Creative Loafing Tampa — January 2, 2025

JANUARY 02-08, 2025 (VOL.38, NO.01) • $FREE CREATIVE LOAFING - CLTAMPABAY.COM

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PUBLISHER James Howard EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Ray Roa

DAVE DECKER

Editorial DIGITAL EDITOR Colin Wolf FILM & TV CRITIC John W. Allman IN-HOUSE WITCH Caroline DeBruhl CONTRIBUTORS Josh Bradley, Kyla Fields, Leah Foreman, Julia Saad, McKenna Schuler PHOTOGRAPHERS Dave Decker POLITICAL CARTOONIST Bob Whitmore FALL INTERNS Riley Benson, Anthony Ozdemir Creative Services CREATIVE DIRECTOR Jack Spatafora GRAPHIC DESIGNER Joe Frontel ILLUSTRATORS Dan Perkins, Cory Robinson Advertising SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Anthony Carbone, Scott Zepeda Events and Marketing MARKETING, PROMOTIONS AND EVENTS DIRECTOR Leigh Wilson MARKETING, PROMOTIONS AND EVENTS COORDINATOR Kristin Bowman

This is absolutely not a living wage.

Circulation CIRCULATION MANAGER Ted Modesta

chavagroup.com cltampabay.com cldeals.com 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.

Tampa Starbucks workers join union strike, p. 18.

NEWS+VIEWS ����������������������� 17 FOOD+DRINK ������������������������ 29 A&E ������������������������������ ONLINE MUSIC WEEK ������������������������ 39 ORACLE OF YBOR �����������������43

INGI SIGURDSSON

Chava Communications Group FOUNDER, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Michael Wagner CO-FOUNDER, CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER Cassandra Yardeni Wagner CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Graham Jarrett VP OF OPERATIONS Hollie Mahadeo DIRECTOR OF AGENCY SERVICES Kelsey Molina SOCIAL MEDIA DIRECTOR Meradith Garcia DIRECTOR OF DIGITAL CONTENT STRATEGY Colin Wolf ART DIRECTOR David Loyola DIGITAL OPERATIONS COORDINATOR Jaime Monzon

SAVAGE LOVE ����������������������� 45

Two new concepts debuted in the former 400 Beach Seafood and Tap House location in downtown St. Pete.

The best new restaurants of 2024, p.29.

CROSSWORD ������������������������ 46

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.

ON THE COVER: Photos via HillsboroughTransit/Facebook. Design by Joe Frontel.

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SHAWN KYLE

/food Quit your resolutions

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Please do your part & recycle it when you're done with this copy.

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/music More Music Week /arts Sportsball /news We’re back photos.cltampa.com 2024's coolest real estate

Last Chance FOR FLASH SALE PRICING! • Save 50% Off door prices!

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DON’T MISS THE BATTLE OF THE BAY! Top chefs from Tampa and St. Pete will face off in a culinary battle showcasing their skills.

Proceeds from this exciting event support job training programs for adults who are struggling or transitioning out of homelessness and striving for a fresh start.

4 0 R E S TA U R A N T S - C R A F T C O C K TA I L S

AMALIE ARENA February 11, 2025 • 6-9PM Scan the QR code to buy tickets

tampabayfoodfight.org

This is a Metropolitan Ministries fundraising event. All proceeds benefit our job training programs.

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One small steep

By Dave Decker

T

he Tampa chapter of Starbucks Workers United (SBWU) joined what the union described as a nationwide “The Strike Before Christmas” on Christmas Eve. SBWU expected over 5,000 workers to walk off the job in over 300 locations in 45 states. The strike lasted seven hours.

Starbucks told NPR that less than 200 stores did not open as a result of the strike. “We are here today for a strong contract that demands that Starbucks automatically remedies all unfair labor practices that they have yet to remedy.” Blake Smallen, 25, told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay. Read more on p. 18 and see all the photos via cltampa.com/slideshows.

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FEBRUARY 16TH - 23RD CHECK OUT ALL THE EVENTS AND BUY TICKETS

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FEB 16TH-23RD 2025 CELEBRATING PRIDE ALL YEAR! 10 | JANUARY 02-08, 2025 | cltampabay.com

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do this

Tampa Bay's best things to do from January 02 - 08

Bird brains

Since 2002, the Avian Welfare Coalition has celebrated National Bird Day, to commemorate the end of the three-week Christmas Bird Count, a citizen survey that involves birdwatchers from around the world. In Indian Shores, the eight-year-old Seaside Seabird Sanctuary hosts its own celebration where the nonprofit introduces visitors to the some of the birds it’s helping inside of its Dr. Marie L. Farr Avian Hospital, where a small team of staff and volunteers care for approximately 3,500 birds every year. Guests, including any kids under 18 who show up with a parent or guardian, will also learn how to make a difference for birds in their own backyards.

National Bird Day Celebration: Sunday, Jan. 5. 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Free with registration. Seaside Seabird Sanctuary, 18328 Gulf Blvd., Indian Shores. @SeasideSeabird

on Facebook—Ray Roa

ROBERT BLOUIN/SHUTTERSTOCK

Take a hike

By the time this issue hits newsstands, there will be 118 days left in Hillsborough County’s 2024-25 Hiking Spree. Delayed

by Hurricane Milton, the celebration of the county’s more than 300 miles of marked trails kicked off on Dec. 1 and wraps on April 30; it includes nearly two dozen trails as far north as Cypress Creek and south to the Cockroach Creek Greenway Nature Preserve in Ruskin. The trails range in difficulty from easy and paved to strenuous with rough terrain and in distance with the shortest coming in at just six-tenths of a mile (Clayton Park in Brandon) and the longest clocking it at 6.5-miles (North Hiking Trail in Wimauma’s Little Manatee River State Park). Some hikes are free, while some parks charge a nominal entry fee. Anyone who registers and then completes at least eight trails will get a commemorative sticker and choice of one reward (this year’s loot includes a brass medallion, embroidered patch or pet bandana). And you don’t have to hike alone either. Special events and group treks are scheduled throughout the Hiking Spree from the romp through Cockroach Creek on Jan. 4 to a native plant hike, dog pack hike and more. See a full list of hikes, and get links to maps via cltampa.com.

Hillsborough Hiking Spree ‘Trekking with Trail Cats’: Saturday, Jan. 4. 9 a.m.-noon. $5. Cockroach

Creek Nature Preserve, 4110 Valroy Rd., Ruskin. hcfl.gov—

Ray Roa

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RAY ROA

See more (and submit your event) @ cltampa.com Find hope

YVONNE GOUGELET/RED BULL CONTENT POOL

Perfect for whatever this year is going to bring, Gloria Muñoz’s debut young adult literature novel is “written in prose and verse will speak to any reader struggling with the state of our world and how to understand their place in it.” To celebrate its release, the homegrown author and St. Pete’s poet laureate takes part in a courtyard talk about the work, which centers around Julieta Villarreal an aspiring writer whose life is more-or-less in shambles (sister died in a hit-and-run, house is literally crumbling). The 17-year-old gets a chance to take part in a private space program, which helps her find hope in unexpected places.

‘This is the Year’ Book Launch with Gloria Muñoz: Monday, Jan. 6. 7 p.m. Free with registration. Tombolo Books, 2153 1st Ave S, St. Petersburg. tombolobooks.com— Ray Roa

There could be blood

As Tampa rapidly changes, we cling to local lifers who’re still doing rad shit around town. If the phrase “turtle ditch” makes you feel some type of way, then you may already know about the wreckage about to go down underneath the interstate in West Tampa this weekend. That’s where the Tampa Rejects Skateboarding crew will roll out a rainbow ledge and rail as part of an unofficial competition and BBQ that will also help raise money for the group’s mission to help talented local skaters who need assistance with competition fees, travel and gear. The slappy and best trick competition kicks off at noon, but don’t park under the overpass.

Willow Street Wreckage: Sunday, Jan 5. 11 a.m. No cover. N Willow Avenue, underneath I-275, Tampa. @tamparejects on Instagram—Ray Roa AYESHA PANDE LITERARY EST NYBER VIA SLIM.BOOGIE.12/FACEBOOK

Boogie down

Do you long to be the life of the dancefloor? Do you keep DVD copies of “You Got Served” or “Save The Last Dance” on your nightstand?

Anthony D. Armstrong won’t solve your problems, but he will help you feel like you kind of know what you’re doing out there. The Los Angeles dancer better known as Slim Boogie teaches a class on popping as part of a "Dsfnktnls" series that hopes to spread positivity through movement and a weekly street dance session on the Tampa campus of the University of South Florida.

Open level popping dance class w/Slim Boogie: Wednesday, Jan. 8. 8 p. m. Donations accepted. SVC breezeway at University of South Florida, 12075 USF Mango Dr., Tampa. @disfunktionalstampa on Instagram—Ray Roa

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CELEBRATING

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“So many people rely on that bus.”

POLITICS

ISSUES

OPINION

Free wheely

HART gets $1.65 million to eliminate Route 1 fares.

By Ray Roa and Leah Foreman

M

ore often than not, fighting for mass transit feels like an uphill battle in the Bay area, but activists got a nice present late last year when Tampa City Council voted 4-3 to allocate $1.65 million to make Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority’s (HART) Route 1 free to ride for an entire year. The funds, as previously reported, came from money people paid to park in city garages; the dough was already set aside within the city’s fiscal year 2025 budget and would’ve gone towards providing electric vehicle charging stations in city parking lots. Then District 3’s at-large Tampa City Councilwoman Lynn Hurtak stepped in.

