brings “fermentation forward” beers to its patrons, plus panel discussions hosted by Michael Kiser of Good Beer Hunting, commemorative merch and live entertainment. This year’s Foeder for Thought coincides with Webb City Cellar’s 5th anniversary, so expect a few funky meads on tap, too. And if you don’t want to shell out $100+ for a ticket, you can always purchase featured beers by the glass. Friday, March 8. 5 p.m.-8 p.m. $115. Green Bench Brewing Co., 133 Baum Ave. N, St. Petersburg. greenbenchbrewing.com

Pye Road Meadworks 3rd Anniversary Enjoy sips from exclusive mead kegs—which include a few barrel-aged and exotic treat-

ments—alongside exclusive craft beer from other Tampa Bay breweries. There will be different food pop-ups each day to help absorb all that mead you’ve been downing, too. SaturdaySunday, March 9-10. Noon-10 p.m., 11 a.m.-6 p.m. No cover. Pye Road Meadworks, 8533 Gunn Highway, Odessa. pyeroad.com

The Dark Embrace Invitational Cycle Brewing, Angry Chair Brewing and Ology Brewing Co. join forces this year to host a celebration of all-things craft beer and barrelaged. Over 50 local and out-of-town breweries offer unlimited samples, and food from Tampa Bay-based vendors will be available for purchase. GA tickets come with beer samples, while more expensive tiers include a a bottle of the collaborative “Dark Embrace” beer, early entry and more.

brew, its classic imperial stout and a Hunah wine drop this year. There are also no limits or bundles required to purchase the prized 500 ml bottles brewed with vanilla, apple brandy, cacao nibs and chile peppers. Saturday, March 9. 9 a.m. until sold out. Cigar City Brewing, 3924 W Spruce St., Tampa.cigarcitybrewing. com

TBBW Bike Crawl Pedal around Trinity with the Escape Brewing team; the free ride starts at the brewery at 11:30 a.m. and visits craft beer paradise Wicked Pour and Starkey Market throughout the steady-paced ride.

FOOD & DRINK EVENTS

Saturday, March 9. 11:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Escape Brewing Company, 9945 Trinity Blvd. Suite 108, Trinity. escapebrewingcompany.com

Hop King Invitational Fifteen local breweries will compete for the “Hop King” crown at this annual, action-packed (yet friendly) TBBW competition. While the event is free to attend, it’ll cost you anywhere from $3-$30 to sip on some of these hop-forward beers. Sunday, March 10. No cover. Tampa Bay Brewing Company (Ybor). 1600 E 8th Ave., Ybor City. tbbc.beer

Troubled Waters Brewing’s 5th Anniversary This Safety Harbor mainstay celebrates with taps filled with special brews, grub from Gigglewaters and a Smackdown Homebrew Competition with free samples, of course. Sunday, March 10. 1 p.m.-8p.m. Troubled Waters Brewing, 670 Main St, Safety Harbor. troubledwatersbeer.com

Saturday, March 9. 11 a.m.-4 p.m. $150-$250. Perry Harvey Sr. Park, 1000 E Harrison St., Tampa. thedarkembraceinvitational.com

Hunahpu Release Party There are no presales for Cigar City’s highly-anticipated Hunahpu release, which includes a double barrel

Berry Beer Fest Berry-flavored brews from every corner of Tampa Bay are on tap at Crooked Thumb’s annual TBBW party, plus local food vendors and a DJ. Saturday, March 9. 5 p.m.-9 p.m. $40-$50. Crooked Thumb Brewery, 555 10th Ave. S, Safety Harbor. crookedthumbbrew.com

Toast the Brewmaster: Remembering Greg Rapp End your Tampa Bay Beer Week with a heartwarming party that will honor the legacy of Rapp Brewing Co. founder and decorated local brewer, Greg Rapp, who passed away 5 years ago. Some of Rapp’s all-time favorite brews will be on tap, too. Sunday, March 10. 2 p.m. 8 p.m. Rapp Brewing Co., 10930 Endeavour Way, Ste. C Pinellas Park. rappbrewing.com

CITY LIFE: Cigar City Brewing is definitely a go-to for Tampa Bay Beer Week.

VISIT TAMPA BAY

Twice a year, Creative Loafing Tampa Bay does a big update on this listing featuring Tampa Bay’s many breweries. Help CL with this ongoing project. Did we miss a brewery or leave out an important detail? Let’s get that in here. Email rroa@cltampa.com and kyla@cltampa.com. Include brewery name, address, phone number and website, plus a short description of the unique offerings. (Last updated Feb. 22, 2024)

3 CAR GARAGE Small-batch craft beer and rotating food trucks plus live music and happy hour specials. 8405 Heritage Green Way, Bradenton. 941-741-8877, 3cargaragebrewing.com

3 DAUGHTERS BREWING One of downtown St. Pete’s most popular hangouts and a beautiful facility in which to drink some great brews. The brewery also has an outpost on Clearwater Beach. 222 22nd St. S., St. Petersburg. 727-495-6002, 3dbrewing.com

3 KEYS BREWING South-of-the-Skyway restaurant and brewery and gastrobrew specializing in small batches. 2505 Manatee Ave. E, Bradenton. 951-2180396, 3keysbrewing.com

5 BRANCHES BREWING Soon-to-open veteranowned brewery, slinging small batches of IPAs, stouts and more. Serving brews and a clear view of the Tarpon Bayou. 131 Hibiscus St, Tarpon Springs. 727483-9122, fivebranchesbrewing.com

7VENTH SUN BREWING Some of the best sours, IPAs and collabs going at one of Tampa Bay’s OG breweries. 1012 Broadway, Dunedin. 727-733-3013. 7venthsun.com

81BAY BREWING CO. South Tampa’s first craft brewery boasts a wide variety of styles. You can still drink it, but the taproom is closed for renovation. 4465 W. Gandy Blvd., Tampa. 813-837-BREW, 81baybrewco.com

ANECDOTE BREWING CO. Sip inside or on the patio of Indian Rocks Beach’s first micro brewery. 321 Gulf Blvd., Indian Rocks Beach. anecdotebrewing.com

ANGRY CHAIR BREWING Crazy-good Seminole Heights beer, open Tuesday-Sunday. The taproom has tons of parking and a food shanty that low-key slings some of the best chicken wings in Tampa Bay. 6401 N. Florida Ave., Seminole Heights. 813-238-1122, angrychairbrewing.com

ARKANE ALEWORKS A wide variety of styles and flavors from the second brewery to open in Largo. 2480 E Bay Dr., #23, Largo. 727-270-7117, arkanebeer.com

BARRIEHAUS BEER CO. Lager-specific brewery, carrying on a more than 150-year brewing legacy. With Zydeco gone from the historic district, it serves the cleanest beers in Ybor City. 1403 E 5th Ave., Ybor City. 813-242-2739 barriehaus.com

BASTET BREWING Named after the Egyptian catgoddess, the brewery offers seasonal ales, ciders and even the occasional ginger beer. 1951 E Adamo Dr. Suite B, Tampa. 813-242-0064, bastetbrewing.com

BAYBORO BREWING CO. Veteran-owned kidfriendly brewery that has tons of events to go with its creative tap list and low-key music venue/listening room that tops most others in Pinellas. 2390 5th Ave. S, St. Petersburg. 727-767-9666, bayborobrewing.com

BIG STORM BREWING CO. Brewery with fun, signature brews (Bromosa, anyone?), and a gigantic footprint that includes a Pasco Storm Room, Clearwater outpost and new Ybor City spot overlooking 7th Avenue. bigstormbrewery.com

BIG TOP BREWING Perhaps Sarasota’s premier purveyor of locally crafted beer, Big Top’s reputation has spread far beyond the region and gets served up at two locations just south of Tampa and St. Petersburg. bigtopbrewing.com

BOOTLEGGERS BREWING CO. This Tampa taproom from Bootleggers Beer & Wine Home Brewing Supplies offers house-made suds and guest beers.10256 Causeway Blvd., Tampa. 813-643-9463, bootleggersbrewco.com

BREW HUB Some of the area’s best beers are produced here along with suds for their own label. 3900 Frontage Rd. S., Lakeland. 863-698-7600, brewhub.com

BREW LIFE BREWING Ultra-small batches and a lot of ‘em at this unassuming plaza brewery. 5765 S. Beneva Rd., Sarasota. 941-952-3831, brewlifebrewing.com

BRIGHTER DAYS BREW CO. Tarpon Springs spot specializing in music-inspired brews like the “So Fresh n’ So Clean sour” and “All the Single Belgians.” 311 N Safford Ave., Tarpon Springs. 7272-940-2350, @brighterdaysbrewco on Facebook

BULLFROG CREEK BREWING CO. A multitude of styles from former garage brewers is on tap in Valrico. 3632 Lithia Pinecrest Rd., Valrico. 813-703-8835, bullfrogcreekbrewing.com

CAGE BREWING Custom brews in the Grand Central District from one of the ‘Burg’s best brewery-music venues. 2001 1st Ave. S., St. Petersburg. 727-201-4278. cagebrewing.com

CALEDONIA BREWING Great in-house beers in the historic Dunedin Times building. 587 Main St., Dunedin. 727-351-5105, caledoniabrewing.com

CALUSA BREWING Family-owned and operated; open Tuesday-Sunday. 5377 McIntosh Rd., Sarasota, 941-552-8846, calusabrewing.com

CIGAR CITY BREWING Tampa’s most famous craft brewery has its headquarters and mothership in Carver City. There’s also a taproom at Amalie Arena and inside Tampa International Airport. 3924 W. Spruce St., Tampa. 813-348-6363, cigarcitybrewing.com

CHANNELSIDE BREWING CO. This new addition to the bustling Channelside district is a contract brewing facility with a few neat pilsners and IPAs of its own. 802 N 12th St., Suite C, Tampa. 813-5925700, channelsidebrewing.com

COMMERCE BREWING Live entertainment, events, and a wide variety of brews live at this newly-opened taproom. 521 Commerce Dr. S, Largo. 727-330-7011, commercebrewing@gmail.com

COMMON DIALECT BEERWORKS Seminole

Heights’ new family and dog friendly brewery—located right next to the Health Mutt pet store—has a familial and welcoming feel for all walks of life, plus beer from longtime brewer Mike Conze. 5023 N Florida Ave., Tampa. 813-443-6659. commondialectbeer.com

COPP WINERY & BREWERY A

one-stop shop for all wine, beer and brewery needs in Crystal River. 7855 W Gulf Lake Highway, Crystal River. 352-228-8103, coppbrewery.com

COPPERTAIL BREWING CO.

