Tampa Magazine | The Restaurant Issue | October & November

E U 19 SS I OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2018 / tampamagazines.com

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SHARING

IN THE LAND OF PLENTY For so many of us, food is something which to gather around — to share and enjoy with the people we love, or perhaps make new friends out of mere acquaintances. It is quite possibly the only thing left in this world we can all agree on. This autumn, we’re celebrating food and all its magical forms. Welcome to the Restaurant Issue of TAMPA Magazine

FEATURES V O L . N °

4

I S S U E

5

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER

53

66 2018 BEST RESTAURANTS 92

TAMPA SANDWICH HUNT

Find out which local restaurants were voted to the top

Meet the winners of the inaugural search for the city’s best sandwich

60

88

SIGNATURE DISHES

DR. BBQ

P H O TO : GA B R I E L B U R GO S

Chef Ray Lampe and pitmaster Lee Jasper talk all things barbecue and their new restaurant

Dishes that make these Tampa restaurants local favorites

ON THE COVER

THE CULINARY TEAM AT BOCA TAMPA PREPARED A DELICIOUS FRITTATA — SERVED AT THEIR WEEKLY BRUNCH — WITH A SEASONAL GREENS AND BABY HEIRLOOM TOMATO SALAD PHOTO BY Gabriel Burgos tampamagazines.com OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2018 9

VOL.N° 4 ISSUE 5

DEPARTMENTS OCTOBER / NOVEMBER

HOME & GARDEN 47 Home Kitchen renovation tips for the home chef from the pros

TAMPA CULTURE 20 Events The can’t-miss happenings across Tampa in October and November

22 Front Desk What you’ve missed since you last checked in with TAMPA

24 Tampa Confidential Realtor Jennifer Maru on her favorite local food spots

26 Social Scene

MOVING TAMPA

A look back at the Centre for Women’s food fundraiser

73 Business How mixologist Ro Patel rebuilt Tampa’s cocktail scene

28 Makers Beekeeping and honey making with Santa Monica Florida Raw Honey

30 Trend The Tex-Mex tradition of beer salt has made its way to Tampa

34 PURELY TAMPA

MADE IN TAMPA Four generations of family members have kept Alessi Bakery as sweet as ever

32 Tampa Goods Six local craft beers to try this year

PLAYERS & PURSUITS 77 Festivals Food festivals in Tampa Bay and beyond all year long

39 Bread Meet the husband-and-wife duo behind Jamison B Breadhouse Bakes

BACK WHEN 90 History

42 Grandma’s Recipe

The Big Orange was one of Tampa’s first drive-in restaurants

A Christmas Eve tradition from a Westchase family

44 Local Sweets Pastry chef Julie Curry has made Bake’n Babes a Tampa favorite

50 HOME & GARDEN

ENTERTAINING Blogger Becky Daly prepares a fall tablescape for your next dinner party 10 OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2018 tampamagazines.com

P H OTO: G A B R I E L B U R G OS ; A L E S S I FA M I LY

80 Fishing How to reel in a kingfish for tonight’s dinner

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PUBLISHER/PRESIDENT Greg Jasso GROUP PUBLISHER Shawna Wiggs CREATIVE DIRECTOR Jerry Pomales MANAGING EDITOR McKenna Kelley

SOURCE: Mark George, M.D. Biological Psychiatry Branch Division of Intramural Research Programs, NIMH 1993

SOURCE: Mark George, M.D. Biological Psychiatry Branch Division of Intramural Research Programs, NIMH 1993

As seen in these brain scans, As seen these scans, people whoindo not brain suffer from people whohave do not suffer from depression much higher depression have much higher activity levels (the colorful areas) activity levels (the colorful areas) in their brain than people living in their brain than people living with withdepression. depression.

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All You Can Eat The Restaurant Issue of TAMPA Magazine is one of the most popular editions we produce each year (and my personal favorite). This edition is a great opportunity to highlight the members of the Tampa community doing their part to bring us all together over some great food. Restaurants and food vendors are also some of the easiest businesses to patronize. As your city magazine, we are big backers of supporting local businesses, we hope the food featured on the following pages inspires you to try something new.

Over the course of this summer, we asked our readers and participating restaurants to get the word out for our first annual 2018 Tampa Sandwich Hunt. The response was huge. Twenty-six restaurants entered their sandwiches and thousands of you came to our website to vote for your favorites. Check out the results on page 53.

This year we also asked a panel of 72 Tampa influencers to vote on their favorite restaurant in 34 different categories to compile our 2018 Best Restaurants list. But, to get our readers involved, for the first time we also opened up voting to the public for our Reader’s Choice picks. You’ll see the results of our Reader’s Choices sprinkled throughout the list, beginning on page 66.

Enjoy the issue!

Shawna Wiggs | Group Publisher (813) 600-4000 shawna.wiggs@tampamagazines.com FOR OUR ADVERTISERS: The next edition of TAMPA Magazine is our Top Docs Issue. This annual edition boasts over 300 Top Doctors in more than 50 practice areas. Readers hold on to the magazine all year as a medical guide. Along with our peer-voted Top Doctors list, we also include a section of Physician Profiles. Contact me for information on how to have your business featured at (813) 600-4000 or email me at shawna.wiggs@ tampamagazines.com.

14 OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2018 tampamagazines.com

P H OTO: G A B R I E L B U R G OS

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OFFICES TAMPA

I T A L I A N , T H E WAY I T ’ S M E A N T TO B E Fresh off a complete dining room renovation, CENA invites friends old and new for modern, fresh and simple Italian food made from its roots in a beautifully updated space. Led by chef Michael Buttacavoli, this Channel District hidden gem was named the No. 8 restaurant on the Tampa Bay Times’ 2018 list of the 50 best restaurants in Tampa Bay. Enjoy a wide selection of risottos and pastas, plus unique entrees like branzino with escarole, white beans and roasted peppers, a curated selection of cocktails, and Italian-inspired desserts just blocks from the heart of downtown.

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On the Menu Since our redesign of TAMPA Magazine earlier this year, our whole editorial team has been looking forward to this issue the most. The Restaurant Issue is always a favorite of mine to work on. After all, who doesn’t love food?

As eating plays such a large role in our lives, you’ll find food-related stories in each department. In the Tampa Culture department, one of our writers met with a local honey maker whose business has surprising origins (page 28). Over in Moving Tampa, we talked about the business of craft cocktails with the master mixologist behind some of the city’s top bar programs, Ro Patel. Read that story on page 73.

If you recall, we featured the Alessi family from Vigo Importing Co. in the Purely Tampa department of our last edition. When you flip to page 34, you’re not seeing double. We got the full story of the equally iconic (but unrelated) Alessi family of Alessi Bakery fame, including fourth-generation owner Phil Alessi Jr.’s plans for expansion, just ahead of their 106th anniversary celebration September 29-30.

I got to try lots of delicious bites throughout the production of this issue, from freshly baked Jamison B bread (page 39) to pork brisket.

Yep, it exists. Ray Lampe (better known as Dr. BBQ) and pitmaster Lee Jasper gave us a sneak peek into their new Dr. BBQ restaurant in Downtown St. Pete, where they’ll be serving up authentic Texas barbecue with an edge. If you’re hungry, avoid page 60 at all costs.

As always, stay tuned to TampaMagazines.com, TAMPA Magazine on Facebook and @TampaMagazine on Instagram for more food content we couldn’t fit in the issue. Finally, if you voted in the 2018 Tampa Sandwich Hunt or for the Best Restaurants list, see the results on page 53 and 66, respectively.

Dig in!

McKenna Kelley Managing Editor mckenna.kelley@tampamagazines.com

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CONTRIBUTORS

DEREK HERSCOVICI is a journalist, author and photographer who writes about the culture, history and cuisine of Florida and the American South. A Tampa native and graduate of Auburn University, he has been published in Good Grit, Deep South and Auburn Magazine and has contributed to TAMPA Magazine since March 2016. Read his pieces on Santa Monica Raw Florida Honey (page 28), pastry chef Julie Curry (page 44), mixologist Ro Patel (page 74) and fishing (page 80), plus the 2018 Tampa Sandwich Hunt roundup (page 53).

MARCY SANFORD has been published in TAMPA Magazine, South Tampa Magazine, Tampa Bay News & Lifestyles, World of Westchase and The University of Memphis Alumni magazine. She also writes blogs, advertising copy and scripts for local agencies and businesses. Originally from Tennessee, she has lived in Tampa for 11 years and enjoys the year-round opportunities to get outside and enjoy everything Florida has to offer. She spoke with kitchen renovation pros on page 47, found one family’s Christmas Eve tradition on page 42 and gathered the Bay area’s coolest food festivals on page 77.

18 OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2018 tampamagazines.com

P H OTO: D E R E K H E R S CO V I C I ; M A RC Y S A N F OR D

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2018

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EVENTS OCTOBER/NOVEMBER

NOVEMBER

15

12-14

IRON AND WINE 7:30 p.m.

Tampa Theatre 711 N. Franklin St. tampatheatre.org

06

Times vary Curtis Hixon Park 600 N. Ashley Drive oktoberfesttampa.com

TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING V. FLORIDA PANTHERS 7 p.m.

Amalie Arena 401 Channelside Drive amaliearena.com

7 HOWL-O-SCREAM

7:30 p.m.

Select nights thru Oct. 28 Busch Gardens 10165 N. McKinley Drive buschgardens.com

13-14 HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN IN CONCERT

Times vary Straz Center for the Performing Arts 1010 N. MacInnes Place strazcenter.org

7 p.m.

Amalie Arena 401 Channelside Drive amaliearena.com

ED SHEERAN

USA V. COLUMBIA SOCCER 7:30 p.m.

Raymond James Stadium 4201 N. Dale Mabry Hwy. raymondjamesstadium.com

21

TREASURE CHESTS 5K 7:30 a.m.

1 Buccaneer Place buccaneers.com/race

BREWS BY THE BAY 8 p.m.

Florida Aquarium 701 Channelside Drive flaquarium.com

TWENTY ONE PILOTS

07

11

12

03

18 JOURNEY AND DEF LEPPARD 7 p.m.

Amalie Arena 401 Channelside Drive amaliearena.com

20   OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2018 tampamagazines.com

7 p.m.

Raymond James Stadium 4201 N. Dale Mabry Hwy. raymondjamesstadium.com

17

CEDRIC THE ENTERTAINER 7 p.m.

MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre 4802 U.S. 301 N. midflorida.com/amphitheatre

22 GOODY GOODY TURKEY GOBBLE 6:30 a.m.

Amalie Arena 401 Channelside Drive runsignup.com

28

ELTON JOHN 8 p.m.

Amalie Arena 401 Channelside Drive amaliearena.com strazcenter.org

P H OTO: TA M PA B AY LI G H TN IN G / A M A L IE A R E N A ; FL O RI D A A Q U A R IU M ; OKTOBER F EST TAM PA; S TR A Z C E N T E R ; J O S I A H M CK E N ZI E ; A M A L I E A R E N A ; G R E G W IL LIAM S; TAM PA T H EAT R E; ER N ST VIKN E

OKTOBERFEST TAMPA

ANNA MARIA BEACH RESORT B O O K I N G S B E G I N J A N U A RY 2 0 1 9

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C H E C K I N W I T H TA M PA

hospital in Florida, while MOFFITT CANCER CENTER ranked as the eighth-best cancer hospital in the country — the highest ranking of any hospital in the Southeast.

St. Petersburg favorites BODEGA and MANDARIN HEIGHTS opened a shared Seminole Heights location, with a new concept coming in that space.

The CROSS-BAY FERRY between St. Petersburg and Tampa will return from November to April. Tickets will be slightly cheaper than during the ferry’s initial location in July. Bodega specializes in Latin American-influenced sandwiches and juices; Mandarin Heights is known for its unique, handcrafted cocktails.

The building that houses Mise En Place was recently purchased by Gianco Cos. and Tricera Capital and will be rebranded as LAFAYETTE ARCADE. While the restaurant will remain, the rest of the building will be converted into mixed-use retail and office spaces.

2016-17 run, maxing out at $8 per way for adults.

Service will run seven days a week.

Two Tampa hospitals rose to the top of U.S. News & World Report’s annual rankings. TAMPA GENERAL HOSPITAL was named the second-best

22 OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2018 tampamagazines.com

The TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS placed first in the NFL’s “Voice of the Fan” survey for their use of in-stadium technology.