“We have a very small percentage of cars that require charging in the city. So is that really a good use of city dollars? And that would impact a small amount of people, where I figured to make Route 1 fare-free for a year was about this amount of money and would open it up and help so many more people,” Hurtak said in an interview to Creative Loafing Tampa Bay. Councilman Luis Viera, who is also the chairperson of HART called the proposal a “real winner.”

“That’s why when Councilwoman Hurtak proposed it, I immediately jumped at it,” he told council.

The free service is expected to start on Jan. 5 and last until Jan. 4, 2026. It will also include more frequent stops along the route—which runs between the University Area Transit Center and downtown Tampa all the way to the trolley— from every 20 minutes to every 15 minutes. A spokesperson for Tampa Mayor Jane Castor told CL she will definitely sign off on the proposal so that the fare-free service can start on schedule.

“The biggest barrier for improving and expanding public transit here in Tampa is a lack of familiarity and experience,” Dayna Lazarus told CL, adding that Tampeños often ride public transit in other cities, but not at home. “This fare-free project gives people the opportunity to try the bus for the first time and break that seal.”

Lazarus—an A.I.C.P. certified urban planner who co-founded the grassroots organization Transit Now Tampa Bay, and a seven-year member of the Hillsborough TPO’s Citizens Advisory Committee—points to Tampa’s TECO Streetcar,

which has been fare-free thanks in part to money from the feds since 2018, as an example of nocost public transit that gained popularity once people stepped on. She has championed public transit for so long because she she’s the issue as a nonpartisan way to just improve quality of life. “At the end of the day, if we increase public transit, it will help more people in their day to day lives, period, end of story,” she added.

Justin Willits, Director of Planning and Scheduling at HART, will be tasked with making sure the increased frequency for Route 1 runs smoothly. The corridor could potentially be home to bus rapid transit (BRT), he told WMNF public affairs program The Skinny on the morning after council’s vote. BRT is a rail-like service with a dedicated bus lane that reduces riders’ wait time in traffic. Willits said St. Petersburg’s SunRunner, which takes riders from downtown St. Petersburg to St. Pete Beach is a great example of BRT. “And this corridor, I would argue, would perform even better than the SunRunner does. It’s got higher ridership and a lot more potential, in my opinion,” he added. Still, council was one vote away from not approving the plan thanks to nays from Councilmembers Bill Carlson, Gwendolyn Henderson and Charlie Miranda.

Henderson and Carlson took issue with the city funding a HART initiative.

“The vote today is not whether we’re pro transit or against transit, it’s which agency should do it, which agency is authorized and has the responsibility to do it, and that clearly is HART, because it was moved out of the city 40 years ago,” Carlson said.

But Hurtak pointed to data about BRT, which she said is basically the Route 1 corridor, and countered that it is the city’s duty. “It is our responsibility to fund roads and transportation in the city. We do it right now with cars, we’re doing it more with bicycles and pedestrians, but what we aren’t doing is working on transportation,” she said to WMNF. Henderson cited the fact that there hasn’t been a specific study to determine the need for free fares for Route 1.

Hurtak again pointed to a promising statistic from last year. “The entire HART system

LOCAL NEWS

NEW ROUTE-INE: HART CEO Scott Drainville (at podium) flanked by Tampa City Councilmembers Lynn Hurtak (R) and Luis Viera (L). went fare-free after [Hurricane] Milton because people had gone through [Hurricane] Helene…a lot of folks lost their cars in Helene, so we saw a bus uptick then, but after Milton, HART made it fare-free for two weeks. By the end of that two weeks, Route 1, had a 9.5% increase in ridership, just in two weeks of being farefree,” she told CL. Willits told WMNF that Route 1 already serves 3,500 trips a day on weekdays and hopes to see that number jump to at least 4,000 if not higher.

“If we would have thought this wasn’t a great idea, then we would have had to push back on the councilwoman,” he said. “But we talked about it at HART, and we said, ‘This is a really solid idea. It’s a partnership with the city. Maybe it could lead to something greater in the future.”

One of those goals is more funding. A report released this time last year said that while HART is effective, it runs on a budget similar to systems in cities that serve roughly 1.5 million fewer people. WUSF said that, “Other

metrics put it in the same funding bracket as Chattanooga, Tennessee and Boise, Idaho, while serving a population five times larger than either city.”

Lazarus, for her part, is just happy to potentially see working people get some relief.

Yes, there will be folks going from the Heights neighborhoods to and from downtown for hockey games and special events, but the majority of people she sees on the route at all times of the day are workers, laborers, and others like veterans getting treatment at the VA, or construction workers headed to jobs at five-o-clock in the morning.

“If you ride the bus to and from work everyday using Route 1, that’s $4 a trip. That’s 20 days a month. That’s $80. That’s a grocery visit.

That’s a medical visit for a kid. That’s all sorts of different things that people can then budget,” Hurtak said.

“It’s just a lot of workers that use that bus that are not high wage workers,” Lazarus added.

“So many people rely on that bus.”

cltampabay.com | JANUARY 02-08, 2025 | 17

Wake up

Tampa Starbucks workers joined nationwide Christmas Eve strike.

By Dave Decker and Ray Roa

T

he Tampa chapter of Starbucks Workers United (SBWU) joined in with what the union described as a nationwide “The Strike Before Christmas” on Christmas Eve when SBWU expected over 5,000 workers to walk off the job in over 300 locations in 45 states.

The strike lasted seven hours. Starbucks told NPR that less than 200 stores did not open as a result of the strike.

“We are here today for a strong contract that demands that Starbucks automatically remedies all unfair labor practices that they have yet to remedy.” Blake Smallen, 25, told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay, Smallen’s chapter, at the coffee chain’s location on the corner of N Dale Mabry Highway and Linebaugh Avenue, voted to unionize over the summer and has around 20 union members. It is the only unionized Starbucks in Tampa. Another location in Clearwater also held actions earlier in the day and both locations remained open for business while the picketers maintained the line.

“Understaffing, lousy pay, that is how your coffee’s made,” SBWU members like Bee Evens chanted, alongside other sayings like, “No contract, no coffee” and “What do you want? A contract. And when do we want it? Now.” Evans, 20, told CL they saw all the regulars they would see on a normal daily work shift and those regulars yielded in support as they drove through the drive-through line. Some regulars refused to buy coffee as a show of solidarity.

According to a statement released from Starbucks, “The union chose to walk away from bargaining last week. We are ready to

continue negotiations when the union comes back to the barraging table.” Reuters said that last month, SBWU rejected an offer of no immediate wage raises and a guarantee of a 1.5% pay increase in future years.

The union however said it engaged in hundreds of hours of bargaining yet the package the company was offering did not meet their demands. A wage increase for union baristas was not included in the package and the increase in pay only amounted to less than 50 cents for the majority of workers. Additionally the union claims it hasn’t seen economic improvements across the board and a lack of resolution for hundreds of court cases that have been filed with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) for unfair labor practices.

Last Friday on WMNF public affairs program “The Skinny,” Smallen said he believes base pay at his store starts at just above $15 an hour. “And of course, in Tampa, you can’t find a one bedroom for under $1,200 a month now.

So this is absolutely not a living wage. We need something better—and if Starbucks is able to pay their CEO $57,000 per hour, I think we can do a little better for the people who make the company run,” he added.

The Guardian reported that Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol’s annual salary is $1.6 million, adding that he has the opportunity to earn up to $23 million worth of share-based bonuses each year, as well as a cash bonus worth nearly $3.6 million depending on the company’s performance. The contract, if paid out in full, would bring Niccol’s pay to $113.2 million, according to the publication.

LOCAL NEWS

DAVE DECKER

Call us for an appointment: (813) 203-8445 davedeckerphotography.com |

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@watson33569

ESPRESSO YOURSELF: About 20 people were on the picket line outside a Tampa Starbucks on Christmas Eve.

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Crisis management

Rep. Anna Eskamani co-sponsors bill to better regulate state-funded anti-abortion pregnancy centers.

By McKenna Schueler each organization at least annually, unannounced, to determine compliance with its contractual obligations.

As part of a bill last year that established Florida’s six-week abortion ban, the Florida Pregnancy Care Network was allocated a fivefold increase in its funding for this program, from $4 million in 2022 to $25 million in 2023.

All of this generally goes towards supporting or otherwise marketing crisis pregnancy centers, which critics have described as predatory and manipulative. This year’s state budget gifts the program $29.5 million.

Eskamani, a former employee of Planned Parenthood, said the overarching aim of HB 63—to be considered during the 2025 state legislative session—is simply “accountability” and “truth in healthcare.”

“Crisis pregnancy centers receive millions of taxpayer dollars, so it’s only reasonable that they meet basic standards of financial transparency and operational compliance, just like any other publicly funded program,” said Eskamani, who recently announced a run for Orlando mayor, after her current two-year term in the Florida House is up.

“Supporting this bill means standing for integrity, fiscal responsibility, and patient protection—principles that should unite us,” she argued.

Whether it will go anywhere is anyone’s guess.

It’s identical to legislation that Florida’s Republican-controlled Legislature neglected to take up last year, similarly filed by Skidmore and Lauren Book in the state Senate. In order to pass, or even be considered for approval, state legislation has to wind its way through two to three committee hearings, which offer opportunities for public comment and discussion among state legislators as to the merits of the proposal.

Book and Skidmore’s bills to establish more requirements for CPCs died in their respective chambers last year, after committee chairs failed to schedule them for a single hearing.

