NOVEMBER 16-22, 2023 (VOL.36, NO.46) • $FREE CREATIVE LOAFING - CLTAMPABAY.COM
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PUBLISHER James Howard EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Ray Roa
CITYOFSTPETE/FLICKR
Editorial DIGITAL EDITOR Colin Wolf MANAGING EDITOR Kyla Fields THEATER CRITIC Jon Palmer Claridge FILM & TV CRITIC John W. Allman IN-HOUSE WITCH Caroline DeBruhl CONTRIBUTORS Josh Bradley, Jourdan Ducat, Arielle Stevenson FALL INTERN Inquire by emailing rroa@cltampa.com Creative Services CREATIVE DIRECTOR Jack Spatafora GRAPHIC DESIGNER Joe Frontel ILLUSTRATORS Dan Perkins, Cory Robinson, Bob Whitmore 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 SOCIAL MEDIA AND MARKETING MANAGER Corrie Miserendino
There’s a higher law that’s been transgressed.
Circulation CIRCULATION MANAGER Ted Modesta Chava Communications Group FOUNDER, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Michael Wagner CO-FOUNDER, CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER Cassandra Yardeni Wagner OPERATIONS DIRECTOR Hollie Mahadeo DIRECTOR OF AGENCY SERVICES Mindi Overman SOCIAL MEDIA DIRECTOR Meradith Garcia DIRECTOR OF DIGITAL CONTENT STRATEGY Colin Wolf ART DIRECTOR David Loyola DIGITAL OPERATIONS COORDINATOR Jaime Monzon
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.
St. Pete wants input on redevelopment of Gas Plant, p. 11.
NEWS+VIEWS ����������������������� 11
These songs played a big part in me growing up.
FOOD & DRINK ��������������������� 21 A&E �������������������������������������� 37 MUSIC ����������������������������������43 MUSIC WEEK ������������������������ 45
Gullah preservationist Ranky Tanky plays Suncoast Jazz Festival this weekend , p. 43.
ORACLE OF YBOR ����������������� 51 SAVAGE LOVE ���������������������� 53 CROSSWORD ������������������������ 54
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do this
Tampa Bay's best things to do from November 16 - 22
Sea changes
Waterfront cities don’t just magically rise up out of the ocean, and St. Petersburg is no exception. A new boat tour designed by Tampa Bay Watch and the St. Petersburg Museum of History promises a relaxing two-hour excursion that explores the “good, the bad, and the funny” sides of the Sunshine City shoreline’s evolution. Expect to hear stories about development, its effect on local ecology, and the people responsible for local landmarks, which tour goers will experience from the water. “It’s the perfect blend of history, science, and views,” organizers wrote. Bring your own snacks and bevvies, but leave the alcohol at home. Liquid to Land - Discover St. Pete’s Waterfront History: Saturday, Nov. 18. 10 a.m. $45. Tampa Bay Watch Discovery Center. 700 2nd Ave. NE, St. Petersburg. tbwdiscoverycenter.org—Ray Roa
Hell’s bells
THINKTANK SOLUTIONS/ADOBE
This daytime market happens on the last day of Hellshine Festival (which takes over Crowbar for its first two days) and is full of local art, oddities, crafts and “deviant wares.” The market lineup includes local vendors like Sunshine Records, Scents from the Crypt, Caelan Jeffery Art, Art by Gabrielle Leigh, Atomic Tattoos and Chaotic Creations, and you can always enjoy a Crate Digger sour ale from Deviant Libation’s bar, with Bay area bands and Washington D.C.’s Genocide Pac on the brewery’s outdoor stage. Hellshine Fest Market: Sunday, Nov. 19. 2 p.m. No cover. Deviant Libation, 3800 N Nebraska Ave., Tampa. @hellshine_fest on Instagram —Kyla Fields
SCENTSFROMTHECRYPT/FACEBOOK
Get crackin’
For 35 years, residents of Tarpon Springs and beyond have indulged in a decadent spread of crab legs, shrimp, oysters and mussels at the charming waterfront town’s seafood festival. Live music, an arts and crafts show, a kid’s zone and a variety of local food vendors are part of the laid-back Tarpon Spring Merchant Associationorganized festival. There’s free parking at Splash Park and Tarpon Towers, plus a complimentary shuttle that will take you to the festival itself. Event organizers estimate that about 30,000 people will be in attendance this weekend, so perhaps expect to wait in a line for certain vendors. Tarpon Springs Seafood Festival: Friday-Sunday, Nov. 17-19. Noon-9 p.m.,10 a.m.-9 p.m. & 10 a.m.-5 p.m. No cover. Craig Park, 5 Beekman Ln., Tarpon Springs. @TarponSpringsSeafood on Facebook —Kyla Fields
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The Guinness World Record for largest picnic blanket happened in Switzerland last July, when packaged tuna company Rio Mare Insalatissime organized a spread that was 2,008.23-square meters. Naturally, St. Pete saw that and said, “Hold my craft beer.” The nonprofit Waterfront Parks Foundation—which has a mission to “Protect, and Promote our Beautiful and Historic St. Petersburg Waterfront Parks”—plans to have more than 800 picnic blankets covering the waterfront at downtown’s Flora Wylie Park (pictured). The picnic is the length of six city blocks, with the spread divided by color into four zones, and blanket spots that fit four people available for purchase. Bring your own basket or shell out $20 for a charcuterie platter from Lolita’s Wine Market. Picnic Land: Saturday, Nov. 18. 3 p.m.-6 p.m. $40. Flora Wylie Park between 17th and 13th Avenue, St. Petersburg. picnicland.org—Ray Roa
CITYOFTAMPA/TWITTER
Big spread
CITYOFSTPETE/FLICKR
Walk it out
Considered Ybor City’s sister city, West Tampa was founded in 1895 and once had more cigar factories than its counterpart, a fact that may have you scratching your head as to why it isn’t considered Cigar City instead. This tour is led by Manny Leto, a board member of the Center for Architecture & Design as well as the Executive Director of Preserve the ‘Burg, who brings years of expertise in the field to this enlightening tour that lasts no more than two hours. Read about other historical walking tours on p. 17. Center for Architecture & Design Tampa Bay: West Tampa Walking Tour. Saturday, Nov. 18. 10 a.m. $25. Meet at West Tampa Library, 2312 W Union St., Tampa. cadtampabay.org—Jourdan Ducat Cranks a ton
MALIK/PEOPLEIMAGES.COM/ADOBE
nt n’s f -
See more (and submit your event) @ cltampa.com
The 12th annual rendition of this bicycle scavenger hunt and food drive fundraiser starts at Coppertail Brewing Co. and features both solo and team riders looking for Thanksgiving dinner ingredients and pantry staples, which all get donated to Metropolitan Ministries as it prepares to serve food insecure residents this holiday season. Cranksgiving organizers say they’ve donated more than 17,200 total pounds of food, including 470 turkeys, to Metropolitan Ministries over a dozen years. In 2023, they hope to haul in a literal ton of food, so dust off that bike, grab your helmet and pedal out. A list of specific food items and local grocery stores will be provided, and bikers can expect to spend anywhere from $10-$15. A raffle benefiting the Pinellas-based mobile food pantry Reach St. Pete is also going down. Cranksgiving: Sunday, Nov. 19. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. $10-$15 for donated food items. Coppertail Brewing Co., 2601 E 2nd Ave., Tampa. Cranksgiving Tampa on Facebook —Kyla Fields
stipect
0 s.
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“All my life, they redlined us.” POLITICS
ISSUES
OPINION
Seeking input
Application period for St. Pete’s Gas Plant advisory council has closed. By Arielle Stevenson
S
But this year, Welch and the city chose Houston-based global real estate developer Hines for the stadium agreement and proposed Gas Plant redevelopment. The Hines-Rays proposal had the least affordable housing compared to the other two applicants. Compared to another local applicant, the Hines firm has an estimated $94 billion in assets across 30 countries. It’s unclear how much affordable housing Hines proposes and how affordable
The motion went 5-3, with Council Chair Brandi Gabbard and council members Ed Montanari and Copley Gerdes opposed. Introduced by council member Richie Floyd, the motion only asked the council to discuss the possibility of bringing the stadium agreement to a straw poll. “This is a once-in-a-generation development,” Floyd said at the meeting. “I think it’s reasonable to solicit the broadest possible input and have a conversation about this.” Gabbard, Gerdes, and Montanari repeated similar refrains in their opposition, noting that the stadium deal couldn’t be summed up in a 15-word title and 75-word description, as a straw poll would allow. “I feel like this is a disingenuous exercise that is not going to reach the outcome,” Gabbard said before voting no. St. Pete resident and advocate John Stewart advised the council that the stadium deal might not be as lucrative as it appears. “Why are we giving Rays the whole loaf and then begging for crumbs for Lazarus?” Stewart said at the meeting, alluding to a passage in The Bible. A 2019 Berkeley Economic Review Staff article concluded, “Over the last thirty years, building sports stadiums has served as a profitable undertaking for large sports teams, at the expense of the general public.” According to the city’s release last month, the CBAC’s upcoming Community Benefits Agreement Program will review the Historic Gas Plant District Redevelopment project. “This project will have an enormous economic and social impact on the St. Pete community and requires the utmost consideration,” the release states. Their primary focus, if accepted to the CBAC for Manning and Sykes, will be housing. “We’re being pushed out,” Manning said. Rising rents are forcing out many people who were already forced out years ago when the Gas Plant was bulldozed. Sykes called it a “forced migration.” “I think it’s going to take an act of God to slow this down and to help convince these people that are making these decisions that it’s wrong,” Sykes told CL. “And honestly, I don’t know that God’s gonna do that in your time or my time.”
LOCAL NEWS
CITYOFSTPETE/FLICKR
t. Petersburg wants residents to give input on how redevelopment of the city’s historic Gas Plant District should move forward. As part of that effort, the city accepted applications for a new Community Benefits Advisory Council (CBAC) to review the Historic Gas Plant Redevelopment Project. Applications closed last Friday. According to an Oct. 31 press release from the city’s Public Information Officer Erica Riggins, the CBAC is “a non-partisan board that advises the Mayor, City Council, and the citizens of St. Pete, and consults on the implementation of the City’s Community Benefits Agreement Program (CBA Program).” St. Pete’s Gas Plant District, named for the municipal gas plant built there in 1914, was the city’s second Black neighborhood. From Ninth Street S to First Avenue S, the thriving community was dismantled in the ‘70s to build the interstate. Tropicana Field was later built on the same site, erasing much of the history. Alexa Manning, 63, is a native of St. Pete and grew up near the Gas Plant before her home was destroyed to build Interstate 275. “The house that I lived in was one of the houses they took out for the Interstate. We had to find housing. We had to find a place to live,” Manning told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay. She’s applying for the CBAC and says after her home was bulldozed, the city didn’t offer her family anywhere to go. “All my life, they redlined us. We grew up feeling that we were being cut off from the rest of the community.” Last year, St. Pete Mayor Ken Welch scrapped the previous Request for Proposal for the Rays stadium and Gas Plant development. In early community conversations on the Gas Plant’s redevelopment hosted by the city, feedback created via real-time digital “word clouds” was resoundingly for affordable housing and local ownership.
