Creative Loafing Tampa - October 1, 2020 • Best of the Bay 2020

BOTBTAMPABAY.COM CREATIVE LOAFING • CLTAMPA.COM OCT. 1-7, 2020 (VOL. 33, NO. 38)

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PUBLISHER James Howard EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Ray Roa DIGITAL EDITOR Colin Wolf FOOD CRITIC Jon Palmer Claridge

CITYOFSTPETE/FLICKR

CONTRIBUTORS Kate Bradshaw, Josh Holton, Stephanie Powers, Michael Murillo, Jenna Rimensnyder, Jennifer Ring, Cory Robinson, Eric Snider, Resie Waechter,

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INTERNS Thomas Holton, Nora O’Neill

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PHOTOGRAPHERS Chandler Culotta,

SeaWorld in February, animal rights Dave Decker claiming the practice of keeping wild dangerous. But even though public SENIOR ACCOUNT t SeaWorld animal rights many don’t in seeFebruary, a parallel between the kind EXECUTIVES , and claiming the practice of keeping wild the practice of displaying animals nd dangerous. evenOr though public Anthony Carbone, Scott Zepeda asking for tooBut much? is it time for a , many don’t see a parallel between the kind t” animals? ck and the practice of displaying animals MARKETING, PROMOTIONS s asking for too much?

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Sometimes you have to work together to survive.

Alexis Quinn Chamberlain

EUCLID MEDIA GROUP

Music: Tampa Bay Blues Fest ........................... 40

Welcome to Best of the Bay 2020, p. 19.

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Andrew Zelman

Music Week ................................................... 42 CHIEF OPERATING OFFICERS

Music: review: Tampa Bay Fest ...........................

Concert ArticBlues Monkeys ..........................40 42 Chris Keating, Michael Wagner

VP OF DIGITAL SERVICES Stacy Volhein Concert review: Artic Monkeys .......................... 42 Movie reviews .....................................................

63 DIGITAL OPERATIONS COORDINATOR TheWill ListAstrology ..........................................................

46 Free .........................................

64 Jaime Monzon Movie ........................................................... reviews..................................................... 63 Puzzler 66

Free Will Astrology......................................... 64 Savage Love ...................................................... 69 euclidmediagroup.com Puzzler ........................................................... 66

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

BEST OF THE BAY ...............19 BOTB READERS POLL ........ 75 BOTB PROFILES ................. 91 SAVAGE LOVE ................... 117 CROSSWORD .................... 118

King State lives up to its monarch-ly moniker.

What our writers loved in the 2020 food and drink scene, p. 35.

Our main number: (813) 739-4800

ON THE COVER: Best of the Bay logo by Samantha Serna.

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Creative Loafing Tampa is published by Tampa Weekly, LLC, 204 E. Henderson Ave. Tampa, FL 33602. The newspaper is available was your Date? freeHow of charge at locations throughout Tampa cltampa.com/movies How wasatyour Date? Copyright Bay and online cltampa.com. cltampa.com/movies 2020, Tampa Weekly, LLC.

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Savage Love ...................................................... 69

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Music ................................................... 42 The ListWeek ..........................................................

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/music Good news for local music fans. /news Is it over yet? photos.cltampa.com A BOTB winner restaurant guide. cltampa.com | OCTOBER 1-7, 2020 | 7

Exciting News!

We're happy to announce the partnership between Everything Heights - Tampa and the Heights Urban Core Chamber.

These organizations are now working together to increase the visibility of our businesses all throughout The Heights!

Remember the past, Focus on today,

ACHIEVE YOUR FUTURE.

The Heights Urban Core Chamber would like to thank these two longtime supporting members as they continue to grow both their businesses and families in our area.

EMERGENCE-M.A.T, LLC

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No end in sight

Photos by Chandler Culotta and Dave Decker

A

verdict in the case of Breonna Taylor—a Black woman who was killed by Louisville police during an approved no-knock warrant—reignited already energized local protests calling for major reform to legislation and municipal policy surrounding law enforcement, and while tensions in St. Petersburg are rising over the recent arrival of pro-police counter protesters, activists did take time to memorialize Taylor last weekend. —Ray Roa

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POLITICS ISSUES OPINION

Flores freed

State attorney drops charges against protester arrested for allegedly causing felony damage to a vehicle.