Some of Tampa’s best beer, in one of its best tasting rooms complete with killer kitchen. 2601 E. 2nd Ave., Tampa. 813-247-1500, coppertailbrewing.com

CORPORATE LADDER BREWING COMPANY Brewery focused on customer experience and celebrating social gatherings. 4935 96th St. E, Palmetto. 941-479-4799, corporateladderbrewing.com

COTEE RIVER BREWING Craft beer in the heart of historic downtown New Port Richey. 5760 Main St., New Port Richey. 727-8076806, coteeriverbrewing.com

CRAFT LIFE BREWING Originally based in Land O’ Lakes, this small-batch spot brewery now serves sips out of its larger location in Hudson. 46810 Tower Dr, Hudson. 727-378-4530, craftlifebrewingcompany.com

CROOKED THUMB BREWERY Safety Harbor’s first brewery boasts homegrown flavor and local guest taps, plus local food trucks and a stacked live music calendar. 555 10th Ave. S., Safety Harbor. 727-7245953, crookedthumbbrew.com

CUENI BREWING CO. Located off the Pinellas Trail in Dunedin and is about to celebrate its 10th anniversary there. 945 Huntley Ave., Dunedin. 727-266-4102, cuenibrewing.com

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CYCLE BREWING A true destination of The ‘Burg’s and one of the OG craft breweries in downtown St. Pete, quietly slinging one of St. Pete’s best beer menus to devoted regulars who watch the world go through Cycle’s garage doors. 534 Central Ave., St. Petersburg. 727-320-7954. cyclebrewing.com

DADE CITY BREW HOUSE The heart of downtown Dade City’s destination for original beers, wines and ciders. 14323 7th St., Dade City. 352-218-3122, dadecitybrewhouse.com

DE BINE BREWING CO. This addition bolsters the Northern Pinellas craft beer scene. 933 Florida Ave., Palm Harbor. 727-233-7964, debinebrewingco.com

DENTED KEG ALE WORKS Local brewery nestled in downtown New Port Richey. 5500 Main St., New Port Richey. 727-232-2582, dentedkegaleworks.com

DEVIANT LIBATION Latest project from local beer god Tim Ogden now open in Ybor Heights. Food trucks are regularly on site, and you might catch a local hardcore show there, too. 3800 N Nebraska Ave., 727-379-4677, deviantlibation.com

DISSENT CRAFT BREWING CO. Unique flavors and adventurous style outside downtown St. Pete. 5518 Haines Rd. N., St. Petersburg. 727-342-0255. @dissentcraftbrewing on Facebook

DUNEDIN BREWERY Florida’s oldest microbrewery features beer, eats and live music in what’s now become an iconic setting. 937 Douglas Ave., Dunedin. 727-736-0606, dunedinbrewery.com

DUNEDIN HOUSE OF BEER This beer stop brews its own, and also has 40 guest taps. 927 Broadway, Dunedin. 727 216-6318, dunedinhob.com

ESCAPE BREWING CO. Another very worthy Odessa-Trinity destination that’s in the process of building out a new food hall. 9945 Trinity Blvd., Suite 108, Trinity. 727-807-6092, escapebrewingcompany. com

FLORIDA AVENUE BREWING CO. Beer for the Sunshine State brewed in a family-friendly taproom. Its newly-opened location in Seminole Heights dishes out a full food and cocktail menu, while the Wesley Chapel hub gives the greater Bay area a chance to imbibe. floridaavebrewing.com

FLORIDA BREWERY Built in 1937, the second oldest brewery in Florida offers a Lager-focused brew menu that’s distributed to 15 countries around the globe. 202 Gandy Rd., Auburndale. 863-965-1825, floridabrewery.com

FRONT PAGE BREWING CO. This Bartow brewery offers Wednesday trivia, Thursday bingo and live music on the weekends. 190 S Florida Ave., Bartow. 863-537-7249, frontpagebrewing.com

GRAND CENTRAL BREWHOUSE 10,270 square-foot brewery, taproom, beer garden, and event venue with a lager-focused tap list. 2340 Central Ave., St. Petersburg, 727-202-6071, grandcentralbrew.com

GREEN BENCH BREWING CO. A space worthy of the adventurous beers it produces, and you can always walk over to the James Beard-nominated Webb’s City Cellar for funky ferments. 1133 Baum Ave. N., St. Petersburg. 727-800-9836, greenbenchbrewing.com

GOLDEN ISLES BREWING CO. This new, kid-friendly neighborhood brewery in St. Pete features its own ales, IPAs, porters and lagers on tap and also hosts a handful of different food trucks each week. 3000 Dr M.L.K. Jr St N, St. Petersburg. 727-502-9446, staygoldenstpete.com

GOOD LIQUID BREWING CO. Dozens of taps and beerfriendly fare from a husband-and-wife duo, who also operate a nearby distillery and cocktail lounge under the same company umbrella. 1570 Lakefront Dr, Sarasota, 941770-4282, thegoodliquidbrewing.com

GRINDHAUS BREW LAB Small batches and no extracts from this Pinellas-based “boutique brewery.” 1650 N. Hercules Ave. #1, Clearwater. 727-240-0804, grindhausbrewlab.com

GULFPORT BREWERY + EATERY Small batches—like its Gulfport Golden Ale or Hippie Oasis hazy IPA—plus an artisanal food menu. 3007 Beach Blvd., Gulfport. 727954-4109, gulfport-brewing.com

HIDDEN SPRINGS ALE WORKS This Tampa Heights brewery features a rotating tap selection of unique craft beers. 1631 N. Franklin St., Tampa, 813-226-2739, hiddenspringsaleworks.com

HOB BREWING CO. Rotating taps, with some brewed on-site and alongside a combination of local breweries, plus local and international craft beer makers. 931 Huntley Ave., Dunedin. 727-474-5584, hob.beer

IF I BREWED THE WORLD A self-described “mixtape of breweries” with a bit of everything from the classic to the fun and outrageous. 2200 1st Ave. S., St. Petersburg. 727-201-4484, ifibrewedtheworld.com

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Common Dialect Beerworks 43

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continued

IN THE community Lakes brewingcompany.com

INFUSION the good-beer-packed 6345 Grand infusionbrewingcompany.com

KEEL from the anyone

W. Thonotosassa landcurleywinery.com

KING fee roaster made the Tampa rent. 520 king-state.com

LATE merly building Cass St.,

LEAVEN by folks 11238 brewing.com

LIQUID tional automotive-themed Blvd., rage.com

MAD meads Beach.

MAGNANIMOUS block provides pickup. quarters, Seminole Tampa.

MARKER craft brewery Cortez

MASTRY’S rant to Pass Rd., ingco.com

MOTORWORKS den featuring 1014 9th worksbrewing.com

MR. DUNDERBAK’S garten own beers. 977-4104,

OLDE brewery a beachy 229-8010,

OLOGY pany opened offers 6401 N ing.com

OVERFLOW of St. company. 0665,

OZONA made heart 9390,

Twice a year, Creative Loafing Tampa Bay does a big update on this listing featuring Tampa Bay’s many breweries. Help CL with this ongoing project. Did we miss a brewery or leave out an important detail? Let’s get that in here. Email rroa@cltampa.com and kyla@cltampa.com. Include brewery name, address, phone number and website, plus a short description of the unique offerings. (Last updated Feb. 22, 2024)

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IN THE LOOP BREWING Family-friendly with a lot of community support and plenty of events. 3338 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., Land O’ Lakes. 813-997-9189, intheloopbrewingcompany.com

INFUSION BREWING CO. Another great location in the good-beer-packed Trinity/New Port Richey area. 6345 Grand Blvd., New Port Richey. 7272-484-4757, infusionbrewingcompany.com

3 CAR GARAGE Small-batch craft beer and rotating food trucks plus live music and happy hour specials. 8405 Heritage Green Way, Bradenton. 941-741-8877, 3cargaragebrewing.com

KEEL FARMS AGRARIAN ALE + CIDER Tasty brews from the folks behind Keel & Curley winery. Perfect for anyone who likes farm vibes with their craft beer. 5210 W. Thonotosassa Rd., Plant City. 813-752-9100, keelandcurleywinery.com

3 DAUGHTERS BREWING One of downtown St. Pete’s most popular hangouts and a beautiful facility in which to drink some great brews. The brewery also has an outpost on Clearwater Beach. 222 22nd St. S., St. Petersburg. 727-495-6002, 3dbrewing.com

3 KEYS BREWING South-of-the-Skyway restaurant and brewery and gastrobrew specializing in small batches. 2505 Manatee Ave. E, Bradenton. 951-2180396, 3keysbrewing.com

KING STATE This Tampa spot is a beer brewer, a coffee roaster and whatever else it wants to be. Beer is made offsite, but available on tap and in package at the Tampa Heights headquarter and St. Pete restaurent. 520 E Floribraska Ave., Tampa. 813-221-2100, king-state.com

LATE START BREWING Beloved Tampa label formerly doing its thing inside the Pour House, but is now building a new location in downtown Tampa. 1018 E Cass St., Tampa, latestartbrewing.com

5 BRANCHES BREWING Soon-to-open veteranowned brewery, slinging small batches of IPAs, stouts and more. Serving brews and a clear view of the Tarpon Bayou. 131 Hibiscus St, Tarpon Springs. 727483-9122, fivebranchesbrewing.com

7VENTH SUN BREWING Some of the best sours, IPAs and collabs going at one of Tampa Bay’s OG breweries. 1012 Broadway, Dunedin. 727-733-3013. 7venthsun.com

LEAVEN BREWING Riverview’s first brewery is run by folks who’ve got experience brewing big and small. 11238 Boyette Rd., Riverview. 813-677-7023, leavenbrewing.com

LIQUID GARAGE CO. Trendy one-offs and traditional styles all in Jeffery Ashline’s industrial and automotive-themed taproom. 1306 Seven Springs Blvd., New Port Richey. 727-645-5885. theliquidgarage.com