Raymond James Stadium features more than 31,000 square feet of HD video boards, including four towers of HD video walls.

The survey also cited the user-friendliness of the team’s official app.

The Pasco County-based SORRENTO SWEETS will open a Hyde Park Village location this fall.

Sorrento Sweets will serve traditional Italian cookies, pastries and cakes plus shakes, gelato floats and espresso.

Legendary Seminole Heights diner Nicko’s Fine Foods, which once played host to Elvis Presley, will now be occupied by the CHOP CHOP SHOP. The Asian fusion spot will move up the street from its current Florida Avenue

A new infrared sauna spa called SWEATOLOGY recently opened in Palma Ceia. Created by celebrity makeup artist Jessica Payne and Bianca Benedetto, the spa features

saunas that can burn up to 600 calories in a 30-minute session, plus LED facials, skin care products and juices.

ANNA MARIA ISLAND’S average home price is expected to rise to just over $1 million over the next year, making it one of America’s “million dollar cities.” The island’s current average home price is $964,200.

BUSCH GARDENS came in at No. 12 in TripAdvisor’s Travelers’ Choice awards for Best Amusement Parks and Water Parks in the U.S. The park owned by SeaWorld Entertainment Inc. is also ranked the No. 21 amusement park in the world and the No. 1 activity to do or place to go in Tampa.

WRITE TO US

info@tampamagazines.com 708 Harbour Post Dr. Tampa, FL 33602 / 813.600.4000 tampamagazines.com

P H OTO: S P L I TS V I LL E ; GA B R IE L B U R GO S ; D A N M UL L A N / P I N N AC L E

Celebrity chef ART SMITH will revamp the menu at Splitsville in the new Sparkman Wharf.

Smith is known for his Florida-inspired Southern cuisine, including fried chicken. The venue is expected to reopen in October.

Tampa International Airport announced that Delta will begin nonstop flights between Tampa and AMSTERDAM in May 2019.

According to the airport, the flights will contribute $110 million annually to the local economy and will connect Tampa residents to more than 80 locations across Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

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Wedding photography by Ashtyn Brooke Photo Wedding photography by Ashtyn Brooke Photo

But if we have more time, I like Eddie V’s to sign some deals.

Q. What is your favorite new restaurant?

I just recently tried CW’s Gin Joint, and it’s impressive. I love seeing something unused transformed into something exciting. The décor and ambiance are classy, the drinks are creative, and the food is top notch. Try the octopus and the Brussels sprouts.

Q. What is your favorite hidden gem restaurant in Tampa?

Osteria Natalina. It’s a tiny restaurant that does not take reservations, but it’s totally worth it. The food is so authentic, the staff all have Italian accents, and everything is homemade. It’s the closest you can get to feeling like you’re in Italy.

Q. What is your favorite place for comfort food?

My personal comfort food is sushi. I can’t go a week without it. Soho Sushi is the spot. You can typically find me there every Friday during happy hour, sitting at the sushi bar, watching the best sushi in Tampa being made.

TO LIVE AND EAT JENNIFER MARU, A REALTOR WITH KELLER WILLIAMS SOUTH TAMPA, SHARES HER FAVORITE DINING SPOTS

Q A

Q. If you had to pick one, what is your favorite restaurant in Tampa?

Bern’s. The atmosphere, wine collection and dessert room are untouchable.

We are all lucky to have this iconic restaurant in our backyard. If my husband and I want to go but don’t have reservations, we go early and eat at the bar.

They serve the full food menu there.

Q. Where do you go for a business meal with clients or other Realtors?

Oxford Exchange to have a casual business lunch, and if we need a quick coffee or tea instead of a full meal, they have an extensive list of tasty beverages.

24 OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2018 tampamagazines.com

Q. What is your favorite spot for a drink, and what are you drinking?

Hands down, American Social. I’m from Fort Lauderdale and always went to that location, so when they opened up one in Tampa, I couldn’t wait to check it out.

The outside bar overlooking the waterway is gorgeous, the music is awesome, and it’s always busy. Pair that with a glass of sauvignon blanc, and I’m set!

Q. Where do you take guests who are visiting Tampa from out of town?

We start at Top Golf. It’s a lot of fun, even if you’re like me and can’t golf. After a few games, it’s off to Hula Bay Club.

I like the outside deck, and they allow dogs, so my 4-yearold Vizsla named Suede joins us. We eat, listen to the band, and enjoy the breeze and view of the beautiful bay.

We finish our day at the rooftop bar at Bulla Gastrobar to have a bird’s-eye view of our fantastic city.

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SOCIAL SCENE

A FEAST FOR SUCCESS THE CENTRE FOR WOMEN DINED OUT FOR

Sounds from the Chello Hollyday Band set the tune for a mouthwatering evening of food sampling at the Helen Gordon Davis Centre for Women’s 27th annual Gourmet Feastival. Fifty food and beverage purveyors dished out samples to Feastival attendees in the event room at Armature Works. From the Italian cuisine of Timpano Italian Chophouse to the sweets of Cakes by Criz, the array of food that guests could choose from seemed endless. Attendees could also watch chefs prepare samples. Yacht Starship’s chef Mike Russell prepared scallops in the VIP room, filling the air with the sound and smell of sizzling seafood. Fruit displays decorated the room, adding color to the already fruitful event. The event raised about $70,000, the net of which will contribute to center’s mission of supporting the personal and professional success of women and girls.

The Centre for Women strives to educate and empower women through leadership and business programs and employment and counseling services. —Molly Urnek 26 OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2018 tampamagazines.com

P H OTO: MA MA R A Z ZI FO TO , I NC

A GOOD CAUSE

MAKERS

Sweet Healing

28 OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2018 tampamagazines.com

(center), with her mother Maria (left) and sister Jenny (right), keeps the bees and makes honey in Wesley Chapel

P H OTO:

MONICA OBANDO

PHOTO:GABRI EL BURGOS

M

Monica Obando might never have gotten into the honey business if not for her arthritis.

With arthritis normally found in much older patients, Obando sought treatment for her aching joints but was against taking medication with harmful side effects. When she saw a program on TV discussing bee venom therapy (BVT), in which patients are stung periodically to manage their painful symptoms, she had to see for herself and attended an American Apitherapy Society conference in New Orleans.

“That’s when I had my first sting,” says Obando, an occupational hypnotherapist based in Wesley Chapel. “The pain was very strong, but I felt fine. It was like a whole new world opening.”

The primary goal of BVT is to stimulate the body’s immune system by forcing a flu-like reaction to the venom and the stinger; it works like a combination of acupuncture and antibiotics to ultimately relieve chronic pain. After learning how to care for the bees like one would a regular pet with her husband, Obando started regular stinging treatments every other day. Soon, her mother and sister were also treating each other for their own chronic conditions during a seven-month cycle.

“Those were the worst months because we had to suffer before it got better,” says Obando. “But we started noticing the healing immediately. The pain receded, the swelling stopped, and we were amazed at the improvement. It seemed like medieval therapy, but it worked.”

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Under the guidance of professional beekeepers, the Obandos decided to maintain their own beehives for easier access to treatment. The bees created more honey than the family could eat, which prompted Obando to start her “educational side business.” She opened Santa Monica Florida Raw Honey in 2011, named partially for herself and partially after miraculous healer Saint Monica.

They continue to sell their hand-packaged glass bottles of honey online and at local markets, but Obando says her goal from the beginning was to educate people on honey’s healing power, which has proven to help with allergies, skin care and even improve memory. She also stresses the importance of protecting bees from further extinction and connects customers with professionals who can safely remove unwanted beehives to a better location.

“It’s something that we had in mind from the beginning: how to honor the honey for what it is,” says Obando. “It’s pretty much liquid gold.”

— Derek Herscovici tampamagazines.com OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2018 29

+ VISIT TAMPAMAGAZINES.COM/SALT FOR RECIPE IDEAS AND WHERE TO FIND TWANG PRODUCTS

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WORTH THEIR SALT THE TEXAS TRADITION OF BEER SALT HAS MADE ITS WAY TO TAMPA BAY

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30 OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2018 tampamagazines.com

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1 Twang

Lemon Lime Beer Salt (walmart.com) gives a citrusy zest 2 Twangerz Snack Topping Mango Chili Salty Sweet is food scientist Suzie Martel’s favorite seasoning (amazon.com) 3 Twangerz Snack Topping Chili Lime Salt is great for popcorn 4 Twangerz Lime Salt can even be sprinkled on fruits and veggies 5 Twang Hot Lime Beer Salt gives your favorite lager a spicy kick (walmart.com) 6 Twang Michelada Beer Salt is formulated specifically to emulate the Mexican beer, hot sauce, Worcestershire and lime cocktail (walmart.com)

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seasoning blends for grilling, and Walmart sells the Twang-a-Rita sweet and salty cocktail rimmers and the iconic Beer Salt. Though the tradition of salting a beer has long been familiar to regions with large Hispanic populations, Martel (whose favorite Beer Salt is the hot lime flavor) says the combination of social media and an increased interest in international foods has helped the trend take off across the United States.

“So many demographics are being more educated about their food and are looking to have real, authentic global flavors,” she says. “I think that social media has absolutely been an integral part of educating people. You can get creative with your cocktails and your beers and take those flavor inspirations from different cultures. It doesn’t hurt that it’s visually appealing, either.” — McKenna Kelley

P H OTO: G A B R I E L B U R G OS

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When your typical Tampa bartender reaches for salt, the seasoning sticks strictly to margarita glasses and lime wedges. But a new tradition, hailing from the Latin American influence of south Texas, is making its way to the Bay area: beer salt.

“It’s a longstanding Latin tradition to put salt and lime in your beer,” says Suzie Martel, a senior food scientist at Twang, a San Antonio-based company that creates salts and seasonings for drinks and dishes alike. “It makes it a little more complex and brings a different level of flavor to the beer.”

In Texas, it’s common practice to ask for a beer — particularly Dos Equis — “dressed,” says Martel.

The beer arrives with the rim coated in lime and salt. Twang founder Roger Treviño Sr. first encountered a citrus-flavored salt on a trip to a Mexican street market that was reminiscent of those flavors but was much more portable. He later created his own version of the seasoning that quickly became a hit across Texas. Today, Twang’s Beer Salt is sold in patented mini beer bottles, which Martel says are meant to travel everywhere.

“I know people keep it in their car and in their purse, so if they’re in a place that doesn’t offer salting on their beers they can do it themselves,” Martel says.

Twang, founded in 1986, recently expanded into Florida. Publix carries the brand’s ZAS! all-natural

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LOCAL LAGERS

1. Barrel of Monks Brewing Wizard Witbier is a Belgian beer with a slight citrusy orange flavor 2. Funky Buddha Last Snow Coconut & Coffee Porter is rereleased every September and February to celebrate Florida’s “winter” months 3. Florida Avenue Brewing Co. Cucumber Berliner has a seasonally rotating fruit flavor — look for raspberry in the fall 4. Hidden Springs Ale Works Deja Moo Milk Stout features cocoa nibs and smoked chipotle peppers for a mix of spicy and sweet 5. Coppertail Brewing Co. Unholy Trippel is one of the brewer’s core beers and uses American hops to make a Belgian-style beer 6. 3 Daughters Key Lime Apple Cider is made by the St. Pete beer brewer to take advantage of the fruit’s tangy zest — McKenna Kelley 32 OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2018 tampamagazines.com

P H OTO: G A B R I E L B U R G OS

DRINK BEER FROM HERE WITH THESE FLORIDA-MADE CRAFT BREWS

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THE FABULOUS BAKER BOYS

FOUR GENERATIONS HAVE MADE ALESSI BAKERY TAMPA’S TASTIEST ICON

P H OTO:

By McKenna Kelley

34 OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2018 tampamagazines.com

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In 1912, a few crucial world events occurred. The Titanic sank; New Mexico and Arizona become states; the Oreo debuted on store shelves. And if you were in Tampa, Alessi Bakery opened its doors. Still hugely successful 106 years later, it’s doing something right.

“It’s really cool when you walk into airports and stores and you’re wearing your Alessi shirt,” says Phil Alessi Jr., the fourth-generation owner. “People come up to you and say, ‘My grandmother got her cake from Alessi and then my mother, and now my children do.’ It’s neat seeing the generations grow with us.”