Bethel Community Baptist Church was previously located at 5th Avenue S and 16th Street, near Campbell Park. The church reportedly had to relocate due to the original Tropicana Field development. Bethel moved to its current location on 54th Ave. S, in 2002. Sykes told CL that the new stadium deal is “criminal.” “When a billionaire can extract hundreds of millions from taxpayer dollars,” Sykes said, “to basically build a 14-acre playground, sandbox, and a $1.3 billion playpen.” St. Pete Mayor Ken Welch grew up in the Gas Plant. His father, David Welch, did as well. Like Manning’s family home, Welch’s home was bulldozed to make way for the Interstate.
SQUEEZE THE FRUIT: St. Pete Mayor Ken Welch outside Tropicana Field on June 29, 2022. it is, with numbers fluctuating between 1,200 and 1,400 units on and off-site. It’s also unclear what kind of penalties Hines would have to pay if they don’t follow through on the agreedupon housing. Bishop Manuel Sykes has been in St. Pete as pastor for the Bethel Community Baptist Church since 1993 and is also applying to join the CBAC. “There’s a higher law that’s been transgressed,” Sykes told CL.
Despite his reservations, Welch’s father, David, the city’s second-ever Black city council member and an affordable housing advocate, voted for the original stadium deal at the Gas Plant. Despite growing opposition to the stadium agreement, the St. Petersburg City Council failed to send the proposed Rays stadium redevelopment project to a non binding straw poll this month. A referral to the Council of the Whole requires a supermajority of at least six votes.
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RESTAURANTS
RECIPES
DINING GUIDES
Forest food
New book helps readers find, identify, and prep wild Florida food.
R
esidents of Florida are no stranger to the state’s different fruit seasons, where trees in almost every neighborhood bear loads of fleshy, seed-bearing byproducts—some recognizable like avocados and mangoes, and some not so familiar. But we may not be as aware of the potential of our natural surroundings to provide sustenance, nutrition and even medicinal benefits. Botanist, Florida native and “Naked and Afraid” survival consultant Roger L. Hammer released his book, “Foraging Florida: Finding, Identifying and Preparing Edible Foods Wild Foods in Florida” in 2022 —the latest in his multitude of educational nature guides. The book opens with a stark disclaimer that unambiguously, and repeatedly, reminds readers that the work is a reference and that there are dangers when it comes to eating collected from the wild. It contains 261 pages of herbs, wild fruits, useful plants that are commonly deemed as weeds, palms, root vegetables and berries that grow in every nook and cranny of the Sunshine State’s unique ecosystem. Some of these edible plants are even common trees or flora you may drive by every day. There’s a ton of “do’s” and what seems like a bajillion “don’ts” when it comes to foraging (seriously, snacking on the wrong herbage can cause mild paralysis at best and death at worst), but Hammer’s slew of guidance can help turn a regular walk through the park into an educational experience. While the book is chock full of useful foraging information, Hammer makes sure his latest work doesn’t come across like a textbook; it’s still a light read filled with little quips and botany jokes. “Foraging Florida”, which is out now via Falcon Guides, can serve as a guide for any Floridian—Tampeños and St. Petians included— who want a starting point for recreational foraging, and to make sure they go about things legally, ethically, and in a way that honors the generations of Native American land stewards, many of whom discovered these medicines and food preparations several centuries ago. Tampa resident Noah Peretz started foraging in the greater Bay area about a year ago, after a
friend pointed out a few edible plants while the two were on a walk through their neighborhood. “I’ve always been interested in food and cultivation and whatnot, I grew up with fruit trees in my backyard. But the task of foraging for food was always kind of daunting,” Peretz, 26, tells Creative Loafing Tampa Bay. “There’s a lot of stigma around foraging and the high potentiality to get sick or get exposed to something, which kept me away from it for quite a while.” After attending a guided wild mushroom tour in Washington state, Peretz decided to explore Florida’s foraging potential. They recommend to any novice foragers to do some preliminary research before heading out to an area, like downloading a plant identification app or using Google maps to look for patches of wildlife that may support the specific plants you’re looking for. Here are 23 plants in Tampa Bay that you might not have known were edible. Visit cltampa. com/slideshows to see pictures of them all. Cabbage palm You probably walk by dozens upon dozens of sabal palmettos or cabbage palms on any nature walk without realizing they’re actually edible. Since harvesting hearts of palm kills the tree and is considered illegal unless it takes place on private property, this Florida state tree is labeled a protected species “in order to avoid wholesale harvesting in natural habitats for commercial exploitation.” Cattail Two species of Typha spp occur in Florida, and there aren’t many people who haven’t seen the hot dog-looking clusters that are the hallmark of female cattails. Some part of the plant is edible throughout its lifespan— from the vitamin C-rich pollen that’s added to flour or the young stems that can be peeled like corn, and the stemmy rhizomes that are baked, grilled and broiled. Cocoplum Also known as a paradise plum, the purple-oblong-fruited plants are found as far north as Pasco County, mostly in pinelands, dunes, coastal strand and wooded swamps. Chrysobalanus icaco’s leaves have been used to treat high blood sugar levels, but most people continued on page 25
BOOKS
PAUL MARCELLINI
By Kyla Fields and Ray Roa
“The task of foraging for food was always kind of daunting.”
HAMMER TIME: Roger L. Hammer is an award-winning professional naturalist, author, botanist and photographer.
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L O U N G E
or by its scientific name allium canadense) is found beneath clusters of pale pink flowers and narrow, grass-like leaves. Both the leaves and bulbs can be chopped into salads and eaten raw or cooked just like you’d use onions. Papaya Considered native to the Sunshine State, papayas can be found in Hernando counties south through mainland Florida, including different hammock margins and canopy gaps in the greater Tampa Bay area. Wild papayas are much smaller than the fruits you see in the grocery store (about two-anda-half inches wide), but are still considered one of the healthiest fruits you can eat. Unripe, green papayas can also be sauteed or pickled.
avoid its consumption.” Keeping with the edible theme, rust-colored leaves from Persea borbonia var. Borbonia—which is found throughout Florida’s xeric and mesic forests, swamps and pinelands—have been used in tea and to flavor spaghetti sauce in lieu of Bay leaves. Saw palmetto Similar to the cabbage palm mentioned above, the saw palmetto or serenoa repens is an extremely common species throughout the Sunshine State, but harvesting its “heart” should still be reserved for palms that are destined to be bulldozed. In addition to its heart—which actually doesn’t kill the saw palmetto during harvest since it’s a multi-trunked
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continued from page 21 enjoy the marshmallowy-texture of the flesh and almond-like-flavor of the seed kernel. Cocoplum jam is popular, too. Common elderberry Common throughout the country and well-known in the foraging world, Sambucus canadensis—a small tree up to one-foot tall with toothed leaflets and white flowers arranged in five-to-eight-inch clusters—can be used in syrups, cordials, tea, and even fried. Common persimmon Diospyros virginiana grows in the hardwood forests, coastal stands and flooded woodland of Florida (but not in the Keys). Fruits on the female trees turn orange when ripe—and are used in puddings, smoothies, jams and more—but don’t eat the unripe fruits since Roger L. Hammer says they “may create a blockage in the upper intestines and require surgical removal.” Creeping cucumber This cherry-sized “mouse’s melon” is found on fences throughout Florida and looks like mini green watermelons before they riped. Usually eaten fresh, pickled of chopped into salads, ripe Melothria pendula (the fruit turns black), has been known to cause explosive diarrhea, so eat with caution. Desert horse-purslane Commonly known as pigweed, this pinkish, flowering plant can be found throughout Hillsborough and Manatee counties, and as far south as Miami-Dade. Only harvest the young, tender leaves of the Trianthema portulacastrum plant for a raw snack or boil them to reduce its intense, salty taste. Throughout tropical America, the West Indies, and Africa, pigweed is used for its medicinal properties and can cause beneficial effects on the liver. Field purslane Hogweed is a grounddwelling perennial with thick, fleshy stems and green-or-red leaves that are high in vitamins and a rich source of omega-3 fatty acid (more than any leafy vegetable, actually). Chickens that eat Portulaca oleracea have lower cholesterol in their eggs, and humans can add the leaves to salad, use them to thicken soup, and even act as a base for chimichurri in Argentina. Florida prickly pear Commonly known as Devil’s tongue or by its scientific name Opuntia austrina, prickly pear can be used for more than margaritas at your local Mexican restaurant. While the plant’s sharp spines obviously have to be handled with caution, the ripe fruits can be eaten and its pads or “nopales” can be carefully peeled (while wearing thick gloves) and sauteed. Hog plum One of Roger L. Hammer’s favorites, Ximenia americana is found in Florida’s hammock margins, wooded swamps and sandhills. The bark has medicinal qualities, and its fragrant, white-to-yellow leaves are near the oblong, yellow-when-ripe fruit that can be picked and eaten (skip the seeds). Meadow garlic Commonly found throughout south-central Florida and across the panhandle, meadow garlic bulbs (aka wild garlic
COFFEE BREAK: Not all foraged food tastes good. Pond apple You’ll probably find these fruits—colloquially known as alligator apples and by its scientific name Annona glabra—in Manatee county or anywhere south of that. Its fruits average about four inches long and three inches wide, and its flesh can be eaten as it ripens from green to yellow. While its flavor is much more mild than the related custard apples or popular soursop fruit, pond apples can still be made into a variety of pies and desserts. Red bay In his book, Roger L. Hammer cautions that the Seminole “used a concentrated infusion of red bay leaves as an abortifacient, so women in early stages of pregnancy should
species—this plant also produces edible fruits that have a pungent taste of “rotten cheese steeped in tobacco juice.” Sea blite Suaeda linearis lives on coastal dunes, salt marshes, mangrove forests, and rocky shorelines—and shares habitat with eastern diamondback rattlesnakes, so be careful when collecting. Leaves on the plant—about 10-30 inches tall, with bisexual flowers on branched spikes—can be picked as a salty snack and added to salads and soups instead of salt. Seagrape You’re not Floridian if you can’t identify the green and ripened deep purple fruit of Coccoloba uvifera, which is commonly
“It’ll do when you’re naked and afraid.”
found on beach dunes and rocky shorelines. Technically, seagrapes are protected by Florida Statute making it illegal to harvest any part of the plant without consent from the owner (be it the state or private landowner), so do the right thing before trying to make your own seagrape jelly. Seminole pumpkin Cucurbita moschata is found in Hillsborough county and as far south as Miami-Dade county, and has a long history as a staple among Native Americans, including the Hopi, Iroquois, Maricopa, Navajo, and Seminole tribes. It can be treated as any other type of squash, whether you prefer it boiled, baked or even microwaved. Be sure not to mistake the Seminole pumpkin for the inedible Okeechobee gourd, which is mottled green and slightly larger than a baseball. Sleepy morning Known colloquially as velvet leaf and monkey bush—and found throughout Hillsborough and Pinellas’ scrub habitat, margins of forests and sandhill— Waltheria indica has small (eighth of an inch) yellow flowers that open as the day starts. Those flowers, along with the plant’s dried leaves and young stems are mostly used to brew tea that can be served hot and cold, preferably with honey. Spanish needles If you’re a homeowner in Tampa Bay, you may loathe this species for its weedy-like nature. Some of you are probably triggered by its scientific name, Bidens alba. Spanish needles attract a wide variety of butterflies and have leaves that can be eaten raw or as a potherb (the plant actually contains 50% more available iron than spinach). The flower heads can also be eaten raw or used as a decorative garnish on your dinner table. Toothache grass Ctenium aromaticum, or “Nature’s Novocain” is found in pine flatwoods, savannahs, bogs and other wet habitats from the panhandle down to Polk and Palm Beach counties. Its dense tufts with flat and aromatic leaves feature glands on the midstem, and chewing parts of the plant—thus activating the isobutylamides fatty acid amides—causes a numbking of the mouth. Trailing ratany Identifiable by its red wine-colored flower, this fruit is commonly known as a sandspur. Like red bay, some cultures have used Krameria lanceolata as an abortifacient. Found in pine flatwoods and open grass, the stems can be chewed to whiten teeth, while the leaves and roots can ease menstruation and irritated intestines. Wild coffee This woody shrub is one of three wild coffee species native to Florida, and while it is related to Coffea arabica, Psychotria nervosa—marked by glossy, dark green leaves and small white flowers that become ripe red fruit—does not contain caffeine. Roger L. Hammer says wild coffee looks much better than it tastes, but it’ll do when you’re naked and afraid in the woods.