Florida’s 2025 legislative session begins March 4, 2025 in Tallahassee and will last 60 days.

This story first appeared at our sister publication Orlando Weekly.

ABORTION

STATE OF FLORIDA

W

ith Florida’s “alternatives-to-abortion” program slated to receive an extra $4.5 million in funding this year, Democratic State Representatives Kelly Skidmore of Delray Beach and Anna Eskamani of Orlando are renewing an effort to better regulate the anti-abortion pregnancy centers, also known as crisis pregnancy centers, that the state program helps fund.

“Crisis pregnancy centers (CPCs) operate with little to no oversight while receiving millions of public dollars annually—money that could otherwise go toward legitimate, evidence-based health care,” Eskamani told Orlando Weekly in a statement. “At a minimum, we should ensure these centers comply with basic standards, do not share medically inaccurate information, and use funds appropriately,” she continued. “This bill is not about targeting CPCs—it’s about protecting patients and taxpayers.”

House Bill 63, titled Pregnancy Support and Wellness Services, would require organizations that contract with the Florida Pregnancy Care Network, an anti-abortion nonprofit that oversees the state’s alternatives to abortion program, to comply with basic regulatory guidelines.

Tax filings show that historically, these organizations have included religious nonprofits such as Catholic Charities, as well as crisis pregnancy centers—facilities that often pose as abortion clinics but instead aim to convince pregnant people not to obtain abortion care. They offer free pregnancy tests and ultrasounds, but when discussing a pregnant person’s options, the information on abortion they offer is either false or nonexistent.

Under Eskamani’s co-sponsored proposal, organizations that receive state funds through the FPCN would be required, for instance, to ensure informational materials given to clients are “medically accurate,” as crisis pregnancy centers have in some instances been found to share blatant inaccuracies, such as tying abortion to a heightened risk of cancer or telling patients they are farther along in their pregnancy than they really are.

Organizations that fail to comply with this requirement would face fines for noncompliance, under the proposal. It would also require the Florida Department of Health to perform annual financial audits of crisis pregnancy centers that receive state money, and to visit

“This bill is not about targeting CPCs—it’s about protecting patients and taxpayers.”

SESSION QUESTION: Whether Eskamani’s HB63 will go anywhere is anyone’s guess.

cltampabay.com | JANUARY 02-08, 2025 | 21

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Keep swimming

Trial will decide if Florida’s DEP violated Endangered Species Act.

By Jim Saunders/News Service of Florida

A

federal judge has rejected a state attempt to end a lawsuit stemming from manatee deaths in the Indian River Lagoon and said a trial is needed to determine whether the Florida Department of Environmental Protection has violated the Endangered Species Act. U.S. District Judge Carlos Mendoza issued a 17-page order last month siding with arguments by the environmental group Bear Warriors United that wastewater discharges into the Indian River Lagoon have led to the demise of seagrass and, as a result, the deaths of manatees.

But he said he must determine whether an “ongoing violation” of federal law exists. Mendoza denied a state motion for summary judgment, a request that would have short-circuited a trial.

“As such, the only remaining issue of fact for the jury is whether there is an ongoing risk of manatee takings under FDEP’s (the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s) regulatory regime,” Mendoza wrote.

Bear Warriors United filed the lawsuit in 2022, contending that the department has not adequately regulated sewage-treatment plants and septic systems, leading to discharges that killed seagrass—a vital food source for manatees—in a northern stretch of the Indian River Lagoon.

Florida had a record 1,100 manatee deaths in 2021, with the largest number, 358, in Brevard County, the focus of the lawsuit. Many deaths were linked to starvation.

The state had 800 manatee deaths in 2022, before the number dropped to 555 in 2023, according to Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission data. The state had a reported 538 manatee deaths this year as of Dec. 13.

Mendoza in September also denied a state request to dismiss the lawsuit, which names as the defendant former Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Shawn Hamilton.

In ruling last week on certain issues in the case, including that discharges led to killing seagrass and the deaths of manatees, Mendoza granted part of a Bear Warriors United motion for summary judgment—but the issue about ongoing risks remains to be resolved.

In its motion for summary judgment, Bear Warriors United said the department “has known for decades that the septic tanks and wastewater

plants it authorizes release human nitrogen” that causes such problems as algae blooms in the lagoon.

“DEP thus authorizes the destruction of the lagoon’s ability to sustain seagrass and other macroalgae which are essential food sources for the manatees’ survival,” the group’s attorneys wrote. “As such, DEP’s regulatory regime for septic tanks and wastewater plants directly and indirectly results in the ongoing unlawful ‘take’ of manatees, in violation of (a section of the Endangered Species Act), and this court must issue an injunction requiring compliance with the ESA (Endangered Species Act) to prevent further take of manatees.”

But in the state’s motion for summary judgment, attorneys wrote that Florida has taken steps in recent years to try to reduce discharges

ENVIRONMENT

“It has, instead, worked diligently to restore an impaired water. There is no proximate cause.

DEP is entitled to judgment as a matter of law because with no dispute of material fact, it has not violated the ESA.” The lawsuit involves part of the Indian River Lagoon from the Melbourne Causeway in Brevard County to Turnbull Creek in southern Volusia County.

EPA approves Florida plan for radioactive roads made from toxic waste The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has approved a controversial proposal that would lead to using phosphogypsum, a radioactive byproduct of the phosphate industry, in a road project.

The EPA last month issued a notice of approval for Mosaic Fertilizer, LLC, a subsidiary of The Mosaic Company, to move forward

PHILLIP SUNKEL IV/SHUTTERSTOCK

sections of test road that would include different mixtures of phosphogypsum in road base material, according to the EPA notice. The project would be at the company’s New Wales facility.

In the notice, which was expected to be published Dec. 23 in the Federal Register, the EPA said the “approval applies only to the proposed pilot project and not any broader use.” The notice acknowledged a large number of comments submitted in opposition to the proposal but said the EPA concluded the project would be safe.

“Results from multiple modeling efforts indicate that risks due to the proposed pilot project are low,” the notice said. “EPA believes that for this existing site, it is most appropriate to consider the potential risk to site workers and the nearest residents to the site when determining whether the pilot project is as protective as leaving the phosphogypsum in the stack. No comments raised topics which EPA did not consider in its technical evaluation or lead to a concern for human health or environmental impacts not previously considered.”

But Ragan Whitlock, a Floridabased attorney with the Center for Biological Diversity, which opposes the proposal, called the EPA decision “mind-boggling.” In a statement, Whitlock cited risks to road crews and water quality and raised the possibility that the decision could be a step toward using phosphogypsum more broadly in road projects.

“The well-documented harm to public health and the environment from this kind of waste leaking out of radioactive phosphogypsum storage stacks should be leading to better oversight of Florida’s biggest polluters,” Whitlock said. “Instead the EPA has bowed to political pressure from the phosphate industry and paved the way for this dangerous waste to be used in roads all over the country. We’ll do everything in our power to protect Florida’s people and precious environment from this reckless plan.”

As the EPA considered the Mosaic proposal, Florida lawmakers and Gov. Ron DeSantis in 2023 approved a bill that authorized the state Department of Transportation to conduct a study of using phosphogypsum in road projects.

“Upon a determination of suitability by the department, phosphogypsum from phosphate production may be used as a construction aggregate material in accordance with the conditions of the United States Environmental Protection Agency approval for the use,” the bill said.

JUNGLE TRAIL: The Indian River Lagoon in Vero Beach. into the lagoon and disputed that it has violated the Endangered Species Act. The motion said the department’s “actions are not the proximate cause of any harm” to manatees, which are classified as a threatened species.

“The record shows that DEP has not authorized or entitled any party to cause a violation of water quality standards,” the state’s motion said.

with the pilot road project on company property in Polk County. The possibility of using phosphogypsum in road projects has long drawn opposition from environmental groups, which have argued it could pose risks to people working on roads and to water quality.

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DINING GUIDE RESTAURANTS

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DINING GUIDES

Kicking ash

Twenty of the best new restaurants, bars and food trucks to open last year.

By CL staff and Chef Alex Rodriguez’s global travels, their new Chef’s Table experience is aimed to give guests an “artistic” and curated culinary experience, vastly different from the wine bar’s casual tapas offerings. While some tasting menus can be formal and avant garde, Lolita’s wants its Chef’s Table experience to be fun and interactive, offering gourmet twists on everyday fare.

For example, one course that folks may expect is a playful interpretation of the classic steak frites dish, where Chef Rodriguez offers what can be described as a “fancy tater tot” topped with steak tartare and garnish. 420 22nd St. S, St. Petersburg. lolitaswinemarket.com Craft Tampa’s first river dining cruise experience officially set sail last March, and is essentially a two-hour European-style river cruise up the Hillsborough River, beginning from the Channel District at the StarShip dock adjacent

original Esther’s Cafe has been a local favorite for nearly 12 years, but the truck is somewhat hard to find, since it’s tucked away behind the produce stands at 3001 E Hillsborough Ave. Last May, owner Jorge Castellano debuted an easier to locate, new outpost just down the street. The new Esther’s Tacos officially opened May 12, and offers the same menu as the original, except with air conditioning, more seating and parking.

2115 Hillsborough Ave., Tampa. tacosesthers.com Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar A new and shiny Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse and Wine Bar debuted in Tampa in early September.