By Josh Holton and Ray Roa

G

retchen Cothron, a volunteer attorney with the Greater Tampa Chapter of the ACLU, said the State Attorney’s Office in Hillsborough County has agreed to drop all charges against Indigenous activist Jason Stuart Flores, who was struck by a vehicle during an anti-racist protest in Hyde Park on June 27. Gretchen shared the news with Creative Loafing Tampa Bay on Sept. 22.

Flores was arrested for allegedly causing felony damage to a vehicle. He was also charged with three misdemeanors, including unlawful assembly, criminal mischief, and obstructing a highway.

The police report from the June 27 incident was rife with inaccuracies, claiming the driver “approached a group of protesters in the roadway” as he was driving eastbound on W. Swann Ave. toward Hyde Park Village. But as seen in video from the incident, protesters were actually gathered on S. Albany Ave, which is between a Winn Dixie parking lot and the Hyde Park softball field.

On the day of the incident, protesters chanted through the streets for four hours in 99-degree Florida heat before arriving on the small side street beside the Winn Dixie. Activist Jae Passmore—who’d been struck on W. Swann Ave. a week earlier while protesting against police brutality and calling for Tampa Mayor Jane Castor to fire Police Chief Brian Dugan for the use of less than lethal ammunition against George Floyd solidarity protesters on May 31 and June 1—led the June 27 march and held a moment of silence to honor the lives of black women and black trans lives lost to police violence.

While Flores and others knelt silently with their fists in the air a black Volkswagen drove northbound on S. Albany Ave. while most protesters had their backs turned. Protester and veteran Getulio Gonzalez-Mulattieri told WMNF that he was standing at parade rest while facing

southbound when the vehicle pushed into his locked knees, prompting him to punch the windshield several times.

The car continued driving forward through the crowd and pushed against Flores who had risen from kneeling to protect the crowd. The car pressed on until Flores was pushed onto the hood, and then accelerated onto W. Swann Ave with Flores clinging to the car with one hand and holding his feather in the other hand. The car drove down Swann Avenue with Flores still on the hood.

When the car was stopped in front of Irish 31, the driver was released and Flores was arrested for the damage Gonzalez-Mulattieri had caused while allegedly acting in self-defense. While video evidence of the incident has not yet been able to ascertain whether the car was struck before or after it ran into protesters, video evidence showed that the damage had been done before the car hit Flores.

In a Sept. 23 email with CL, Grayson Kamm, Chief Communications Officer for State Attorney Andrew Warren, said, “Our office has not yet taken action on these pending charges, so we cannot comment on the status of the case at this time.” But on Sept. 24, Kamm, told CL that his office was at the point of processing the paperwork for Flores and offered this explanation: The driver was moving very slowly and tried to maneuver through protestors blocking traffic. Flores chose not to move out of the way and sat on the car’s hood as the car inched into him, after which the driver proceeded with Flores on the hood. There is no evidence that either person intended to cause harm, and therefore charges are not appropriate. Both people made decisions that escalated the situation, and basic courtesy by either person could have minimized or avoided this conflict.

Charges are not appropriate against Gonzalez-Mulattieri from the initial incident because the evidence establishes he hit the car

“A good prosecutor is more than merely a rubberstamp who files charges on every arrest law enforcement makes.”

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CHANDLER CULOTTA

LOCAL NEWS

FLY FREE: Jason Stuart Flores, during an Aug. 22 press conference in downtown Tampa, Florida with his arm after the car bumped into him.

However, well after the initial incident, GonzalezMulattieri repeatedly disobeyed instructions from law enforcement and pushed an officer. As a result, he is being charged with Battery on a Law Enforcement Officer. We support peaceful protests but will not condone getting physical with an officer, which can lead to injuries and escalate tense situations—when what we need is de-escalation to protect everyone’s safety.

Some protesters view the charges lobbied against them (before being dropped by the state attorney for various reasons including lack of evidence) as an intimidation tactic. Some taxpayers probably think the charges are a waste of their money.

In an email to CL, State Attorney Warren wrote that, “A good prosecutor is more than

merely a rubberstamp who files charges on every arrest law enforcement makes.”

“By design, we are different agencies with different objectives and different standards,” Warren added.

“They make urgent decisions to protect public safety in the moment, where we have the time to make decisions about public safety in the longer term, guided by a much higher burden of proof.”