Founder Nicolo Alessi, Phil’s great-grandfather, came to Tampa from Sicily in 1912 and started a small bakery to provide for his family. Alessi initially specialized in baking fresh Cuban bread, and his son, John, began the enormously popular decorated cake business in the 1930s. Today, Alessi Bakery (which is not affiliated with the Alessi family of Vigo Importing Co.) has become nationally recognized for its Cuban sandwiches, guava pastries, Italian tea cookies, and of course, scachatta and cakes — all made from LEFT: Alessi Bakscratch. ery’s team works “It’s difficult in this area to find bakeries that one-on-one with actually make everything from scratch the way clients to create that we do using recipes that we’ve used for decustom cakes cades,” says Melissa Maggiore, Alessi Bakery’s BOTTOM: John head cake decorator.

Alessi decorating a Maggiore has been with Alessi for nearly 18 cake in the 1930s years. She creates all of the bakery’s wedding cakes and the vast majority of its tiered cakes, including treats for Taylor Swift’s Tampa tour stop in 2015 and birthday cakes for Jon Bon Jovi and Joan Jett.

“We do a lot of thinking outside of the box,” Maggiore says. “There’s a lot of bakeries that will do specialty cakes, but most of the time they don’t take it to the level that we can take it.”

Beyond the bakery, the Alessi family has a somewhat surprising side gig. Inspired by a lifelong love of boxing fostered by local promoter Lou Viscusi, Phil Alessi Sr. founded Alessi Promotions in 1967.

Names like Joe Frazier and Marvin Hagler fought on Alessi’s more than 400 boxing cards. A photo of Muhammad Ali perusing the Alessi bakery case still hangs in Phil Alessi Jr.’s office. He says he plans to keep the promotion business going, in part as a tribute to his father’s legacy.

tampamagazines.com OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2018 35

“It was a pretty neat thing getting to meet the cast of characters, as he used to call them, in the boxing world,” Alessi says. “It’s something I want to keep going because it’s a passion of mine, and it was a passion of my dad’s.”

Phil Alessi Sr. passed away in May and is widely credited for creating the business that exists today. At just 16 years old, he opened the first of five bakeries across the Tampa Bay area, consolidating them all back into the Alessi Bakery that exists today when the company moved into its home on Cypress Street in the 1960s.

36 OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2018 tampamagazines.com

Alessi Sr. also expanded the business into wholesale manufacturing to compete with in-store bakeries at supermarkets, eventually striking a deal with Publix to sell Alessi baked goods in stores. Alessi Bakery operates a 100,000 square-foot facility in Carrollwood that now produces around 150 baked goods for the grocer, along with Kroeger, Walmart and Harris Teeter in North and South Carolina.

“My dad really took it to the level it’s at today,” Alessi Jr. says. “It’s his fingerprints on there.”

The younger Alessi says his father imparted the importance of quality,

P H OTO: A LE S S I FA M I LY; G A B RI E L B U R GO S

MADE IN TAMPA

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PHIL ALESSI SR. began working beside his father at the bakery at just 6 years old and opened his first bakery at 16, eventually consolidating his own businesses into Alessi Bakery THE FIRST ALESSI location was on Cherry Street in West Tampa, later moving to Howard Avenue and eventually the current Cypress Street location ALESSI BAKERY specializes in tiered and sculptured cakes, many custom-made by 18-year Alessi veteran Melissa Maggiore FRESH FRUIT is a key component in many Alessi desserts, like these cheesecake squares; it also inspires some of the team’s sweet inventions, like this summer’s carrot cake with pineapple and raspberry cream cheese PHIL ALESSI JR makes it a point to keep smiles on the faces of his team members. “We make it like a family,” he says. “It’s a business at the end of the day, but they’ve got to be coming into a workplace that’s nice to come into.”

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consistency and customer service on his family and staff, creating a good work ethic throughout the generations.

“One of the things he always taught me was you’ve got to wake that baby up in the morning and put it to sleep at night,” Alessi says. “You can’t live on reputation. I live by that, and I teach my children that every day.”

Like he and his siblings did, Alessi’s kids — who range in age from 5 to 15 — spend their free time helping out around the bakery, making sandwiches, assisting cake decorators and ringing up customers.

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“They know the point-of-sale system better than I do,” Alessi jokes.

Within in the next 18 months, Alessi says the company plans to expand with a second, smaller cafe elsewhere in Tampa serving a limited product line. Though they have not yet chosen a location, Alessi has an eye on the future with a firm hold on the key to the company’s success.

“One of my goals, to show gratitude to some of the people who have been here a long time, is for them to have their own store that they can run,” he says. “We have a wonderful staff. Without them it’d be very, very difficult. We take a lot of pride in them.” tampamagazines.com OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2018 37

S E N S AT I O N A L V I E W S . F R E S H S E A F O O D .

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P U B L I C B O AT D O C K S | VA L E T PA R K I N G AVA I L A B L E | WAT E R F R O N T S E AT I N G A S K A B O U T O U R P R I VAT E D I N I N G O P T I O N S T H I S H O L I D AY S E A S O N

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BREAD

PHOTO: GABRI EL BURGOS

Knead a Little Love JAMISON B BREADHOUSE BAKES IS DOING BREAD, BETTER

By McKenna Kelley

When Jason Laukhuf first learned the art of bread-making, his mentor gave him a 16-year-old starter as a token of gratitude. Formerly the executive pastry chef at Bern’s Steak House, Laukhuf had fallen in love with bread and planned to open a bakery with his wife, Blue. There was just one problem.

“We killed the starter,” she says. “We were still learning how to keep starters alive. They’re like children. I told him, literally, you have to keep this starter alive before we have a baby.”

They eventually created a new starter, bakery and baby, to boot. The Laukhufs’ 6-year-old son is the namesake of Jamison B Breadhouse Bakes. Head chef Jason and business manager Blue first opened the wholesale business in a small location near Centro Ybor and moved into their own warehouse a few blocks east of The Columbia on Seventh Avenue last year.

“We came up with all these cheesy names, and then I was holding my son one day, and he’s Jamison Blue,” says Blue. “I was like, Jamison B. I thought it sounded so cool.”

For now, just about the only places for the general public to try Jamison B’s breads is one of the restaurants the bakery supplies. The Laukhufs’ client list is a who’s who of Tampa’s culinary scene, including Haven, On Swann, Rooster & the Till, The Refinery and Steelbach at Armature Works.

Blue says their desire to work with Tampa’s most established chefs stems from her husband’s extensive culinary background and the lack of local fresh bread.

“It was all about supplying our chefs in Tampa with good bread,” she adds. “Everything was coming frozen. Everything was coming from Orlando or Miami. There was nothing really here.”

Still, Jamison B opens to the public every Saturday BLUE at noon for their weekly market, hawking some of (immediate right) their top-selling breads — including the ciabatta and and Jason (center) are focused sourdough — and a variety of specialty buns, crackers, on wholesale but jam and pastries. One of their top-sellers? The addichave not totally tive Cinna-Crunch Buns (nicknamed “Cinna-Crack ruled out the posBuns”), which Jason initially made as a special treat sibility of opening for the bakery’s accounts as a way to use up leftover a retail spot if it won't overwhelm brioche dough. their small team.

“Now they’re a staple,” Blue says. “It’s was mistake, “We consider sort of, turned into this genius thing.” everything,” Blue Each Jamison B product is made from grains says. “There are that are delivered whole and milled in-house by Jaso many options.

I definitely don’t son Laukhuf himself. He trained extensively at the want to take on award-winning Gran Forno in Fort Lauderdale, too much. After where he learned the art of ciabatta, and with sourfive years of this, dough experts in California. He specializes in long we’re here, and fermentation sourdough, which requires 36 to 48 we can kind of stay steady.” hours to get the final product.

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P H OTO: G A B R I E L B U R G OS

BREAD

“The color [of the bread] changes, the flavor changes, the acid increases, and it’s awesome,” Jason says.

Besides just yielding a tasty bread, the lengthy fermentation breaks down the gluten in the bread, digesting it before it reaches the eater’s stomach. While Blue stresses that the sourdough is not gluten free, many of her regular customers with gluten sensitivities have eaten it without issue. “We’re hoping through this that we can help people indulge in something they love,” she says.

Though their focus remains on their booming wholesale business for now, the Laukhufs are mulling over the possibility of retail. No matter where the business goes, it seems the next generation of Jamison B is already secured. “Jamison wants to be a pastry chef,” Blue says. “It’s the cutest thing. His name is already on the building, so…” tampamagazines.com OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2018 41

NOCHE BUENA ONE TAMPA FAMILY’S CHRISTMAS EVE TRADITION GOES BACK 45 YEARS

Y

You need sour oranges to make mojo pork, one of the dishes traditionally served in many Hispanic households on Christmas Eve. The Chiaramonte-Suarez family needs more than 100 pieces of the bitter fruit to carry on a tradition that started back

in the 1970s.

“When I was a little girl, all the females in the family would gather at my grandmother, and then my aunt’s, house the day before Christmas Eve to begin making mojo pork,” says Westchase resident Debbie Chiaramonte, who now continues the family tradition at her own home. “My Tia Dinora had 42 OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2018 tampamagazines.com

Four generations of the Chiaramonte-Suarez family are keeping tradition alive, including Debbie Chiaramonte (second from left), her mother, Carolina Suarez (center), her daughter, Marissa Wilkins (far right), and Marissa’s kids, Cameron Chiaramonte (far left) and Nora Wilkins (second from right)

sour orange trees at her house in Riverside Heights, and we would pick oranges from her trees and use the juice to make the mojo.”

In the ‘90s, Chiaramonte planted some seeds from those original trees. Although her family moved out of the house many years ago, the homeowners who have lived there since have allowed the Chiaramontes to come back each December to pick oranges. Unfortunately, Chiaramonte says that due to citrus greening, the trees do not produce as much fruit anymore. That has since led to a new family tradition.

“Everyone in the family begins the hunt for sour oranges in early December,” she says. “We’ve driven through neighborhoods looking for trees and met a lot of nice people, and we visit every Spanish grocery store we can find.”

On December 23 the family gets together to juice the

P H OTO: G A B R I E L B U R G OS

GRANDMA’S KITCHEN

Part one:

1 pound black beans (scan for and remove small rocks or leaves) 1 bay leaf ½ green pepper Water

Mojo Pork 5 lb. Boston butt ¼ cup dried oregano Salt Pepper About 50 sour oranges, enough for ½ gallon of juice ⅓ – ¼ cup chopped, bottled garlic

Sort and rinse the beans, and place in a large pot with the bay leaf and green pepper. Add water, 1 cup at a time, until 2 inches above the beans. Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce the heat to a rolling simmer.

Continue to simmer, stirring often to prevent sticking. Add water sparingly (only ½ -1 cup at a time) to keep beans loose.

Simmer 2 – 3 hours or until beans are tender.

Juice the oranges . Salt and pepper the butt. Using a knife, poke holes all over the butt. Stuff garlic into holes.

Put into large roaster pan.

Sprinkle oregano liberally

Part two:

1 large Spanish onion, chopped 2-3 cloves of garlic, chopped 1 tsp. oregano Olive oil In a separate pan, sauté onion, garlic and olive oil. Do not burn garlic. When onions are soft, add oregano. Pour the onion mixture into the simmering beans. Stir and continue to low simmer, uncovered for 1-1 ½ hours. Look for a film to cover the top of the pot; this means they are done.

Part three:

2 tbsp. white vinegar Salt

oranges and prepare the mojo pork for the next day’s feast — with a 21st-century twist.

“My tia used to squeeze all the oranges by hand,” says Chiaramonte. “But we broke down and bought a nice juicer.”

On Christmas Eve, Chiaramonte, her mother and her four brothers’ families gather to enjoy the mojo pork served alongside white rice, black beans, bonitas, Spanish candies and natillas. Chiaramonte foresees the tradition lasting for generations to come; she even saved seeds from last year’s oranges to ensure it does. — Marcy Sanford

over the meat. Fill pan so that ½ - ¾ of the pork is covered with sour orange juice. Do not completely cover pork. Refrigerate overnight. The next morning, preheat oven to 290 degrees.

Cook for at least 4 hours.

May need to increase heat to 300 degrees and cook longer as needed. When meat separates easily with a fork, it is done. Let sit for 30 minutes. Shred it while still hot, adding a little sauce in.