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Set the table
DINING GUIDE
Tampa Bay restaurants offering Thanksgiving Day dinners, takeout, brunches and more. By Kyla Fields and Ray Roa
W
Castile Restaurant Although this concept located inside St. Pete Beach’s Hotel Zamora is known for its Mediterranean-inspired dishes, Castile offers a Thanksgiving dinner filled with “seasonal favorites and holiday cheer.” Breakfast is served from 8 a.m.-11 a.m., but specialty dishes off of its holiday menu are available starting at noon. In past years, its Thanksgiving platter was loaded with cornbread and cranberry-stuffed cornish hen, green bean almondine and confit garlic mashed potatoes. Reservations for Castile Restaurant can be made via Opentable. Noon-8 p.m. 3701 Gulf Blvd., St Pete Beach. thehotelzamora.com
any Columbia location, orders must be places by 2 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 16, via phone. Pickup is on Wednesday, Nov. 22. ColumbiaRestaurant.com The Don CeSar St. Pete Beach’s iconic hotel offers a loaded brunch so you can start Thanksgiving off with a high-end meal then pass out. This truly massive brunch serves everything from made-to-order omelets, soups and salads to smoked salmon salmon, carving stations with turkey and porchetta, charcuterie boards and a variety of stir fries. 10 a.m.-3 p.m. $150 ($50 for kids 5-12). King Charles Grand Ballroom at The Don CeSar, 3400 Gulf Blvd., St. Pete Beach. doncesar.com
Fenway Hotel The Fenway’s Hew Parlor & Chophouse is kicking off its Thanksgiving feast with a whipped feta appetizer, as part of a four-course menu with notable mains— fresh herbs and paprika rubbed beef eye roast with sweet bordelaise, Creole-fried turkey with wild mushroom stuffing and giblet gravy, sage and herb-rubbed pork stuffed with caramelized onions and apples topped with a sherry cream—potato sides and desert. 11 a.m.-7 p.m. $85 ($25 for kids five & up). 453 Edgewater Dr., Dunedin. fenwayhotel.com Flor Fina Ybor City’s boutique hotel’s inhouse restaurant offers a fixed-course dinner full of traditional holiday eats, but not without its signature Caribbean flare. Oyster and chorizo stuffing, prime with adobo jus and whipped manchego potatoes, anyone? 5 p.m.-10 p.m. $75 ($25 for kids 6-10).1412 E 7th Ave., Ybor City. hotelhaya.com The Hangar Restaurant This airport-adjacent restaurant features a classic (and affordable) Thanksgiving spread at its threecourse dinner, complete with all of the expected sides and desserts like pumpkin pie and a “chocolate decadence” cake. Reservations can be made by calling 727-823-7767. 10 a.m.- 5 p.m. $36.95 ($16.95 for kids 10 and under). 540 1st St. S, St. Petersburg. thehangarstpete.com Hotel Flor A petit crab cake appetizer is part of The Dan’s threecourse prix-fixe Thanksgiving offering, which includes roasted squash soup, wild Alaskan salmon, braised short rib, chocolate bourbon pecan tart and more—all at the old Floridan Hotel. Noon-5 p.m. $60 ($25 for kids 12 & up). 905 N Florida Ave., Tampa. dineatthedan.com Hyatt Regency Clearwater Beach Resort & Spa “Prime rib and a marinated statler turkey served with several traditional side dishes, from sage sausage dressing to green bean casserole” are among the Thanksgiving Day in-restaurant and in-room dining options on the beach. The resort will also have a special menu at its Shor American Seafood Grill concept where carving stations, mains, cheeses and fresh seafood are on the menu. 301 S Gulfview Blvd., Clearwater Beach. hyatt.com continued on page 31 C/O PARADISE
e totally get it, you don’t want to spend all day making a from-scratch Thanksgiving dinner—and nobody blames you. Luckily,plenty of Tampa Bay restaurants are ready to do turkey day cooking for you, whether you want to dine-in on Thanksgiving day or pick up pre-made trays for an easy, at-home dinner. From decadent, all-you-can-eat brunches and pre-fixe dinners to vegan meals and to-go desserts, here are the Tampa Bay restaurants offering Thanksgiving specials this month. If there’s any Thanksgiving dinner or takeout specials that we missed, please email kyla@ cltampa.com so we can add them to this roundup. Beau & Mo’s Italian Steakhouse This St. Pete gem offers a traditional turkey dinner with all of the expected trimmings alongside its daily menu of steak, pasta and other Italian fare. Call the steakhouse at (727) 771-3690 to reserve your table for Thanksgiving (or Christmas and New Year’s Eve, too). 3 p.m.-7 p.m. 2924 5th Ave. N, St. Petersburg. beaunmo.com Birch & Vine Guests have a choice between Birch & Vine’s prix-fixe holiday menu or a la carte options—but both are chock full of fall flavors and seasonal dishes. Although 2023’s menu hasn’t been released yet, a few favorites on past Thanksgiving menus include a winter pumpkin soup, apple and fennel-brined turkey breast, smoked lamb chops and a Grand Marnier and cranberry panna cotta for dessert. 11 a.m.-9 p.m. 340 Beach Dr. NE, St. Petersburg. thebirchwood.com Bon Appetit This waterfront restaurant offers a four-course Thanksgiving meal complete with holiday-inspired dishes like butternut squash and crab bisque, roast turkey and duck and a pumpkin pie dulce de leche for dessert. Additional “chef specials” like steak tartare and shrimp cocktail can be added for additional fees. 11 a.m.-9 p.m. $99 148 Marina Plaza, Dunedin. bonappetitrestaurant.com Boulon Bakery The Water Street staple is offering pumpkin scones and maple glaze, and $38 pies (salted caramel apple, bourbon pretzel pecan, and pumpkin cheesecake). Orders opened on Nov. 1 via phone (813-768-9988), with a deadline of Nov. 21 at 3 p.m. Orders must be picked up on Wednesday, Nov. 22. 1001 Water St., Tampa. boulontampa.com
SPREAD ‘EM: There’s a Caribbean flare at Flor Fina’s Thanksgiving table. Columbia Restaurant This Tampa-born staple offers Thanksgiving dinner, just like it has for the last 118 years. Grandma’s stuffing (Italian sausage, ground beef, chopped chicken liver, apples, water chestnuts, raisin) is on the plate along with four other sides, plus roast turkey, soup, salad and Cuban bread (and yes, you can sub for 1905 Salad at a small upcharge). Kids 10 and under pay $7, and adults pay $29. And if you want to take Columbia home, there’s a 10-person takeout feast ($195) with the same menu, plus a whole pie. Available for pickup at
Epicurean Hotel The South Tampa hotel’s Élevage SoHo Kitchen & Bar offers a Thanksgiving buffet ($70, $20 for kids under 10) with a big ass dessert station, carving stations, homestyle sides, salad bar, soups, bread, butter and more. Naturally, since Bern's Steak House is across the street, a sommelier-attended wine station is also part of the experience for those who wish to purchase a pairing, along with a la carte cocktails, non-alcoholic bevvies and more. 11 a.m.-8 p.m. 1207 S Howard Ave., Tampa. epicureanhotel.com
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continued from page 27 Nana’s Juice Bar & Restaurant This Ybor City hotspot has all of your vegan and vegetarian needs covered. While Nana’s won’t be open on Thanksgiving day, there’s still plenty of time to pre-order trays of lentil meatloaf, herb-filled jackfruit, lasagna, its beloved empanadas ( $95 for 20 regular-sized or $55 for minis), pasteles filled with jackfruit and walnut meat or desserts like sweet potato or apple pie. You can place an order by DM’ing its Instagram page or by calling (813) 252-6548; all orders must be placed before Monday, Nov. 20. 1601 E 4th Ave., Ybor City. @ nanas_ybor on Instagram Rooster & the Till Seminole Heights’ Bib Gourmand-winner wants to put a turkey from Tampa’s Trailbale farms on your table— along with six sides, including milk bread rolls from Ybor City’s beloved Jamison B Breadhouse. A bottle of Spanish red wine is included in the offering that easily feeds six. Orders must be placed by noon on Nov. 10 ($590), and picked up between 2 p.m.-3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 22. exploretock.com/roosterandthetill
The Rusty Pelican Guests choose between Rusty Pelican’s four-course brunch experience or an a la carte options from its seasonal dinner menu. Brunch eats include dishes like chicken and waffles and steak and eggs benedict, and you can also opt for bottomless mimosas for an additional $30. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. & 5 p.m.-9 p.m. $86 for brunch. 2425 N Rocky Point Dr., Tampa. therustypelicantampa.com Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Across five concepts, Tampa’s Hard Rock hotel offers a wide range of turkey day options including a highfalutin menu at Council Oak ($65; heritage black turkey, garlic whipped potatoes, traditional stuffing, sweet potato streusel), casual offerings at Rise ($38; three-course menu of strawberry pecan salad, roasted turkey breast and honey glazed ham with candied sweet potatoes, green beans almondine and cornbread stuffing, as well as pumpkin pie), plus more at Rez Grill ($60) and turkey plate at Hard Rock Café. 5223 Orient Rd., Tampa. seminolehardrocktampa.com
Tampa Edition Tampa’s only five-star hotel gets in on turkey day with a $150 buffet that includes the traditional turkey and sides, plus live jazz, a caviar station and seafood raw bar. The Edition is also offering a take-home Thanksgiving meal for 4-5 people that “features a succulent roast turkey complemented by classic accompaniments with easy-to-follow heating instructions.” The $525 take-home meal is available for pickup Wednesday-Thursday, Nov. 22-23 between 10 a.m.-1 p.m. and must be reserved by Thursday, Nov. 16. $150-$525. 500 Channelside Dr., Tampa. editionhotels.com TradeWinds Island Resorts Three TradeWinds concepts offer Thanksgiving options. There’s a Thanksgiving buffet at the Grand Palm Colonnade (11 a.m.-3 p.m., $55 & up), plus special entrees available at the Palm Court Italian Grill. On turkey day, RumFish Grill offers three holiday specials including a turkey dinner, pan-roasted halibut. Kids under 4 eat free at the Colonnade. 5500 Gulf Blvd., St. Pete Beach. tradewindsresort.com
DINING GUIDE
SUCCULENT ON THAT: The Bay’s only five-star hotel, Tampa Edition, is doing turkey day, too.