Opening literally next door to the original location, the new flagship restaurant is a beast, with over 13,000-square-foot of dining space, a wine bar with 2,700 international and domestic wines, new cocktail offerings, acoustic ceiling tiles to mitigate noise, live music, and more. 4342 W Boy Scout Rd., Tampa. flemingssteakhouse.com Juno & The Peacock and cocktail lounge Pluma Last summer, two new concepts debuted from the former 400 Beach Seafood and Tap House location in downtown St. Petersburg: A continued on page 31

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I

t goes without saying that Tampa Bay’s restaurant industry absolutely went through it over the last year, and despite all the challenges (thanks Milton and Helene) the area still witnessed some incredible new bars, food trucks and restaurants. In fact, the last 12 months were some of Tampa Bay’s best for new eats, and diners have seen everything from innovative new dining cruises, the return of old favorites, and entirely new approaches to the business model.

What you’ll find here our staff picks for the best restaurants that made their debut in 2024.

Alter Ego Proper House Group took on the Herculean effort of opening two concepts last April. Besides their modern Italian-focused Ash, the restaurant group also debuted Alter Ego, a music-forward hotspot featuring live DJs, and a vast beverage menu of traditional cocktails with modern twists, utilizing top shelf spirits and seasonal ingredients. Since opening, the sleek new space has cemented itself in Tampa as a date-night must-stop. 420 S Nebraska Ave. Suite 103, Tampa. alteregotampa.com Ash Arguably, one of the most beautiful new spaces in Tampa, Proper House Group’s Ash soft-opened last April, and hasn’t slowed down since. The new concept specializes in modern Italian-inspired fare in an upscale setting, which includes an “effortlessly chic” blush-colored dining room, accompanying patio space and open kitchen. A few dishes that folks can expect from Ash’s menu include a house made Malfade pasta with toasted garlic, ramp top oil, pickled ramp bulbs, dungeness crab and crab roe butter or its pan fried 22-oz. pork chop served with a date and spicy dijon mostarda and a radicchio and charred chicory salad. 420 S Nebraska Ave., Tampa. ashtampa.com Casa Cami Casa Cami debuted this spring on the 10th floor of Tampa’s Current Hotel.

From the folks at Oxford Commons, their newest hospitality concept offers a spread of tacos and salsas, salads, small plates of ceviche, snapper crudo, and more. Plus, arguably the best view of the Bay and downtown Tampa. 2545 N Rocky Point Dr., Tampa. casacami.com Chef’s Table Chef’s Table by Lolita’s, a multi-course tasting menu from the owners of St. Pete’s Lolita’s Wine Market, opened last May. Inspired by Lolita’s Wine Market owners Kelly

to Sparkman Wharf. At 130-feet in length and featuring only 11-feet of air draft, the upscale dining ship is the largest commercial vessel currently on the Hillsborough, all while still being able to pass under five of the river’s lowest bridges. 603 Channelside Dr., Tampa. crafttampa.com Don The Beachcomber Don The Beachcomber, a new tiki bar and restaurant based on a nostalgic concept that started in Hollywood, California in the ‘30s opened last spring on the bottom floor of the Cambria Hotel.

The extensive drink menu, which has a handdrawn look that’s becoming popular in new concepts, features traditional rum tiki drinks like mai tais and painkillers in addition to new twists with gin and tequila. There are also non-tiki classics like old fashioneds and the trendy espresso martini, as well as a limited selection of beer and wine and a mocktail list.

15015 Madeira Wy. Suite 100, Madeira Beach. donbeachcomber.com Esther’s One of Tampa’s beloved, hole-inthe-wall taco trucks grew up a bit last year, and expanded into its first brick-and-mortar location. As any Tampa taco fan will admit, the

BE MY NEIGHBOR: Proper House Group opened two new concepts in 2024.

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Bay that he never stopped making the tacos and has been eating them at home and with friends since closing in 2011. All the favorites—gator, shrimp, beef, and chicken and possibly three kinds of fish including salmon and grouper—are all on the menu along with a vegetarian taco which locals loved to no end. Double-decker upgrades are available for tacos, and the menu also includes burritos, chimichangas, nachos, tamales, churros, and more. For the uninitiated, Mema’s Alaskan Tacos are prepared in accordance with a recipe from Godin’s grandma who cooked the fillings in the shell, resulting in an crispy taco topped with shreds of cold iceberg lettuce and sharp cheddar cheese all served in a sorelymissed translucent wax paper wrapping. 11903 N 19th St., Ybor City. memasalaskantacos.com Mighty Fine at Late Start Brewing The recently-opened Late Start Brewing and its culinary counterpart Mighty Fine live at the quiet northeast corner of the Tampa Downtown Partnership, where Ybor City meets the Channel District. Late Start Brewing had a long-awaited opening last September after hoping to debut in 2022. Mighty Fine—helmed by longtime Florida chef and native Tampeño Nathan Hardin—has been a welcome addition to the local food scene.

Refined bar grub is offered at lunch and dinner, alongside breakfast options of tacos, bowls and of course, churros; throughout the unassuming brewery menu, Hardin’s fine dining experience and penchant for detail shines. Late Start offers a variety of fruited sours, citrusy IPAs and dark porters that complement Mighty Fine’s spread of burgers, sandwiches and shareables. 1018 E Cass St., Tampa. @mightyfinetpa on Instagram Offset Sandwich Exchange After two years of popping up around St. Petersburg, Offset Sandwich Exchange has a more permanent home in the Edge District. The concept run by restaurant industry lifer John Harrell and his wife Amy DePalma-Harrell opened the window on its food truck parked at Green Bench Brewing Co. earlier this month. The menu includes five sandwiches, two small plates, a handful of sides and desserts, plus cold brew and drinks. The menu will eventually expand, but for now, handhelds are available starting at $10.95, and include a fried green tomato sandwich, smashburger, plus Nashville hot chicken and BBQ pulled pork sandwiches. There’s also a gochujang-glazed Korean-style fried chicken sandwich available. Sides offered by Offset include seasoned fries, sweet potato fries with hot honey, curry coleslaw and banana cheesecake flautas. 1133 Baum Ave. N, St. Petersburg. @offsetsandwichexchange on Instagram Retro House Retro House made its big debut last summer, dishing out homemade dumplings and loaded noodle bowls out of a unique location in Ybor City. The fast casual spot slings dumplings and other handhelds that Heritage Dim Sum is known for—with co-owner Corrinne Liou

DINING GUIDE

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continued from page 29 new cocktail lounge called Pluma, and a new full service restaurant called Juno & The Peacock, featuring “new American coastal cuisine” for lunch, dinner and weekend brunch. The menu at Juno & the Peacock spans everything from dry-aged steaks, to seafood towers, seared grouper, crab cakes and more. Over at Pluma, the lounge’s focus is on light bites and cocktails, as well as a “curated wine selection highlighting over 1,400 choices primarily sourced from New World regions.”

Collectively, the two spaces can accommodate up to 268 guests with both indoor and outdoor seating.

400 Beach Dr. NE, St. Petersburg. junoandthepeacock.com and @plumalounge on Instagram Kiwa Asian Kitchen Sushi, Korean, Bar & Boba Bayshore scored a fun new sushi and Korean spot last summer. Kiwa Asian Kitchen made its big debut last July, and has been a local favorite since, with an eccentric menu spanning everything from sushi, beef brisket fried rice, baked mussels, Korean dumplings, boba drinks, and more. 5415 Bayshore Blvd., Tampa. @Kiwaasiankitchen on Instagram Kuya Kevin’s Filipino Fusion BBQ There’s no shortage of mom and pop, cafeteria-style Filipino restaurants in Tampa Bay, but one new food truck offers a unique twist on classic Pinoy dishes. Owner and chef Kevin Baumgartner is a Pinellas County native with years of kitchen experience— and he recently launched his first food truck endeavor called Kuya Kevin’s Filipino Fusion BBQ. Dishing out “authentic Filipino cuisine fused with Western-style cooking methods,” the 34-year-old celebrated the grand opening of Kuya Kevin’s in early August. “I’ve spent the last few years trying to change up the conventional dishes to try to add a little bit of a twist to it,” Baumgartner tells Creative Loafing Tampa Bay. “Kuya” is a tagalog word that translates to “older brother.” kuyakevinsbbq.com The Madison Noho A new restaurant dishing out classic American entrees and loaded brunch plates quietly opened its doors in West Tampa in late June. Owned and operated by Tampa residents Tayesha Hiner, Antonio “Polo” Allen—who also leads the kitchen as its Executive Chef—and Mikeo Smith, The Madison Noho offers a variety of straightforward dinner plates, from grilled salmon to apple-glazed pork chops, plus appetizers like calamari, chicken wings, crab cakes and oysters. On the weekend, the newlyopened eatery dishes out red velvet pancakes, eggs Benedict, lobster and waffles and Creolestyle shrimp and grits at its popular brunch service. Beer, wine, and craft cocktails are on the menu, too. 1704 N Howard Ave., Tampa Mema’s Alaskan Tacos After 13 years away, Mema’s returned to Ybor City this year and we couldn’t be happier (or more full). Owner Sean Godin, who launched Mema’s out of a 17th Avenue shack 20 years ago, told Creative Loafing Tampa

LIGHT ME UP: Streetlight Tacos’ menu is informed by chef Michael Brannock’s extensive travels throughout Mexico. incorporating her family’s 100 year-old recipes throughout Retro House’s menu with small bites like ube baos, shu mai, lemongrass chicken dumplings, pan-fried pork baos and mango shrimp wontons. A few entrees are offered as well, including char sui fried rice and crispy noodle bowls with customizable proteins. 934 E Henderson Ave., Ybor City. retrohousetampa.com Small Bar Last June, St. Pete scored a small but mighty watering hole. The self-explanatory Small Bar operates in a roughly 300 square-foot space in between Bandit Coffee Co.’s kitchen and seating area, which was previously used for storage. With a few small tables and a handful of bar seats, Small Bar can accommodate a little more than a dozen patrons at a time.