Save the rest of the sauce to use as gravy.

Add white vinegar and salt to taste.

tampamagazines.com OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2018 43

LOCAL SWEETS

SWEET DREAMS HOW FOOD AND FAMILY HELPED JULIE CURRY CONQUER HER FEARS OF THE KITCHEN AND BECOME A CULINARY CELEBRITY

By Derek Herscovici

Julie Curry had never cooked before her children were born. But on maternity leave, the new mother became suspicious of the processed foods available for her family.

44 OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2018 tampamagazines.com

“I was just buying baby food and looking at the ingredients, and there are so many ingredients in it,” says Curry. “If it says ‘apples,’ shouldn’t it just be apples?”

Through the help of her husband and round-the-clock Food Network viewing, she started cooking. By the time of her second maternity leave, Curry was confident enough in her skills to enter a cupcake contest at the Ybor Market. She won first place with a French Toast Maple Bacon cupcake. “I was actually talking to an 8-year-old and they said, ‘You know what would be cool? If you put bacon on a cupcake,’” she says. “And I was like, that would be cool.”

The success of Curry’s cupcakes formed the foundation for Bake’n Babes, a pastry and confectionery joint in the Hall on Franklin. Since opening a brick-and-mortar store in 2017, Curry’s reputation for raucous sweet treats like the boozy Irish Car Bomb cupcake and a (secretly vegan) salted chocolate chip cookie has made her a star at the Hall. “I wanted food that I could eat that I couldn’t find anywhere else,” she says. “The menu is all over the place, kind of like my head. My favorite item is probably the Babe CURRY'S Shake. It’s a milkshake with a delectable Liege waffle on top of it.” desserts include For someone who never vanilla-caramel dreamed of working in a kitchen, cheesecake, Curry is excited for what the mini Florida Key lime pies and future will cook up next. "sleazy" brown“We’re looking to open a new ies (that's cookspot soon,” Curry says. “We’re ie dough, Oreo just trying to find that sweet spot and brownie right now.” combined)

P H OTO: G A B R I E L B U R G OS

WINGS

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I N S P I R AT I O N F O R T H E S PA C E S W E C A L L H O M E

P H O TO : GA B R I E L B U R GO S

HOME

RECIPE FOR THE PERFECT KITCHEN RENOVATION TIPS FOR THE HOME CHEF FROM THE PROS

By Marcy Sanford thetampamagazine.com JUNE / JULY 2018 47 

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2 1 Ceiling-to-countertop

cabinets look elegant and can be a place to hide everyday appliances like a toaster oven or blender 2 A refrigerated drawer is a great place to store drinks so children can access them easily 3 Ideally the stove, sink and refrigerator should form a triangle inside the kitchen 4 Comfortable seating at the kitchen island makes it an inviting place for guests and family members 5 Light-colored cabinets and countertops help lighten up the space 6 A second oven is a great addition for home chefs who like entertaining 7 A beautiful tile backsplash can add personality to your kitchen 8 A unique faucet proves that every fixture can add to the overall design

P H OTO: G A B R I E L B U R G OS

For many people, the kitchen is the heart and soul of your home, the room you spend most of your time in.

Designer Missy Schukraft of Offshore Design Build, Inc. says that it is usually the first room people choose to renovate. She and business partner Bud Schafle, a licensed contractor, specialize in renovating historic homes and have some tips for kitchen whizzes and takeout titans alike.

Before you begin renovating your kitchen, ask yourself how it’s going to be used and be realistic about what works for your lifestyle. For instance, many people want marble countertops, but unless you are up for sealing them frequently or are OK with scratches, marble is not an ideal choice. “Marble is a soft stone that reacts with acid,” says Schukraft. Since so many things you use in the kitchen are acidic, marble quickly becomes marked up. Schukraft says that quartz or quartzite are beautiful, easy to care for options.

You can find unexpected ways to add extra flair to your kitchen with your stove or backsplash. Schukraft says many of their clients choose La Cornue or unusual stoves, which become the focal point of the kitchen. Likewise, the backsplash can show off your design personality while being functional. For instance, a mirrored backsplash can make a kitchen sparkle and add light. As a bonus, it’s easy to clean.

One of the latest — and if you have kids, maybe the greatest — ideas in kitchen renovations is adding a drink or beverage center. It’s not for you, but for your children. Adjacent to the kitchen, the center has a small refrigerator or refrigerated drawer along with storage for sippy cups, lids and snacks so children can help themselves while parents are cooking dinner.

One of the biggest mistakes people make when renovating a kitchen include putting the stovetop in middle of the island and going too big. “If an island is too big, it gets in the way, and if a kitchen is too big, it can hinder functionality,” says Schukraft. “Ideally, the refrigerator, sink and stove should form a triangle and all be no more than 9 feet from each other.”

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1 Daly advises having items like bread and salads already on the table so you have one less thing to worry about when guests arrive 2 For this layout Daly let the pumpkin hue of the placemats dictate the whole table’s color scheme 3 Daly found this tart at her favorite place for dinner party necessities, Whole Foods 4 This simple wedge salad

looks elegant but is easy to put together with romaine, dried cranberries, croutons and light honey mustard dressing 5 Once guests arrive serve each course family style, Daly suggests 6 On this tablescape’s bouquet, Daly included a variety of deep pink and white flowers, including carnations and gerbera daisies 50 OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2018 tampamagazines.com

E N T E RTA I N I N G

Fall Colors

As Florida’s unique version of fall approaches, Becky Daly created the perfect harvest dinner party table on the back patio of her Lutz home. “I find inspiration from one element and let that set the tone for the whole table,” she says.

“Even with the food, I keep the color scheme in mind.”

She recommends a citrus

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5

BECKY DALY is an interior designer and blogger on her website Daly Digs. She began her career in military intelligence before opening her wedding rental business. “I kind of got out of touch with what I loved, and I became more of a furniture moving company than an event stylist,” she says, and eventually pivoted to blogging. On Daly Digs, she gives her readers inspiration for entertaining, decor and home renovations. Daly lives with her husband, two dogs and four chickens (above) in Lutz.

salmon for the season (“It’s pretty and colorful, and not everyone likes beef, but fish is usually pretty safe”), plus a simple wedge salad that’s already plated when guests arrive. Homemade dessert is one thing you can skip, Daly advises. “Ask guests to bring a dessert or buy a ready made dessert,” she says. “It’s so easy, and it looks great.” Top the table with simple flowers — Daly found some of the greenery right in her own backyard — and pick a memorable drink. “I like doing one unique drink, like a specialty cocktail or a wine no one has had before, like an organic white wine.”

— McKenna Kelley

tampamagazines.com OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2018 51

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Winners

It's fitting that the town that birthed the Cuban sandwich should have no shortage of hand-friendly dining assemblages to choose from. And yet, with a bread-bound snack on every corner, a kind of choice-paralysis unique to the aspiring foodie is a very real threat. But Tampa Bay has your back. We asked our readers to vote for their favorite sandwich choices and tallied the thousands of votes we received.

The people have spoken. Here are the winners of the 2018 Tampa Sandwich Hunt.

By Derek Herscovici

Most Social Sandwiches

54   OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2018 tampamagazines.com

Datz

Porkfection

Bar Louie

Hot Honey Chicken Sandwich

Winners

ZYDRUNAS RACKAUSKAS and his team at Shula Burger launched an all-out campaign to win

WINNER

SOBE STEAK SANDWICH SHULA BURGER

P H O TO : GA B R IE L B UR G O S

“Shula Cut” New York strip steak, Boursin spread, pickled mushrooms, horseradish gremolata, rustic baguette

Yeoman’s Cask & Lion The Farmer’s Market

Like the football teams coached by Don Shula, the food at his namesake Shula Burger is a fierce amalgamation of brawn and finesse, combining the high-quality beef cuts that launched Shula’s Steak House with inspired toppings and flavors.

“We topped the steak with whipped roasted garlic and herb cheese along with fresh, roasted mushrooms,” says owner and manager Zydrunas Rackauskas. “The final touch was our horseradish gremolata, which adds nice texture and a level of acidity that ties the sandwich together.”

This year’s winning sandwich will hit your taste buds like a Larry Csonka stiff-arm. It doesn’t hurt that it’s Coach Shula’s favorite sandwich, either.

500 S. Howard Ave. | shulaburger.com

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RUNNERS-UP

Winners RAY RAY’S GRAZE 1910

Maple-pepper bacon, tomato, mixed greens, sliced avocado, poblano-avocado aioli (option to add eggs, chicken salad or tuna) Only six months after opening, Graze 1910 inside the Heights Public Market at Armature Works is piling up accolades for elegantly simple dishes with complex flavors.

Ray Ray’s — named for owner Ray Menendez himself — updates the standard BLT with maple-pepper bacon, roasted tomato and all the fixins’.

“We are a modern diner, and the Ray Ray’s represents our refined fare from traditional diner options,” says Menendez. “The details and quality of our ingredients are important. From the maple pepper bacon to the house-made poblano avocado aioli, we take pride in the menu being created from scratch, in house.”

1910 N. Ola Ave. graze1910.com 56 OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2018 tampamagazines.com

Winners HOT HONEY CHICKEN SANDWICH BAR LOUIE

P H O TO: GA B R IE L B U R GO S

Spicy fried chicken, jalapeño honey, pickles on a buttered brioche bun This summer Bar Louie turned up the heat with a revamped menu sizzling with sweetness, none more scintillating than their quite-literal Hot Honey Chicken. A revision of the classic Nashville hot chicken, this version toes a fiery line with rich jalapeño honey, brown sugar and smoked paprika.

“The jalapeño honey adds another layer, or different style, of heat,” says Steve Madonna, Bar Louie’s senior vice president of culinary.

“We create this special spicy honey by sweating onion and jalapeño, adding honey and then cooking it down. The honey mellows everything out and tones down the spice level.”

2223 N. Westshore Blvd.

International Plaza barlouie.com

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RUNNERS UP

GRILLED CHICKEN SANDWICH THE REZ GRILL

Winners

You don’t have to be a high-roller at the Seminole Hard Rock & Casino Tampa, but at The Rez Grill, you sure can eat like one. Straight from a cherrywood-burning Jade grill, eclectic takes on ordinary American dishes means everything tastes like a million bucks (even if you have a lot less than that in your pocket).

“I always tend to gravitate towards preparing sandwiches with both sweet and savory flavorings — the smoky-salty bacon paired with pepper jam really creates the perfect balance,” says creative culinary director Frank Anderson. “I love complementing my sandwiches with shaved iceberg lettuce piled high, so it gives every bite a crunchy texture.”

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P H OTO: G A B R I E L B U R G OS

Bacon, pepper jam, iceberg lettuce, garlic aioli, brioche bun

Winners

GOLDEN GATE WRIGHT’S GOURMET HOUSE

Roast pork, crisp bacon, Jarlsberg cheese, German dill pickle slices, lettuce, homemade mustard sauce, pumpernickel bread Tradition, innovation and family are what has made Wright’s Gourmet House a Tampa institution, so it’s no surprise that one of their most beloved sandwiches combines all three.

“My grandmother returned from a trip to San Francisco with a loaf of sourdough bread,” says owner Jeff Mount. “Given the difficulty of sourcing sourdough bread in Tampa all those years ago, she kept the name and used our popular Bucket Bread instead.”

It may sport Tampa staples like roast pork and pickles, but this truly is one-of-a-kind. “Homemade chutney on a sandwich—where else does one find that?” Mount says.

1200 S. Dale Mabry Highway | wrightsgourmet.com

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By MCKENNA KELLEY Photography by GABRIEL BURGOS

IF YOU WANT TO GET RAY LAMPE GOING, JUST BRING UP THE DIVISION OF BARBECUE BY REGION. FOR EXAMPLE, HE SAYS, IT’S INCORRECT TO ASSUME THAT AUSTIN’S “HIPSTER” BARBECUE REPRESENTS ALL OF TEXAS BARBECUE. Still, he emphasizes, it is important for barbecue restaurateurs to grasp the basics of each region.

“While I fuss about the regions not being a thing, they are,” says Lampe, perhaps better known as celebrity chef Dr. BBQ. “And if you want to declare what you’re doing is in the style of one of these regions, you need to know what you’re talking about.”