Willa’s Although this stylish Hyde Park concept won’t be open on Thanksgiving day, there’s still plenty of time to place orders for a complete Thanksgiving feast “Big Willa Style” or perhaps just a few desserts to elevate your athome dinner for impossible-to-impress in-laws. Folks can preorder Willa’s roasted mushrooms, brioche stuffing, chocolate oatmeal pie or roasted turkey breast on its website. Favorites on its everyday menu are also available as holiday catering options. Orders must be placed by Nov. 19 and picked up on Wednesday, Nov. 22. 1700 W Fig St., Tampa. willastampa.com Yacht Starship & Cruises If you have out-of-town relatives to impress this holiday season, it’s always a good idea to eat dinner on a boat, with views of the Garrisson Channel and old Hillsborough Bay. Luckily, both the Tampa and Clearwater Yacht Starships offer foolproof Thanksgiving dinners on the water, featuring classic holiday fare. Life jackets provided. Noon-7 p.m. $69.95 ( $44.95 for kids). 603 Channelside Dr., Tampa & 25 Causeway Blvd., Clearwater. yachtstarship.com
C/O BAIS CREATIVE
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Bye bye beans
St. Pete dessert shop Beans & Barlour dessert closes after five years, plus more local food news
A
one-stop shop for breakfast, dessert and specialty cocktails recently closed its doors in The ‘Burg. Beans & Barlour, located at 407 Central Ave. in downtown St. Pete took to Instagram last week to announce its closure. The cafe and dessert hotspot’s last day open was Friday, Nov. 11. Although owner Story Stuart states that 2023 has been her cafe’s busiest year yet, she says that Beans & Barlour has evolved from a passion project to a business that no longer aligns with her creative goals. “Whether caused by the construction that surrounds our storefront, changes in the economic climate or some combination of the two— the shift in demand from our customers towards breakfast has been profound,” the business writes on Instagram. “As the demand has started to shift away from our unique desserts, so too has the passion we once had for creating them.” Stuart also mentioned that she and her fiancé Steve Bliven are planning to get married at the end of 2023, and hopes that the next chapter of their lives is best to be written “without the day-to-day stress of operating a retail location.” Although Beans & Barlour is closing its storefront, Stuart said that the business’ Instagram account will be used for tutorials and other content surrounding its popular desserts and baked goods. Beans & Barlour first opened around the corner from its current location at 544 1st Ave. N in 2018, in the parcel currently occupied by The Nest, St. Pete Brewing Co.’s performance space. The cafe and dessert spot made a name for itself by serving boozy, alcohol-infused ice cream and milkshakes, but eventually expanded its footprint to include a variety of espresso-based drinks, over-the-top and Instagrammable milkshakes, breakfast sandwiches (that utilized bagels straight from New York), seasonal treats and a variety of both sweet and savory baked goods. The cafe even has a “puppy pick-up” window so customers’ dogs can easily accept treats from its employees. In addition to its cafe, Beans & Barlour also operates a scaled-down location inside of Tropicana Field and has been slinging ice cream and milkshakes during baseball season since 2021. An employee tells Creative Loafing Tampa Bay that Beans & Barlour definitely won’t be a vendor at The Trop’s ultra-popular Enchanted Christmas installment this year, although it’s still unsure if its dessert kiosk will open for 2024’s baseball season.
Latin-Asian fusion spot Wu Restaurant soft opens in Seminole Heights Seminole Heights’ newest spot for boba teas and fast-casual fusion eats soft opened just last week. Wu Restaurant is located at 4410 N Florida Ave. in a shared building with Gabby Bakes, adjacent to other Seminole Heights concepts like Chanko, The Lab and Florida Avenue Brewing Co. The newly-opened eatery has fenced-in, outdoor-only seating filled with bright neon signs, kid-friendly turf and and a food truck dishing out bao buns, chicken sandwiches, rice bowls and variety of boba teas that range from matcha and Thai tea to green and black teas topped with salted cheese foam and boba. Vegetarian and vegan-friendly options include a fried mushroom sandwich, bao buns, or rice mushroom bowl topped coleslaw, pickled cucumbers, radishes and kimchi. While Wu’s menu is still limited in its soft opening phase, the new Seminole Heights spot will soon serve weekend brunch items like breakfast baos, ube-flavored French toast using Cuban bread and the “Flaming Pig and Chick” bagel sandwich complete with cream cheese, flaming Hot Cheetos, spam and eggs. Owners Jose Fradera and Anya Obringe told local blog WhatNowTampa that their new “Asian-Latin-inspired comfort food concept” will eventually sell beer and wine in addition to its variety of boba teas. Wu Restaurant is now open from 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, 11 a.m.9:30 p.m. Friday-Sunday and is closed Mondays. Head to @wu_restaurant_ on Instagram for more information on the new Seminole Heights eatery.
FOOD NEWS
ICYMI Through Nov. 25, Bay area BBQ joint 4 Rivers Smokehouse is slinging a “Pilgrim Sandwich” featuring smoked turkey, savory stuffing, warm gravy, and tart cranberry chutney. Next Level Brands—Boulon Brasserie + Bakery, Forbici Modern Italian, Union New American—is offering a bonus $20 for every $100 gift card purchased in between Black Friday and Christmas Eve. St. Petersburg Distillery has a new barrel-aged “Honey Spirit.” The 90-proof offering available only in 750 mL bottles is distilled from honey and hops and aged in oak barrels— and utilized in the distillery’s new “Honey, I’m Home” cocktail” available in the tasting room
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BEANSANDBARLOUR/FACEBOOK
By Kyla Fields and Ray Roa
DOWNTOWN DIGS: For 5 years, Beans & Barlour dished out seasonal desserts in downtown St. Pete. and market store located at 800 31st St. S. The distillery also has a new onsite bee colony, which it hopes will play a role in production, local biodiversity, and sustainability. It presents a symphony of flavors, with the sweetness of honey harmonizing with the bitterness of hops, all enhanced by the rich, smoky notes imparted by four years of barrel aging. Only available while supplies last, the spirit is sold in 750 ml bottles and is available for purchase and sampling at the distillery’s tasting room and market store located at 800 31st Street South in St. Petersburg. Guests can also sample the “Honey, I’m Home” cocktail made with the new product in the distillery’s new Spirit Garden.
Because volcano bowls are so 2020, Clearwater Beach’s Hyatt Regency Resort & Spa has a new “Walk the Plank” cocktail that serves up to eight people. The drink—”a tropical blend of juices mixed with silver rum and Crème de Cassis blackberry liqueur, topped with house-made grenadine and a bottle of Veuve Clicquot,” according to a press release—is served in a pirate’s chest. South Tampa’s Forbici Modern Italian (1633 W Snow Ave. in Hyde Park Village) is in the PSL spirit with a pumpkin patch espresso martini available throughout November.
available
NOW!
for a limited time
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HISTORY
West Tampa Walking Tour
Saturday, Nov. 18, 10 a.m. $25 Meet at West Tampa Library, 2312 W Union St., Tampa. cadtampabay.org
MOVIES
THEATER
ART
CULTURE
Head West
A romp through Ybor’s sister city is among Tampa Bay’s best historical walking tours. By Jourdan Ducat
Tampa Bay History Center Each docent-led Tampa Bay History Center (TBHC) tour costs $20 and lasts 90 minutes. While all tours below start on Saturdays at 10 a.m., they depart from various locations, so be sure to check where your specific tour is meeting. For a complete schedule of tours now through the end of the year, visit tampabayhistorycenter.org Downtown Tampa While it may seem like downtown Tampa is little more than a business hub these days, the area contains a storied past
that doesn’t make the history books. Listed stops on this one-mile tour include City Hall, Sacred Heart Church, the Floridan Palace Hotel, and downtown’s infamous dive, The Hub. Just make sure you save your boozing for after the tour has finished. Central Avenue According to TBHC, this tour will show walkers “the Harlem of the South” and provide insight into the experiences of Tampa’s African-American community from the 1890s to the 1960s. Listed stops on the route that stretches between Cass Street and I-275 include the Robert W. Saunders, Sr. Public Library, Jackson House, and Perry Harvey, Sr. Park. Ybor City This tour highlights Tampa Bay’s only National Historic Landmark District and promises to be jam-packed with intriguing
details about the early inhabitants of Cigar City. To further immerse themselves in the local culture post-tour, walkers can sample some traditional Cuban fare, enjoy a stogie on a patio or visit one of the area’s many specialty shops. Preserve the ‘Burg With a mission “to educate, advocate for, and celebrate St. Pete’s historic built environment and landscapes of importance,” Preserve the ‘Burg (PTB) tours bring over 40 years of conservation efforts to a tangible form. Each of the listed tours is $10 for members and $20 for non-members and lasts 90-120 minutes. If you’re looking for a more independent experience, Preserve the ‘Burg also offers a Self-Guided
Tour Book for $10 with 48 pages of historic places to see as well as audio tours available via the “Florida Stories” app. For more information on Preserve the ‘Burg’s tour schedule, visit preservetheburg.org/tours Millionaires and Bootleggers: Old Southeast Walking Tour For one night in December, Preserve The ‘Burg brings back this popular tour that meets at the north end of Lassing Park. Tour goers can expect to explore brick streets lined with historic homes, as well as the Bayboro House, the Polish American Club, and the Coast Guard Station, among others.The next Millionaires and Bootleggers tour is on Saturday, Dec. 9, from10 a.m.-noon. continued on page 40
GEORGE LANSING TAYLOR JR./UNF DIGITAL COMMONS
T
he weather is finally starting to cool down in Florida and many of us are trying to find any excuse possible to spend more time outdoors. History buffs or anyone just looking to learn more about the lesser known stories of this place they call home can exercise both mind and body by checking out one of Tampa Bay’s many walking tours. One excursion happens this weekend thanks to the Center for Architecture & Design Tampa Bay. This is the only tour in town that explores the unique history of West Tampa and is a great way to gain knowledge on one of our lesser known yet historically vital communities. Considered Ybor City’s sister city, West Tampa was founded in 1895 and once had more cigar factories than its counterpart, a fact that may have you scratching your head as to why it isn’t considered Cigar City instead. Saturday’s tour is led by Manny Leto, a board member of the Center for Architecture & Design as well as the Executive Director of Preserve the ‘Burg, so it’s safe to say he knows his shit. Leto brings years of expertise in the field to this enlightening tour that lasts no more than two hours and meets at 10 a.m. at the West Tampa Library See more of Tampa Bay’s best historical walking tours below, and remember to wear comfortable shoes and bring a bottle of water if allowed. Also book your tickets in advance, as tours often sell out and it helps the tour providers know how many people to expect for the tour. Finally, be a courteous listener and tip your tour guide if you’re inclined. If you want to make a bigger impact on the preservation of the area’s history, consider becoming a member of the historical society of your choosing.
GOOD READ: Tour guides will distill their collective knowledge of West Tampa into a tour.