The food program helmed by Bandit’s head chefs Benjamin Pomales and Adrianna Siller features an intimate, rotating menu of small plates—like playful twists on bar snacks like onion rings croissant garlic knots—and entrees like beef stroganoff, fish and chips, lion’s mane steaks and pan-seared scallops with parsnip, basil, avocado, orange and vanilla. Folks can order Small Bar’s dishes on an a la carte basis, or opt for a three-course “Chef’s Choice” menu for $55. 2662 Central Ave., St. Petersburg. @ smallbarstp on Instagram Soul de Cuba Cafe A brand new cafe and restaurant with century-old ties to Tampa quietly opened its doors in Seminole Heights late last February. Soul de Cuba boasts a traditional

menu of lechon asado, Cuban sandwiches, oxtail stew and the Tampa classic crab shalah, a pasta dish that features lump crab in a Creole-style red sauce. All of its entrees have evolved from longtime family recipes that Executive Chef Roberto Puerto has put a professional twist on.

6428 N Florida Ave., Tampa. souldecuba.com Streetlight Taco Streetlight opened in January and has already earned a distinguished Bib Gourmand distinction from Michelin. The new concept offers a contemporary menu of Mexican favorites inspired by owner and Executive Chef Michael Brannock’s extensive travels throughout Mexico and dedication to its multifaceted cuisine. In addition to a variety of tacos on house-made tortillas, Streetlight also offers Pueblan-style cemitas sandwiches, sides like chips and salsa, salads and larger entrees such as wood-roasted half chickens or carnitas platters after 5 p.m. 4004 Henderson Blvd., Tampa. streetlighttacos.com Tampeño Fish and Meat Market West Tampa got a real culinary gem a few months ago. Tampeño Fish and Meat Market has experienced nothing but applause since debuting in the former Stadium Cafe, with a focus on Latin cuisine in an upscale setting. Open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, the new concept has a menu spreading everything from pressed sandwiches, Devil crab, seafood salad, and more. Plus, there’s a solid beer and wine menu. 3413 W Tampa Bay Blvd., Tampa. tampenofishandmeat.com

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Stacking up

OPENINGS

Hales Blackbrick expands to South Tampa, plus more local restaurant news.

By Kyla Fields and Julia Saad

O

Head to @halesblackbrick on Instagram or Facebook for the latest news on the restaurant’s second Tampa location. Walk-ins are accepted, but reservations via Opentable are recommended.

St. Petersburg’s first Sweetgreen is now open on Central Avenue A highly-anticipated, salad-centric restaurant just opened its doors in the heart of downtown St. Pete.

The Burg’s first Sweetgreen, located at 1114 Central Ave. in the Edge District, made its debut last week and is now dishing out beloved salads, grain bowls and protein plates that the California-based chain is known for.

St. Pete’s new spot for healthy eats shares the same menu as the rest of the Sweetgreens in the country, which includes options like its hot honey chicken protein plate with quinoa, roasted sweet

mocktails from Mother Kombucha, a plant popup by Wild Roots and custom ornaments from Sun Signs St. Pete amongst other local businesses. A portion of sales from its grand opening on Dec.10 was also donated to Feeding Tampa Bay. It’s been almost three years since the company announced St. Pete’s first location; Central Avenue’s Sweetgreen was originally slated to debut sometime in 2022.

St. Pete’s Sweetgreen marks the chain’s 12th location in Florida, with other storefronts in Miami, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm and across the bridge in Hyde Park and Tampa Heights.

The Los Angeles-based company also promises to become completely carbon neutral by 2027.

The ‘Burg’s debut Sweetgreen is now open from 10 a.m.-10 p.m. seven days a week. Head to @sweetgreen on Instagram for the latest updates on Sweetgreen’s seasonal offerings and new menu items.

HALESBLACKBRICK/FACEBOOK

nly a few months after announcing the second location of their Chinese eatery, Chef Richard Hales and his wife/partner Jenny have opened the doors to their new Hyde Park restaurant.

Hales Blackbrick’s second location softopened on Saturday, Dec. 21 at 1809 W Platt St. in Hyde Park, right around the corner from other concepts like Gasparilla Pizzeria and Don Rigatoni.

The newly-opened eatery shares the same Chinese-Floridian hybrid menu as its flagship restaurant at 4812 N Dale Mabry Hwy., which opened out of the former Pop ‘n Sons diner in 2022.

While modern iterations of traditional Chinese fare are the star of the menu (think dumplings, char sui, Sichuan-style eggplant, dan dan noodles, steamed tofu), Chef Hales also features techniques and flavors from other Asian cuisines. He also finds culinary inspiration from his own Filipino background, with his family’s 100 year-old lumpia recipe on the menu, too.

Other specialties include Hales’ whole Peking duck, cumin-rubbed lamb chops, Kung Pao-style bison ribeye, alligator smothered in General Tso’s sauce and a lamb t-bone chop served with green Sichuan peppers and snow pea tips.

In addition to a la carte options and familystyle, shareable platters, Chef Hales also offers a prix-fixe, $125 tasting menu that features an amuse bouche appetizer, four savory courses and a seasonal dessert.

While Hales Blackbrick’s original location offers a more casual ambiance (perhaps to pay homage to the building’s previous tenant), the newly-opened Hyde Park location features sleek decor, low lighting and a more higher end atmosphere.

Native Tampeño Hales moved back to Tampa a few years ago with his family to re-integrate himself into the Bay area’s now-booming restaurant scene. He spent the last two decades traveling throughout Asia, working in NYC’s bustling hospitality industry and operating restaurants in South Florida before returning to his hometown to open his debut Tampa concept.

Despite the flagship restaurant of Hales Blackbrick in Miami closing a few years back, its website states that another location is reopening sometime in 2025.

Hales Blackbrick in Hyde Park is now open from 5 p.m.-10 p.m. Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, 5 p.m.-11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 11 a.m.-3 p.m. and 5 p.m.-9 p.m. on Sundays.

WHEN NEAR ROME: Blackbrick in Hyde Park features sleeker decor than the flagship diner. potatoes, veggie slaw, crispy onions and honey mustard sauce, or the popular “Super Green Goddess” salad with shredded kale, baby spinach, sweet potatoes, cabbage, broccoli, almonds, chickpeas, carrots and green goddess dressing.

While there’s a variety of pre-built options on the Sweetgreen menu—from caramelized garlic steak and maple-glazed brussels sprouts to chicken pesto parm and vegetarian options like tofu and mushrooms—the concept also allows customers to build their own bowls or salads.

You can start with a base of greens, quinoa, wild or white rice, and add whatever protein, vegetables, sauces and other toppings you’d like.

Sweetgreen celebrated its debut last week with a grand opening party that featured

New rooftop bar Sparrow is now open in St. Petersburg A new bar with some elevated views has debuted in St. Petersburg. Sparrow is in the heart of the Edge District on the top floor of the Moxy Hotel, located at 1234 Central Ave. The cocktail bar, with its first location in Fort Lauderdale, is open Thursday-Saturday, and offers a dinner, dessert and a beverage menu.

The happy hour menu is served from 5 p.m.-7 p.m., with classic cocktails, spirits, beer and wine options, all ranging from $5-$10. The happy hour menu also includes small bites such as pork dumplings, spring rolls and chicken skewers.

After 7 p.m., drinks are around $14-$21, while also offering bottle service for larger parties.

For a sweet ending, Sparrow offers a simple dessert menu with suggested pairings Sparrow will be open from 5 p.m.-midnight on Thursdays, and until 2 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Reservations available via sparrowbar.com.

Tampa’s Jay Luigi Soho is now open in former Luv Child location Three years after the popular fast casual Italian spot made its debut in St. Petersburg, South Tampa now has a Jay Luigi closer to home.

Last July, Ciccio Restaurant Group (CRG) closed Cuban concept Luv Child, located 516 S Howard Ave., with plans to eventually replace it with a Jay Luigi. Five months later Jay Luigi Soho is now open.

Known for its fresh pasta and naturally fermented pizzas, the concept—open for lunch and dinner—also has brunch specials SaturdaySunday until 3 p.m.

CRG also manages other local favorites, such as Fresh Kitchen, Green Lemon and Sweet Soul.

Trader Joe’s opens new location in Palm Harbor Palm Harbor residents can now scoop their favorite Trader Joe’s snacks a little closer to home. The new grocery location in Highland Lakes Plaza is the fifth in the Tampa Bay region.

The plaza sits in between Nebraska Avenue and W Lake Road, the second location in Pinellas County.

Trader Joe’s is famous for its cult-like following and online snack reviews. Its employees, found in tropical and Hawaiian type button ups, are praised for their friendly demeanor.

Dave’s Hot Chicken will open new location in Pasco County this spring The fried chicken boom in Tampa and St. Petersburg is headed north and crossing county lines once again.

Pasco County will soon be home to Tampa Bay’s fourth Dave’s Hot Chicken location, Ian Liberman, local franchise owner, told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay. Liberman, together with his brother Adam, also owns local Fuzzy’s Tacos locations and previously announced plans to open eight arms of the west coast chicken chain in the Bay area.