The news came after Governor Ron DeSantis proposed the “Combating Violence, Disorder and Looting and Law Enforcement Protection Act” which would make obstructing a highway a third degree felony. Language in the proposed legislation also says drivers would not be liable for “injury or death caused if fleeing for safety from a mob.

Violence, IRL

A protester was almost shot in St. Pete, and a pro-police Facebook group is involved.

By Colin Wolf

L

ast July, St. Petersburg protesters expressed serious concerns that threats from a local pro-police Facebook group would lead to real life violence, after members of the group openly called for activists to be injured. Last weekend, a moderator of the group marched alongside counter-protesters in downtown St. Pete, and one of them drew a gun.

On Saturday, Sept. 26, Black Lives Matter protesters headed down Beach Drive in St. Pete, and were followed by counter-protesters waving American flags. At one point, according to multiple videos posted to social media, a counter-protester pulled a gun on the protesters. Though no shots were fired, the St. Pete Police Department says it’s investigating the incident. SPPD also says a protester pulled out a small knife before the counter-protester drew his gun, though they provided no evidence of this claim. “The groups separated and no shots were fired and no one was hurt. No property was damaged,” SPPD wrote in a media release.

A Facebook Live video posted by Tampa resident and prolific online troll Jonathan Lee Riches, shows him marching alongside the counter-protesters, as well as the individual who pulled the gun, as they trail the BLM activists. In the video, Riches calls out to one BLM marcher by name and says he was recently at his mother’s house and “snapped a selfie.” He also tells others “we’re peaceful people, we just want to keep the community safe.” At around the 23-minute mark, the video appears to show a counter-protester wearing a dark blue shirt and a white and green baseball cap, getting involved in a scuffle. “Where are you St. Pete Police? Where are you? There’s fights out here,” says Riches, whose Facebook account claims he has over two million followers. In Riches’ video, the counter-protester appears to push a protester to the ground, and then square up with a shirtless man, before pulling a gun from behind his back. Riches’ video then pans away from the incident.

It’s easy to see this as an isolated incident, but Riches is also a moderator of “St. Petersburg & Bay Area Crime Watch,” a pro-police Facebook group where members have literally called for violence against Tampa Bay protesters. In a photo posted on July 29 to Riches’ personal Facebook page he stated that he is now a moderator for the controversial group, which has since been renamed to “Pinellas County Crime Watch.” This was the same day Creative Loafing Tampa Bay published an article about the group’s history of racism, homophobia, and calls for violence.

As we previously reported, many of the group’s moderators used fake profiles and were removed the day the story came out. Also, other names used by moderators had criminal backgrounds, which included charges of fraud, trafficking stolen property, drug possession, domestic battery, burglary, and aggravated assault. In a statement to CL, John Hatfield, a former moderator of the “St. Petersburg & Bay Area Crime Watch,” said that a year ago, he started noticing moderators using fake profiles to incite racial arguments.

“They used these fake accounts to incite racism and promote violence towards peaceful protesters in the group for a long time,” Hatfield, who originally joined the group to “report local crime and raise awareness for a safer community” wrote. Hatfield said that in private messages, moderators shared personal information which led him to believe that some of the profiles cited in CL’s story—specifically Alexis Schmidt, Mark Rodriguez, Evan Geiselman and Madi Dicamillis— belonged to people who were friends in real life.

“They used real photos and had photos of themselves together on other social media platforms, so we knew there was no way all four people could claim stolen identity,” Hatfield wrote, adding that one of the sources in CL’s

story lied to our reporter about having pictures stolen. Hatfield told CL that he and a group of friends—Nick Cruz, Kevin Knight and Hieu Le— confronted page moderator Mark Grace (Mark Rodriguez) to express disagreement over the addition of new moderators, specifically Riches.

“They wanted to spice things up and bring more racial tension to the group and create a un-welcoming environment for the protesters in downtown St. Pete,” Hatfield wrote. “They added Jonathan Riches to fulfill that demand for racial tension as he is heavily involved with counter protesting and does live videos on Facebook to promote the violence towards protesters.”

CL could not reach Riches for comment.

However, before Riches joined the group as a moderator, calls for violence were already present. One post showed protesters blocking traffic, and a response to the post said “if Basement Living Maggots are playing in the streets and get ran over, don’t blame the drivers !!!”. One profile responded with, “keep on trucking.... right through them” and “Keep driving. Knock one down. They’ll move.”