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I Love the ‘Burg All I Love the ‘Burg tours are led by longtime local historian Monica Kile and start at $25. Since 2009, I Love the ‘Burg has offered comprehensive resources to help residents discover relevant opportunities and events. The historic tours offered—all detailed at ilovetheburg.com—promise to give special insight into how urban planning has shaped St Pete. The Grand Tour of Downtown St. Pete This tour promises to “visit the most beautiful building,” as well as the St. Petersburg Shuffleboard Club and hidden arcades, among other sites. Walkers will hear about the influence that former AfricanAmerican residents had on the area’s modern urban design and infrastructure. The two-hour tour is offered at 10 a.m. on select dates in November and December and covers roughly two miles. The Wonderful Waterfront This tour, which meets at Demens Landing Historical Landmark, is great for individuals who are interested in learning about how St. Pete’s coastline has evolved to become the beautiful and well-preserved sanctuary it is today. Sports fans will also like this particular tour, as the history of Spring Training is one of the talking points on the roughly 90-minute tour that covers about 1.5 miles. Beyond Downtown: The EDGE and More Walkers will meet at Green Bench Brewing Co. (1133 Baum Ave. N) before embarking on this illuminating historical tour that delves into some of the city’s lesser known areas, such as Methodist Town and the Gas Plant District. Attendees will also learn about both the AfricanAmerican and Jewish histories of St. Pete’s past, as well as visit what landmarks remain of this former industrial hub. All three remaining dates for this tour begin at 1:30 p.m. and will last 90 minutes and cover 1.5-miles of terrain. Gulfport Historical Society Gulfport may seem like a sleepy little town, but it’s full of history that extends well beyond the beachy bars and locally owned restaurants that line Beach and Shore Boulevards. The Gulfport Historical Society is a great resource for those wanting to further their knowledge of what makes this city tick, and the following walking tours are a fun way to support the cause. The society’s Original Gulfport Walking Tour is offered on the third Saturday of every month and is led by Gulfport locals who are filled to the brim with knowledge of little-known tidbits and
KEIR MAGOULAS/VISIT TAMPA BAY
continued from page 37 Historic Kenwood Tour This tour is offered on the fourth Thursday of every month in conjunction with the Historic Kenwood Neighborhood Association and explores St. Pete’s first suburb. Expect to spend about two hours casually strolling past well-preserved bungalows after an initial start at the Craftsman House, a craft gallery and cafe that was the original model home for the Kenwood neighborhood.
ROLL THROUGH: The Ybor City Historical Walking Tour happens daily. spirited stories of the past. The 90-minute tour starts at the Gulfport History Museum (5301 28th Ave. S, Gulfport, FL 33707), which gives you a chance to look at some historic photos beforehand. The tour is free for Gulfport Historical Society Members and $15 for non-members. More information is at gulfporthistoricalsociety.org. Tampa Bay Tours This tour company was founded in 2005 by Lonnie Herman, a longtime Tampa resident who eventually enlisted his son Max to help with the tour’s growing popularity. Trip Advisor has named Tampa Bay Tours as the “Top Tour in Florida,” and visitors routinely name the event as the best part of their trip to Tampa. More information is at tampabay-tours.com. The Official Ybor City Ghost Tour This two-hour, award-winning tour and is the only tour in town with access to the Cuban Club, which the Travel Channel called one of the 10 Most Haunted Places in the U.S. Expect to hear stories of immigrants who paved the way for this historic landmark as your guide takes you through some of the area’s most haunted sites. The Official Ybor City Ghost Tour runs seven nights a week year round, making it easily accessible to all who dare to attend. The cost is $30 for adults and $10 for children 12 and under.
40 | NOVEMBER 16-22, 2023 | cltampabay.com
The Official Downtown Tampa Ghost Tour This is another nightly year-round tour (certain dates excluded, check online for details) filled with nightmarish tales of spirits that have chosen downtown Tampa as their forever home. The purported blessing from the Tocobaga tribe may help Tampa Bay escape a direct hit from hurricanes, but can it save residents from the souls that inhabit the mass graves of the yellow fever pandemic? This tour starts at the Tampa Theatre and ends at Sacred Heart Church, two hauntingly beautiful institutions. Downtown Tampa Historic Walking Tour Some Tampeno’s may not know about Tampa’s industrial past, but it was in fact one of the fastest growing cities at the beginning of the 20th century. This tour offers insight into the city’s previous inhabitants, from Native Americans and Spanish settlers to mobsters and Henry Plant. Tour-goers should plan to hear secrets about downtown Tampa’s history that will shed new light on how it came to be the booming place it is today. This 90-minute tour is offered six days a week and costs $25 for adults and $10 for children. Ybor City Historical Walking Tour Among the growing list of Ybor City walking
tours, this daily event takes attendees down Seventh Avenue and promises encyclopedic knowledge of Ybor City.” If you’ve not been to the Cuban-owned Parque Jose Marti, this is an opportune time to do so. You can also expect to hear about Teddy Roosevelt and his Rough Riders, as well as the corrupt past of the mobsters that called this area home. The Ybor City Historical Walking Tour is $30 for adults and $10 for kids 12 and under.
HISTORY
Tampa Mafia Tour This one’s for all of the Scarface and Godfather fans out there. It’s no secret that Ybor City is laden with a history of corruption and vice, but this tour promises to dig even deeper into the former cigar mecca’s infamous past. The tours are either led by Manny Leto or Scott Deitche, who both bring years of expertise to this roughly two hour tour that leads you to former gambling houses, restaurants where private matters were discussed and back alleys that were used for a good shakedown, among other things. Tours happen on select dates through the rest of the year and are offered at varying times to improve accessibility. For more information on the Tampa Mafia Tours, visit tampamafia.com.
Image: Jose Alvarez (D.O.P.A.) photo by Zachary Balber
Globally renowned and celebrated for his exquisitely crafted lush and brilliant works, Jose Alvarez (D.O.P.A.) brings an extraordinary life story to a rich and compelling body of work in a variety of media. Born Deyvi Orangel Peña Arteaga, using his moniker Jose Alvarez (D.O.P.A.), he is a versatile artist who creates paintings/ collages on mica, videos, installations, and performances. Through his artistic expressions, he deconstructs belief systems by exploring the interplay of science, spirituality, and mysticism.
SPICE THINGS UP THIS Thanksgiving
Visit mfastpete.org for tickets, RSVPs, event information, and additional programs. Events are subject to change.
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INTERVIEW Suncoast Jazz Festival
w/Ranky Tanky/Kermit Ruffins and the Barbecue Swingers/Jason Marsalis/Dave Bennett Quartet/Tom Hook/La Lucha/more. Friday-Sunday, Nov. 17-19. $40 & up. Sheraton Resort and Marriott Suites on Sand Key. 1160 Gulf Blvd., Clearwater. suncoastjazzfestival.com
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Two-time Grammy-winner Ranky Tanky headlines Suncoast Jazz Festival. By Ray Roa
W
told CL. “But they’re the right act for us today and I can’t wait to see the show.” While Ranky Tanky technically formed just seven years ago, the band’s entire aura is window that looks all the way back to the 1500s and the Port of Charleston where the Atlantic slave trade brought nearly 11 mil-
PETER FRANK EDWARDS
ith Thanksgiving approaching, family is on Quiana Parler’s mind. The 43-yearold vocalist’s band, Ranky Tanky, may have won its second Grammy last February (Best Regional Roots Music Album, the South Carolina-based quintet’s second golden gramophone in four years), but the Sunshine State is all she can think about. “I’m excited about Florida because my brother is there, along with his family, so I’ll get to see them,” Parler told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay. Her brother is Malik Parler, a photojournalist for WFLA. Quiana has yet to meet her nephews, including the newest one who celebrates his first birthday the week after Ranky Tanky headlines Suncoast Jazz Festival. Parler, who spends a lot of her time away from family because of the band’s touring schedule, is packing everyone up for a trip to Sand Key. That’s where Suncoast spends three full days at the Sheraton and Marriott resorts taking over five different stages for nearly 100 different performances featuring bands across the U.S. along with homegrown favorites—sometimes even playing together. “I’m even bringing my 17 year old. He never travels with us because he’s in school, but it just so happened it would be Thanksgiving break,” Parler added. “This is going to be a family excursion.” Roots, and familial connections, play a big role in both Ranky Tanky and the Suncoast Jazz Festival’s missions. Suncoast started 33 years ago when a small group of jazz lovers wanted to create an event that would promote and celebrate the only true American art form and educate youth to keep the genre alive for generations. Joan Dragon and Susan Fuller—the festival’s director and assistant director, respectively—told CL that today, more than 150 people help bring it to life. In Suncoast’s latest period of growth, booking Ranky Tanky represents the leaps the festival has taken in recent years in its efforts to promote jazz locally, but also showcase an accurate picture of where the genre is today. “I can’t tell you how grateful I am that they want to come play our growing festival,” Nate Najar, a longtime Tampa Bay area jazz guitarist and member of Suncoast’s Advisory Board,
Since its inception, Ranky Tanky—featuring Parler along with Quentin E. Baxter on drums, bassist Kevin Hamilton, Clay Ross on guitar, and trumpeter Charlton Singleton—has been driven to bring Gullah music and culture to the masses. The band plays old church songs raised up by elders, Gullah nursery rhymes, and it seeks to show listeners just how ubiquitous Gullah is in America’s musical language. Its songs are cataloged in African American history museums and even archived in the Library of Congress.
WATCH THAT STAR: Ranky Tanky, on jazz’s fastest rising bands, plays Sand Key this weekend. lion Africans to America until the late 1800s. Those slaves ended up living across America’s low country from North Carolina all the way down to Jacksonville, Florida—and they created their own culture and language, Gullah, which preserved their African heritage as they made lives in America.
“I don’t think people realize how familiar they are with Gullah and the culture,” Parler told CL, adding that popular songs from “Kumbaya” and even The Rolling Stones’ “You Gotta Move” come from Gullah. “Our mission statement is to keep moving forward and bringing it out of people. It’s in them, they just don’t know it.”
Najar added that the concept of Ranky Tanky is rooted in the very beginning of American music. “Everything we all do comes from it, so as a cultural force I hope that everybody gets to share in the joy with Ranky Tanky at some point in their lives,” he said. Suncoast festival goers get two chances to have a good time with Ranky Tanky since the band is playing on Friday afternoon and Saturday night inside Haley’s Music Hall at the Sheraton. Parler told CL that the group will play stuff from its two studio LPs and still unreleased, in-the-works, new material. “It’s still rooted in the Gullah tradition, still feel good music. Still that Ranky Tanky sound,” she said, saying some of the new stuff is on the band’s 2022 live album recorded at New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. And while the Gullah influence is familiar to Parler, something foreign has been happening to her onstage lately. Normally a steely performer (she’s a lifelong singer who trained under the late, famed Carolyn June Bonner and has never held a nine-to-five), Parler has started to become emotional at certain parts of the set including on songs like “That’s Alright.” “Ms. Bonner, she would always write me notes before big performances, and it would say ‘Sing your ass off.’ You just leave your emotions on the side of the stage because you’re there to do a job,” Parler said, adding that hers is to make sure she reaches listeners who’re going through emotions of their own. “But I’m starting to find now that the older I get, I can’t do that any longer.” Parler lost her grandma a week before one of her Grammy wins. She lost two friends to cancer and she feels emotions during performances of songs like “Been In A Storm.” And while she pulls them together, Parler—who sings at Unity Church of Charleston where she’s still waiting her turn to raise up songs—thinks that Ranky Tanky gives her a chance to sing music that she is emotionally attached to because of her heritage, lineage and DNA. “These songs played a big part in me growing up. That may be what’s going on, and I never thought about that until now,” Parler said. “I’m learning that it’s OK to show emotion because it is real and it’s raw.” And that’s what Ranky Tanky is: real and raw. Like the Gullah culture, the band cannot be contained inside of four walls, and its set at Suncoast will be a celebration and statement of praise. “That’s the good thing about Ranky Tanky,” she said. “We just leave it all on the stage.”