“Among other things, I’m a barbecue historian — one of my many charms,” he adds, chuckling.

The St. Petersburg resident and co-owner of the new Dr. BBQ restaurant (a joint venture between Lampe and the Datz Restaurant Group opening in mid-September) certainly has the credentials. Since entering the barbecue world in 1982, Lampe has written nine cookbooks, is a spokesman for Big Green Egg, frequently judges cooking competitions around the world and has become a regular presence on the Food Network. Rather than working his way up under an established pitmaster, Lampe actually began his career at a rib-cooking contest in downtown Chicago.

“This involved me standing around in a parking lot or a park all day drinking beer with fire and big piles of meat,” he says. “I always say if there were chicken soup contests where you went out in the park and drank beer all day and cooked chicken soup, I might be a chicken soup expert.

But barbecue just fit everything I liked doing. Literally since that day it’s been an obsession for me.”

Though he won’t be At Dr. BBQ, Lampe will be joined at the back of in the kitchen on a the house by pitmaster Lee Jasper. A Texas native, day-to-day basis, Lampe and his sigJasper made a name for himself working under legnature beard plan endary chef Roy Perez in the brick barbecue pits of to use his appearthe 118-year-old Kreuz Market in Lockhart, Texas, ances at national which Lampe calls the most iconic barbecue restaufood events to draw rant in the country. Jasper was initially hired in a “barbecue freaks” to Tampa Bay management position at Kreuz Market, but his in60 OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2018 tampamagazines.com

terest in barbecue led him to linger around the grill.

“I found myself in the pit room watching [chef Roy Perez], and Roy being Roy, he didn’t have a lot to say to me, but he eventually started showing me stuff,” Jasper says. “He’d say, ‘Hey, go stack wood,’ and I’d go stack wood, or ‘Rebuild this fire,’ and I’d rebuild the fire. Then I started getting to come in the mornings to help the cook, and the rest is history.”

“I watched until I was invited to participate,” he adds with a laugh.

Jasper was recruited to join the Dr. BBQ team by Datz owners Roger and Suzanne Perry. He says he was sold on the job, and the Perrys themselves, after they invited him to visit Tampa.

“They found my wife and I out in Texas, and they said, what do you think about moving to Tampa?” Jasper says. “I didn’t take it real seriously, but they were persistent. I came here and got to see their operation at Datz, Dough and Roux, so if I didn’t have faith in them I wouldn’t have moved us literally halfway across the country.”

Though they had never met before beginning work on Dr. BBQ, Jasper and Lampe quickly built up a mutual respect for one another.

“The fact that Lee trained with Roy [Perez] is golden to me right there,” Lampe says. “I had really big respect for him coming in from day one. He lives up to all of it.”

While he has been hawking barbecue in one form or another for two decades — from selling “Big Time BBQ” out of a trailer in Lakeland to consulting on Justin Timberlake’s Memphis-themed restaurant in New York City — Dr. BBQ will be Lampe’s first restaurant of his own. He had always declined to put his name on a restaurant for fear of tarnishing the Dr. BBQ brand with a less-than-stellar product. The Perrys, he says, were the only ones who could change his mind.

“This was the perfect opportunity to use that name, but it’s pretty much a one-time shot,” he says. “I’m so happy to have this opportunity with them. It’s the only reason I would do it. I can’t really think of anyone

SMOKE SHOW

AS THE NEW RESTAURANT DR. BBQ PREPARES TO OPEN IN ST. PETERSBURG’S TRENDY EDGE DISTRICT, DR. BBQ HIMSELF, RAY LAMPE, AND HIS PROTÉGÉ, PITMASTER LEE JASPER, SAT DOWN WITH TAMPA MAGAZINE TO TALK ALL THINGS MEAT tampamagazines.com OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2018 61

P H OTO:

TOP: Pitmaster Lee Jasper will be manning the smoker when Dr. BBQ opens. “My name’s on the meat, and I take that seriously,” he says. NEAR RIGHT: The Dr. BBQ menu features mainly traditional Texas barbecue, like these pork ribs. FAR RIGHT: Ray Lampe shows off some Asian-style ribs as they’ll be served at the restaurant. “Lee has made some really global, international dishes using the barbecue,” he says.

tampamagazines.com OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2018 63 

“I LIKE SOME OF THE BARBECUE PLACES AROUND TOWN. I EAT AT THEM. THEY’RE MY FRIENDS. BUT WE’RE COMING TO DO SOMETHING MORE AMBITIOUS.”

else who would have called and I would have said yes so quickly.”

Though the bulk of Dr. BBQ’s menu will focus on authentic, traditional Texas-style barbecue, the Datz team has pushed Lampe and Jasper to constantly innovate, from the brisket (they’ll be dishing up a killer pork version) to the side dishes.

The two are also taking inspiration from the country’s most popular modern barbecue joints, like Hometown Bar-B-Q in Red — RAY LAMPE Hook, Brooklyn — yes, the New York one — which both men say is their favorite barbecue restaurant at the moment.

“What we’re seeing in the modern barbecue restaurants is the incorporation of more global flavors,” Lampe says. “Because why not? We didn’t invent grilling and smoking meat. Every culture has that.”

“I have all the respect in the world for tradition,” Jasper adds. “My roots are steeped in tradition. But getting to kind of spread my wings is fun. It’s been a blast.”

Throughout the restaurant, Jasper and Lampe are adapting to their new roles. For Jasper, that’s the meat guru and pitmaster behind the custom Oyler smoker. Lampe will play gracious host, quality controller and teacher for wannabe barbecue chefs.

“I think we’re lucky in that barbecue is going to attract people who really want to learn the craft,” Lampe says. “Barbecue is such a big deal right now. It’s so hot. Where else is the opportunity in St. Pete to come work with a guy like me or Lee?” Lampe adds that Dr. BBQ’s unique, quality details — from Jasper’s careful preparation of the certified Angus beef and Compart Duroc pork, to the custom Dr. BBQ Pale Lager created by Green Bench Brewing, to the one-of-a-kind bourbon collection — will be what truly sets it apart from other barbecue restaurants in Tampa Bay. “It’s a commitment on our part, but it’s because it tastes better,” Lampe says. “It’s not your uncle’s barbecue joint, that’s for sure.”

Being a red-blooded barbecue restaurant in a city known for its embrace of a crunchier culture, Lampe and Jasper also made sure to confront one of St. Pete’s biggest questions up front.

“We know our neighborhood,” Lampe says. “We understand that there are vegans, and we’ve got to feed them, and we’re good with it. My attitude from day one, and I think we’re getting there, is we just want to 64 OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2018 tampamagazines.com

have some really good items on the menu that are vegan or vegetarian.”

At TAMPA Magazine’s print deadline, an official opening date for Dr. BBQ had not yet been set — though Lampe says it will be sometime in September — and the team was putting the final touches on the place. Artist Cam Parker, best known for his Lady Gaga mural in Tampa Heights, recently completed a mural of Lampe and fellow American icons (including a bald eagle, Wonder Woman and Aretha Franklin) on the side of the building. Inside, though, the team still has one major puzzle to solve: what to name the smoker. Among others, “Smokey McSmokerface” was floated as an option on the restaurant’s Facebook page.

“We’re going to have to come up with a name at this point,” Lampe admits.

As he and Jasper begin to see years of hard work materialize, the two say they hope Dr. BBQ becomes a destination for locals and barbecue fanatics alike that allows people to see just how much love and dedication goes into each piece of meat.

“I think when the smoke clears…” Lampe trails off, then laughs.

“I didn’t mean that literally, but we hope to do some seminars and classes, do some events and have Lee show everybody how to cook a brisket one day,” he says.

He pauses again, then backtracks slightly. After two decades, he knows his fellow barbecue devotees are not ones you want to disappoint — better to cover his bases, he decides.

“But if there’s too many people in line, we’re not going to be able to do that, so we apologize in advance,” he adds with a chuckle.

TOP: During the menu creation process, Lampe and Jasper discovered pork brisket, which can be served sliced or as burnt ends.

CENTER: Asian-style ribs. RIGHT: The philosophy behind Dr. BBQ has been innovation with respect for tradition. “We’re not trying to fit in anybody’s box,” Lampe says. “That just doesn’t interest me at all. We want authenticity.”

tampamagazines.com OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2018 65 

S ’ E t s i L N s I t n Z a A ur Gta

TAM P 2018 Be A M st R A es

Presented By

O:

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W

We all have to eat three times a day, so we might as well enjoy the best food Tampa has to offer.

With that in mind, we sought out the city’s best restaurants with the help of our readers and local influencers. The 2018 Best Restaurants list was first voted on by a panel of 72 Tampa influencers.

Then over the final two weeks of August, TAMPA Magazine readers were invited to vote for their favorite restaurants and bars in 32 separate categories, casting more than 32,000 votes. Throughout the list, you’ll see Readers’ Choice selections in the categories where the two phases of voting had different results. Don’t see your favorites here?

Email info@tampamagazines.com to nominate your favorite restaurant for the 2019 list.

Dig in!

tampamagazines.com OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2018 67

2018 Best

Restaurants List

READERS’ CHOICE

RUNNERS-UP Salt Rock Grill 19325 Gulf Blvd.

Indian Shores (727) 593-7625 saltrockgrill.com Guppy’s on the Beach 1701 Gulf Blvd.

Indian Rocks Beach (727) 593-2032 3bestchefs.com/guppys

Best Bar

Best Breakfast Joint

WINNER Bern’s Steak House 1208 S. Howard Ave. SoHo (813) 251-2421 bernssteakhouse.com

WINNER Datz 2616 S. MacDill Ave. Palma Ceia (813) 831-7000 datztampa.com

RUNNERS-UP CW’s Gin Joint 633 N. Franklin St. Downtown Tampa (813) 816-1446 cwginjoint.com

RUNNERS-UP Pinky’s 3203 W. Bay to Bay Blvd.

Palma Ceia (813) 831-9339 facebook.com/pinkyseatery

Anise Global Gastrobar 777 N. Ashley Drive Downtown Tampa (813) 225-4272 aniseglobal.com

Daily Eats 901 S. Howard Ave. SoHo (813) 868-3335 ilovedailyeats.com

READERS’ CHOICE

Best Burger Joint

Ocean Prime 2205 N. Westshore Blvd.

International Plaza (813) 490-5288 ocean-prime.com Best Barbecue WINNERS (TIED) 4 Rivers Smokehouse Locations in Carrollwood & South Tampa 1-844-474-8377 4rsmokehouse.com

The Stone Soup Company 1919 E. 7th Ave. Ybor City (813) 247-7687 xsoup4u.com Best Cuban/Latin American/ Spanish Restaurant

YUMMY HOUSE Daily Eats (THREE-WAY TIE) 901 S. Howard Ave. SoHo (813) 868-3335 ilovedailyeats.com Yeoman’s Cask & Lion (THREE-WAY TIE) 202 N. Morgan St. Downtown Tampa (813) 224-9367 yeomanscaskandlion.com Best Chinese Restaurant WINNER Yummy House Locations in East Tampa and South Tampa yummyhouseflorida.com

WINNER BurgerFi 714 S. Howard Ave. SoHo (813) 440-2283 burgerfi.com RUNNERS-UP Burger 21 Locations in Carrollwood, Lakeland, New Tampa, St. Petersburg, Westchase & Tampa International Airport burger21.com El Cap (THREE-WAY TIE) 3500 4th St. N. Northeast St. Petersburg (727) 521-1314

WINNER Columbia Restaurant 2117 E. 7th Ave. Ybor City (813) 248-4961 columbiarestaurant.com RUNNERS-UP La Teresita 3248 W. Columbus Drive West Tampa (813) 879-9704 lateresitarestaurant.com Bulla Gastrobar 930 S. Howard Ave. SoHo (813) 773-8626 bullagastrobar.com WRIGHT’S GOURMET HOUSE

RUNNERS-UP Hao Wah 1713 S. Dale Mabry Highway Palma Ceia (813) 253-2095 haowah.com China Yuan 8502 N. Armenia Ave. #1A Lowry Park (813) 936-7388 chinayuanrestaurant.com Best Cuban Sandwich

Best Deli/Sandwich Shop

WINNER La Teresita 3248 W. Columbus Drive West Tampa (813) 879-9704 lateresitarestaurant.com

WINNER Wright’s Gourmet House 1200 S. Dale Mabry Highway Palma Ceia (813) 253-3838 wrightsgourmet.com

Best Beach Restaurant

RUNNERS-UP Arco Iris 3328 W. Columbus Drive Stadium Area (813) 879-1357 facebook.com/arcoirisrestaurant

RUNNERS-UP Datz 2616 S. MacDill Ave. Palma Ceia (813) 831-7000 datztampa.com

WINNER Frenchy’s Locations in Clearwater Beach and Dunedin frenchysonline.com

Columbia Restaurant 2117 E. 7th Ave. Ybor City (813) 248-4961 columbiarestaurant.com

Pane Rustica 3225 S. MacDill Ave. Palma Ceia (813) 902-8828 panerusticabakery.com

Holy Hog BBQ Locations in Carrollwood, Stadium Area, South Tampa and Downtown holyhogbbq.com RUNNER-UP Jimbo’s Pit Bar-BQ 4103 W. Kennedy Blvd.