The second Dave’s Hot Chicken in Pasco— located at 13446 Pine Gap Spur in Odessa— will open in April and join the other located at Wiregrass Mall, plus two more in Tampa.

Dave’s opened its first Bay area location in July 2023 on Fowler Avenue, near the University of South Florida. Less than a year later, Dave’s continued on page 35

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continued from page 33 opened its second location in Tampa, at 2961 N Dale Mabry Hwy. just south of Raymond James Stadium.

Dave’s has also expanded to the other coast, with 14 locations in Florida, according to the company’s website.

The menu at Dave’s Hot Chicken includes seven different spice levels, the last one, Reaper, including a disclaimer to all customers “(Yes it is hot!) Eat it at your own risk.” You can add the Reaper level to any of the tenders, bites or sliders.

Not to worry, there are milkshakes to ease the pain, including their Oreo, M&M or Cinnamon Toast Crunch loaded shakes.

Dave Portnoy stopped by Ybor City’s Due Amici for a ‘One Bite’ pizza review Barstool boss and Michigan football broker Dave Portnoy visited Tampa Bay last spring and reviewed a slew of pizza spots. Now it appears he’s back in town for more “One Bite” reviews.

In a Dec. 12 Instagram post from Barstool Sports, Portnoy says he was in Tampa to “find a bunch of guys” for former Bucs coach Jon Gruden’s Quarterback Camp. He also found time to stop by Ybor City’s Due Amici Pizza & Pasta Bar, which is located at 1724 E 7th Ave.

For those unfamiliar with the “One Bite Pizza Review,” the short video segments consist of the 47-year-old ordering a cheese pie and actually taking several bites before rating the pizza on a scale of 1-10, decimals and all.

“Right on point, you gotta be drunk to love this pizza,” said Portnoy. “Soak up the beer. Late night of partying. I am hungry so that helps.

This guy has been doing it for 14 years, so I’m going to give him the benefit of the doubt. I’m going to give him every little inch I can give him.”

In this case, after confusing 7th Avenue for “Bourbon Street” and “Arbor Street,” the Barstool founder gives Due Amici a 6.1 rating, while emphasizing that you should be drunk while eating it.

“Which is fine,” says Portnoy, “this is a drunk Bourbon Street pizza.”

Last April, Portnoy did a bit of a pizza tour of Tampa Bay, stopping by local spots including Forbici in Tampa’s Hyde Park Village, St. Pete’s Violet Stone, Clearwater’s Cristino’s Coal Oven Pizza, and the Nona Slice House in Safety Harbor.

It’s unclear if Portnoy plans to review more local pizza joints or is scouting locations for a Bay area Barstool Sports bar and restaurant.

Twin Peaks will open a new ‘sports lodge’ in Brandon this year Not to be confused for the David Lynch ‘80s television show of the same name, a Texasbased “sports lodge” chain called Twin Peaks will open a new location in Brandon early next year.

Located at 136 Brandon Town Center Dr., the new “breastaurant” outpost will celebrate its grand opening at 10:30 a.m on Feb. 25.

“Our new Brandon lodge is a testament to our commitment to serving sports fans across Florida,” said Joe Hummel, CEO of Twin Peaks in a statement.

“This location is built to deliver an unmatched dining and sports-viewing experience, bringing our high-quality food and drinks to even more guests in the Greater Tampa area.”

The new sports lodge will include two bars, 70 TVs and an outdoor patio, where customers can enjoy starters such as the Peaks Sampler, flatbread pizzas and grilled wings with any of the draft beers served at 29-degrees.

The made-from-scratch bites will be delivered, as always, by the “Twin Peak Girls,” who typically wear revealing, red plaid midriffs.

OPENINGS

SHACKIN’ UP: Tampa Bay’s third Shake Shack is headed for Wesley Chapel.

With the Brandon addition, Twin Peaks will have over a dozen locations in Florida. The first to open in Tampa Bay is located in Sarasota, at 3060 Fruitville Commons Blvd.

Tampa Bay’s first drive-thru Shake Shack opening in Wesley Chapel You’ll no longer have to get out of your car to get a Shack burger, crinkle cut fries and a shake. Tampa Bay’s first Shake Shack drivethru is set to open on Friday, at 25600 Sierra Center Blvd. in Wesley Chapel, according to the Tampa Bay Business Journal.

For those of you that prefer to use your legs, the new location will have both indoor seating and a drive-thru.

Known for their milkshake and bacon cheese fries combos, the fan-favorite also offers limited time holiday shakes, such as the chocolate yule log and christmas cookie shake.

Like most snowbirds, Shake Shack found its way to Florida, now with over 20 locations opened in the state. The first Tampa Bay location opened in 2021, as CL previously reported. This will be the third Shake Shack in the Bay area.

Don’t forget to ask for the iconic ShackSauce before driving away.

FRAME CRAFT 8/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

cltampabay.com | JANUARY 02-08, 2025 | 35

Thursday, January 2 / 9:00pm - 1:00am Mission Thursday @ 7th + Grove 1930 East 7th Avenue, Tampa GA Advance - $12 • GA Day Of - $15 https://www.eventbrite.com/e/mission-thursday-7th-groveybor-city-tickets-1120949733829?aff=ebdssbdestsearch Friday, January 3 / 10:30pm - 2:45am 360 Face 2 Face ft. PUSHMAN, MYR + Friends @ The Ritz Ybor 1503 E 7th Ave, Tampa Free w/ RSVP before 11:30 PM • $10 GA bit.ly/face2face0103 Friday, January 3 / Doors at 8:00 • Show at 12:00am Sandman & Deacon Back Again @ Crowbar 1812 N 17th St Tampa Free to the Public https://www.crowbarybor.com/calendar/#/events Saturday, January 4 / 9:00am - 3:00pm Ybor City Saturday Market @ Centennial Park 1800 E. 8th Ave Free to the public https://ybormarket.com/

36 | JANUARY 02-08, 2025 | cltampabay.com

Friday, January 10 / Doors at 10:00 LAYZ • Aftershock Tour @ The Ritz Ybor 1503 E 7th Ave, Tampa GA - $15 • GA Day Of - $20 bit.ly/layz2024 Saturday, January 11 / 7:00pm - 10:00pm Lux Pole Cabaret @ The Castle 2004 North 16th Street, Tampa GA - $25 • VIP - $100 - $400 https://www.eventbrite.com/e/lux-pole-cabaret-11125-saturday-tickets-1092449619219?aff=ebdssbdestsearch Saturday, January 11 / Doors at 8:00pm • Show at 9:00pm The Handlers w/ very special guests Mark Wagner & The Bad Habits @ Crowbar 1812 N 17th St Tampa Tickets - $12.49 https://www.crowbarybor.com/calendar/#/events Tuesday, January 14 / 11:30am - 1:00pm January Chamber Luncheon @ Columbia Restaurant Ybor City 2117 E. 7th Ave. Tampa Members $35 • Non-Members $45 https://members.ybor.org/events Thursday, January 16 / Event 7:00pm - 10:00pm Paul Hobbs Wine Dinner @ Columbia Restaurant 2117 East 7th Avenue Tampa Free with RSVP https://www.eventbrite.com/e/jan-16-paul-hobbs-winedinner-at-columbia-restaurant-tickets-1118185475859?aff =ebdssbdestsearch

Try Out These Restaurants:

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A truly unique selection of traditional West African clothing, along with African art, crafts, local jewelry, beauty products and beautiful fabric.

https://www.facebook.com/African ExtravaganzaInTampal/ Tampa Sweethearts Cigar Co. 1603 E 6th Ave, Tampa

From the beginning, the Fuente family name has been synonymous with fine cigars. Tampa Sweethearts Cigar Company is dedicated to maintaining that great family tradition.

https://www.tampasweethearts.com/ Chillum Mushroom and Hemp Dispensary 1714 E 7th Ave, Tampa A long history of promoting what we like to call “alternative culture” in the Tampa Bay Area.

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tix&info: www dot aestheticized dot com "Keeping Tampa Bay's ear to the (under)ground since 1997" © AES Presents, LLC

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THU 02

Rock The Park: Cozy In The Black w/ Prabesh Khanal To kick off the new year, downtown Tampa’s free outdoor monthly music series is getting loud with Cozy In the Black. The duo plays a rocking style of punk and new wave, and if you need an appetizer, the show opens with a set from soft-rock songwriter Prabesh Khanal. (Curtis Hixon Park, Tampa)

FRI 03

Sam Farmer & Mark Cunningham While we still await the release of Someday Honey’s debut album, the eclectic quartet’s rhythm section will most likely follow the band’s no-rules and no-setlist approach at this St. Pete watering hole’s first live show of 2025. Farmer and Cunningham both toyed around with solo material while the band’s frontwoman Kaleigh Baker took a break from music on a farm in upstate New York a few years ago, so don’t be surprised if this acoustic gig features not only previews for Someday Honey’s impending album, but also a few raw examples of what the boys can do when they’re at the helm. (The Ale and the Witch, St. Petersburg—Josh Bradley

SAT 04

C Eef Barzelay Perpetually on the road, the 54-year-old songwriter better known as the creative force behind Clem Snide is supporting a 2024 album, Oh Smokey. “Eef will perform a setlist curated by audience requests, delivering a cozy, bonfire-lit ‘hootenanny,” Jerry Span, host and lifelong Bay area music scene supporter told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay. Portland songwriter Joy Pearson provides direct support at the gig alongside homegrown folkie Adam Randall.