cltampabay.com | NOVEMBER 16-22, 2023 | 43
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C Tampa Jazz Club: Dave Stryker Nebraska-born jazz guitarist Dave Stryker learned how to play at the age of 10, listening to Cream and Johnny Winter before graduating to Freddie, King, Wes Montgomery and Miles Davis. His distinct style has earned the 66-year-old five albums that went no. 1 on the JazzWeek radio chart, and sideman jobs with Jack McDuff and others. Stryker is joined by the faculty jazz ensemble from the University of South Florida’s School of music for this gig, just up the road from the school, in New Tampa. (New Tampa Performing Arts Center, Tampa)
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Mariachi Sol De Mexico® de Jóse Hernàndez America’s leading mariachi band is led by fifth-generation mariachi player José Hernández who fuses pop with traditional sounds. (Bilheimer Capitol Theatre, Clearwater)) Unwed Sailor w/Radaghast/Choking on the Revelry Over the course of 25 years, instrumental-rock outfit Unwed Sailor has added layers and layers to its charming indierock aesthetic. But for its latest outing, Mute The Charm, the Oklahoma-based outfit (FFO Seam, Joy Division, The Sundays) stripped the sound back a bit, opting to put the guitars, bass and drums front and center. (Hooch and Hive, Tampa)
FRI 17
Cory Nichols w/ChaGo/Young Savages/ The Fly One The young rapper, who cites Kendrick Lamar and Mac Miller as his biggest influences, is finally dropping his debut album Detours & Daydreams this week. While Nichols keeps the details of his pet project as secretive as possible, we have a feeling that at least a handful of tracks will have a lot to do with becoming a father, and also getting through the passing of his sister. (Oscura, Bradenton) C Hellshine Fest: Iron Lung w/Heaven’s Gate/Fugitive/Genocide Pact/Protocol/ Armor Shitstorm/Brain Tourniquet/ Abysmal Lord/Horsewhip/Walled City/more Is it even the weekend before Thanksgiving if there’s not a weekend-long concert with a hella mega lineup of bands playing one more time before going home for the holiday? After the initial music-only festival goes down at Crowbar on Friday and Saturday, the Hellshine party moves down to Deviant Libation on Sunday afternoon, for a free market selling, according to an Instagram post, “killer art, records, oddities, jewelry, scents, libations, and more.” A few hours after, the festival’s final live music showcase happens, with Tampatown’s Pipe Dreamer, Afterworld, and Horsewhip
HAPPY HOUR
all on the bill, as well as a reunion set from St. Pete’s Landbridge, and some of our neighbors to the not-too-far-North (specifically Asheville’s Autarch, New York City’s Vermindog, and Washington D.C.’s Genocide Pact). More information is at @hellshine_fest on Instagram. Henry Rollins It’s impossible to catch everything Henry Rollins says when he’s going into his life story. But the show works, whether he’s remembering the first time he tried LSD, or explaining how he dealt with a home invasion while not wanting to use lethal capacity. The punk icon’s current “Good To See You” tour—which he’s been on pretty much ever since it was declared safe to go back on tour after COVID-19—tackles the death of his mother, a stalker, and plenty of anecdotes that you’ll hardly have time to react to before he jumps into something else. (Hough Hall at Palladium Theater, St. Petersburg) Joe Samba w/Joey Harkum The New Hampshire-based singer-songwriter fuses alternative rock and reggae, especially on his latest album Far From Forever. On it, Samba cuts deep into the seemingly never-ending battle between boomers and millennials (“Boomer Economy”) while also encouraging listeners by telling them that even when one’s mental health is dangling by a thread, the world still isn’t always that bad. He’s not on the roster for next year’s
Reggae Rise Up, but if you do catch this gig, consider it prep for your St. Paddy’s Day weekend in Vinoy Park. (Music Hall at New World Brewery, Tampa) C Slap of Reality w/Human Error/ Fingerpuppet/The Dissentors Nostalgia for old-school punk-rock appears to be at an all-time high (read: When We Were Young Festival), and there’s a Bay area staple of the ‘90s scene still at it. Slap Of Reality (which ended up on a major label deal via Minneapolis based Skene! Records, which released stuff from Green Day and Jawbreaker) has a new album, Goodbye, Me, out now and headlines a show alongside a trio of locals. (St. Pete Brewing Company, St. Petersburg)
SAT 18
C Ben Rector w/Jordy Searcy On his current “Old Friends” acoustic tour, the 37-year-old piano-playing singer-songwriter has been stopping midway through his set for an audience Q&A, where he’ll sometimes take requests. His latest album The Joy of Music—which took him two years to get right—sees Rector collaborate with Snoop Dogg and Kenny G respectively. Opening act Jordy Searcy—who first made waves on
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“The Voice” in 2014—helped write a handful of tracks on the album, and will probably join Rector onstage for his “Little Mermaid” medley near the end. (Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater) Big Sad w/Low Season/Reckless Threat/ Mortars “Demumanize,” the 2022 single from Reckless Threat, sounds like it could be the title song on a skate video game (the cover art is straight out of “Mars Attacks!”). The Knoxville, Tennessee punk band is joined by fellow Volunteer State outfit Mortars for this gig headlined by Tampa rock band Big Sad (featuring Creative Loafing Tampa Bay photographer Dave Decker) and St. Pete’s Low Season. (Hooch and Hive, Tampa) C Bruce Hornsby Sometime in the early-‘90s, Florida State University’s student body voted on who they wanted to play their homecoming celebration: Eventual Nobel laureate Bob Dylan, or Bruce Hornsby. In the end, Mr. “The Way It Is”—who actually appeared on Dylan’s Under the Red Sky around the same time—won the vote by a landslide. Over three decades later, the 68-year-old is celebrating 25 years since the release of Spirit Trail, and every ticket purchased to this gig comes with a copy of a 25th anniversary, 3-CD reissue of the album in question, which will play a small role in Hornsby’s setlist. (Bilheimer Capitol Theatre, Clearwater) C Dwight Yoakam w/Charley Crockett/ Annie Bosko In the world of country music, few are as accomplished as Dwight Yoakam. With more than 25 million albums sold, two Grammys (and 21 nominations), plus a spot in the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, he holds a place in the upper echelons of the genre—yet still lives outside of its mainstream. Yoakam even performed in a Nudie suit at Tampa’s long-shuttered London Victory Club. No one will be surprised if Charley Crockett joins him in that rare air. The 39-year-old Texan and descendant of of Davy lives on the road, has released nearly a dozen albums in eight years, and is turning heads on the strength of a honky-tonkin’ sound that’s been described as vintage and “Gulf & Western” all buoyed by a deep vocal that sounds like it got baptized in a Louisiana delta. (The Sound, Clearwater) Dylan Scott w/Matt Schuster/Taylor Holder The college-bro country artist brings his latest album Livin’ My Best Life, which features the TikTok famous “Can’t Have Mine (Find You A Girl)” to Central Avenue, with plenty of fellow up-and-coming twangy wunderkinds opening up shop. (Jannus Live, St. Petersburg) C Kyle Schroeder and Andy Snitzer Bay area smooth jazz saxophonist Kyle Schroeder is always finding new angles for gigs, and this one finds the 25-year-old onstage with Andy Snitzer, who’s played in bands fronted by Paul Simon, Mick Jagger, Billy Joel and more. The gig is billed as “Meeting My Saxophone Hero,” and the name fits since Snitzer has offered advice and experience to Schroeder, his fellow University of Miami alum. (Side Door Cabaret at Palladium Theater, St. Petersburg) Popa Chubby The 61-year-old bluesman from The Bronx—on the heels of a new live
album recorded in Queens—is equipped with an all-star band that you won’t want to leave unacknowledged. If you ever indulged in the Max Weinberg 7—or any of Conan O’Brien’s house bands—you’ll recognize Mike Merritt and his steady basslines. Also in the band is Mike DiMeo, who backed up Johnny Winter in the last years of his life, and was supposed to have a stint in Deep Purple in the ‘90s, after an endorsement from Ritchie Blackmore. Drummer Stefano Giudici may not have classic rock royalty on his resume, but he’ll often perk up a crowd by dueling Popa Chubby—whose birth name is Theodore Horowitz—on the cans mid-gig. (Safety Harbor Art and Music Center, Safety Harbor) C Kool Down Concert Series: The Venus w/Spoiled Rat/Brother Cephus From an unassuming warehouse studio in Tampa’s Seminole Heights, Brother Cephus and The Venus—made up of musicians who’ve made some of the Bay area’s best rock for at least the last decade—have probably been working on their own brand of brawny indie and psychedelic (respectively) rock. We hope to hear a lot of it, including Brother Cephus’ new single “Only Natural,” when the bands come together at Daddy Kool Records’ Warehouse District shop for a new concert series that runs through the new year. Spoiled Rat, a newish outfit with riotready punk-rock energy, rounds out a solid, no-cover show. (Daddy Kool Records at The Factory, St. Petersburg)
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SUN 19
Deep Desires: Pete Moss w/Jask/Austen Van der Bleek/Coro Not sure how he is in the garden, but Peter Cook knows a thing or two about house music. The Philadelphia producer and DJ knows as Pete Moss heads to a St. Pete restaurant scene hotspot for a set alongside local favorites. (Wild Child, St. Petersburg) Safety Harbor Art and Music Center 7th Anniversary Party: HoneyWhat Safety Harbor’s most eye-popping community center and venue celebrates seven years of arts and crafts sales and live music experiences with this free, day-long affair that will feature a wild animal print umbrella parade, and live music from St. Pete-based funk, pop, and soul fusion outfit HoneyWhat. (Safety Harbor Art and Music Center, Safety Harbor) Walter Trout w/Troy Wanvig Though John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers—which helped solidify the careers of Eric Clapton and Peter Green respectively—was already past its prime by the 1980s, the 72-year-old Jersey boy stood in Slowhand’s shoes for half a decade following the band’s reformation. He even credits Carlos Santana for saving him from a life of drugs and alcohol, after ‘los told Trout that getting onstage fucked up was giving the finger to God. (Skipper’s Smokehouse, Tampa)
TUE 21
C Babyface An entire generation of Babyface fans now have to pair the R&B hitmaker’s albums with Cialis, but young
46 | NOVEMBER 16-22, 2023 | cltampabay.com
Kid N Play pop music fans should bow town, too. The 64-year-old who more or less launched Boyz II Men recently lent his expertise to SOS from SZA, and we’re hoping Babyface tells a few of those stories when brings his 12-timeGrammy-winning catalog to this intimate Tampa show. (Hard Rock Event Center at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Tampa) Cattle Decapitation w/Immolation/ Sanguisugabogg/Castrator Literally days after releasing its latest album Terrasite earlier this year, vegetarian (not vegan) grindcore outfit Cattle Decapitation opened for Dark Funeral at Orpheum. That night, only three of the eight songs played were from the new record, but now that it’s more established, we can’t say that we’re surprised that Travis Ryan and friends have returned so soon to dig a little deeper into their latest masterpiece. (Orpheum, Tampa)
WED 22
C Timeless Hip-Hop: Kid N Play Thanksgiving House Party w/M.C. Serch House parties look a lot differently for Kid N Play fans these days, but that won’t stop a room full of hip-hop heads from throwing down and kick-stepping at this show which promises to be something a jam session that should find Christopher “Kid” Reid and Christopher “Play” Martin interfacing with the DJ who’ll help them walk through the different phases of their careers. M.C. Serch (3rd Bass) and DJ Sandman, who helped members of Wu-Tang Clan do a similar show
at Tampa’s Hard Rock Cafe in September will once again be in the building for what could be an all-time Thanksgiving Eve concert. (Hard Rock Event Center at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Tampa) C Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse Live in Concert “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” broke all sorts of barriers upon its release in 2018, both in animation and music. “The score wasn’t written to be played live,” tour conductor Emily Marshall told CL during a phone call back in August. In preparation for this tour—which finally stops in Clearwater after a Hurricane Idalia-related postponement—she got plenty of input from original composer Daniel Pemberton on how to bring the film to life with his hip-hopmeets-orchestra score. “We’ve just been talking about how to make it seem as full, big and theatrical as it can with less musicians, but still making the sound as exciting as we can,” she added. Read our full interview at cltampa.com/music. (Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater)
THU 23
Uncle John’s Band There’s not a lot of live music happening on Thanksgiving, but there is a show to be Grateful for. Uncle John’s Band is the Bay area’s longest-tenured Dead tribute act, and it plays for free at this staple of the St. Pete bar scene that’s had a a few different homes over the years. (Ringside Cafe, St. Petersburg)
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Am I in heaven? After playing its first-ever Florida shows last summer, Australian rock band King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard has announced a return to the Sunshine State. Last week, the Gizz—which has released more than two dozen studio LPs and 16 live albums since 2012—announced a new run of North American and European tour dates, including a pair of shows to close out the tour in November 2024. There are no Tampa Bay area gigs, but the Gizzverse lands at St. Augustine Amphitheatre on Nov. 20 ($52-$87) and shuts down for the year at Factory Town in Miami on Nov. 21.
