Category: Articles

NEWS: Marriott’s Moxy Hotel coming to Tampa Heights District

The first hotel is coming to Tampa Heights with The Moxy Hotel, a project from Marriott International. The hotel will feature 153 rooms and occupy 7 floors inside a new 25-story tower.

Construction will begin in 2020 with expected completion and opening by 2022. It will be located between West Oak Avenue, West 7th Avenue, North Highlands, and North Tampa Street.

The hotel will occupy the first seven floors of the tower and the remaining floors will be developed as a multi-family residential apartment community and will include its own lobby, separate from the Moxy Hotel lobby.

The Moxy Hotel will have a smart interface that allows users to seamlessly check-in, park, and lock their room doors using their mobile devices.

Planned amenities include a club room, fitness center, co-working spaces, event spaces and retail space. An art program called “Moxy Blank Canvas” will be a part of the hotel, that “connects emerging artists to their hotels to literally make their mark on the spaces”.

“Over the past few years, I’ve been watching the evolution of the up and coming Tampa Heights District as it becomes a trendy place to work, live and play”, said Tim Sponsler, Vice President Marriott Lodging Development for Florida.

“The development of Armature Works it a great example of the edgy vibe of the neighborhood and their development of the Moxy Hotel will have synergy with the overall vibrant lifestyle experience of The Heights District.”

The Moxy Hotel is part of a larger plan for The Heights District, a 50-acre mixed-use urban district located along the Hillsborough River.

More information is available at theheightstampa.com.

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Instagram user @realtampa gives a look at Tampa’s past

Tampa has grown considerably in the last 20 years. An instagram account @realtampa has been documenting the history of Tampa in a number of meme-like posts that only people who have lived in Tampa in the past could understand.

Here are some quality posts on their feed:

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Let’s argue 😂😂

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Hands down one of my favorite places to snag a Cuban in Tampa.

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Views of @tampagov from a Different Time.

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RIP to the Tampa Mutiny. Tampa’s failed MLS team.

This Jerk Hut location doubled as a nightclub for USF students on weekdays. Eventually it closed down and relocated north near I-275.

Mr. Dunderbak’s started out in the University Square Mall and now they have own location and are brewing their own craft beer while also being one of the best places to celebrate Oktoberfest and the World Cup.

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Remember Gameworks

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RIP to this SEGA legend. Now replaced by GameTime.

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1999: Grand Opening Citrus Park

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Burdine’s was the store to be at before it was acquired by Macy’s and eventually shut down and absorbed.

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My View👀

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University Mall was one of the best malls in Tampa until Westshore and International Plaza were created and eventually lured department stores and retailers away from the University area.

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😂😂

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I ended up here after my CL BOTB award for Best Food Blogger in 2013. Spent many times here over the years. RIP.

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Remember “Fresh Mouth” in Center Ybor !?!

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Yo @damerion_sauce – Banana Joe’s 2003

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Channelside Plaza now known as Sparkman Wharf.

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Vintage Y’bor.

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NEWS: Taste of Latino coming Sunday October 20th to Ybor City

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The first annual Taste of Latino is coming Sunday, October 20th to Centennial Park in Ybor City from 11AM-6PM. The event is organized by Latin Times Media, creators of the Cuban Sandwich Festival and is presented by Ford.

Taste of Latino flter

Food will be featured from around Latin America with countries such as Puerto Rico, Mexico, Colombia, Cuba, Spain, Peru, Venezuela, and more represented. Award-winning chefs will be present at the event.

Live music and dance performances will occur around the event from Revelacion Salsera, Cukiara, Salsa Aerobics, XTreme Dance, and more. Be sure to bring cash for all the vendors who will be selling food from around the world.

Competitors will compete for who makes the best flan, paella, arroz con pollo, arepas, ceviche, and more.

The event is fitting Ybor City, which was once known as the “Cigar Capital of the World”, and home to numerous immigrants from Latin America. Over 950 historic buildings fill Ybor City and are the foundation of where the Cuban Sandwich was created long ago in Tampa.

Paella

VIP  tickets to the event are available and start at $20. VIP guests can taste contest entries from competitors for the best latino food, complimentary refreshments, and hangout with VIPs, celebrities, and media.

Event Name: Taste of Latino

Venue: Centennial Park

Date & Time: Sunday, October 20th, 2019, 11AM-6PM

Address: 1800 E. 8th Ave, Tampa, FL 33605

Cost: FREE General Admission, VIP starting at $20

Buy VIP tickets: http://bit.ly/2BapTX2

Facebook RSVP: http://www.facebook.com/events/405448503389654/

NEWS: Support Breast Cancer Awareness Day on Saturday at 22nd Street Coffee

This is a sponsored post for 22nd Street Coffee. Opinions are my own and do not reflect those of the sponsor.

22nd Street Coffee in Ybor City will have a Breast Cancer Awareness Day on Saturday, October 12th, 2019 from 7AM-2PM. Proceeds from the event will go to supporting the American Cancer Society in the fight against breast cancer.