81BAY BREWING CO. South Tampa’s first craft brewery boasts a wide variety of styles. You can still drink it, but the taproom is closed for renovation. 4465 W. Gandy Blvd., Tampa. 813-837-BREW, 81baybrewco.com

ANECDOTE BREWING CO. Sip inside or on the patio of Indian Rocks Beach’s first micro brewery. 321 Gulf Blvd., Indian Rocks Beach. anecdotebrewing.com

MAD BEACH CRAFT BREWING Brews, ciders and meads by the beach. 12945 Village Boulevard, Madeira Beach. 727-362-0008, madbeachbrewing.com

ANGRY CHAIR BREWING Crazy-good Seminole Heights beer, open Tuesday-Sunday. The taproom has tons of parking and a food shanty that low-key slings some of the best chicken wings in Tampa Bay. 6401 N. Florida Ave., Seminole Heights. 813-238-1122, angrychairbrewing.com

MAGNANIMOUS BREWING In a warehouse a halfblock north of I-75, this addition to Tampa’s beer scene provides a large variety to drink in or to go curbside pickup. In addition to its OG Tampa Heights headquarters, Magnanimous also operates taprooms in Seminole Heights and Bradenton. 1410 Florida Ave., Tampa. 813-415-3671, magnanimousbrewing.com

ARKANE ALEWORKS A wide variety of styles and flavors from the second brewery to open in Largo. 2480 E Bay Dr., #23, Largo. 727-270-7117, arkanebeer.com

MARKER 48 BREWING Hernando’s first production craft brewery with tasting room and beer garden 12147 Cortez Blvd., Brooksville. 352-606-2509, marker48.com

BARRIEHAUS BEER CO. Lager-specific brewery, carrying on a more than 150-year brewing legacy. With Zydeco gone from the historic district, it serves the cleanest beers in Ybor City. 1403 E 5th Ave., Ybor City. 813-242-2739 barriehaus.com

MASTRY’S BREWING CO. From CD Roma’s restaurant to sweet new digs on St. Pete Beach. 7701 Blind Pass Rd., St. Pete Beach. 727-202-8045, mastrysbrewingco.com

BASTET BREWING Named after the Egyptian catgoddess, the brewery offers seasonal ales, ciders and even the occasional ginger beer. 1951 E Adamo Dr. Suite B, Tampa. 813-242-0064, bastetbrewing.com

MOTORWORKS BREWING A taproom and beer garden featuring full liquor and wine as well as 30 taps. 1014 9th Street West, Bradenton. 941-567-6218, motorworksbrewing.com

MR. DUNDERBAK’S The longtime restaurant, biergarten and homebrewers’ hangout is serving up its own beers. 14929 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., Tampa. 813977-4104, dunderbaks.com

BAYBORO BREWING CO. Veteran-owned kidfriendly brewery that has tons of events to go with its creative tap list and low-key music venue/listening room that tops most others in Pinellas. 2390 5th Ave. S, St. Petersburg. 727-767-9666, bayborobrewing.com

BIG STORM BREWING CO. Brewery with fun, signature brews (Bromosa, anyone?), and a gigantic footprint that includes a Pasco Storm Room, Clearwater outpost and new Ybor City spot overlooking 7th Avenue. bigstormbrewery.com

OLDE FLORIDA BREWING Largo’s newest craft brewery is open Tuesday through Sunday and features a beachy outdoor space. 1158 7th St. NW, Largo. 727229-8010, @oldefloridabrew on Facebook

OLOGY BREWING CO. This Tallahassee-based company opened its first Tampa location in 2023 and now offers a variety of in-house brews, coffee and spirits. 6401 N Florida Ave., Tampa. 850-296-2809, ologybrewing.com

BIG TOP BREWING Perhaps Sarasota’s premier purveyor of locally crafted beer, Big Top’s reputation has spread far beyond the region and gets served up at two locations just south of Tampa and St. Petersburg. bigtopbrewing.com

OVERFLOW BREWING CO. Laid-back spot courtesy of St. Pete native and head brewer Troy Bledsoe and company. 770 1st Ave. N., St. Petersburg. 727-9140665, overflowbrewing.co/

BOOTLEGGERS BREWING CO. This Tampa taproom from Bootleggers Beer & Wine Home Brewing Supplies offers house-made suds and guest beers.10256 Causeway Blvd., Tampa. 813-643-9463, bootleggersbrewco.com

BREW HUB Some of the area’s best beers are produced here along with suds for their own label. 3900 Frontage Rd. S., Lakeland. 863-698-7600, brewhub.com

OZONA BREWING COMPANY Fresh, local craft beer made on site, wine, food and live entertainment in the heart of Ozona. 315 Orange St., Palm Harbor. 920-3929390, ozonabrewing.com

PEE-PA’S GARAGE CRAFT BREWERY We think your dad will totally love this new brewery, which is known for its lighter ales, stouts and fruited goses. 6340 49th St. N, Pinellas Park. 727-526-2300, peepasgaragecraftbrewery.com

BREW LIFE BREWING Ultra-small batches and a lot of ‘em at this unassuming plaza brewery. 5765 S. Beneva Rd., Sarasota. 941-952-3831, brewlifebrewing.com

BRIGHTER DAYS BREW CO. Tarpon Springs spot specializing in music-inspired brews like the “So Fresh n’ So Clean sour” and “All the Single Belgians.” 311 N Safford Ave., Tarpon Springs. 7272-940-2350, @brighterdaysbrewco on Facebook

PEPPER BREWING The Angry Pepper Taphouse’s in-house label, available “on a limited basis.” 9366 Oakhurst Rd., Seminole. 727-596-5766, angrypeppertaphouse.com

BULLFROG CREEK BREWING CO. A multitude of styles from former garage brewers is on tap in Valrico. 3632 Lithia Pinecrest Rd., Valrico. 813-703-8835, bullfrogcreekbrewing.com

SOGGY BOTTOM BREWING More Dunedin goodness, including some truly original flavors and inventive brews. 660 Main St., Dunedin. 727-6011698, soggybottombrewing.com

SOUTHERN BREWING & WINEMAKING Multiple brews only available in its tasting room, which is also home to products and guidance for homebrewers. 4500 N. Nebraska Ave., Tampa. 813-238-7800, southernbrewingwinemaking.com

TAP THIS! BAR AND BREWING CO. Neighborhood beer and wine sports bar. 10730 US-19, Port Richey. 727-378-4358, tapthisbar.com

TBBC Formerly Tampa Bay Brewing Co., local favorite has served local craft beer lovers for nearly two decades with two locations including one in the heart of historic Ybor City and another in the Westchase ‘burbs. tbbc.beer

PINELLAS ALE WORKS PAW offers a dog-friendly environment in addition to tasty brews, with a portion of proceeds regularly going to local animal-centric nonprofits. 1962 1st Ave. S., St. Petersburg. 727235-0970, pawbeer.com

CAGE BREWING Custom brews in the Grand Central District from one of the ‘Burg’s best brewery-music venues. 2001 1st Ave. S., St. Petersburg. 727-201-4278. cagebrewing.com

CALEDONIA BREWING Great in-house beers in the historic Dunedin Times building. 587 Main St., Dunedin. 727-351-5105, caledoniabrewing.com

POUR HOUSE With new release events and special feature nights, Pour House celebrates all things beer. 1208 E Kennedy Blvd., Tampa. 813-402-2923, pourhousetampa.com

CALUSA BREWING Family-owned and operated; open Tuesday-Sunday. 5377 McIntosh Rd., Sarasota, 941-552-8846, calusabrewing.com

SOUTHERN LIGHTS BREWING CO. Only the finest hops, grains and natural ingredients go into these handcrafted small-batch ales and lagers. 2075 Sunnydale Blvd., Clearwater. 727-648-4314, southernlightsbrewing.com

SPONGE CITY BREWING A

THIRSTY BUFFALO BREWING COMPANY Located at The Hub, Land O’Lakes’ new brewery features ales, IPAs, the Midnight Bull vanilla milk stout and a coffee blonde made with beans from Bexley-based Yummee Coffee Roasters. 16794 Focus Loop, Land O’ Lakes. 813-475-5591. thirstybuffalobrew.com

THREE BULLS TAVERN & BREWERY Smallbatch handcrafted beer and food made from scratch wrapped in a creative atmosphere. 4330 Bell Shoals Road, Valrico. 813-381-3853, threebullstavern.com

TIDAL BREWING COMPANY Small batches in Spring Hill. 14311 Spring Hill Dr., Spring Hill. 352-7011602, tidalbrewingfl.com

CIGAR CITY BREWING Tampa’s most famous craft brewery has its headquarters and mothership in Carver City. There’s also a taproom at Amalie Arena and inside Tampa International Airport. 3924 W. Spruce St., Tampa. 813-348-6363, cigarcitybrewing.com

PYE ROAD MEADWORKS Located in Odessa, Pye Road focuses on mead but also keeps beer and wine in house for naysayers of the fermented honey drink. 8533 Gunn Hwy., Odessa. 813-510-3500, pyeroad.com

“fresh take on modern brew houses,” this newly-opened taproom dishes out IPAs, stouts and beer-friendly bites. 501 South Pinellas Ave.,Tarpon Springs. 727-937-8677, spongecitybrewing.com

ST. PETE BREWING COMPANY

TROUBLED WATERS BREWING An easygoing taproom featuring draft and bottled craft brews, billiards and live music. 670 Main St., Safety Harbor. 727-2219973, troubledwatersbeer.com

Common Dialect Beerworks

CHANNELSIDE BREWING CO. This new addition to the bustling Channelside district is a contract brewing facility with a few neat pilsners and IPAs of its own. 802 N 12th St., Suite C, Tampa. 813-5925700, channelsidebrewing.com

RAPP BREWING COMPANY The late Greg Rapp’s award-winning styles are carefully crafted at this “nano-sized” brewery. 10930 Endeavor Way, Seminole. 727-544-1752, rappbrewing.com

SEA DOG BREWING COMPANY This Treasure Island craft brewery also operates a handful of food trucks throughout Tampa Bay. 9610 Gulf Blvd.,Treasure Island. 727-954-7805, seadogbrewing.com

COMMERCE BREWING Live entertainment, events, and a wide variety of brews live at this newly-opened taproom. 521 Commerce Dr. S, Largo. 727-330-7011, commercebrewing@gmail.com