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It’s safe to say that King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard will have more albums out
Bird Street Players Friday, Nov. 24. 9 p.m. No cover. The Hub, Tampa Microgroove 12th Anniversary: Planet Loser w/The Arrival Note Sunday, Nov. 26. 12 p.m. No cover. Microgroove, Tampa Pet Lizard (Album release) w/Hollyglen/ Turkey Boy/Sintell Terry Friday, Dec. 8. 7 p.m. $15. Crowbar, Ybor City
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Refer Three Friends, Get Yours Free Once you make a purchase from CL Deals, you will receive a referral link to share. Simply pass on your link to friends and family and, if three people use your link and purchase the same Deal within 30 days, your deal will be completely free! 48 | NOVEMBER 16-22, 2023 | cltampabay.com
by the time it comes back to Florida, but the sextet just released its synth-heavy 25th studio album, The Silver Cord, late last month. The album has two iterations: a 28-minute pop and hook-laden version, and an 88-minute extended cut that lets itself sprawl out and get lost in synthesizers from across the generations. “We’re testing the boundaries of people’s attention spans when it comes to listening to music, perhaps – but I’m heavily interested in destroying such concepts,” Stu Mackenzie, Gizzard’s singer/guitarist, wrote in a press release. Read Josh Bradley’s weekly roundup of new concert announcements below. —Ray Roa Slumber/Newsong/Zane Black Saturday, Jan. 13. 6 p.m. $15 donation at door. Yuengling Center, Tampa John Moreland w/Chris Staples Thursday, Feb. 1. 7:30 p.m. $35. Safety Harbor Art and Music Center, Safety Harbor Michael Bolton Thursday, Feb. 1. 8 p.m. $42.75 & up. Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater
Trace Adkins Friday, Dec. 15. 8 p.m. $75 & up. Hard Rock Event Center at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Tampa
Hannah Wicklund & the Steppin’ Stones Friday, Feb. 16. 9 p.m. $18. Crowbar, Ybor City
Wolf-Face w/The Eradicator/Shehehe/ Teen Agers/The 4Js Friday, Dec. 15. 8 p.m. $15. Music Hall at New World Brewery, Tampa
Pigeons Playing Ping Pong Friday, Feb. 16. 7:30 p.m. $29.50 & up. Jannus Live, St. Petersburg
Manic Focus w/Artifakts/Sidetrakd/ Brother Bear Friday, Dec. 29. 8 p.m. $25 & up. Floridian Social, St. Petersburg Greensky Bluegrass Saturday, Jan. 13. 6:30 p.m. $25.50. Jannus Live, St. Petersburg Winter Jam 2024: Crowder w/Lecrae/ CAIN/Katy Nichole/Seventh Day
Hockey Dad w/Mind’s Eye Tuesday, Feb. 27. 8 p.m. $20. Music Hall at New World Brewery, Tampa Lauren Daigle w/Blessing Offor Friday, March 1. 7 p.m. $25.75 & up. Amalie Arena, Tampa Forever Grey Saturday, March 9. 7 p.m. $18. Orpheum, Tampa
cltampabay.com | NOVEMBER 16-22, 2023 | 49
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Feeling chippy By Caroline DeBruhl
Dear Oracle, I’m a post-doc Ph.D. in a research field, and I’m in the slog of trying to find a job when my current post ends. I keep having leads in Academia, and what’s annoying is I get to the interview stage, and then they always give it to someone else. Even at my current university, the other postdoc got a TT position because she’s lucky, and I can’t even get adjunct. It’s stupid and stressful, and I want to HAVE a job already. I don’t know why I’m not getting hired. Do the cards have an answer? —Burned & Burned out Cards: Four of Swords (reversed), Two of Cups (reversed), Five of Cups, First Quarter Dear Burned, first, I’m sorry for the agony of the job search. As someone who worked in Academia before and during the pandemic, I know that teaching positions are now more competitive and precarious than five years ago and often offer even less. It’s cutthroat, and I’m sorry for the stress. With these specific cards, you may not be coming across as your best self in your interviews. Academia is a closed loop. Many people who get tenure stay in the same positions for years, if not decades. That means they also work—and socialize—with the same group of people for much of that time. Likability does become a factor because, at a certain point, all the applicants are qualified and
brilliant. It’s not, “Who can do the job?” but, “Who can do the job while playing well with others?” With the Four of Swords and Two of Cups reserved, I wonder if you’re coming across with a bit of a chip on your shoulder and possibly trash-talking your colleagues. (You did insult your fellow postdoc in the question.) The Four of Swords particularly suggests a wounded ego and an abrasive spirit, so coupled with shit-talk, the interviewer might wonder how well you’d fit in with the rest of the gang in the department. The Five of Cups also suggests that you might be more pessimistic, troubled by what isn’t happening, and not celebrating what is. If you seem overly critical, that might also affect your chances of landing a teaching position. Humorless, hardass professors tend to have sub-par student evals and lower enrollment numbers, which is a kiss of death. While your job is to educate, first and foremost, likeability helps with job security. Now, I don’t know if this ego-wound is from the job-hunting process or is part of a larger story. (Therapy could be beneficial right now.) But the First Quarter Moon card is about making decisions and challenging yourself to grow. Give yourself some rest, and meditate on what kind of professor/colleague you would like to be. How do you want to feel? How do you want to be seen by others? What does it look like to be your best self? What choices can you make to be that best self? How can you grow?
This isn’t easy work. As Malcolm X said, “The examined life is painful,” but by getting outside of the situation, you might be able to see an answer. Best of luck, my darling.
The cards advise you to be gracious to those who got you to this point but to own your choice. With the nostalgic Three of Wands, of course, there are people you love who you know would want to celebrate with you. These friends and family will understand, and not guilt trip you. Dear Oracle, my fiancé and I have been (Some people do like to honor those they love, engaged for a year, and while I am so excited to so if someone wants to throw you a little party marry him, the actual wedding planning part afterward, let them. Same with gifts—if it’s how has been intensely stressful. Between complex they express their love, just take ‘em. You can family situations and finances, it has kept us exchange them later if you must.) both up at night. We finally decided to have a What you need, however, is the strength to ceremony with just the two of us in a special loca- know that you made the right decision. The Seven of Cups shows deceptive paths tion. This feels so right! But I’m also worried about hurtthat may have looked fine (just ing the feelings of dear friends the parents! Just the two best and family. How do I navigate friends!) but would have been this? —Wedding worries the wrong choice. It’s so easy Send your questions for the for weddings to spiral out of Oracle to oracle@cltampa.com Cards: Three of control and for other’s egos to or DM @theyboracle on Instagram Wands, Strength, Seven get in the way, and it’s easy to of Cups, Ten of Cups just go with it. But the Strength card shows that Dear WW, mazel tov on your engagement you and your fiancé made this decision together and upcoming elopement! and are walking into a new life as equals. I’ve written before about weddings and And it’s going to work out well! The Ten of will reiterate that oftentimes, weddings are Cups is the happily-ever-after marriage card, about so much more than the happy couple. the love story completed. You and your fiancé Friendships end, family ties sever, people act are going to be married! How wonderful is that out in weird, atrocious ways for attention. It feeling? The wedding is only the first day of can be a complex minefield, and it does seem marriage, and hopefully, your elopement will like the way to avoid that is to just skip the be special and intimate and set the stage for a whole thing and elope. marriage where you two follow your intuition But, as you already feel and will learn, people and do what’s best for you as a couple, even in may express hurt even though this decision is the face of outside pressure and judgment. about what’s best for you and your fiancé. Mazel tov, babies. May it be a joyous union.
ORACLE OF YBOR
cltampabay.com | NOVEMBER 16-22, 2023 | 51
Q: Who is having thoughts of suicide? c.
a. b.
d.
e.
A: It’s not clear, is it? People of every income level, race, gender, sexuality, and religion think about suicide. The Crisis Center of Tampa Bay is the community’s gateway to help, hope and healing. Last year alone, we assisted over 5,000 callers struggling with thoughts of suicide.