Local artist JD Hardy, fresh off “Skyway” at Tampa Museum of Art, provides video design and art for the show, which will also feature large-scale contemporary oil paintings from Kenny Jensen. (House show, St. Petersburg) C Emo Night Tampa: Soft Bite w/He Kindly/Spiderwall It’s a new year, but there’s nothing novel about Emo Night Tampa’s nearly-decade-long commitment to booking, Tampa Bay’s best up-and-coming rock bands to play free parties at beloved local watering holes. Soft Bite and He Kindly might be familiar to ENT loyalists, but Spiderwall—a Gloomchild-adjacent project featuring Cody Cullen, Franklyn Inniss, Justin Alexander Gregorio and Joey Francois—is new to the rotation. Armed with a hard-rock sound that would have felt right at home in the earlyaughts, Spiderwall plays in between DJ sets.

(American Legion Seminole Post 111, Tampa)

C Have Gun, Will Travel (single release) w/Fayroy/Mak Tampa Bay’s godfather and gold standard for Americana—Have Gun, Will Travel—encourages fans to wear futuristic, dystopian, and space attire to its gig this weekend. Not because 2025 is the year we all bolt for another galaxy, but to celebrate “Gravity Blues,” the single and video for the band’s forthcoming Voyager Golden. The EP is inspired in part by NASA’s Voyager program, which kicked off in the late-’70s when it launched two probes to the other reaches of our solar system. Two bands that are also out of this world—surfy rock-noir outfit Fayroy and high-energy indie-rock group Mak (stylized in all-caps—open the show. (Crowbar, Ybor City) Liquid Pennies w/The Pilot Waves/Domino Pink Members of beloved St. Pete psychrock outfit Liquid Pennies have their hearts on making this headlining set at Bayboro as mysterious and unexpected as humanly possible. Chas Binns and friends are putting the finishing touches on a new album, while also rehearsing plenty of unheard material. Expect at least a few regular pieces on the setlist, but envision Liquid Pennies’ set as a test run for a new era of psychedalia. (Bayboro Brewing Co., St. Petersburg)—JB

Tycho

JAMIE JAMES MEDINA

By Ray Roa

SUN 05

C John Prine Birthday Show: Grant Peeples w/Passerine/Josh Reilly/Rebekah Pulley Prine would have been 79 years old last October, but the famed American songwriter who kept a home in Gulfport died after contracting COVID-19 in 2020. There was obviously other stuff happening in the Bay area last October (read: Milton) but it’s finally time for Peeples and friends—including some who played at a stellar benefit for Prine’s Hello In There Foundation last spring—to honor the late Oh Boy Records boss. (Safety Harbor Art and Music Center, Safety Harbor)

TUES 07

C Tabajara Belo w/O Som Do Jazz There’s no shortage of Brazilian jazz made by homegrown favorites, and the scene gets a visitor from Belo Horizonte when one of the country’s best young guitarists sits in with St. Pete’s own O Som Do Jazz. It’s been about a year since Belo released his solo album, ‘72, and three years since he and O Som last teamed up for St. Pete’s Latin Jazz Fest. (Side Door Cabaret at Palladium Theater, St. Petersburg)

THU 09

C Daikaiju w/Cozy In The Black/ Prescribed Fire Seeing the unhinged surfrock quartet in person is a rite of passage for any self-respecting live music fan. Part deathdefying sideshow, part-concert, a show from Daikaiju is a theatrical experience, sweaty as it is scary and sensational, as the band moves

from the stage to anywhere in the venue it’s safe to strike a match. With 25 years of bandom under its belt, there’s still no other touring rock act like kabuki mask-wearing Daikaiju. (Music Hall at New World Brewery, Tampa) C Judy Collins You can’t help but wonder if the 85-year-old folk singer—who first listened to Joni Mitchell singing her “Both Sides Now” over the phone— knew the eventual recording would launch both of their names into countless American households. These days, Collins has songwriting on her mind, largely thanks to her late friend, Leonard Cohen asking her why she didn’t write her own songs very early on. There surely won’t be a shortage of tracks from her latest, alloriginals album Spellbound, but you might also get to hear Collins quote a Facebook meme or two in between stories of her father during this annual stop in downtown Clearwater’s historic 750-seater. (Bilheimer Capitol Theatre, Clearwater)—JB C Kaleigh Baker’s Songwriters in the Round: Ella Jet w/Joshua Lamkin/Terri Binion Baker told CL last year that she’d be looking into a more showcase-based style for her band’s live performances, and it looks like that also goes for a few of The Someday Honey frontwoman solo performances. This gig promises to rotate songs and stories from Baker (who opened for Rufus Wainwright weeks before starting a sabbatical that saw her temporarily move to New York) and three other local singer-songwriters. Ella Jet (“Sunshine and Roses”) had a hell of a year, having split

her time between the Bay area and Nashville while also rocking an intimate set at Hulaween.

Tampa expat Josh Lamkin—who also lives in Nashville—continues focusing heavily on his eponymous guitar business, which sees him customize and repair axes of all sorts. Orlando folkie Terri Binion rounds things out. (The Ale and the Witch, St. Petersburg)—JB C Tycho Hard to believe, but it’s been eight years since San Francisco producer Scott Hansen was been in town with his ambient music project. Following an incredibly successful rollout of his uber-chill latest album Infinite Health, the 47-year-old better known as Tycho gave fans an early Christmas present, the Where You Are EP. It’s basically a sampler for Health itself, just featuring an extended version of Hansen’s title-track collaboration with Cautious Clay. “To make the most positive impact on the people you love and the people that love you, you have to be the healthiest, strongest version of yourself and that includes both physical and emotional health,” Hansen wrote in a release. “Music has a unique ability to heal and help people with things they are going through. It’s always been my goal when I consume music to find a meditation or a healing property in it. And I only hope that my music can do that for people.”

(Jannus Live, St. Petersburg)—JB See the extended version of Music Week via cltampa.com/music. Help CL out in 2025 by submitting your gig to our online Tampa Bay events calendar. Wear earplugs, and tip your bartenders, too.

cltampabay.com | JANUARY 02-08, 2025 | 39

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Find strength

By Caroline DeBruhl

is necessary to build community, which is something else that might serve you. The Three of Pentacles is harmony when working together, whether for a political cause or a creative one.

That harmony comes from having multiple Cards: King of Pentacles, Strength minds face a problem and the deep well of (reversed), Knight of Wands (reversed), Three imagination that can come from it. It’s worth of Pentacles (reversed) exploring.

Dear Dread, first, I recommend you get a A final thing that will help you for next copy of Slavenka Drakulic’s “How We Survived year (and the years after that) is to be true to Communism and Even Laughed.” It’s a sharp your inner Knight of Wands and tend to your and funny memoir of sorts that details the passions. What lights a fire in you? Not in the role of women in the Soviet “noble cause” way but in a Union and, particularly, the positively self-serving way. black market they ran out of What inspires joy? If you had their kitchens. I recommend two weeks paid vacation, how reading it not because the would you want to use that cards suggest you get into Send your questions to oracle@cltampa. time? Making art? Traveling? bootleggin’ but because it’s com or DM @theyboracle on Instagram Training to be an MMA important to see how those fighter? Having that passion who survived under totalitarian governments will give you something to return to, again and did it—and how they got away with subverting it. again, when the dread becomes too much.

Strength reversed suggests that resilience is The final card of the spread is a tricky one. needed and will be needed for quite some time. The King of Pentacles is an authority and one You do have to keep it together and push for- who is responsible for creating their own world. ward, but this does not mean sealing yourself This could be you, certainly. It could also be off from others. Strength is walking her beast, Trump—which would make sense as to why the not wrestling it to the ground. There is empa- three cards underneath are reversed. Either thy in the card, an understanding that to lead way, there are things in your life that you can by brute force is weak. Compassion is how you control, protect, and retreat to, even if they are make it through. only in the inner world.

This could be with people you already I hope your passions give you light in the know or people you will meet, but compassion dark times ahead.

Dear Oracle, I am full of dread for the next year and the start of Trump presidency 2.0. Is there anything to be hopeful for?—Dread on Arrival

ORACLE OF YBOR

Dear Oracle, I’ve been out of a relationship for a long time, and I would like to find love again this year. The apps are awful but I’m not sure of another way. Do the cards have any advice?— Hopeful Romantic Cards: The Hermit (reversed), Seven of Swords (reversed), Page of Swords (reversed), Four of Wands Dear Hopeful, I sincerely hope you find love.

Life is both terribly short and incredibly long and being in love with someone who loves you back is a glorious way to move through your time on this spinning rock.

And as someone who also had horrific experiences on “the apps”—and who moved across four states to date, then marry, a guy who had his shit together—I feel you.

The good news is, I think you’ve done a lot of soul-searching in your singlehood, and with The Hermit, you know what you’re looking for, both in a partner and in life. The Hermit doesn’t fall to either extreme; he walks what the Buddhist call “The Middle Way” and has a strong sense of self.

However, I’m not sure that you have always been treated kindly in your past relationships and, if so, if those lingering abuses have created negative self-talk.

The Seven of Swords is often a card of destruction and deceit, but these things aren’t always announced loudly. You may have chosen a partner who you thought was kind and compatible, but they may have been manipulative or subtly eroded your self-confidence. You may have had a series of bad relationships or one that sent shockwaves through the years and made you uneasy in other relationships.

The whip-smart Page of Swords, too, is someone who thinks a great deal, who “knows thyself” but who can also make snap judgments and be stubborn in letting go of their beliefs, even if they prove to be false.