COMMON DIALECT BEERWORKS Seminole

Heights’ new family and dog friendly brewery—located right next to the Health Mutt pet store—has a familial and welcoming feel for all walks of life, plus beer from longtime brewer Mike Conze. 5023 N Florida Ave., Tampa. 813-443-6659. commondialectbeer.com

COPP WINERY & BREWERY A one-stop shop for all wine, beer and brewery needs in Crystal River. 7855 W Gulf Lake Highway, Crystal River. 352-228-8103, coppbrewery.com

COPPERTAIL BREWING CO. Some of Tampa’s best beer, in one of its best tasting rooms complete with killer kitchen. 2601 E. 2nd Ave., Tampa. 813-247-1500, coppertailbrewing.com

CORPORATE LADDER BREWING

COMPANY Brewery focused on customer experience and celebrating social gatherings. 4935 96th St. E, Palmetto. 941-479-4799, corporateladderbrewing.com

COTEE RIVER BREWING Craft beer in the heart of historic downtown New Port Richey. 5760 Main St., New Port Richey. 727-8076806, coteeriverbrewing.com

Beers crafted specifically for the climate, plus a bumpin’ “Nest” event space next door. 544 1st Ave. N., St. Petersburg. 727-692-8809, stpetebrewingcompany.com

CYCLE BREWING A true destination of The ‘Burg’s and one of the OG craft breweries in downtown St. Pete, quietly slinging one of St. Pete’s best beer menus to devoted regulars who watch the world go through Cycle’s garage doors. 534 Central Ave., St. Petersburg. 727-320-7954. cyclebrewing.com

STILT HOUSE BREWERY Friendly joint specializes in high-ABV ales and other styles you won’t find elsewhere. 625 U.S. Hwy Alt. 19, Palm Harbor. 727270-7373, stilthousebrewery.com

DADE CITY BREW HOUSE The heart of downtown Dade City’s destination for original beers, wines and ciders. 14323 7th St., Dade City. 352-218-3122, dadecitybrewhouse.com

DE BINE BREWING CO. This addition bolsters the Northern Pinellas craft beer scene. 933 Florida Ave., Palm Harbor. 727-233-7964, debinebrewingco.com

TWO FROGS BREWING COMPANY Tarpon Springs’ latest brewery and taproom focuses on American ale styles. 151 E. Tarpon Ave., Tarpon Springs. 727-9406077, @twofrogsbrewing on Facebook

FLORIDA BREWERY Built in 1937, the second oldest brewery in Florida offers a Lager-focused brew menu that’s distributed to 15 countries around the globe. 202 Gandy Rd., Auburndale. 863-965-1825, floridabrewery.com

ULELE SPRING BREWERY Beer crafted in accordance with traditional Bavarian purity laws, inside a gorgeous municipal pump house turned awardwinning restaurant. 1810 N. Highland Ave., Tampa. 813-999-4952, ulele.com

FRONT PAGE BREWING CO. This Bartow brewery offers Wednesday trivia, Thursday bingo and live music on the weekends. 190 S Florida Ave., Bartow. 863-537-7249, frontpagebrewing.com

UNREFINED BREWING All-natural and only in-season ingredients go into these craft brews. 312 E Tarpon Ave., Tarpon Springs. 727-940-4822, unrefinedbrewing.com

GRAND CENTRAL BREWHOUSE 10,270 square-foot brewery, taproom, beer garden, and event venue with a lager-focused tap list. 2340 Central Ave., St. Petersburg, 727-202-6071, grandcentralbrew.com

DENTED KEG ALE WORKS Local brewery nestled in downtown New Port Richey. 5500 Main St., New Port Richey. 727-232-2582, dentedkegaleworks.com

DEVIANT LIBATION Latest project from local beer god Tim Ogden now open in Ybor Heights. Food trucks are regularly on site, and you might catch a local hardcore show there, too. 3800 N Nebraska Ave., 727-379-4677, deviantlibation.com

DISSENT CRAFT BREWING CO. Unique flavors and adventurous style outside downtown St. Pete. 5518 Haines Rd. N., St. Petersburg. 727-342-0255. @dissentcraftbrewing on Facebook

DUNEDIN BREWERY Florida’s oldest microbrewery features beer, eats and live music in what’s now become an iconic setting. 937 Douglas Ave., Dunedin. 727-736-0606, dunedinbrewery.com

CRAFT LIFE BREWING Originally based in Land O’ Lakes, this small-batch spot brewery now serves sips out of its larger location in Hudson. 46810 Tower Dr, Hudson. 727-378-4530, craftlifebrewingcompany.com

SESH The newest concept from the owners of Mad Beach Craft Brewing Co. is also a restaurant serving craft cocktails and house-brewed craft beers, seltzers and ciders in a supposedly-haunted historic build -

CROOKED THUMB BREWERY Safety Harbor’s first brewery boasts homegrown flavor and local guest taps, plus local food trucks and a stacked live music calendar. 555 10th Ave. S., Safety Harbor. 727-7245953, crookedthumbbrew.com

SIX TEN BREWING Wide variety and a real passion for the craft-brew community. 7052 Benjamin Rd., Tampa. 813-886-0610, sixtenbrewing.com

CUENI BREWING CO. Located off the Pinellas Trail in Dunedin and is about to celebrate its 10th anniversary there. 945 Huntley Ave., Dunedin. 727-266-4102, cuenibrewing.com

DUNEDIN HOUSE OF BEER This beer stop brews its own, and also has 40 guest taps. 927 Broadway, Dunedin. 727 216-6318, dunedinhob.com

ESCAPE BREWING CO. Another very worthy Odessa-Trinity destination that’s in the process of building out a new food hall. 9945 Trinity Blvd., Suite 108, Trinity. 727-807-6092, escapebrewingcompany. com

SWAN BREWING Nearly

into the offerings at this pet-friendly joint. 115 W. Pine St., Lakeland. 863-7030472, swanbrewing.com

FLORIDA AVENUE BREWING CO. Beer for the Sunshine State brewed in a family-friendly taproom. Its newly-opened location in Seminole Heights dishes out a full food and cocktail menu, while the Wesley Chapel hub gives the greater Bay area a chance to imbibe. floridaavebrewing.com

GREEN BENCH BREWING CO. A space worthy of the adventurous beers it produces, and you can always walk over to the James Beard-nominated Webb’s City Cellar for funky ferments. 1133 Baum Ave. N., St. Petersburg. 727-800-9836, greenbenchbrewing.com

WELTON BREWING CO. Its Land O’ Lakes brewery closed at the end of 2022, but its upcoming Pinellas Park location—which seems to share its property with Pinellas’ German-American Society—has experienced serious construction delays. Its most recent update said a grand opening was slated for December 2023. 8098 66th St. N, Pinellas Park. 813-820-0050, thebrewcraftery.com

GOLDEN ISLES BREWING CO. This new, kid-friendly neighborhood brewery in St. Pete features its own ales, IPAs, porters and lagers on tap and also hosts a handful of different food trucks each week. 3000 Dr M.L.K. Jr St N, St. Petersburg. 727-502-9446, staygoldenstpete.com

THE WILD ROVER BREWERY What started as an English pub in Odessa is now a higher-production facility in Westchase. 13921 Lynmar Blvd., Tampa. 813475-5995, thewildroverbrewery.com

WOODWRIGHT BREWING COMPANY Traditional German styles in downtown Dunedin. 985 Douglas Ave., Dunedin. 727-238-8717. woodwrightbrewing.com

GOOD LIQUID BREWING CO. Dozens of taps and beerfriendly fare from a husband-and-wife duo, who also operate a nearby distillery and cocktail lounge under the same company umbrella. 1570 Lakefront Dr, Sarasota, 941770-4282, thegoodliquidbrewing.com

WOVEN WATER BREWING CO. Tampa Heights brewery with a focused menu often using fresh fruit as part of its beers. 456 W Columbus Dr., Tampa. 813-4439463, wovenwaterbrew.com

GRINDHAUS BREW LAB Small batches and no extracts from this Pinellas-based “boutique brewery.” 1650 N. Hercules Ave. #1, Clearwater. 727-240-0804, grindhausbrewlab.com

WULFAVEN BREWING CO. Carrollwood’s new brewery, making crisp and clean beers, but also some juicy and bitter IPAs and pale ales for the hop-chasers. 10828 Perez Dr., Tampa. 813-374-8226. wulfaven.com

GULFPORT BREWERY + EATERY Small batches—like its Gulfport Golden Ale or Hippie Oasis hazy IPA—plus an artisanal food menu. 3007 Beach Blvd., Gulfport. 727954-4109, gulfport-brewing.com

YUENGLING BREWING CO. One of just two U.S. Yuengling destinations, and now home to recentlyopened Yuengling Draft Haus & Kitchen. 11111 N 30th St., Tampa. 813-972-8529, yuengling.com

HIDDEN SPRINGS ALE WORKS This Tampa Heights brewery features a rotating tap selection of unique craft beers. 1631 N. Franklin St., Tampa, 813-226-2739, hiddenspringsaleworks.com

ZEPHYRHILLS BREWING COMPANY East Paco’s first microbrewery. 38530 5th Ave., Zephyrhills. 813715-2683, zbcbeer.com

HOB BREWING CO. Rotating taps, with some brewed on-site and alongside a combination of local breweries, plus local and international craft beer makers. 931 Huntley Ave., Dunedin. 727-474-5584, hob.beer

ZYDECO BREW WERKS This New Orleans-inspired brewery and restaurant closed its flagship location in Ybor City in eary 2024, but is still pouring reserved brews at its scaled-down operation at Tampa’s Museum of Science and Industry aka MOSI. 4801 E Fowler Ave., Tampa. 813-240-5213, zydecobeer.com

IF I BREWED THE WORLD A self-described “mixtape of breweries” with a bit of everything from the classic to the fun and outrageous. 2200 1st Ave. S., St. Petersburg. 727-201-4484, ifibrewedtheworld.com continued on page 34

Email rroa@cltampa.com and kyla@cltampa.com for any corrections and updates. Thanks!