A St. Pete protester, who wished to stay anonymous, told CL back in July they worried the group’s activity would lead to BLM marchers getting hurt during demonstrations.

Multiple users also say they’ve reported profiles and activity related to the group, but Facebook has yet to act.

Riches, who served a 10-year federal prison sentence for wire fraud, is known for filing

thousands of frivolous lawsuits, many of which were filed from jail. He even filed an injunction against the Guinness Book of World Records for attempting to name him the “the most litigious individual in history.” But Riches also has a history of dubious online activity, especially when it comes to creating fake Facebook pages tied to real events. According to Huffington Post, during the outrage surrounding the Covington Catholic High School students and the Native American protester in Washington D.C., Riches and others “created several Covington-related pages—including a fake page for Covington student Nicholas Sandmann that bashed the elder, Nathan Phillips.”

Riches’ stunts have also spilled into the real world. He once dressed up as a Muslim and attended a Hillary Clinton town hall in Haverford, Pennsylvania, representing “Muslims for Clinton,” reports HuffPo, and he was at Bill Cosby’s trial handing out Jell-O pudding pops.

Lately it seems Riches’ theatrics have mostly focused on Bay are marches and rallies, including a recent “Back the Blue” rally in Clearwater, and as a counter-protester at a South Tampa CVS gathering and a BLM protest in New Port Richey. On Monday morning, Riches shared a screengrab of a Facebook event calling for a “Patriotic MAGA Rally” happening this Saturday, Oct. 3, to “save” downtown St. Petersburg. Mayor Rick Kriseman has since said that out-of-town protesters and those with weapons should stay home.

LOCAL NEWS

RAGGY RICHES: Jonathan Lee Riches at a South Tampa protest on Sept. 15.

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MOVIES THEATER ART CULTURE

Behind the curtain

Here are the 2020 Theatre Tampa Bay awards nominees.

C

reative Loafing isn’t the only organization celebrating the best of Tampa Bay this week. Despite COVID-19 preventing theaters across the area from holding in-person shows over the last six months, Theatre Tampa Bay still has a hearty list of award nominations selected by theater pros who saw a total of 25 plays and five musicals before the 2019-20 season was canceled in March (the

pros completed a ballot following a show). Like past years, ballot totals were tallied to determine the list below. Those same professionals will complete one final ballot ranking the nominees, but you’ll have to wait until Theatre Tampa Bay pins down details on its virtual awards gala. We skipped the envelopes and printed the nominees on this big ass piece of Canadian newsprint.

Outstanding choreography/fight direction Chris Crawford “The Lion in Winter,” freeFall Theatre Dan Granke “Vietgone,” American Stage Daryl Gray “The Merry Widow,” St. Pete Opera Giles Davies “The Thanksgiving Play,” Jobsite Theater Katrina Stevenson “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” Jobsite Theater Vanessa Russo / Dan Granke “Rigoletto,” St. Pete Opera Outstanding costume design (under $500k) Heather Kreuger “Ordinary Days,” Stageworks Theatre Katrina Stevenson “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” Jobsite Theater Katrina Stevenson “Meteor Shower,” Jobsite Theater Katrina Stevenson “The Thanksgiving Play,” Jobsite Theater Nadalia HM “Morningside,” Stageworks Theatre Outstanding costume design (over $500k) Eric Davis “The Lion in Winter,” freeFall Theatre Glenn Breed “The Merry Widow,” St. Pete Opera Glenn Breed “Rigoletto,” St. Pete Opera Jill Castle “Skeleton Crew,” American Stage Josh Blake “Turn of the Screw,” freefall Theatre Outstanding director of a musical Adam Cioffari “The Merry Widow,” St. Pete Opera Fran Powers “Working,” Powerstories Karl W. Hesser “Rigoletto,” St. Pete Opera Karla Hartley “Ordinary Days,” Stageworks Theatre Outstanding director of a play Chris Crawford “The Lion in Winter,” freeFall Theatre Kristin Clippard “Silent Sky,” American Stage L. Peter Callender “Skeleton Crew,” American Stage Paul J. Potenza “Meteor Shower,” Jobsite Theater Scott Cooper “Morningside,” Stageworks Theatre Timothy Saunders “Turn of the Screw,” freeFall Theatre Outstanding performance by an ensemble—play “The Lion in Winter” freeFall Theatre “Meteor Shower” Jobsite Theater “Morningside” Stageworks Theatre “Skeleton Crew” American Stage