22nd Street is located just off the Lee Roy Selmon Crosstown Expressway just across from Brisk Coffee Roasters and near IKEA Tampa.

Knitted Knockers of Tampa Bay will be present at the event and there will be information about breast cancer provided from non-profits.

The mission of Knitted Knockers is to “connect volunteer knitters and crocheters with breast cancer survivors to offer free Knitted Knockers to any woman who wants them”.

Breast cancer is a very important issue to me, my cousin died earlier this year from the disease and unfortunately she did not catch breast cancer early enough in her body. That’s why awareness is so important and vital to fighting this illness.

22nd Street Coffee will feature a special “Pink Drink” for the day made with chocolate and strawberry with pink whipped cream.

Here are some facts to know about breast cancer:

  • 268,600 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed in women in the U.S. in 2019 as well as 62,930 new cases of non-invasive (in situ) breast cancer. (National Breast Cancer Foundation)
  • Estimates indicate that 42,260 deaths (41,760 women and 500 men) from breast cancer will occur this year. (American Society of Clinical Oncology)
  • Breast cancer is the second most common cause of death from cancer in women in the United States, after lung cancer.
  • Since 1989, the number of women who have died of breast cancer has steadily decreased thanks to early detection and treatment improvements. (American Society of Clinical Oncology)

Make sure you come out and support the fight against breast cancer on Saturday!

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Event name: Breast Cancer Awareness Day at 22nd Street Coffee

Venue: 22nd Street Coffee

Address: 208 N. 22nd St., Tampa, FL 33605

Phone: (813) 304-0373

Date & Time: Saturday, October 12th, 2019, 7AM-2PM

Cost: Free to attend

Facebook RSVP: http://www.facebook.com/events/2132238487079941/

Website: http://www.22ndstreetcoffee.com

NEWS: Seminole Hard Rock Tampa Expansion Grand Opening Celebration

Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa has spent nearly $720 million on upgrading their venue adding an 30,000 square foot event center, 562 rooms (77 suites), a 1.3 acre swimming pool deck, and 4 new food and drink areas including an Italian restaurant, wine shop, coffee bar, and indoor-outdoor pool bar and grill.

One of the cool new additions is a 24-karat gold leaf piano that belonged to Elvis Presley.

Today the new additions were revealed. Here are some updates from the opening celebration:

 

Pollo Tropical joins forces with World Central Kitchen for Bahamas hurricane relief

Pollo Tropical is joining forces with World Central Kitchen for Bahamas relief. Pollo Tropical is pledging “a dollar donation for every Pollo Tropical Original Family Meal purchased” at any of the 140 company-owned locations from September 15th through October 6th to the Bahamas recovery effort.

“Florida was spared from the devastation of Hurricane Dorian, but our friends in the Bahamas were not. Our Pollo Tropical family is committed to helping those affected by providing Chef José Andres with funds needed to help feed the families affected by the storm.” said Richard Stockinger, Chief Executive Officer and President of Fiesta Restaurant Group, parent company of Pollo Tropical.

World Central Kitchen (WCK) is a not-for-profit non-governmental organization devoted to providing meals in the wake of natural disasters. Founded in 2010 by Chef José Andrés, the organization’s method of operations is to be a first responder and then to collaborate and galvanize solutions with local chefs to solve the problem of hunger, immediately following a disaster. Find out more at wck.org.

NEWS: Buccaneers debut new food offerings at Raymond James Stadium for 2019 season

Buccaneers revealed new offerings at Raymond James Stadium today for the 2019 football season.

Buccaneers COO, Brian Ford, shared, “This season, we are excited to bring world-class partners like Legends and Fanatics, as well as homegrown companies PDQ and RumFish Grill, to Raymond James Stadium. Through these partnerships, we are providing the finest products and service to our fans. We are also proud to welcome superstar Tim McGraw this Sunday to provide our guests a great show before we officially kick off this special 100th season of NFL football against the 49ers.”

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PDQ will have a crispy chicken sandwich available for hungry visitors as well as serving as the official chicken tender of the Buccaneers.

The Buccaneers have a new and exclusive hospitality rights partner, Legends, which will manage the team’s concessions and restaurant dining. Legends Senior Executive Chef Jason Choate will add new items around the concessions menus including Pizza Box Nachos, Ropa Vieja (shredded beef) Grilled Cheese and Veggie Cuban sandwiches.

RumFish Grill will offer Mahi Tacos, Bucs Burger, Firecracker Shrimp, and Big Wave Fries.

Ropa Vieja Grilled Cheese by Rob-Harris-7893

Ropa Vieja Grilled Cheese made with locally sourced Cuban bread, sharp cheddar cheese, house-braised ropa vieja, peppers, and onions. Available at Ybor Press locations.

landsea

Land & Sea Burger features a custom, all-beef burger blend with chuck, short-rib, and brisket, grilled and topped with slaw, crispy shrimp, and cannonball sauce. Available at Land & Sea locations as well as Bar 76.

beyondburger

Fans of meatless burgers can enjoy the Beyond Burger at the Bay Burger stand located at Section 118.