South Tampa (813) 289-9724 jimbosbarbq.com

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FRENCHY’S

P H OTO: G A B R I E L B U R G OS

TAMPA Magazine’s

Best Fine Dining Restaurant

RUNNERS-UP Osteria Natalina 3215 S. MacDill Ave. Palma Ceia (813) 831-1210 osterianatalina.com

WINNER Bern’s Steak House 1208 S. Howard Ave. SoHo (813) 251-2421 bernssteakhouse.com

DAILY EATS

Best Diner WINNER Daily Eats 901 S. Howard Ave. SoHo (813) 868-3335 ilovedailyeats.com RUNNERS-UP Goody Goody 1601 W. Swann Ave. Hyde Park Village (813) 308-1925 goodygoodyburgers.com Three Coins Diner 7410 N. Nebraska Ave. Seminole Heights (813) 239-1256 threecoinsdiner.net

READERS’ CHOICE Mama’s Kitchen 9312 N. Florida Ave. Seminole Heights (813) 932-7111 mamaskitchenonline.com

RUNNERS-UP Malio’s Prime Steakhouse 400 N. Ashley Drive Downtown Tampa (813) 223-7746 maliosprime.com Eddie V’s 4400 W. Boy Scout Blvd.

Westshore (813) 877-7290 eddiev.com Best Fusion Restaurant WINNERS (THREE-WAY TIE) 717 South 717 S. Howard Ave. SoHo (813) 250-1661 717south.com Rooster & the Till 6500 N. Florida Ave. Seminole Heights (813) 374-8940 roosterandthetill.com Roy’s 4342 W. Boy Scout Blvd.

Westshore (813) 873-7697 roysrestaurant.com

Best Greek Restaurant WINNER Acropolis Greek Taverna Locations in Ybor City, New Tampa, St. Petersburg, Riverview and South Tampa acropolistaverna.com

WINNER Tiny Tap Tavern 2105 W. Morrison Ave. SoHo (813) 254-3872

Best Grouper Sandwich WINNER Frenchy’s Locations in Clearwater Beach and Dunedin frenchysonline.com

READERS’ CHOICE

The Hub 719 N. Franklin St. Downtown Tampa (813) 229-1553 thehubbartampa.com

Ulele 1810 N. Highland Ave. Tampa Heights (813) 999-4952 ulele.com

WINNER &

Ichicoro 5229 N. Florida Ave. Seminole Heights (813) 517-9989 ichicoro.com

Best Health-Conscious Restaurant

Fitlife Foods Locations in Downtown Tampa, South Tampa, Westshore, Carrollwood, Wesley Chapel and Brandon eatfitlifefoods.com

READERS’ CHOICE

Best Japanese Restaurant

READERS’ CHOICE (TIED)

RUNNER-UP Big Ray’s Fish Camp 6116 Interbay Blvd.

Interbay (813) 605-3615 bigraysfishcamp.com

RUNNERS-UP Ciccio Water 1015 S. Howard Ave. SoHo (813) 251-8406 cicciowater.com

RUNNER-UP SoHo Saloon 410 S. Howard Ave. SoHo (813) 251-3800 sohosaloon.com

BELLA’S ITALIAN CAFÉ

RUNNER-UP Zoe’s Kitchen Locations in SoHo and Carrollwood zoeskitchen.com

WINNER Fresh Kitchen Locations in SoHo, Westshore and St. Petersburg eatfreshkitchen.com

Best Dive Bar

RUNNER-UP &

ACROPOLIS GREEK TAVERNA

Bavaro’s Pizza Napoletana & Pastaria 514 N. Franklin St. Downtown Tampa (813) 868-4440 bavarospizza.com

RUNNERS-UP Yoko’s Japanese Restaurant 3217 S. MacDill Ave. Palma Ceia (813) 835-4311 | yokostampa.com Noble Rice 807 W. Platt St. Hyde Park (813) 284-7423 noblericeco.com

READERS’ CHOICE (TIED) Kobe Japanese Steakhouse Locations in Carrollwood, New Tampa and Brandon kobesteakhouse.com

Best Italian Restaurant

Best Mexican Restaurant

WINNER Bella’s Italian Café 1413 S. Howard Ave. #100 SoHo (813) 254-3355 bellasitaliancafe.com

WINNER Miguel’s Mexican Seafood & Grill 3035 W. Kennedy Blvd.

North Hyde Park (813) 876-2587 miguelscafe.com

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2018 Best

Restaurants List

RUNNERS-UP Green Lemon 915 S. Howard Ave. SoHo (813) 868-5463 eatgreenlemon.com Acapulco Taqueria 1001 N. MacDill Ave. West Tampa (813) 873-3665 acapulcotaqueria.us Best Middle Eastern Restaurant WINNER Byblos 2832 S. MacDill Ave. Palma Ceia (813) 805-7977 byblostampa.com RUNNERS-UP Gengiz Khan 3114 W. Bay to Bay Blvd.

Palma Ceia (813) 805-6400 gengizkhan.com

Best Pizza Place

Best Steakhouse

WINNER Cappys Pizza Locations in Tampa Palms, South Tampa, Seminole Heights, Riverview and St. Petersburg cappyspizzaonline.com

WINNER Bern’s Steak House 1208 S. Howard Ave. SoHo (813) 251-2421 bernssteakhouse.com

RUNNER-UP Sally O’Neal’s 1319 S. Howard Ave. SoHo (813) 251-0220 sallyonealspizza.com

RUNNERS-UP Charley’s Steak House 4444 W. Cypress St. Westshore (813) 353-9706 charleyssteakhouse.com

RUNNER-UP &

READERS’ CHOICE Eddie & Sam’s N.Y. Pizza 203 E. Twiggs St. Downtown Tampa (813) 229-8500 eddieandsamspizza.com Best Pub WINNER Four Green Fields Locations in Hyde Park and Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park fourgreenfields.com RUNNER-UP Yeoman’s Cask & Lion 202 N. Morgan St. Downtown Tampa (813) 224-9367 yeomanscaskandlion.com

WINNER Ocean Prime 2205 N. Westshore Blvd.

International Plaza (813) 490-5288 ocean-prime.com RUNNERS-UP Eddie V’s 4400 W. Boy Scout Blvd.

Westshore (813) 877-7290 eddiev.com Ulele 1810 N. Highland Ave. Tampa Heights (813) 999-4952 ulele.com

WINNERS Roux (TIED) 4205 S. MacDill Ave. Bayshore Beautiful (813) 443-5255 rouxtampa.com

Best New Restaurant WINNER CW’s Gin Joint (TIED) 633 N. Franklin St. (813) 816-1446 cwginjoint.com

The Refinery (TIED) 5910 N. Florida Ave. Seminole Heights (813) 234-3710 thetamparefinery.com

WINNER &

READERS’ CHOICE

RUNNER-UP Bulla Gastrobar 930 S. Howard Ave. SoHo (813) 773-8626 bullagastrobar.com

Best Seafood Restaurant

Best Southern Cuisine

Queen of Sheba 3636 Henderson Blvd.

Palma Ceia (813) 872-6000 ethiopianrestauranttampa.com

Steelbach 1902 N. Ola Ave. Armature Works (813) 693-5478 steelbach.com

BERN’S STEAK HOUSE

RUNNER-UP &

RUNNER-UP Cask Social Kitchen 208 S. Howard Ave. SoHo (813) 251-0051 casksocial.com

READERS’ CHOICE

READERS’ CHOICE

Hattricks Tavern 107 S. Franklin St. Downtown Tampa (813) 225-4288 hattrickstavern.com

Ella’s Americana Folk Art Café 5119 N. Nebraska Ave. Seminole Heights (813) 234-1000 ellasfolkartcafe.com

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Malio’s Prime Steakhouse (TIE) 400 N. Ashley Drive Downtown Tampa (813) 223-7746 maliosprime.com Council Oak Steaks & Seafood (TIE) 5223 Orient Road Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino (866) 388-4263 seminolehardrocktampa.com Best Sushi WINNER Soho Sushi 3218 W. Kennedy Blvd.

South Tampa (813) 873-7646 sohosushi.com RUNNERS-UP Yoko’s Japanese Restaurant 3217 S. MacDill Ave. Palma Ceia (813) 835-4311 yokostampa.com Kelp Sushi Joint (TIE) 3401 W. Bay to Bay Blvd.

Palma Ceia (813) 831-2222 kelpsushi.com

SOHO SUSHI

P H OTO: G A B R I E L B U R G OS

TAMPA Magazine’s

Best Uniquely Tampa Restaurant

Hula Bay Club 5210 W. Tyson Ave. Westshore Yacht Club Area (813) 837-4852 hulabayclub.com

WINNER Bern’s Steak House 1208 S. Howard Ave. SoHo (813) 251-2421 bernssteakhouse.com RUNNERS-UP Ulele 1810 N. Highland Ave. Tampa Heights (813) 999-4952 ulele.com BERN’S STEAK HOUSE

RUNNER-UP (TIE) &

READERS’ CHOICE

Samurai Blue 1600 E. 8th Ave. Ybor City (813) 242-6688 samuraiblue.com

Datz 2616 S. MacDill Ave. Palma Ceia (813) 831-7000 datztampa.com FRESH KITCHEN

WINNER (TIE) &

Taco Bus (TIE) Locations in Seminole Heights, Downtown Tampa, South Tampa, Orient Park, University Area taco-bus.com BARTACO

RESTAURANT BT

RUNNER-UP Ella’s Americana Folk Art Café 5119 N. Nebraska Ave. Seminole Heights (813) 234-1000 ellasfolkartcafe.com

Best Vietnamese/ Thai Restaurant WINNER Restaurant BT 2507 S. MacDill Ave. Palma Ceia (813) 258-1916 restaurantbt.com

READERS’ CHOICE

READERS’ CHOICE READERS’ CHOICE Columbia Restaurant 2117 E. 7th Ave. Ybor City (813) 248-4961 columbiarestaurant.com Best Vegan/Vegetarian Restaurant WINNER Fresh Kitchen Locations in SoHo, Westshore and St. Petersburg eatfreshkitchen.com RUNNERS-UP Bamboozle Café 516 N. Tampa St. Downtown Tampa (813) 223-7320 bamboozlecafe.com The Bricks 1327 E. 7th Ave. Ybor City (813) 247-1785 thebricksybor.com

Oxford Exchange 420 W. Kennedy Blvd.