43

ing. 2221 4th St. N, St. Petersburg. 727-933-0266. Seshstpete.com

SUN KING BREWERY This Indiana-based brewery expanded its footprint to Florida in 2022 and now operates an airy taproom in North Sarasota. 1215 Mango Ave., Sarasota. 941-893-3940, sunkingbrewing.com

four decades of combined brewing experience go

FELD

TBBC

COURTESY

Westward expansion

Tampa Filipino restaurant Lucky Tigre is moving but remains open in SoHo, and more local food news.

By Kyla Fields and Suzanne Townsend

West Tampa is about to come into some good fortune. Best of the Bay-winning Filipino sari-sari store concept Lucky Tigre is looking forward to opening a new location in West Tampa in the next month or two.Owner Julie Sainte Michelle Feliciano and her team have signed a lease on a property at 1713 Albany Ave. (across the street from a private park owned by Tampa's strip club king Joe Redner), according to Lucky Tigre social media and public records, but the building on the lot needs plenty of love before its doors open.Until then, Feliciano has also purchased a food truck which will reside on the same property to fund buildout costs for the actual building.

FOOD NEWS

The menu for the food truck is going to be slightly different from Lucky Tigre’s current menu since it will have better equipment and more capacity. The restaurant doesn’t yet have a name but once it gets up and running Feliciano wants it to be modeled after a classic Filipino diner, adding another addition to the Bay area's burgeoning collection of concepts dedicated to the cuisine of the Philippine islands.

Exact opening and closing dates are still up in the air since Feliciano is expecting a baby very soon (congratulations!). In the meantime, Lucky Tigre in SoHo—located at 1101 S Howard Ave.—will remain open while the food truck gets up and running, which will be a couple more months. After that the food truck will be open until the remodel is complete on the new building. “There’s so much happening all at once but I’m excited and I know things will be great once we get there,” Feliciano told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay.

St. Pete cafe and plant-based lunch spot Neighborhood Joe reopens in Crescent Heights

A Crescent Heights favorite recently reopened its doors in a brand new space less than half a mile from its flagship location. Neighborhood Joe was located at 2609 Dr. MLK Jr. St. N and recently moved down the street to 2325 Dr. MLK Jr. St. N, right next to Trip’s Diner in St. Petersburg.

The plant-based cafe celebrated its soft opening last week after two months of being closed while transitioning locations. The cafe boasts an all-vegan breakfast and lunch menu of “egg” Benedicts, tempeh omelets, sandwiches, smoothies, soups, salads and baked goods—with a variety of gluten-free and

allergen-friendly options, too. The newly-reopened Neighborhood Joe also offers a spread of teas, coffees and espresso-based drinks. The cafe and lunch spot left its flagship location— where it's been since its debut in 2017—in mid-December 2023 and its team has spent the last two months building its new cozy space out. St. Pete's Neighborhood Joe is now open in Crescent Heights from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Saturday and 8 a.m.-3 a.m. on Sunday. For the latest information on Neighborhood Joe and its rotating menu of plant-based breakfast and lunch fare, head to its Instagram at @neighborhoodjoe.

Fast food salad concept Greenlane breaks ground on new St. Pete location

A health conscious fast-casual spot that promises much more than "rabbit food" will soon make its debut in The 'Burg. Reps for Greenlane say the restaurant just broke ground on its first St. Pete location at 8001 4th St. N, and will soon be neighbors with other nearby restaurants like Green Pagoda, Noble Crust and St. Pete Bagel Co. St. Pete's first Greenlane is slated to open sometime this spring, although there’s no debut date set in stone. Greenlane is known for dishing out healthy “salads and wraps at fast food prices.”

The local chain opened its first location off of Gandy Boulevard in 2023 and is continuing its Tampa Bay expansion with St. Pete’s upcoming Greenlane drive-thru. Like its flagship location in Tampa, St. Pete’s 1,200 square-foot Greenlane will feature a drive-thru and pickup window, but no dining room. Its salads, smoothies and wraps will also be available via delivery apps like Uber Eats, as well as through catering orders.

Popular items on Greenlane’s menu— which can be ordered in a bowl or wrapped in a spinach tortilla—include its "ginger sesame crunch" with edamame, rainbow carrots, red cabbage and roasted cashews smothered in a sesame-ginger dressing or the "golden Greek" with grape tomatoes, feta cheese, Kalamata olives, red onion, peperoncini and red wine vinaigrette—both served on a bed of romaine lettuce. Its salads and wraps come with the protein option of chicken or tofu, and can also be customized to your palate. Other menu items include soft pretzel sticks, cookies, grab n’ go protein boxes, kale and pineapple smoothies, a variety of Mother Kombucha bottles and fruit slushies. Notably, everything

on Greenlane’s health-oriented menu costs $10 or under, with its most expensive wrap/salad starting at $9.49.

Greenlane also has another Tampa location in the works at 2055 N Dale Mabry Hwy., which is also slated to open later this year. A press release states that five more Greenlanes are planned for the greater Tampa Bay area in cities like Brandon, Largo, Temple Terrace and Odessa.Christopher Burch—founder and CEO of Burch Creative Capital—launched Greenlane in 2022 in hopes to bring healthy and affordable fast food options to Tampa Bay and beyond. Although Greenlane is Burch's first restaurant venture, he plans to open 25 more locations across the state over the next five years.For the latest news on Greenlane and its new St. Pete location, head to its Facebook or Instagram at @gogreenlane.

ICYMI

Tampa Bay area ‘Buch lovers have enjoyed the company of mom, or Mother Kombucha,

for the last 10 years, and now the local chain wants to share that love with the rest of the country. Last week, Mother Kombucha announced plans for distribution in “healthy, fast-casual restaurants, colleges, corporate campuses and elevated bars nationwide.” In a press release, owner Tonya Donati said her connection with a community that’s grounded, directed and motivated her team inspired the expansion, adding ““We've seen a lot of changes to our area in the last 10 years, but we are as proud as ever to call St. Pete home and to be able to continue to connect and do more for our community as we grow.”

- Ray Roa

Creative Loafing Tampa Bay is currently offering a ticket deal for both its Brunched event on March 9 and Margarita Wars tasting and competition on May 10. For a limited time, folks can purchase joint GA tickets for $90 and VIP for $130 each, saving upwards of $20-$40.

FIL-AM FARE: Tampa’s Lucky Tigré specializes in Filipino-American dumplings, bao buns and more.

C/O LUCKY TIGRE

MOVIES THEATER ART CULTURE

Float on

Free

kids rides on the Cross-Bay Ferry, and more local A&E news.

By Suzanne Townsend

All aboard, mateys. Starting next month, children under the age of 12 can ride Tampa Bay’s Cross Bay Ferry for free. The promotional code “KIDSRIDEFREE24'' can be used at checkout to access this promotion, but it does require the joint purchase of an adult ticket so there will be no solo young seafarers. The deal lasts through March and April except for dates of Tampa Bay Lightning home games.

The ferry runs between Tampa and St. Petersburg, WednesdaySunday with a few late night departures on Friday and Saturday. “Even an everyday commute can be a fun family adventure when you skip the traffic and shake off the winter blues by sailing on the Cross Bay Ferry,” said Matt Miller, President of HMS Ferries, operator of the Cross Bay Ferry.

“This is a tremendous moment for the USL Super League and for women’s sports,” USL Super League President Amanda Vandervort wrote in a press release.

“This is a crucial step toward realizing our vision to be a global leader in women’s soccer on and off the field.”

A&E NEWS

The USL Super League’s 2024-25 inaugural season is supposed to kick off in August with clubs in eight markets across the United States—including Ft. Lauderdale, Dallas/Fort Worth, Carolina and more. Other U.S. markets hope to join the league after this first season. A Ybor City practice facility for the Sun is still in the works.

There are plenty of activities for families to do on either side of the bay and the downtown ports make it easy to get to attractions in both Tampa and St. Petersburg. Ferry riders have access to special deals and offers through the ferry’s Community Partners Program. Attractions with discounts for Cross Bay Ferry ticket holders include the St. Petersburg Museum of History, the Florida Aquarium, Good Inshore Charters and many others.

The ferry pickup spot in Tampa is located near the Tampa Convention Center and the St Pete Port is located at 250 8th Ave SE. Adult tickets are $12 one way and veterans, seniors and students get $1 off. Wheelchair users pay $5 and children 4 or younger ride free.

Tampa Bay Sun FC, a new pro women's soccer team, receives D1 status

Tampa Bay's race towards its new pro women's soccer team is heating up. The USL Super League announced this month that its teams will compete at the highest level of professional women’s soccer in the U.S. after receiving Division One (D1) sanctioning from the U.S. Soccer Federation. This D1 status is important for Tampa Bay Sun FC because it increases the visibility of women’s pro sports and showcases all of the work that the clubs and the league put in to create a professional environment for top-level athletes to compete.

It’s still unclear how the D1 status will affect athletes’ pay, but Tampa Bay Sun FC representative Carolynn Smith-Jones told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay that, “The Tampa Bay Sun’s player salaries will be competitive to the women’s soccer market in the United States. We will be abiding by what the players in NWSL have negotiated by their union with NWSL as setting industry norms.”

The D1 sanctioning comes just in time for the Sun FC’s new stadium renovations which started this month, too.

In October Hillsborough County Public Schools (HCPS) approved an agreement between Tampa Bay Sun FC and Blake High School to renovate the school’s riverfront football stadium and host the pro soccer team.

With a price tag of over $6 million, the goal is to complete renovations by August when the USL Super League season begins. Plans include a new scoreboard, FIFA-approved turf, concession facilities and an upgrade from 1,800 to over 5,000 seats. The school will also get other non-stadium-related upgrades.

Elected officials and team leadership said that the project comes at no cost to taxpayers but will be funded by Florida Community Events, LLC which is owned by the soccer team with ties to Tampa developer Darryl Shaw. The Sun FC will use the stadium until getting its own permanent stadium, and Blake’s sports teams and fans can also enjoy the renovations come August.

Two Tampa Bay area beaches ranked among Tripadvisor's 'Best Beaches' of 2024

Popular travel website TripAdvisor just released its annual rankings of the best patches of wet sand in both the United States and the world, and two Tampa Bay area beaches made the cut.

According to the site's "World's Best Beaches" rankings, Clearwater Beach came in at No. 12 in the U.S., while nearby Siesta Key Beach was ranked No. 2 in the U.S. and No. 9 in the world rankings.

Ka'anapali Beach in Hawaii, while the world's best went to Praia da Falésia in Portugal.