Being that these two cards are the swords (the suit of the mind) and not the cups (the suit of relationships), I do wonder if you may still have some trauma/Trauma from your past relationships, or at the very least, if they’ve been a real mindfuck.

But, just because past relationships didn’t work out doesn’t mean you are forever doomed.

With the Four of Wands, the cards do suggest happiness and stability in the future—especially with another person.

Looking at the two sword cards from a practical lens, it could be that your old avenues of meeting people aren’t working. In the age of Work From Home and $20 mocktails, it can be difficult to meet people in real life, but perhaps by doing things that relate to your dreams, you might meet kindred souls. So go play that open mic, or take that homesteading class, or join an armature backyard wrestling league. It’s also worth working (perhaps with a DBT therapist) to suspend your quick judgments. Of course, if you feel unsafe, follow your gut. But see if you can replace your judgment and worries with curiosity.

What if you went to that party where you only kind of know the host? What if you talked to that person at the chicken coop building workshop?

What might happen if you opened yourself up to more spontaneity? I hope you’re able to find what you’re looking for in the wild, wondrous life, my dear.

See more of Caroline and learn about her services via carolinedebruhl.com.

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Crop top

By Dan Savage

M

y boobs began to get bigger—apropos of nothing—in my early-30s. A lot bigger. No weight gain, they just started growing and didn’t stop. I hated it. I’m very active, and they were heavy and miserable and got in the way. So, I had a breast reduction and had never been happier. It was freedom… for three years. Then my breasts started growing again. I’m five years out from the reduction and it’s only getting worse. I hate it. I cannot abide it. I want to fix the problem.

Repeated breast reductions aren’t an option.

It’s an expensive major surgery with a long recovery time, and if there’s breast tissue remaining there’s no reason to expect it won’t just grow back again. Top surgery isn’t my favorite solution—I would much rather have the small, perfect tits I had post-reduction—but my realistic options are huge tits or top surgery. I have chosen top surgery. I feel great about the prospect; it’s taken two years of dedicated work to get to the point where I have a surgeon and a surgery date and everything’s in line. The hiccup is my husband—my wonderful, feminist, kind, supportive husband—who is baffled and distressed by my choice.

This is very reasonable! He’s straight and he’s worried he won’t be physically attracted to me anymore. He says it’s different than needing a double mastectomy for something like breast cancer, as it’s an elective surgery. He’s supportive of my happiness and would never tell me not to do it, but as we get closer to the surgery date, I can see that the prospect is weighing on him.

Do you have any advice for him? Or me? Or us both?—Soon-To-Be Boobless In Seattle Your body, your choice. That’s the only thing I can say in response to your question—that’s the only thing I’m allowed to say in response to your question—and luckily enough for me, STTBIS, that’s exactly what I believe. You get to make your own decisions about what you do with your body. Period. Full stop. Five stars. No notes.

But I also believe—and I’m gonna risk saying—that for those of us in long-term, committed, romantic and sexual partnerships, STBBIS, the choices we make for and about our bodies impact the people we care about and can have consequences for our relationships. If I were to get breast implants, say, or some other radical-to-semi-radical elective body modification that it was absolutely within my rights to get—getting my tongue split or my face tattooed or my penis bisected—my husband and my boyfriend would definitely have feelings about that choice. And while they couldn’t stop me from making whatever choice I felt was right for my body in the end, STTBIS, the impact those choices might have on my relationship(s) would factor into my decision-making process.

So, if I wanted breast implants and my husband and/or boyfriend told me he’d be less attracted to me if I got them, that would argue against me getting the boobs of my dreams, STTBIS, because being wanted by my boyfriend and my husband is important to me, too.

Still and again: your body, your boobs, your choice. And your reasons for getting your breasts removed—physical comfort, active lifestyle, not wanting to undergo breast reduction surgery every five years for the rest of your life—are sound. But your husband’s body is his body, STTBIS, and he’s telling you his body might not respond to yours in the same way if you get your breasts removed. And this issue isn’t just how your body is going to look after you get your breasts removed, STTBIS, but what your body is going to say: “I knew you wouldn’t like this, you tried to tell me this choice would negatively impact our sexual connection, but I did it anyway.”

A couple of other points… you use the term “top surgery” to refer to the procedure you want—an elective double mastectomy removing all breast tissue—and that term is usually associated with the kind of masculinizing procedures trans men and non-binary AFAB folks need to affirm their gender identities. Is this about feeling comfortable in your female body or are you expressing a desire to inhabit a more androgynous/non-binary body? You may be using the term “top surgery” because it sounds kinder and gentler than “double mastectomy,” STTBIS, but when you say, “top surgery,” your husband may hear, “first step toward gender transition.”

If your gender identity isn’t in flux, STTBIS, hearing that from you—emphatically—may relieve some of your husband’s stress about his sexual attraction to you. I assume he already knows your reasoning (this is about addressing a physical burden that’s made you miserable), but he may need to hear—he may need to hear again and again—that your sexual connection matters to you and that this isn’t the first step toward a masculine gender presentation or identity that won’t work for him.

And finally, STTBIS, have you considered breast implants? While they’re not without their risks, they may be worth it. At the same time you have your breast tissue removed—which can, indeed, grow back after breast reduction surgery—you could get breast implants that resemble or recreate the “small, perfect breasts” you once had, i.e., the breasts you both loved.

SAVAGE LOVE

My little sister lives in the Bay Area and she has been dating a man who works in tech and lives in the Bay Area. My sister has been dating

him for nearly four years. He’s from India and his parents strongly believe in arranged marriage. This guy led his Indian ex-girlfriend on for seven years! My sister is white, and he kept her secret from his parents for three years. Every ultimatum she gives him, the deadline comes, and he asks for more time. He’s delaying a potential engagement/proposal and keeps changing his mind about if he wants to marry my sister or if his parents will want him to marry her. I fucking hate this guy. I want her to DTMFA. My sister is bold, funny, beautiful, intelligent, independent, vibrant and successful. Her boyfriend is evasive, cheap, completely unremarkable and a momma’s boy. What can I say to convince my sister to move on? Any advice or thoughts?—Seething In SF There are no magic words. There’s nothing I can tell you to say that you probably haven’t already said, SIS, and no spin I can put on things you’ve probably already said that will convince your sister to do what she knows she needs to do. You’ve done your duty as a sibling—you’ve pointed out the red flags, you’ve highlighted shitty patterns, you’ve hyped your sister up— and now all you can do is wait for the inevitable to happen. The wait could be longer than you’d like, SIS, or it could be shorter than you expect.

Either way, when this shitty relationship finally ends—which it almost certainly will—show up at your sister’s door with a few pints of ice cream, a couple of boxes of wine, and a nice selection of pot gummies.

P.S. Resist the overwhelming temptation to say, “I told you so,” to your sister when it ends.

She knows you told her so, SIS, no need to rub it in. And trust me: hearing someone say, “You told me so,” is so much better—it’s so much more satisfying—than saying, “I told you so,” ever could be.

I was a sex worker for over a decade. Lately though, I have thought about a client from my past who always stuck with me and I’m now wondering what I should do. We had the most incredible night. It was absolutely mind-blowing sex, as I felt like finally someone perfectly matched my energy and technical ability. That kind of chemistry is rare, but he was married and getting divorced, and the one requirement his wife had of him was that he couldn’t see me again. Knowing we can’t be together, what should I do? I fantasize about him, I think about contacting him, and I wish I could see him again. How do I forget about him? Or should I reach out? Lately it’s all I can think about, even though I have many other

opportunities for partners. He’s a fan of yours, so there’s a good chance he’ll read this.—Chemistry Like I’ve Never Gotten Since Seeing as you just reached out to this former client in my column—assuming this former client of yours is still a reader of mine—telling you not to reach out to him would be equal parts pointless and hypocritical. By running your letter, CLINGS, I have enabled this act of reaching out. I own my complicity.

Anyway, CLINGS, even if your former client sees this, he’s under no obligation to respond. My hunch is that this man—someone you shared one amazing night of transactional sex with many years ago—has either reconciled with his wife (if not, her feelings about who he sees wouldn’t matter) or had other reasons he didn’t want to see you again after the divorce that he didn’t share with you. If you didn’t hear from him after their divorce (assuming it happened), CLINGS, it’s possible the chemistry wasn’t as intense for him as it was for you (which happens) or the sex was amazing for him because it was transactional (also happens) or he has hangups about your line of work (also happens). If he’s the kind of guy who looks down on the sex workers he hires, CLINGS, you wouldn’t wanna be with him. Chemistry or no chemistry, you wouldn’t be safe with him, emotionally or physically.

Intense chemistry is hard to forget, CLINGS, and I understand why you would wanna reach out to this man years later—there’s this D ut c h boy I spent a single night with decades ago that I still think about— but sometimes an amazing connection runs its course in a single night.

The belief that one perfect night could or should become one perfect lifetime is a logical fallacy that prevents us from fully appreciating good memories, which are all we ultimately have. An obsession with what could’ve been—you with your client, me with my Dutch boy—can prevent us from appreciating what actually was.

So, give it a couple of weeks.

If you don’t hear from your old client, CLINGS, you’ll know it’s time to jump on one or two of those new opportunities.

Got problems? Yes, you do! Email your question for the column to mailbox@savage.love! Or record your question for the Savage Lovecast at savage.love/askdan! Podcasts, columns and more at Savage.Love

cltampabay.com | JANUARY 02-08, 2025 | 45

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