Hyde Park (813) 253-0222 oxfordexchange.com Best Wings WINNER Hattricks Tavern 107 S. Franklin St. Downtown Tampa (813) 225-4288 hattrickstavern.com

Wat Thai Temple (TIED) 5306 Palm River Road Palm River/Clair-Mel (813) 621-1669 wattampainenglish.com

READERS’ CHOICE

WINNERS Green Lemon (TIE) 915 S. Howard Ave. SoHo (813) 868-5463 eatgreenlemon.com

WINNER Datz 2616 S. MacDill Ave. Palma Ceia (813) 831-7000 datztampa.com

RUNNERS-UP Royal Palace Thai (TIED) 811 S. Howard Ave. SoHo (813) 258-5893 sohorestaurantstampa.com

Best Tacos

Bartaco 1601 W. Snow Ave. Hyde Park Village (813) 258-8226 bartaco.com

Best Weekend Brunch Spot

Jasmine Thai Locations in Westshore and Carrollwood jasminesushithai.com

RUNNER-UP The Press Box 222 N. Dale Mabry Hwy. South Tampa (813) 876-3528 pressboxsports.com

Best Waterfront Restaurant WINNER Rick’s on the River (TIE) 2305 N. Willow Ave. West Tampa (813) 251-0369 ricksontheriver.com WINNER &

READERS’ CHOICE Ulele (TIE) 1810 N. Highland Ave. Tampa Heights (813) 999-4952 ulele.com RUNNERS-UP Café Dufrain 707 Harbour Post Drive Harbour Island (813) 275-9701 cafedufrain.com tampamagazines.com OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2018 71

w eb d es ig n

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co l l a t e ra l

M E E T T H E P E O P L E B E H I N D TA M PA’ S O N G O I N G E V O L U T I O N

P H O TO : GA B R I E L B U R GO S

BUSINESS

MIXING WITH THE MASTER

RO PATEL DISTILLS A LIFETIME BEHIND THE BAR INTO EVERY DRINK, ELEVATING TAMPA’S COCKTAIL SCENE WITH EACH SIP

By Derek Herscovici

BUSINESS

T

Turning an ordinary drink into an experience certainly depends on the ingredients, but who’s making it is even more crucial. In the hands of master bartender Ro Patel, a drink is a drink, but it’s also a story — a history of the craft and a lifetime of perfecting it. And yet it almost wasn’t meant to be.

74 OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2018 tampamagazines.com

THE COSMO features Luksusowa vodka, Cointreau, fresh citrus and a cranberry liquer foam whipped up by the Collection’s team

2007 as an antidote, helping usher in the city’s current craft cocktail craze.

“In a time where pairing soda with spirits was a cocktail, we pushed the envelope by using fresh ingredients and explaining these recipes to our customers who appreciated our knowledge,” he says.

Following Ciro’s success, Patel opened the consulting firm Sling Bar Company in 2011 to advise and col-

P H OTO: G A B R I E L B U R G OS

COCKTAILS LIKE the old fashioned never go out of style, but Patel likes teaching what’s up and coming.

“My favorite part of bar consultation is educating bars and consumers on current trends in spirits, different techniques and new ingredients,” he says.

“Having high-quality spirits on hand is what keeps people coming back.”

“I was studying exercise science and sports medicine, and I realized it wasn’t for me,” says Patel, a native of London, England. “I started bartending at 20 years old, and it wasn’t a notable bar. However, I loved the interaction with guests, so I switched to a better work environment that fit my needs.”

Patel’s new workplace wasn’t just any bar, but the world-famous Dick’s Bar located inside the Atlantic Bar & Grill. Named for bartending pioneer Dick Bradsell, the historic speakeasy was a cornerstone of London’s cocktail revival in the 1990s. At just 22, Patel was named its head bartender.

“Every cocktail had to be perfect,” he says. “The cover was $50 and the clientele included royalty and A-list celebrities. The responsibility was frightening, but I was lucky I had amazing mentors.”

Patel’s talents behind the bar led him out of London and around the world for years, but a holiday on Anna Maria Island in the early 2000s proved to be a life-altering experience. As a father with young children looking to settle down, Patel found Tampa appealing, but it had an abysmal cocktail scene, he says. Instead of a positive experience, he notes, guests were paying moderate to expensive prices for bad cocktails. Patel opened Ciro’s Speakeasy in his adopted hometown in

In a time where pairing soda with spirits was a cocktail, we pushed the envelope by using fresh ingredients and explaining these recipes to our customers who appreciated our knowledge

7TH AVE NO 2 includes Rittenhouse Rye 100, a Fernet cigar cordial (a liqueur popular in South America) and a lemon twist

THE MOSCOW MULE is a faithful rendition of the popular cocktail, with Luksusowa vodka, fresh lime and ginger beer

laborate with the with the bartending community in Tampa. Patel has also designed the cocktail programs for Anise Global Gastrobar, Grille One Sixteen, The Collection in the Hall on Franklin, Franklin Manor Downtown Tampa, the Getaway in St. Petersburg and many more bars around the world.

“The hardest and most essential part of bar consulting is being knowledgeable about cocktail trends, whether it’s knowing how to craft a martini or an elevated, simple cocktail with a fresh juice mixer,” Patel says.

WATERMELON CUCUMBER COLLINS is a play on the classic ginbased cocktail that Patel and his team created for summer

“However, this pushes me to continue to identify new and exciting cocktail programs for bars and my guests.”

Patel continues to create innovative new drinks with French and Floridian twists and encourages more creative approaches to drinking.

“Everyone should know how to make simple, elevated cocktails that use high-quality spirits and fresh, local ingredients,” he says. “You don’t need to be a professional bartender or bar consultant to create a delicious cocktail at home.” tampamagazines.com OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2018 75

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FESTIVALS

FESTIVALS FOR THE FOODIE NO MATTER YOUR FAVORITE FOOD OR CUISINE, THE TAMPA BAY AREA LIKELY HONORS IT WITH A CELEBRATION ALL ITS OWN

By Marcy Sanford

FOOD FESTIVALS

Fruit Fans Dade City’s annual Kumquat Festival kicks off the festival season on January 26 with all kinds of kumquat items, followed

by Plant City’s iconic Florida Strawberry Festival (February 28-March 10) and several blueberry festivals in April — the Brooksville Blueberry Festival (April 2728) and the Blueberry Festival at Keel & Curley Winery (2019 date TBA) in Plant City. It wouldn’t be Florida without oranges. Dunedin pays homage to them at the annual Orange Festival in July (2019 date TBA).

International Cuisine The Gasparilla International Food Festival (March 17) features cuisine from all over the world prepared by some of the city’s top caterers and chefs. In April you can celebrate “cibo e cultura” for two days at the Festa Italiana (2019 date TBA). One of Hillsborough County’s oldest cultural celebrations, the Tampa Greek Festival, happens November 9-11.

Enjoy Greek cuisine, indulge in inventive spirits at the Opa! Party Tent and watch professional sports games in the Grecian Gardens.

Truly Tampa Restaurants from all around the world will compete to make the best Cuban sandwich at the Cuban Sandwich Festival on March 31. The following month, the Tampa Bay Seafood and Music Festival (April 27-28) returns for a second year with dishes made with local and sustainable seafood from Florida’s coastal waters, including mahi mahi, stone crabs, shrimp and grouper.

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1 Festa Italiana takes over the streets of Ybor City each spring to celebrate Tampa’s Italian heritage 2 Some people even dress up to pay homage to their Italian lineage 3 Spaghetti plus meatballs equals the perfect

Italian food festival; keep an eye out for cooking demonstrations from pros like “Top Chef” Fabio Viviani, who taught at the 2018 fest 4 The Tampa Bay Veg Fest has become of the area’s most popular food festivals and won the Juror’s Choice Award at the 2016 Tampa Urban Excellence Awards 5 Some of the games on the docket for this year’s Tailgate Taste Fest include Florida State v. Miami, Florida v. Lousiana State and Georgia v. Vanderbilt 6 Tampa’s most famous sandwich gets its own festival, attracting competitors from

78 OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2018 tampamagazines.com

FUN FACTS 90 percent of Florida’s oysters come from Apalachicola

5

Unlike its citrus cousins, you can eat the whole kumquat because the rind is sweet while the inside is sour The Florida Strawberry Festival started in 1930, and there are more than 10,000 acres of strawberries planted in the Tampa Bay area St. John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church, home of the Tampa Greek Festival, is the second oldest Orthodox community in Tampa

PHOTO: JOSE LOPEZ JR.; CHARLES KELLY; TAMPA BAY SPORTS COMMISSION; CUBAN SANDWICH FESTIVAL; REBA MCENTIRE; RICHARD RILEY

6

A Tampa chef won the Best Historic Cuban category at the 2018 Cuban Sandwich Festival, but chefs from Los Angeles, London and Seoul also won awards

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as far away as Seoul, South Korea’s Tampa Sandwich Bar restaurant 7 After her performance at this year’s Strawberry Festival, country music superstar Reba McEntire posted photos of her whole team enjoying the festival’s corn dogs on her private jet. “What is better than a corn dog at the Florida Stawberry Festival? Everyone enjoying one,” she captioned the Instagram shots. 8 Pie, cookies, smoothies and salsa: if you can make it out of kumquats, you’ll find it at Dade City’s Kumquat Festival in January

Amelia Island is the only territory in the U.S. that has been ruled by eight different tribes or countries in the past 500 years, giving it the nickname “Isle of Eight Flags”

Find a New Favorite At the Best of Tampa Bay (April 6) you can try signature dishes from more than 30 of the area’s top chefs. Get inspiration for new tailgate options at the Tailgate Taste Fest on October 6, or discover delicious ways to eat healthier at the Tampa Bay Veg Fest on November 3 at Perry Harvey Sr. Park, a new location for the festival.

Don’t Forget Dessert The Pinellas Pie Festival on October 20 has pie-themed drink specials, local community bakers, a competitive pie bake-off, pie-eating contest and more. Back on the other side of the bay, the Ybor City Cupcake Festival pits bakers against one another for the title “Best Cupcake in Tampa” on November 17 with all the delicious confections available for purchase.

Road Trip Some festivals are so uniquely Florida, you’ve just got to visit them once. In January, thousands of visitors make the pilgrimage to the Marco Island Mullet Festival (January 26-28) to try fried and smoked mullet and find out who will be crowned that year’s Buzzard Lope Queen. If oysters are more to your liking, visit the Apalachicola Oyster Cook-Off (January 18-19), where you can enjoy the briny treats and even compete in the cooking competition.

Shrimp are in the spotlight in May on Amelia Island at the Isle of Eight Flags Shrimp Festival (May 3-5), while Key limes are revered in Key West July 4-7 with a pie drop, scavenger hunt, Key lime-inspired cuisine, Key lime-flavored rum and cocktails, and of course, Key lime pie. tampamagazines.com OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2018 79

FISHING

THE ETERNAL SEA FOR ONE OF TAMPA BAY’S MOST SEASONED ANGLERS, A LIFETIME AT SEA ISN’T JUST ABOUT WHAT YOU PULL OUT OF THE GULF — IT’S WHAT YOU PUT BACK IN

Time has been called a flowing river, but for captain Dave Zalewski, 75, it’s more of an ebbing sea. Guiding tours across generations — sometimes literally — aboard his 37-foot Bertram yacht the Lucky Too III for nearly 40 years, few understand the mysteries of the Gulf of Mexico like he does.

“Every day is like a kaleidoscope out there,” Zalewski says. “We see sea turtles, sharks, occasionally a whale shark, dolphins, sea birds, and the fish are always there. I’m amazed at the color of saltwater fish.”

From mid-October to past Christmas, kingfish, gag grouper and Spanish mackerel return from spawning and feeding in the northern gulf to ride out the winter in the warm waters south of Florida, completing the endless cycle that Zalewski calls “the ballet of nature.”

This season, as Red Tide grips Florida’s western shores, there’s never been a better time to hit the open water and fish for some of Florida’s tastiest catches: the slender, blue-bodied kingfish. The biggest difference between deep-sea fishing from near-shore fishing, however, is where the fish are going to be.

“The Gulf is like a big desert out there,” Zalewski says. “There’s oases scattered all over the place that are either shipwrecks, artificial reefs or [the area] by the chains where the buoys are. That’s a place where bait fish can seek refuge and, in turn, where the predators are seeking the bait fish.”

The kingfish will be where the bait is, Zalewski says.

80 OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2018 tampamagazines.com

DAVE ZALEWSKI has been fishing in the Tampa Bay area since 1962, operating Lucky Too Charters for almost as long. He also teaches fishing classes and is an instructor with Ladies Let’s Go Fishing.

Good starting points are the artificial reefs five miles offshore, or the shipping channel extending 15 miles out, while Spanish mackerel sometimes are just a hundred yards from shore.

Guests choose what they want to fish for and, more often than not, Zalewski finds ways to deliver.

One thing he won’t compromise on, however, is over-harvesting fish. Like seawater on rock, time and experience have shaped Zalewski’s views on the industry, particularly regarding conservation. His motto is not “catch your limit,” but “limit your catch.”

“I’m sort of a rebel in the industry [because] I don’t have the ego where I have to put a large amount of fish up on the dock to show I had a successful trip,” says Zalewski, who has taught classes at the Madeira Beach City Marina since the 1990s that cover everything from properly cleaning a fish to sustainable fishing practices. “In fact, my most successful trips are a combination of keeping enough to eat and releasing a whole lot.