Like every year, the rankings are compiled by looking at overall quantity and quality of reviews over the last 12 months, says TripAdvisor.

“Even an everyday commute can be a fun family adventure.”

It's worth noting that Siesta Key's glowing ranking on these lists marks a big comeback for the beach. Over the last few years the area has battled significant algae blooms and most notably major damage from Hurricane Ian.

The Sunshine State as a whole usually ranks pretty high in TripAvisor's annual list, but this year Hollywood Beach was the only other Florida beach to make either ranking, coming at No. 4 in the U.S.

The top beach in the nation went to

Last spring, Tampa Bay's Caladesi Island State Park was ranked No. 4 in the nation by Dr. Beach, which many consider the gold standard of beach rankings. However, the local favorite was not mentioned on either TripAdvisor list. You can see the full ranking via tripadvisor.com.

- Colin Wolf

ROW YOUR BOAT: Kids ride the Cross-Bay Ferry free in March and April.

CITYOFSTPETE/FLICKR

By Josh Bradley & Kyla Fields P CL Recommends

THU 29

P A Tom Petty Tribute: Steve Ferrone w/Vota Ferrone may have drummed for Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers for the last 25-or-so years of the band’s existence, but the 73-year-old British-born drummer has endless stories to tell about working with John Mayer, Average White Band, and Eric Clapton, too. He’s been to Tampa Bay since Petty’s shocking death in 2017, but this tribute show—featuring Christian rock outfit Vota as the house band—will be the first time Ferrone performs Heartbreakers tracks in town since then. Expect some stories about his time with Gainesville’s favorite son, too. (Floridian Social, St. Petersburg)

Florida Strawberry Festival: Oliver Anthony After earning the love and adoration of right-wingers, Anthony is continuing his “out of the woods” era and bringing his single “Rich Men North of Richmond” to kickoff the Strawberry Festival’s 2024 concert series. The songwriter—whose hit single features lyrics that demean obese people on food stamps in its Rogan-esque attempt at social commentary—became an overnight sensation last summer and closes out night one. Other artists coming to Plant City next Thursday along with Anthony include Jimmy Sturr and his Orchestra plus The Oak Ridge Boys (Florida Strawberry Festival, Plant City)—Ray Roa

FRI 01

Apes Of The State w/Doom Scroll/Myles Bullen/Danny Attack April Hartman— frontwoman for folk-punk band Apes Of The State—has been very open about her time in rehab, and expressed it not only in the Pennsylvania-based band’s material (its first release was called All I Did This Summer Was Go To Rehab ), but also her charity work. Along with the group’s mandolinist Dan Ebersole, Hartman co-founded Second Chance To Play in her hometown of Lancaster, which helps individuals in rehab become part of the music scene by providing instruments. Rehab isn’t all the group writes about, though. On its latest, acoustic EP They Can’t Kill Us All (a collaboration with Sister Wife Sex Strike), Hartman sings about the stupidity of no longer being able to have a conversation without it somehow turning political, and also how shooting a gun for the first time makes one want to start a revolution. (Hooch and Hive, Tampa)

PAsh The Egyptian-born musician does a lot on his own. The Cairo-based house music producer releases his material (including a new, debut full-length album, Self-Discovery ), and blends the music of his hometown with electronica, house music, and even some of his multi-instrumentalist skills. During a recent, sold-out gig in Egypt, Ash—born Ashraf Moawad—differentiated between saxophone,

grand piano, guitar, and synthesizers, so if you’ve been waiting for a new and diverse one-man gig to roll into Ybor City, this is it. (Crowbar, Ybor City)

Donefor w/Further Within/Counter Attack/Volitions/Kayla Korpics “You’re Welcome”—a single released by Fort Myers-based pop-punk band Donefor last year—recently hit 100,000 streams on Spotify. Whether it’s because of the bagpipes at the end, or the fact that Grammy-winning engineer Vlado Meller (who has worked with Paul McCartney, Johnny Cash, and Celine Dion) worked on it, the track would totally dominate Warped Tour if given the chance. Instead, the quintet headlines another stacked gig of Floridian metal and alternative rock at Bradenton’s beloved watering hole. (Oscura, Bradenton)

P Lauren Daigle w/Blessing Offor After testing the waters in Tampa’s mid-sized arena, Yuengling Center, Lauren Daigle is going all out and staging a spectacle inside the city’s second largest venue. The two-time Grammy-winner has a record that can more than fill the space, too. The 32-year-old’s new eponymous is her fourth studio effort and features 23 tracks that showcase her ability to make pop that crosses over between the Christian music audience that’s followed Daigle since the beginning, and new ears drawn the hooks and melodies produced with help from fellow golden gramophone keeper Mike Elizondo. (Amalie Arena, Tampa)—Ray Roa

P Listening Room Festival Showcase: Daniel Neihoff w/Jenna Nicholls/Spencer LaJoye/Grace Morrison If you’re over the idea of bars and restaurants doubling as singer-songwriter venues, then Tampa Bay’s Listening Room Festival is for you. The five-night affair kicked off on Wednesday and includes nearly 20 house concerts. This showcase, however, gets attendees out of living rooms and into an auditorium for a full evening of music to be quiet to. (Hough Hall at Palladium Theater, St. Petersburg)—Ray Roa

Trapt The California-based butt-metal outfit— known for its members making a point to open up their mouths to praise controversial topics from Donald Trump to statutory rape—returns to Skipper Road to promote its new album The Fall and more. (Brass Mug, Tampa)

SAT 02

P Alice Wallace and Joshua Reilly On a new tune released the day before this show, Bay area songwriter Reilly adds another layer to his introspective lyricism and folk sound: catchiness. In the solo setting, “Every Reason I Run,” captured the pain of neglect and infidelity, but in this iteration backed by a full band, the four-minute cut is also a toe-tapping, heartbreaking bonafide AAA radio hit. He’ll play it at this gig alongside St. Cloud expat and Americana songwriter, Alice Wallace. (The Icehouse, Gulfport)—Ray Roa

Dadi Freyr The Icelandic pop singer brings his bubbly, week-old single “I’m Not Bitter,” last year’s sophomore LP I Made An Album , and more to his Tampa Bay debut this weekend, serving as part of his second-ever run of U.S. shows. (Orpheum, Tampa)

P Gasparilla Festival of the Arts: Durry w/Shevonne and the Force/Kristopher James/more Thousands of dollars of prize money are on the line for visual artists this weekend at Gasparilla Festival of the Arts (GFA), but organizers have also lined up two days of live music across two stages. Headlined by Minnesota indie-pop duo Durry, GFA’s Saturday slate of music includes rock from Shevonne and the Force and Deaf Company, Kristopher James’ soulful pop, plus live dance and kids bands. Sunday’s lineup is more jam-oriented thanks to Ajeva, Light the Wire and kids from Chris Sgammato Music School. (Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park, Tampa)—Ray Roa

Lauren Daigle

MARCH 2-3, 2024

DOWNTOWN TAMPA

gasparillaarts.org

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The ultimate walk to end pancreatic cancer

Saturday, April 27, 2024

George M. Steinbrenner Field

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TAMPA BAY

P John Nowicki Singer-songwriter sets can be sameish, but abnormal is the norm for Holy Terror maestro Nowicki. For this nocover gig at downtown Tampa’s revered dive bar, Nowicki’s backed by a full band complete with upright bass, all so he can growl his way through an hour-long set of tunes by Tom Waits, who is the alt-weekly version of a poet laureate. Nowicki told CL that Waits has informed every aspect of his life as a musician and that he’s been dreaming of doing a show like this for years. “The poetry of his lyrics, his timeless songwriting, the variety of genres he spans, the fearless experimentation (and sometimes batshit results thereof), the theatrical stage presence...I could go on. He is American Music's greatest living treasure,” Nowicki added. “The challenge of inhabiting his many characters, and pushing my voice to do them justice, is super fun. And assembling a band of guys who delight in the material as much as I do is exhilarating.” (The Hub, Tampa)—Ray Roa

Lesa Silvermore w/The Flirt/Earthgirl/ Erne Murphy Sarasota-based singer-songwriter Silvermore went from writing short stories and poetry in grade school to song lyrics in high school. In 2017, she told CL that she describes herself as a jack of all trades. “I try to do everything. I’m not perfect at one thing. I’m, like, [just] good at several things,” Silvermore admitted. It must be working out, because along with her band, she opened for Andrew McMahon In The Wilderness and Miróux at St. Pete Pier last month. She’s pretty much a regular at Oscura at this point, and she headlines this stacked lineup of Floridian pop-rock acts. (Oscura, Bradenton)

P Steve Hackett Genesis may have been put to bed in 2022, but its original guitarist is still going strong. Hackett just released The Circus and the Nightwhale , a concept album said to contain autobiographical aspects. We probably won’t hear any of it at Ruth Eckerd (a much needed spacial upgrade from his last few incredibly sold-out shows at the Capitol Theatre 20 minutes west), but the 74-year-old will be playing Genesis’ album Foxtrot—which turns 52 this year—in its entirety after an intermission. (Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater)

P The Stews w/Twin Suns/Mak Indie-rock quartet The Stews was born out of Alabama’s Auburn University and managed to make it big upon the release of a debut album, What Was , two Aprils ago. The guys ended up leaving school to spend time living up to popular demand that they go on tour with their jams and a sound described as reminiscent of The Beatles to ‘80s alternative. There’s a new album in the works too, and previews will be showcased between tracks from What Was and The Stews’ 2021 eponymous debut EP. (Crowbar, Ybor City)

P Dirtbike w/Mtvh1n1/Spoiled Rat/Story

Mode Fans of wildly-creative indie rock that spans the genres of jazz, country and even pop will definitely want to “pop” out to South Florida band Dirtbike’s rare stop in Tampa. Dirtbike released its third LP Snug Harbour last year, which the band described as “a gem that differentiates itself from the rest of the treasure chest” with its breezy, summertime tracks and laid-back vocals. It heads on a rare tour throughout the Sunshine State this week in cities like Gainesville and St. Augustine

continued from page 53

in addition to Tampa’s Saturday night show. Dirtbike will share the American Legion outdoor’s stage with local heavy hitters Mtvh1n1, Story Mode and St. Pete’s Spoiled Rat.