“Turn of the Screw” freeFall Theatre “Vietgone” American Stage Outstanding performance—musical Alison Burns-Jackson (Deb) “Ordinary Days, Stageworks Theatre Christopher Holmes (Rigoletto) “Rigoletto,” St. Pete Opera Holly Flack (Gilda) “Rigoletto,” St. Pete Opera Jesse Donner (Count Danilovitch) “The Merry Widow,” St. Pete Opera Kelli Butler (Hanna Glawari) “The Merry Widow,” St. Pete Opera Matthew McGee (Njegus) “The Merry Widow,” St. Pete Opera Outstanding performance by a featured actor in a play Alan Mohney Jr. (Tom) “Dinner with Friends,” Tampa Rep Benjamin T. Ismail (Peter) “Silent Sky,” American Stage Eric Brandon Davis (Richard Lionheart) “Lion in Winter,” freeFall Theatre Robert Spence Gabriel (John Plantagenet) “Lion in Winter,” “freeFall Theatre Vi Tran (Bobby, Playwright, Captain Chambers, Giai, Redneck Biker, Hippie Dude) “Vietgone,” American Stage Outstanding performance by a featured actress in a play Jodi Kimura (Huong/ Asian Girl/ American Girl/ Thu/ Translator/ Flower Girl) “Vietgone,” American Stage Karel K. Wright (Williamina Fleming) “Silent Sky,” American Stage Kari Goetz (Sophie) “Morningside,” Stageworks Theatre Karla Hartley (Roxanne) “Morningside,” Stageworks Theatre Sarah Nordin (Maddalena) “Rigoletto,” St. Pete Opera Vickie Daignault (Annie Cannon) “Silent Sky,” American Stage Outstanding performance by a lead actor in a play Eric Davis (The Man) “Turn of the Screw,” freeFall Theatre Enoch Armando King (Reggie) “Skeleton Crew,” American Stage Giles Davies (Bottom) “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” Jobsite Theater

THEATER

BETH REYNOLDS

By Ray Roa

BONES ON BONES: The cast and crew of American Stage’s ‘Skeleton Crew’ racked up 10 nominations.

Jordan Foote (Norm) “Meteor Shower,” Jobsite Theater Rasell Holt (Dez) “Skeleton Crew,” American Stage Outstanding performance by a lead actress in a play Dee Selmore (Faye) “Skeleton Crew,” American Stage Emilee Dupre (The Woman) “Turn of the Screw,” freeFall Theatre Kendra Rose Lyons (Vanda) “Venus in Fur,” TheatreOne Melody Craven (Louise) “Morningside,” Stageworks Theatre Sami Ma (Tong) “Vietgone,” American Stage Stephanie Dunnam (Eleanor of Aquitaine) “Lion in Winter,” freeFall Theatre Outstanding lighting design (under $500k) Brian Smallheer “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” Jobsite Theater Celeste Silsby Mannerud “Morningside,” Stageworks Theatre Jo Averill-Snell “Meteor Shower,” Jobsite Theater Karla Hartley “Ordinary Days,” Stageworks Theatre Megan Byrne “Wait Until Dark,” Stageworks Theatre Outstanding lighting design (over $500k) Christopher Baldwin “Vietgone,” American Stage Dalton Hamilton “Turn of the Screw,” freefall Theatre Joseph Oshry “Skeleton Crew,” American Stage Lynne Chase “Silent Sky,” American Stage Shawn Irish “Lion in Winter,” freeFall Theatre Outstanding music direction Joseph Scarbrough “Working,” Powerstories Mark Sforzini “Rigoletto,” St. Pete Opera Mark Sforzini “The Merry Widow,” St. Pete Opera Steven McColley “Ordinary Days,” Stageworks Theatre Outstanding production of a musical “The Merry Widow” St. Pete Opera “Ordinary Days” Stageworks Theatre “Rigoletto” St. Pete Opera “Working” Powerstories