That’s the only way we’re going to have a future.”

P H OTO: A LA M Y

By Derek Herscovici

THREE MAGAZINES

FOR THE PRICE OF ONE Subscribe to any one of our magazines and receive the other two free of charge.

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t a m p a m a ga zine s. c om /subsc r ibe /

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WHAT’S NEW: VINTAGE ETC. IN SOUTH TAMPA

T H E B E S T O F TA M PA , A L L I N O N E P L A C E

GUIDE TO SPARKMAN WHARF

D I S C O V E R I N G D E S T I N AT I O N S N E A R A N D FA R

WEEKEND TRAVEL

LIGHTS, CAMERA, FOOD

P H O TO : GA B R I E L B U R GO S

CREATE YOUR OWN FOOD TOUR AROUND TAMPA WITH THESE CELEBRITY-CHEF APPROVED LOCAL RESTAURANTS

Bern’s Steak House

For the “Old School”-themed episode of Food Network’s “Best Thing I Ever Ate,” chef and TV host Alex Guarnaschelli highlighted Bern’s Steak House and her favorite dish there — the 22-ounce strip sirloin. “The old-schoolness at Bern’s is all about that steak,” she says in the episode. “You get this incredible tender texture and this really unique steak, beefy essence and flavor. You can’t beat it.” Upstairs at the Harry Waugh Dessert Room, chef Anne Burrell loves the Macadamia Decadence Cake from the Taste of Bern’s sampler. “It’s just decadent,” she says on the episode dedicated to “Chocolate Obsessions.” “It’s creamy, it’s chocolatey. It’s so delicious. It’s really a hedonistic dessert.”

WANDERLUST WEEKEND TRAVEL

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2 3

1 Though

chef Alex Guarnaschelli went with the 22 oz. sirloin on her visit, many Bern’s guests enjoy this Delmonico 2 The Bomb burger at Tampa Bay Brewing Company is one of the restaurant’s Guy Fieri-approved menu options 3 Fieri stopped by the original Taco Bus on Hillsborough Avenue for a Mexican food-themed episode of “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” 4 Ted Peters uses a combination of smoked mahi mahi and mullet for their iconic fish spread

Tampa Bay Brewing Company

Guy Fieri pulled up to Centro Ybor for a stop at one of Tampa’s oldest brewpubs on Food Network’s “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.” On their menu, TBBC identifies the episode’s featured items, including the cider wings and the Wild Warthog spicy curry mussels. He dug right in to the wings, tossed in a cider-infused hot sauce, and quickly warmed up to the mussels dish, made with sauteed mussels, grilled onion and tomato and a coconut red curry with the brewery’s Wild Warthog Hefeweizen.

“The broth is out of bounds,” he said. “I’m gonna pass out eating that.”

84 OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2018 tampamagazines.com

Taco Bus

One of Tampa’s most nationally recognized restaurants got its day on “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.” Owner Rene Valenzuela surprised Guy Fieri with the torta chilorio, something Fieri had never tried before.

Made with Mexican pulled pork seasoned with allspice and orange and coated in ancho pepper sauce, the sandwich hit all the right notes for Fieri. “It’s got to be one of the best tortas I’ve ever had,” he said. He was also impressed by the butternut squash tostada, a flavorful vegetarian option Fieri said he’d “order again in a heartbeat.”

Season B SEASON BEGINS!

Tampa Bay Times Masterworks

Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5

4 2

Tampa Bay Times Masterworks Sept 28 - 30

Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5

Opening Weekend!

September 28 - 30 Opening Weekend!

Raymond James Pops

Bernstein’s Broadway Oct 5 & 6 Matinee!

Raymond James Pops

Bernstein’s Broadway

Tampa Bay Times Masterworks October 5 & 6 Matinee!

Evening at Bach’s Coffeehouse

TampaOct Bay26 Times - 28 Masterworks

Evening at Bach’s Coffeehouse Raymond James Pops October 26 - 28

Disney in Concert: Tale as Old as Time Presentation licensed by Disney Concerts NovJames 2 - 4 Matinee!

Raymond Pops © All rights reserved

Disney in Concert: Tale as Old as Time

November 2 - |4Concerts Matinee! in Tampa, St. Pete & Clearwater | Florid LISTEN LOCAL Presentation licensed by Disney Concerts © All rights reserved TFO-TAMPA-MagazineSept.indd 1

Aguila Sandwich Shop & Skipper’s Smokehouse

Season Begins!

Food challenge guru Adam Richman stopped for two iconic Tampa sandwiches on an episode of his show “Man v. Food Nation” on the Times Masterworks Travel Channel. AtTampa AguilaBay Sandwich Shop, he watched owner Mario Aguila prepare his version of the Cuban sandwich with hand-pulled homemade roast pork, topped the traditional way without mayo.

“Sometimes wordsSept fail me,” 28Richman - 30 said after biting in. “Everything works perfectly.” Up the road, he tried the blackened grouper Opening Weekend!

Reuben at Skipper’s Smokehouse. “We can beep it, right?” Richman asked the producer behind the camera. “It’s [freaking] amazing,” he said, adding the expletive. alsoPops joined Skipper’s Vicky Dodds RaymondHe James to prepare gator ribs, which he compared to pork, with a barbeBernstein’s Broadway cue-Key lime sauce.

LISTEN LOCAL CONCERTS IN

Tampa St. Pete Clearwater

Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5

PHOTO: GABRIEL BURGOS

Oct 5 & 6 Matinee!

Tampa Bay Times Ted Peters Famous Smoked FishMasterworks At the request of viewers, Guy Fieri made aCoffeehouse final Tampa Bay area Evening at Bach’s stop across the bridge at Ted Peters Famous Smoked Fish, where Oct 26 - 28 he saw the fish-smoking process firsthand. The trays of mullet, Raymond Jamesup Pops mahi mahi and salmon are moved from the bottom of the smoker to the top as they cook.

“That’s tasty,” Fieri saidas after trying the Disney in Concert: Tale Old as Time Presentation licensed by Disney Concerts smoked mullet. “Who would’ve thunk?”

He also indulged in the Nov 2 - 4 Matinee! © All rights reserved so-called “Ted Peters surf and turf,” their iconic fish spread and a cheeseburger, plus their warm potato salad, complete with bacon LISTEN LOCAL | Concerts in Tampa, St. Pete & Clearwater | FloridaOrchestra.org | 727.892.3337 or 1.800.662.7286 grease. “That is up there in the best potato salads I’ve ever had,” Fi( 7 2 7 ) 8 9 2 - 3 3 37 or eri said.

FloridaOrchestra.org

TFO-TAMPA-MagazineSept.indd 1

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8/7/2018 9:32:08 AM

NOBLE CRUST LOCATIONS IN WESLEY CHAPEL & CARROLLWOOD | NOBLE-CRUST.COM

THE REZ GRILL 5223 ORIENT ROAD | TAMPA (813) 627-8120 SEMINOLEHARDROCKTAMPA.COM Opened in December 2017, The Rez Grill is the newest culinary destination at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa. Thoughtfully curated by Creative Culinary Director Frank Anderson, the menu offers diners a wide variety of elevated comfort food favorites, ranging from items such as St. Louis Ribs to fresh pastas to their classic Lobster Roll. The dynamic beverage program features 100-bottle wine list, four micro-breweries on tap and made-to-order craft cocktails expertly prepared by the bar’s skilled mixologists. The Rez’s 5,000 square-foot interior features modern and rustic details that create a contemporary yet old-fashioned pub feel. For a glimpse of the action, communal tables give way to an open kitchen featuring the iconic wood-burning Jade grill.

86 OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2018 tampamagazines.com

BELLA’S ITALIAN CAFÉ

1413 S. HOWARD AVE, SUITE 100 | TAMPA (813) 254-3355 | BELLASITALIANCAFE.COM Known for its fresh pasta, wood-fired pizza oven and extensive wine list, Bella’s is the perfect spot for intimate dinners or large family celebrations. Bella’s has continued to receive accolades since its opening in 1986. In 2017, Bella’s was named Best Italian Restaurant in Creative Loafing’s Best of the Bay reader’s poll. Bella’s has also been awarded Trip Advisor’s Certificate of Excellence, which is given to establishments who consistently earn great reviews from visitors.

P H OTO: G A B R I E L B U R G OS ; S E MI N O LE H A R D RO C K H OTE L & C A SIN O

At the intersection of fine Italian cooking and Southern ingredients, you’ll find Noble Crust. With a polished yet well-worn vibe and a menu that features locally grown seasonal ingredients, Noble Crust turns traditional Italian dining into a whole new experience. Don’t miss dishes like the ricotta gnocchi, fried chicken, rigatoni and short rib ragu and the signature pizzas, or stop by for one of Tampa’s favorite weekend brunches.

The

Food Court

TA M PA M A G A Z I N E S . C O M

FABRICA PIZZA

142 S. Meridian Ave. fabricapizza.com

(813) 605-0764

LS ORGANICS

219 S. Packwood Ave. enjoylifesimplified.com

EL PUERTO

BAMBOOZLE CAFE

(813) 248-8222

(813) 223-7320

1623 E. 5th Ave. elpuertoybor.com 1 JUNE / JULY 2018 tampamagazines.com

516 N. Tampa St. bamboozlecafe.com

EDDIE & SAM’S

203 E Twiggs St eddieandsamspizza.com

(813) 229-8500

P H OTO C R E D I T

(813) 252-3131

SIGNATURE DISHES From Our Advertising Partners

THE BBQ BRISKET BURGER

Half pound of grilled black Angus, topped with bourbon BBQ sauce, hickory smoked brisket, applewood smoked bacon, red onions, shredded cheddar cheese and crispy onion straws Try it: Ford’s Garage Locations in Brandon, Wesley Chapel, Westchase, Countryside, St. Pete and Lakeland fordsgarageusa.com

CHICKEN PICCATA

Two chicken breasts sautéed in a lemon, caper and white-wine butter sauce Try it: Bella’s Italian Cafe 1413 S. Howard Ave., Suite 100 Tampa, FL 33606 (813) 254-3355 | bellasitaliancafe.com

DUFRAIN SMASHED STEAK BURGER : Provolone cheese, crisp romaine, tomato and onion. Pair it with a craft beer for only $14 on Tuesdays.

TRY IT: Cafe Dufrain 707 Harbour Post Drive, Tampa, FL 33602 (813) 275-9701 | cafedufrain.com 88 OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2018 tampamagazines.com

PHOTO: GABRIEL BURGOS; 23 RESTAURANT SERVICES; BELLA’S ITALIAN CAFE; SEMINOLE HARD ROCK HOTEL & CASINO

We asked local restaurants to share a signature dish that defines their restaurant’s culinary flavor and style — a dish that makes them a Bay-area favorite.

LEMON CURD

Burnt meringue, blueberry purée and crumble Try it: The Rez Grill 5223 Orient Road Tampa, FL 33610 (813) 627-8120 | seminolehardrocktampa.com

RED CHILI RUBBED BLACK GULF GROUPER

Fresh Florida Gulf grouper served with creamy jasmine rice, asparagus and lobster brandy cream

CHICKEN SALAD SANDWICH A lunchtime favorite made when you order it with house-made chicken salad with lettuce, tomato and onion

Try it: Watervue Grille 700 Harbour Post Drive, Tampa, FL 33602 (813) 642-7980 | watervuegrille.com

Try it: Cry Baby Cafe 710 Harbour Post Drive, Tampa, FL 33602 (813) 443-4956 | thecrybabycafe.com

tampamagazines.com OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2018 89

BACK WHEN HISTORY

TAG U S I N YO U R I N S TAG R A M P H OTO S

DATE 1936 Waitresses posed in front of The Big Orange on the corner of Florida and Amelia avenues in Tampa Heights. The Big Orange was one of the only drive-in restaurants that opened during the Great Depression in Tampa, though the trend took off after World War II. F O L LO W @TA M PA M AG A Z I N E F O R M O R E S N A P S F R O M TA M PA’ S H I S TO R Y

90 OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2018 tampamagazines.com

P H OTO: R O B E RT S ON A N D FR E S H C O LL E C T IO N /U N I V E R S I TY O F S OU T H F LOR ID A LIBR ARY

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