SUN 03

Deadmau5 Before celebrating 20 years of his debut studio album, Deadmau5—whose merchandise felt inescapable if you were in middle school a decade ago—brings a career retrospective, along with some new tracks made with Kaskade, to one of the matinee pool party capitals of Tampa Bay, as part of a makeup show after the mau5’s original date got rained out. (Hard Rock Event Center Pool at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Tampa)—Ray Roa

Ekkstacy w/Alexsucks On his eponymous, second, full-length album released last month, the 22-year-old indie-rock singer-songwriter born Khyree Zienty covers the annoyances of being shut out by someone you want to hear from, wishing he had never left Chicago, and even mentions self-harm over someone he declared the love of his life. The record’s extensive use of both electric and acoustic guitars, as well as contemporary radio-esque production could easily land Zienty on a future 97X NBT bill. But in the meantime, indie-rock band AlexSucks (stylized “ALEXSUCKS”) opens his first Tampa Bay gig ever this weekend. (Crowbar, Ybor City)

Powerpop Brunch: DJ Gabe Echazabal w/ DJ Scott Imrich/DJ Cub A most righteous triumvirate of musical tastes comes together for this brunch where brekkie gets paired with selections from CL’s senior music correspondent Gabe Echazabal, plus Scott Imrich (the longtime host from one of WMNF’s greatest new music programs ever, “Saturday Asylum”) and DJ Cub who recently staged a J Dilla tribute in Seminole Heights. (Hooch and Hive, Tampa)—Ray Roa

MON 04

P State Theatre Monday: Fang Shooey w/ Florida/Looshka Downtown St. Petersburg’s State Theatre opened in 1950, and while it’s recently started a new life as Floridian Social, talent buyers there have done their best to regularly showcase acts that would have played the old State. The latest iteration of that effort is “State Theatre Monday.” This week finds old school punk/ska hybrid Fang Shooey headlining a gig supported by Billy Summer’s newer rock and roll project Florida, and Blueberry Patch favorite Looshka. (The Floridian Social, St. Petersburg)—Ray Roa

TUE 05

P Bob Dylan The 82-year-old songwriter and American icon will play two shows in Clearwater. The Rough and Rowdy Ways tour started in Wisconsin nearly three years ago in support of Dylan's 39th album of the same name, released in 2020. (Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater)—Ray Roa

Enjoy w/Cowgirl Clue Utra-indie brotherly duo The Garden is no stranger to Tampa Bay (and the OG fans can remember its tiny gig at Local 662 in 2017), but Wyatt Shears’ solo project Enjoy is not so familiar with the Bay area’s indie-loving crowd. Like The Garden, Enjoy’s latest group of songs—2023’s Exploited —boasts short, energetic songs with riffs reminiscent of 70s and 80s punk with straightforward, yet reverby lyrics. Shears’ longtime partner Ashley Calhoun aka Cowgirl Clue—who has recently taken on a southern aesthetic to match her latest album Rodeo Star (think horseshoes, trucks, denim and tasteful American flags)—will open Enjoy’s Tuesday night gig with her “y’allternative” vibes and upbeat electronic-pop vocals. (Orpheum, Tampa)

THU 07

1K Phew Isaac Gordon, more commonly known as his rap moniker 1K Phew, is a living example that not all Christian music is acoustic guitars and boot cut jeans. The Atlanta-based “Gospel rapper” and hip hop artist is currently on the aptly-named Prayer Tour promoting his latest album Pray for Atlanta , a nine-song collection of collaborative tracks with producer and fellow Atlantian Zaytoven. While fans at 1k Phew’s upcoming show will surely hear tracks off his new LP like “Heaven” and “Let Go Get God,” popular singles like 2019’s “Drip Lee,” which has garnered over six million listens on streaming services. And if you’re wondering, his name stems from his lifelong mission of “keeping it 1,000.” (Crowbar, Ybor City)

Greg Koch feat.The Koch Marshall Trio w/Shaun Hopper/Chris Barbosa Widely regarded as a “a guitar player's guitarist,” Koch has forged a long career creating unique

takes on classic American guitar styles, writing versatile compositions, touring the world, making viral videos and just about anything else an accomplished musician cando. Now in his late-50s, Koch’s latest stage in his learned career is the instrumental Koch Marshall Trio, which spans the genres of jazz, blues, rock funk and more—particularly evident in its latest release, 2023’s Orange Roominations . He hits the road on a southeastern tour with his son and drummer Dylan Koch and Hammond organ specialist Toby Lee Marshall this spring, and makes his latest stop in Tampa on Thursday with local support from fellow guitarists Shaun Hopper and Chris Barbosa. (Music Hall at New World Brewery, Tampa)

The Jacksons After decades off the road, Tito, Marlon, and Jackie Jackson (no Jermaine, sorry) have been rolling into Tampa Bay annually since 2022 with their bubblegum soul hits from before and after they dropped the “5” from the moniker (they also deploy a few sweet tributes to brother Michael). If you’re saving your pennies for that Janet Jackson t-shirt you long for at the ol’ Gary later this year, you do you, though. (Hard Rock Event Center at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Tampa)

P Rock the Park Tampa: In Transit w/ Moonberry/Mai Sweet Basil For more than a dozen years now, Rock The Park has been a great place to let loose and dance—Mai Sweet Basil is the perfect band for that sentiment. The indie funk and jazz duo has a new album, Why Be A Wallflower?, that is a wall-to-wall collection of almost unbearably sweet, sooften-soulful and string-laden pop that blends the earnestness of The Weepies with the kinds of harmonies and melodies you might hear at a 1950s homecoming dance. The group kicks off the latest installment of the no-cover, familyand-pet-friendly concert series. (Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park, Tampa)—Ray Roa

Mai Sweet Basil

MAI SWEET BASIL/FACEBOOK

Less than 48 hours after Sting co-headlined one of the biggest concerts of the year with Billy Joel, the Police frontman announced plans to front The Florida Orchestra’s annual gala event at the Mahaffey Theater in early May.

This won’t be the first time the King of Pain has performed with the decades-old ensemble, either. In 2017, under the baton of Michael Francis, he fronted TFO's 50th anniversary gala, which raised $1.5 million for its free community programs, which, according to a press release, would go toward reaching “people in hospitals, schools, parks, museums and more, as well as artistic initiatives that bring top talent to Tampa Bay stages.”

Some of the orchestra’s arrangements were even extracted from his 2010 album of orchestral reinterpretations, Symphonicities , which we’re assuming will be put to good use this time around as well.

Tickets to see Sting and The Florida Orchestra play St. Pete's Duke Energy Center for the ArtsMahaffey Theater on Thursday, May 9 go on sale to the general public Wednesday, March 6, and start at $100.

Read my rundown of new concerts coming to Tampa Bay below.—Josh Bradley

Buffalo Strange Saturday, March 9. 7 p.m. Free with RSVP, $10 at door. Floridian Social, St. Petersburg

Nate Najar’s Swing Guitars Sunday, March 10. 3 p.m. $10-$20, free for HCC students. HCC Ybor Mainstage Theatre, Tampa

R.M. Johnson & the Tomcats Wednesday, March 13. 8 p.m. No cover. Hooch and Hive, Tampa

Umbilicus w/Post Sex High/Highway Advisory Radio Thursday, March 14. 7 p.m. $15. Music Hall at New World Brewery, Tampa

Wishbone Ash Friday, March 15. 8 p.m. $29.50 & up. Central Park Performing Arts Center, Largo

50 Cent Sunday, March 17. 11 a.m. $50. Hard Rock Event Center Pool at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Tampa

Discord Theory w/Parks & Razz/Peace Cult/Fluxe/Nate Mosley Sunday, March 17. 5:30 p.m. $13. Crowbar, Ybor City

Matt Schofield Saturday, March 23. 8 p.m. $24.50 & up. Central Park Performing Arts Center, Largo

Women of Jazz XVIII: Valerie Gillespie w/Judi Glover/Jennifer Medina/Jean Bolduc/Theo Valentin/Kirsten Joiner/Ona Kirei/Rose Bilal/Lorri Hafer Saturday, March 23. 4 p.m. $25 & up. Side Door at Palladium Theater, St. Petersburg

Outatime w/Kings of the Wild Things/ Overthinker/No One Road Saturday, March 23. 7 p.m. $12. Hooch and Hive, Tampa

Streetlight Cadence Saturday, March 23. 12 p.m. Prices TBA. Hooch and Hive, Tampa

Caleb Caudle w/Van Plating Wednesday, March 27. 8 p.m. $10. Music Hall at New World Brewery, Tampa

The Black Lips w/Jacuzzi Boys/more TBA Friday, March 29. 7:30 p.m. $25. Floridian Social, St. Petersburg

Jack Wilkins (album release) Thursday, April 4. 8 p.m. $5 & up. New Tampa Performing Arts Center, Tampa

Satsang w/TBA Friday, April 12. 8 p.m. $20 & up. Floridian Social, St. Petersburg

Des Rocs w/Jigsaw Youth Sunday, April 14. 7 p.m. $25. Music Hall at New World Brewery, Tampa

James Suggs Sunday, April 21. 3 p.m. $10-$20, free for HCC students. HCC Ybor Mainstage Theatre, Tampa

Dagger w/Superbitch/Knife Rituals/ Torchmouth Friday, April 26. 8 p.m. $15. Deviant Libation, Tampa

Katara album release w/Guy Average/ Roger Thomas Friday, April 26. 8 p.m. $15. Crowbar, Ybor City

Black On w/Toshi/Tiny Waves Saturday, April 27. 8:30 p.m. $30 & up. Orpheum, Tampa

Bodega Wednesday, May 1. 8:30 p.m. $15. Hooch and Hive, Tampa

Horse Jumper Of Love (opening for Alvvays) Wednesday, May 1. 8 p.m. $30. The Ritz, Ybor City

Indigo Girls Friday, May 3. 7:30 p.m. $39.25 & up. Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater

Narrow Head w/Wishy/Dazy Wednesday, May 8. 7 p.m. $20. Crowbar, Ybor City

The Offspring Sunday, May 5. 8 p.m. $75 & up. Hard Rock Event Center at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Tampa

Routine maintenance

By Dan Savage

I’m off this week. Please enjoy this column that originally ran in December of 2014. —Dan

What is your stance on maintenance sex?