Outstanding production of a play “Lion in Winter” freeFall Theatre “Meteor Shower” Jobsite Theater “Morningside” Stageworks Theatre “Silent Sky” American Stage “Skeleton Crew” American Stage “Turn of the Screw” freeFall Theatre Outstanding set design (under $500k) Brian Smallheer “Meteor Shower,” Jobsite Theater Brian Smallheer “The Thanksgiving Play,” Jobsite Theater Frank Chavez “Wait Until Dark,” Stageworks Theatre Jeannine Borzello “A Shayna Maidel,” Innovocative Theatre Scott Cooper “Morningside,” Stageworks Theatre Outstanding set design (over $500k) Jerid Fox “Vietgone,” American Stage Steven K. Mitchell “Skeleton Crew,” American Stage Steven K. Mitchell “Silent Sky,” American Stage Tom Hansen “The Lion in Winter,” freeFall Theatre Tom Hansen “Turn of the Screw,” freeFall Theatre Outstanding sound design (under $500k) Jeremy Douglass “Meteor Shower,” Jobsite Theater Jeremy Douglass “The Thanksgiving Play,” Jobsite Theater Jeremy Douglass “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” Jobsite Theater Karla Hartley “Morningside,” Stageworks Theatre Karla Hartley “Ordinary Days,” Stageworks Theatre Outstanding sound design (over $500k) Benjamin T. Ismail “Vietgone,” American Stage Eric Davis/ Michael Raabe “The Lion in Winter,” freeFall Theatre Jeremy Douglass “Silent Sky,” American Stage Josh Blake “Turn of the Screw,” freeFall Theatre Rachel Harrison “Skeleton Crew,” American Stage

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Y

ou don’t need me to tell you how weird this is, and I’m certainly not going to start this conversation off by writing, “I hope you’re as well as you can be in these trying times.”

Anyone holding onto this packet of paper—Creative Loafing Tampa Bay’s 30th annual Best of the Bay issue—knows that 2020 has been like no other year in our lifetimes. And anyone with half a brain knows that there’s hurt all around. From the balance sheets of our favorite businesses, to the wellbeing of our nextdoor neighbors, to the minds of elected officials at city hall and even on the faces of our own children, uncertainty often feels like the order of the day. That’s why it was so important that we get this issue in front of you this week.

For 30 years, CL’s Best of the Bay has tried to capture the energy put forth by the community and somehow celebrate it on newsprint. At a time when we walk out of our doors with the goal of not contracting a frightening virus, taking a second to recognize the good energy in our lives seems like an exercise worth taking—a required exercise and something to combat the cynicism, if you ask me.

Just like in years past, Best of the Bay 2020 is loaded with Readers’ Picks we’ll all be arguing about for the next week (321 of ‘em, to be exact). This issue is also home to 172 Critics’ Picks where our staff and contributors from years past chimed in to big up so many of the things that made them feel a sense of community pride over the last year (plus a few which made us wretch). And tucked away at the end of it all this year are a handful of short profiles submitted by

CL writers who wanted to acknowledge people or institutions they believe have left a positive impact on Tampa Bay over the last three decades. I think I can speak for our entire staff in saying that getting to fix our gaze around what made readers—and our colleagues—happy over the last 12 months was a welcome respite from the headlines. In these “unprecedented” times, the precedent and practice of compiling Best of the Bay was a lifesaver for our souls.

But as you flip through the more than 40 pages of Best of the Bay content, and see the names of all the people who’ve done good and lifted up their community, I’d ask you to also think about every person and every business whose name didn’t make it onto these pages. I’m talking about the mom-and-pop that shut down with no fanfare. I’m talking about the laid off mom and pop who’re wondering how they’ll feed their kids. I’m talking about the nameless protester coming face-to-face with danger all because they dare to loudly say “Black Lives Matter” in a way that makes those around them uncomfortable.

Congratulations certainly are in order for all those named here in our 30th annual Best of the Bay. Your contributions to the community are immeasurable in so many ways, and you’ve lifted us up, for sure. But this is one of those years—and this notion shouldn’t be weird at all—where the best of us have to look even further past our own bubbles, and do more to lift up the rest of us along the way.