CALL 2•1•1 Be Heard. 52 | NOVEMBER 16-22, 2023 | cltampabay.com
Him city By Dan Savage
I’m a 27-year-old gay man, and things are going well for me. I’m doing good in my career, and outside of work things are going well, too. The only problem is that I’m missing a guy to share my life with. I currently live in Salt Lake City, and dating as a gay man here is not awful but it’s definitely slim pickings. I’m thinking of moving to a bigger city to enhance my dating life. I feel that when it comes to gay dating, the thing is a numbers game and the best thing you can do is to date in a city with lots of other gay men. Do you have any advice for me regarding dating as a gay man in his late20s? Should I relocate to a city with lots of other gay men? Should I focus on meeting guys outside of the apps or stick with them? —Mulling Over Relocating My Overflowing Nuts When it comes to dating, MORMON, move on both fronts—meaning, stay on the dating/hookup apps but you don’t be exclusive to them. Keep your photos up (and current) on Grindr, Tinder, Scruff, Recon, Feeld, etc., but get your ass out of the house. Going places and doing things ups your odds of running into a guy you might wanna fuck and/or date and/or marry. (I got an email today from a woman who swiped left on a guy on Tinder and later met that same guy at a party and now they’re married.) As for whether you should move… Bigger places are generally better for gays than smaller places. Gay men are a tiny percentage of the population, MORMON, and we need to achieve a certain critical mass to create and sustain a viable dating scene. So, a city can definitely be too small. But the Salt Lake City area has a population of 1.2 million people, which isn’t too shabby; it’s more than San Francisco proper (815,000), but smaller than the population of the San Francisco Bay Area (7.75 million). Would you have better luck in a bigger city? Maybe, maybe not. Gay men are slower to pair off, MORMON, but we’re likelier to remain paired off once we settle on and for someone. (Paired off, yes. Monogamous, no.) So, being 27 and single again and/or still is nothing to panic about. Check with your friends about whether you’re doing something wrong—on the interpersonal or personal hygiene fronts—and go ahead and move if you wanna get out of Utah. But wherever you go, MORMON, there you are. So, if it’s a “you” problem, changing locations won’t fix it. And are you familiar with the “paradox of choice”? If someone goes to the grocery store to get mustard and there are only four options, they tend to leave with a jar of mustard. Send that same person to a store where there are four hundred different kinds of mustard and they’re going to leave without mustard. Swap in “West Hollywood” for
“grocery store,” and “men who are your type” for “jars of mustard,” and you may find yourself so overwhelmed by your options in LA or NYC that you can’t bring yourself to pick a partner. (That said, I know lots of gay men in New York and West Hollywood who met their boyfriends and/ or husbands in those big cities—so, having seemingly endless choices isn’t a problem for everyone.) P.S. Everything isn’t perfect for the woman who married the guy she met at the party after swiping left on him on Tinder. No one writes to me about their perfect marriages. P.P.S. Confidential to the woman who married the guy she met at the party after swiping left on him on Tinder: Your husband shouldn’t have lied about having lunch with his ex-wife—you’re right about that—but he’s highly likely to interpret your three-week-long freakout about him having lunch with his ex-wife as confirmation that he was right to lie about it. The quickest way to prove to him that he didn’t need to lie to you would be treating the lunch he had with his exwife like the non-problem you insist it would’ve been if he’d told you about it in advance. (“You didn’t need to lie to me.” “I’m sorry; it won’t happen again.” “Apology accepted—now, take me somewhere nice to dinner.”) P.P.P.S. This goes out to the man who married the woman he met at the party after she swiped left on him on Tinder: The quickest way to figure out whether your current wife is lying to you—lying about how having lunch with your ex-wife would’ve been OK if you’d told her about it in advance—would be to schedule another lunch with your ex-wife and tell your wife about it in advance. Good luck.
SAVAGE LOVE
I’m a pretty explorative guy with few reasonable limits. I’m dating the best girl in the world, and we’ve just moved in together. She’s hilarious, non-judgmental, supportive, and we have good sex, though she is a bit of a pillow princess. I regularly want to get a little kinkier and she’s always saying accepting things but never actually wants to try anything new. She almost pegged me once, more than a year ago, and when I brought up giving it another try recently, she replied that she “hoped to put that off for another year.” We’re in an open relationship, but I feel disconnected from her when I’m with other people. Do you have advice for how to stop wanting more than a partner can give when you only want to be with that one person? —Kinkster In Love Lacks Mutual Exploration Nope. P.S. Your pillow princess isn’t putting pegging off for a year, KILLME, she’s putting it off forever—she’s running out the cock.
P.P.S. If playing with others doesn’t make you feel great right now, well, don’t play with others for the time being. But don’t assume—and don’t despair (KILLME? really?)—that not wanting to play with others right now means you’re never going to wanna play with others ever again. A period of sexual exclusivity early in a relationship, even one that’s officially open, is usually a good sign; monogamous behavior is one way the insanity of the limerence stage manifests itself. But don’t despair: your ass will get pegged again someday, KILLME, and you’ll like it, but it won’t be your pillow princess doing the pegging. I have a question that is neither related to sex or relationships, but rather on the ethics of doing a theater project on sex work. I’m a puppet theater artist based in Montreal. I am not a sex worker, but I am interested in creating a documentary theater piece on the topic. Sex work has been part of the landscape of Montreal for decades, yet there is still so much stigma around sex workers. The objective of the project would be to challenge this stigma, explain the importance of this work, and to understand how the law deprives sex workers of autonomy. I am interested in talking with providers, clients, and advocates. Some of my friends have told me that it isn’t my place to explore the topic since I have never done sex work. I believe my intentions are good and plan to donate a portion of any unlikely profit to local groups.
What do you think? Is it not my pla c e to research sex work? I feel like puppetry is the perfect medium for this topic, but I don’t want to do harm to a marginalized group. —Puppeteer Understands Personal Privilege Extracts Toll Anyone can make art about anything—good art, bad art, meh art—and lots of people with “lived experience” have made deeply shitty art about their own experiences and lots of artists without “lived experience” have created moving and deeply humanizing works of art about people whose experiences, identities, and employment
histories bear no resemblance to their own. Lived experience is great—I’m a fan—but it’s no substitute for talent. That said, PUPPET, the sad reality is that structural barriers long prevented extremely talented people who happened to be racial minorities, religious minorities, sexual minorities (which, for the sake of this response, includes sex workers), etc., from getting funded, published, produced, exhibited, or greenlit; creators, curators, and consumers need to bear that in mind and work to correct it. But that shouldn’t stop anyone from making their own art. The novelist Lionel Shriver (“We Need To Talk About Kevin,” “The Mandibles,” “So Much For That”) gave a famous/infamous speech about identity and art at the Brisbane Writers Festival in 2017. In her speech, Shriver, who thinks there should be no restrictions on who gets to make art about what, cited Susan Scafidi, a law professor at Fordham, who defined “cultural appropriation” as the “taking [of] intellectual property, traditional knowledge, cultural expressions, or artifacts from someone else’s culture without permission.” “What strikes me about that definition,” Shriver said, “is that ‘without permission’ bit. However are we as writers to seek permission to [create] a character from another race or culture, or to employ the vernacular of a group to which we don’t belong? Do we set up on the corner and approach passers-by with a clipboard, getting signatures that grant limited rights [the] way political volunteers get a candidate on the ballot?” If you’re creating a show about sex work based on interviews with sex workers, their clients, and their advocates—and you’re honest with the people you interview about your intentions—your subjects are, by agreeing to be interviewed by you in the first place, essentially granting you permission to tell their stories. You could still wind up making a shitty puppet show that pisses off a bunch of sex workers and/or their allies (allies are always likelier to take offense than actuals; allies are always likelier to be towering assholes), PUPPET, but the existence of a few pissed off pupaphobes isn’t by itself proof you’ve done something wrong and/or created shitty art. But if it makes you feel better, PUPPET, find someone who’ll pay you $20 to suck their dick and then hand that same $20 to someone who’ll suck your dick then go home and write a letter to Justin Trudeau about how you made and lost $20 doing sex work and—et voilà!—you’re a provider, a client, and an advocate. P.S. Puppets? P.P.S. For the record: I’m with Shriver in that I agree that anyone should be able to make art about anything. I’m against Shriver on just about everything else—I mean, she’s endorsed Ron DeSantis FFS. Send your question to mailbox@savage.love. Podcasts, columns and more at Savage.Love.
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57 David and 104 Military ODE TO A 65 City pall 130 “Still as ___” agreement 66 Writer Rand (Byron) Ricky’s dad CLASSIC 67 Not on schedule 59 Bitter, old-style 105 Most cunning by Merl Reagle 107 He can’t buy a 68 Liquor DOWN 60 Carried ACROSS break 1 Globule 61 “Shame ___!” 1 Disney’s That ___ 69 See 58 Across 109 Physicist Enrico 2 Make ___ for it 68 French 8 Landing cushions 71 “Sure” 73 Milton Bradley 3 Anger composer Hector 111 Suffers after 12 Have ___ exercise board game 4 Gas pump 69 Himalayan goat (enjoy oneself 113 Ran, as colors 76 Dinah Shore’s attachment (anagram of immensely) 114 Warner ___ label 5 Cook, as an egg HART) 17 Sedona’s state 116 Common 78 Tidy for Caesar salad 70 Pulsating 18 Plenty Spanish verb 79 Tofu source 6 Not bat ___ 72 Literary Jane 19 Slow movements 80 Pastoral sound 117 Edinburgh native 7 Black stuff 73 CD forerunners 118 Drive-___ 21 Earth mover 83 One of Henry 8 Yucatán Indians 22 17 Across city 74 “___ my kid’s restaurant VIII’s Catherines 9 Certain grad 23 Pizza topper mom” 120 Actor Erwin 84 See 58 Across 10 Girls in trees 25 Poor (Dr. Laura) 121 Nighttime 88 Salmon cousin 11 Sedate 26 SE African 75 Cold treat product, 90 English composer 12 Cutting tool republic 77 Stop Sleep-___ 91 Curved entrance 13 Pastoral sound 28 Norwegian king 79 Chat 123 La-la intro 92 Painter Max 14 A U.S. Dept. 29 Site of Samson’s 93 Physicist Bohr 80 Tropical fruit 124 Born 15 Use, as a bed jawbone slaughter 95 Commotion 81 Church lane 16 Lulu 31 Knotty spot 82 Poker amounts 97 Resistance unit 19 “___-see!” 32 Party animal? 85 “Three men ___” 98 Stare at (short rave 34 Type of cough 99 Home of Dorothy review) 86 “Prickly” prefix drop Porker? 20 Schedule of 87 Cyclo ending 38 Opinion piece 101 Ready-___ events 89 Nantes noggin 40 A Musketeer (already cooked) 24 Many miles away 94 30 percent of 42 For each 103 Former 26 “Don’t ___!” L.A.? PUZZLE FANS ! 43 Actor Jack spokes-hunk for (short rave 96 Dune buggy For info on Merl's known for playing I Can’t Believe It’s review) milieu Sunday crossword malevolent Not Butter 27 Suzy of rock ’n’ 99 Commotion anthologies, visit gunslingers 105 Takes a nap roll www.sunday 100 Twyla of dance 44 Cigar residue 106 Oar steadiers 30 From ___ toe crosswords.com. 102 Clear as ___ 45 Tilt-nose jet 108 Noted vampire 32 Pea jacket 47 Lorne on slayer 33 “___ the whole Solution to Switching Places Battlestar 110 Actress Patricia thing” MU Z A K P A S SME A L S Galactica 112 Bard villain 34 Jetés D E N I RO RUN SOU T RO T 49 Broadcast 113 Tampa-born 35 Inventor Howe B A D C A R L S I N N E WM E X I C O 51 God, to Gide MOGU L N I N J A SME A R Nixon confidant 36 ___ one (none) P E N S E T A P S A T D S A L L Y 53 Speaker of and millionaire, 37 Hoover’s guys S A UN A S I N T H E B A H AMA S baseball A N S A E CHO L E RO I R I G 1912-98 39 Ed Norton L E E V E S H E N S A T I NGR E E C E 55 Strauss’s forte 115 Most snug comment MR S U P T ON E T A S S N A K E 58 Film quote 119 Mame portrayer 41 Impulsive GR EW COMO L AO S L Y L O OWA T E R I N B E L G I U M (with 69 and 122 Laugh loudly 46 Crucifixion DON S S A ON E A E L L E 84 Across) 123 Jimmy Durante’s wounds B E A OR EOS N A N A NOS E S A WW A R I N P O L A N D S A L A D S that’s the key nickname 48 Shopping centers OS W E G I V E R WE E P E L I S to what’s being 125 Bavarian treat 50 Can ___ wrong GO F A R I NNOR T HD A KO T A N A S A E N S A I M S I R S NOM ignored this puzzle 126 BLT spread 52 Like some E D I T H AMP A S A S T E R 62 Actress Anderson 127 Give back spacecraft V I D EOMON T E I NURUGU A Y E E L R E B U I L T D E F ORM 63 Retirement org. 128 Aligned 54 ___ instant RU E S T I MP Y S CON E 64 Sgt., e.g. 129 March time 56 Explosive stuff 1
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