I'd never thought about the issue until reading Amy Poehler's new memoir. I didn't find anything she said controversial and was surprised when this quote blew up in the feminist blogosphere: "You have to have sex with your husband occasionally, even though you're exhausted. Sorry."

I'd never realized many people firmly believe one should have sex with their partner only when they are in the mood! Some articles even made it sound like maintenance sex is a form of nonconsensual sex. I have sex with my husband pretty often when I'm not in the mood. He would prefer sex every day, and I'm more of an every-other-day or twice-a-week girl. I'd say about 25% of the time we are having sex, I am doing it for maintenance purposes. I always enjoy it and I get off the majority of the time, but I don't always go in wanting it or needing it. Is this wrong? Am I not the feminist I thought I was? —Maintenance Sex Supporter

maintenance sex turns into mind-blowing sex. I would hate to think of how much great sex I would've missed if my feminist principles didn't allow for maintenance sex.

SAVAGE LOVE

I've recently discovered that I am a panty sniffer. Though since I'm a gay man, maybe I'm a briefs breather? The smell gets me hard and gets me off. I discovered this when a fuck buddy left his shorts behind, and for the next few days I jerked off sniffing his shorts. That brings me to the young millennial techie guys at my work. They are fucking

First answer: technically, yes. But a case could be made that you're reusing and recycling. If there were a Green Building Certification program for kinks, SNIFF, yours would qualify.

I'm pro maintenance sex, MSS.

Sometimes I need to sex my husband when I'm not feeling it; sometimes he needs to sex me when he's not feeling it. But maintenance sex is not the same thing as enthusiastic sex. The person asking for maintenance sex—the horny partner who's being indulged/milked/sexed by the non-horny partner—shouldn't expect mind-blowing, toecurling, sheet-shredding sex.

Maintenance sex is mellow sex, low-impact sex, low-stress sex, it's sex that requires minimal effort, and it's likely to be non-penetrative sex— and gratitude is the only appropriate response.

Another important note: Being pro maintenance sex doesn't obligate a person to have sex whenever their partner wants it. Proponents and practitioners of maintenance sex still get to say no. There's a difference between indulging your partner when you're not fully feeling it—when you could take it or leave it—and forcing yourself to have sex (or being guilted/pressured to have sex) when you're exhausted, sick, angry, or just unable to go/blow there.

And as you've discovered, MSS, and I can also attest, sometimes you go into sex “not wanting or needing it” and soon you’re enjoying it, too, e.g., you weren’t really in the mood when you started but you were in the mood before you finished. Those are the times when low-stress

slobs, and they're always leaving their underwear and socks on the floor of the company's gym in our office. The janitor picks them up and puts them in a lost-and-found bin.

I started checking the bin, and nothing was being removed. No one ever claimed their shorts. So, I started taking a pair every now and then. At home, I fantasize about who they belong to, and when I'm done with them, I just toss them.

First question: Am I stealing? I assume the guys aren't missing them, since they've been in the bin for a week or more. Second question: Have I become one of those perverted panty sniffers from those old “Chester the Molester” comics? Singleton Now Inhaling Funky Funk

Second answer: “Chester the Molester” was a disgusting comic strip about a guy, Chester, “who was interested in sexually molesting women and prepubescent girls,” according to my old friend Wikipedia. This vile comic strip, which ran in Hustler in the ‘70s and ‘80s (because of course it did), made child rape look like harmless and hilarious fun. Dwaine Tinsley, the creator of the strip, wound up going to prison for molesting his daughter—and I'm guessing his kid didn’t experience being raped by her father as harmless or hilarious.

Since you are not interested in prepubescent boys, SNIFF, I don't think you're a pervert in the “Chester the Molester” mold. But a case could be made that your actions have a whiff of the nonconsensual about them—your coworkers would most likely object to how you're reusing and recycling their abandoned underpants—and, if you want to be scrupulously ethical, you should probably knock it off. There are plenty of guys selling their used underwear and jocks online, from college athletes to porn stars, and if you work at a place with a private gym, SNIFF, you can afford to buy a few pairs.

Vanilla straight guy here. As a fellow Washingtonian, I feel proud to live in a state that

was among the first to legalize marriage equality by a popular majority vote of the people. I avidly follow the NFL and eat fried bologna sandwiches and do lots of other manly things. However, I have always loved musical theater. Whenever I go to New York, I have to see at least two or three big shows. My question: Is it socially acceptable for me to good-naturedly say, "I'm totally gay for musical theater"? Or is it a slur that I shouldn't say, no matter how playful or well-intended?

The Cautious Joker

When someone says, "that's so gay," but means, "that's so stupid," they're being homophobic. Obviously. But a straight guy who says he's gay for musicals isn't saying he's stupid for them, TCJ, he's saying, "I love something that many gay men are passionate about—and I'm not talking about cock." Not all gay men are passionate about musical theater, of course, just as not all straight men are passionate about football. But a man with a passion for musical theater is likelier to be gay; at the very least that man will be comfortable around gay people and respect gay people for their deep knowledge of the art form. I've heard gay guys who avidly follow the NFL describe themselves as straight for football. Likewise, a man with a passion for football is likelier to be straight.

Your saying, "I'm gay for musical theater," or a gay guy saying, "I'm straight for football," amounts to a humorous acknowledgment that the majority of people interested in musicals or football are gay or straight, respectively. In neither case is it an insult or a put-down. But while I think you can continue to say that you're gay for musicals, TCJ, some gay men (or some of our more annoying "allies") may take offense. You don't have to pay attention to those people—they're just super gay for taking offense.

I'm a vegetarian married to a meat eater. I thought the compromise you suggested to a vegetarian wondering how to make it work with a meat eater—"the meat eater agrees to keep a meat-free home; the vegetarian agrees to keep a Morrissey-free home"—wasn't helpful. But you were probably kidding, right? Here's the correct answer: The meat eater agrees to allow the vegetarian to be vegetarian (no pressure to eat meat, using vegetable stock when cooking); the vegetarian agrees to allow the meat eater to eat meat (no bitching about meat in the fridge or on their plate). Thanks for the otherwise great column!—Very Enthusiastically GGG

Thanks for sharing, VEGGG.

Got problems? Yes, you do. Send your question to mailbox@savage.love! Podcasts, columns and more at Savage.Love.

ALMOST-AGRAMS by Merl Reagle

NOTE: “Teammate” and “Elvis lives!” are examples of common words or expressions whose sides happen to be anagrams of each other. But more interesting to me are the ones that miss being anagrams by just a single letter, like “moreover” and “Star Wars”—“almosta-grams,” I call them. Short ones are relatively easy to find, but I’ve been collecting the longer ones for several years (hey, it keeps me off the street). Here’s an even dozen of them. No need to thank me.

ACROSS

1 Lordlike title, in Star Wars

6 Delivery room urging

10 Snack (on)

14 Appalachian Spring choreographer

17 Waiting for Lefty, for example

20 Big Apple suburb

22 Port of W Peru

23 Basic steps

24 Composition

25 Alice Hyatt portrayer, 1976-85

27 Zee preceder

28 Past word

29 He had a revolutionary idea

31 Donegal Bay feeder

32 Sum or prod., e.g.

33 Rocky III foe

34 As far as

36 Pain in the brain

38 One who protests noisily

42 Suitable for sultans

43 ___ of faith

44 911 request

45 “Steady ___ goes”

47 Newhart greeting

51 Pirate’s guzzle

52 Opposite of là

54 “It’s ___!” (reviewer’s rave)

56 The Buckeyes, briefly

58 Glow

59 Picture perfection

63 Compact pooch

65 Posse member, e.g.

66 Marvin outlaw

68 Sudden

71 They’re hard to crash

76 Frothy stuff

77 System preceder

79 Boston player, briefly

80 ___ Lanka

81 Establish

82 Errata

84 “Sweet” river of song

86 Caustic cleaner

88 Water-toting Pitcher

90 Don’s Bridges

92 Electronic outlets

95 Dieter’s drink

98 Continental dollar

99 Writer’s refill

100 Winter Olympics nation, in TV graphics

101 Only

102 Shiverer’s sound

103 “___ comments?”

104 1960s Pontiac

107 Soapdish star

110 Pedigree rival

112 Rocky Lane did his voice

113 “Maybe”

114 Realty sign

118 Of a surface

119 Cole slaw, e.g. (this one’s a triple)

120 Curtain holders

121 “For here” alternative

122 Grps.

DOWN

1 Cagney could do it

2 Watercraft

3 Way with a no.

4 Gullets

5 Hinged fasteners

6 CEO’s cousin

7 Detroit org.

8 Retiring partner?

9 Foreigner, in Hawaiian

10 “My hands are tied”

11 Restrained, in a way

12 Actress Ward

13 Turkish confection

14 Half a whale

15 Serengeti grazer

16 Hosp. diagnostic procedure

18 Best Supporting Actor, 2000

19 A great deal

20 Oscillate, as a missile

21 Dandling site

26 Sun blocks?

28 Gift-buyer’s words

29 Bus letters in the Windy City

30 Empty talk

33 ___ culpa

34 Where, to Caesar

35 Biker

36 Chunks of time: abbr.

37 Gift that grows

38 Unfocused image

39 Martin of cognac

40 Toss call

41 Of summer

43 Compass line

46 Whist authority

48 Flower-to-be

49 Glittering elemento

50 Halloweener’s prop

53 Follower of à la

55 Kidney bean

57 Of an arm bone

60 Italian dessert

61 ___ coffee

62 Informal informant

64 Bitter feeling

67 Church areas

68 Ship direction

69 Exclamation of wonder

70 Criticize

72 Surface layer

73 Part of a getaway plan?

74 Morays

75 Messy place

78 John Wayne’s U.S. marshal in a 1973 film

83 Three-time PGA champ

85 Disapproving sound

87 Hoo starter

89 Sitcom planet

91 They have left the building

93 Capek play

94 Some mine finds 95 “Neato!”

96 Bulletproof vest material

97 Explorer Ericson

100 Pass over

102 Tours topper

103 Legless creatures

104 Snake’s place?

105 Keyboardist John

106 “To Autumn,” e.g. 108 “Ignorance ___ excuse”

109 Auction action

110 Plus

111 Festive neckwear

112 Chow ___

115 With “mo,” a film speed

116 Insurance giant that got bailed out in 2008

117 Mormon letters

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