Local Chef Showcase will return to the stadium this Sunday with Chef Gino Tiozzo of Donatello Italian Restaurant this Sunday, September 8th.

Single-game tickets for the 2019 season start at $45 and are on sale at Buccaneers.com and Ticketmaster.com. 

Photos used with permission from Buccaneers.

NEWS: 4 Rivers Smokehouses to open Sunday for Hurricane Dorian Relief in the Bahamas

Hurricane

Ready to eat some barbeque for a good cause?

4 Rivers Smokehouse will break their “closed on Sunday” policy on Sunday, September 8th to help raise funds for Hurricane Dorian relief in the Bahamas. Contributions from Sunday will go to benefit World Central Kitchen, a non-profit that is devoted to providing meals in the wake of natural disasters.

World Central Kitchen is headed up by Chef José Andrés who led efforts in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria with over 2 million meals served in the first month.

4 Rivers will be open from 11AM to 3PM and will offer regular dine-in, to-go, and takeout menus. The COOP in Orlando will also be open from 10AM-3PM.

“As Floridians, we know all too well the destruction hurricanes can cause and it saddens us to see the devastation caused in the Bahamas by Dorian,” said John Rivers, 4 Rivers Founder and CEO. “Community is the core of our brand, so the entire 4R family is proud to contribute to relief efforts in the Bahamas by raising funds on Sept. 8 at our 4 Rivers Smokehouses and The COOP.”

4 Rivers Smokehouse

Participating locations include:

  • 4 Rivers Smokehouse Carrollwood located at 14330 N Dale Mabry Hwy, Tampa, FL 33618
  • 4 Rivers Smokehouse Coral Springs located at 2660 N University Dr, Coral Springs, FL 33065
  • 4 Rivers Smokehouse Gainesville located at 3262 SW 35th Blvd, Gainesville, FL 32608
  • 4 Rivers Smokehouse Jacksonville located at 9220 Baymeadows Rd, Jacksonville, FL 32256
  • 4 Rivers Smokehouse Kissimmee located at 874 W Osceola Pkwy, Kissimmee, FL 34741
  • 4 Rivers Smokehouse Longwood located at 1869 W State Rd 434, Longwood, FL 32750
  • 4 Rivers Smokehouse Orange Park located at 220 Park Ave, Orange Park, FL 32073
  • 4 Rivers Smokehouse South Tampa located at 623 S MacDill Ave, Tampa, FL 33609
  • 4 Rivers Smokehouse Tallahassee located at 1817 Thomasville Rd #100, Tallahassee, FL 32303
  • 4 Rivers Smokehouse UCF/East Orlando located at 11764 University Blvd, Orlando, FL 32817
  • 4 Rivers Smokehouse Winter Garden located at 1047 S Dillard St, Winter Garden, FL 34787
  • 4 Rivers Smokehouse Winter Park located at 1600 W Fairbanks Ave, Winter Park, FL 32789
  • The COOP located at 610 W Morse Blvd, Winter Park, FL 32789

NEWS: Armature Works launches Hurricane Dorian Relief Drive

Are you looking to help the survivors of Hurricane Dorian? Armature Works located at 1910 North Ola Avenue in Tampa is working to help the victims of the storm.

AW Mercantile, located inside of Armature Works, will act as a collection center for baby supply items daily through next Monday, September 10th from 9AM to 7PM. You can also bring hurricane relief supplies over to Boca Kitchen Bar and Market at either the SoHo Tampa or Brandon location, Ciro’s Speakeasy and Supper Club, or Sea Critters Café in Pass-a-Grille.

Hurricane Relief Drive

All donors will receive a voucher good for 10% off at all Armature Works concepts and any of the aforementioned Armature Works affiliate family of restaurants. All donations will be delivered to SOL Relief, which focuses on “providing humanitarian aid and disaster relief with the use of aviation”. For more information about SOL Relief, visit solrelief.org.

Armature Works proprietors, Chas and Taryn Bruck, through The Bruck Family Foundation, a 501c3 non-profit organization, will match any donated items received during this drive.

At least 60% of homes in the Bahamas were destroyed when Hurricane Dorian passed through and at least 7 people were killed.

Anise Global Gastrobar in Downtown Tampa permanently closing September 14th

Anise Global Gastrobar announced via Facebook today that the Downtown Tampa cocktail bar will permanently close its doors on Saturday, September 14th, 2019.

The bar was one of the first craft cocktail bars to enter the Downtown Tampa corridor and a success story showing that a food truck can expand into a brick and mortar business.

Many of the minds behind the business have gone to other projects across the bay such as Station House, Renzo’s, and other spots. Anise has been a great spot to enjoy craft cocktails with a focus on supporting the local bartenders in town over the years.

It’s certainly a loss for the Downtown Tampa area, especially when Downtown Tampa is about to explode with growth.

You can continue to enjoy the food from Anise at The Hall on Franklin in Tampa Heights. Thank you to Anise for all the great evenings in Downtown Tampa.

Anise Global Gastrobar closing down Facebook post