Keep taking care of each other Tampa Bay, we’ll see you again this time next year. —Ray Roa

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BEST ACID TRIP COMEDOWN THE VENUS ‘ANCESTOR SIMULATOR’ The Venus’ 19-track debut album was written in 2016 with a lot of psychedelics on hand; that time forced frontman Alexander Charos to face pain that’d been buried deep within him. A new album, "Ancestor Simulator," captures the inevitable comedown of that chemical whirlwind, but it’s also a poignant and artfully composed and produced reflection on what it’s like to face America’s demons head on and fight for a more just and equitable world. “I’m more hopeful now for our country than I’ve been in a long time. I hope that we can keep this momentum going and actually change policy and vote out the final old guard of racists and bigots,” Charos told CL. "Don’t stop protesting and don’t stop singing.” thevenus.bandcamp.com —Ray Roa

BEST ART BY MAIL ST. PETE POSTCARD PROJECT When coronavirus sent many of us into selfquarantine this spring, local art teacher Sara Norine came up with a creative way to keep her students making art. Norine sent them blank postcards in the mail, asked them to decorate the front, write a message on the back, and send the cards back to her. While supplies lasted, Norine sent blank postcards to any community member who expressed interest in participating in the project. As the completed postcards rolled in throughout May and June, Norine took photos which she shared on Instagram and Facebook. In mid-July, both the Morean Arts Center and ARTicles Art Gallery hung the cards in their street-facing windows for the passerby to enjoy. The 4-by-6 inch works of art, with their well-wishes and words of encouragement, reminded us that we’re all in this together. @stpetepostcardproject on Instagram —Jennifer Ring

BEST BEAUTIFUL REMINDER THAT WE’RE WASTEFUL PIECES OF SHIT ‘WASHED ASHORE’ AT FLORIDA AQUARIUM

BEST BLM PROTEST SIGN-MAKING STATION TAMPA MUSEUM OF ART While many white people were distracted and complaining about rare destruction of property and destruction of Confederate totems during BLM protests, protests in Tampa’s Curtis Hixon Park were more interested in creating things than destroying them. The Tampa Museum of Art set up a protest sign-making station in support of peaceful protests for Black Lives Matter, and people were loving it. You should see the photos. tampamuseum.org —J. Ring

BEST COMEDIAN CAM BERTRAND It’s been a weird year for comedy, considering that clubs were shuttered for several months and performers struggled to stay busy. But Bertrand logged plenty of accolades before that (a “Florida’s Funniest Comedian” title and plenty of popular headlining gigs) and clips of his DryBar special, “Sophisticated Ignorance,” racked up millions of views online. A spot at the Parking Lot Social event next to Raymond James Stadium in July only proved that the virus didn’t slow down his creativity. If his name sounds familiar, it’s because you’ve seen it on a previous Best of the Bay award: Namely,

Best Up-and-Coming Comedian a few years back. But with a vibrant stage presence, a slew of pop culture references and plenty of clever self-deprecation, Bertrand’s not up and coming anymore. He’s here. @camthecomic on Instagram —Michael Murillo

BEST COMEDIC LOVE FOR TAMPA STEVE MILLER Tampa has loved comedian Steve Miller for almost 10 years now, proven by the multiple Best of the Bays he’s won. Miller got to give the love back when he presented an almost 10-minute comedic homage honoring the 813-with smidge of the 727. As part of the Straz’s "Tampa Total Request Live," the stand up set was filmed in front of some of Tampa’s great attractions like the Tampa Museum of Art, Amalie Arena and, of course, 2001 Odyssey. It was a love letter of sorts to our city, talking about why it’s the best even when it sometimes seems like the worst.

He gets in some jabs about the Confederate flag and reminds us what we’re missing while we are in quarantine like “... Not being able to find a place to sit at Armature Works.” So do we Miller, so do we. stevemiller813.com —Stephanie Powers

BEST COMEDY CLUB COMEBACK SIDE SPLITTERS Let’s be honest: This year hasn’t been easy for any comedy club, and they all deserve a tip of the cap for surviving months with closed doors and no laughter. But Side Splitters was the first one back, and it clearly had a plan in place for its return. That meant installing an air purification system, paper menus and silverware, mask requirements for staff and customers, professional cleaning and all the required social distancing. It even held a special benefit show for their employees who were hurt financially. All the local clubs have done a good job, but Side Splitters deserves special mention for getting things up and running in a professional and positive manner. sidesplitterscomedy.com —MM

BEST CORONAVIRUS CONCERT LIVESTREAMS KITTY DANIELS Kitty Daniels is an octogenarian matriarch of the Tampa Bay jazz scene and the last person I expected to see jump on the coronavirus livestream bandwagon, but her sessions— bare bones with just a piano and whatever light was in the room—were some of the most heartwarming of those early shutdown days. Her love of the Great American Songbook shone through, and if you tuned in for continued on page 23

FLORIDA AQUARIUM

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

I’ve been spending a lot of time at the Florida Aquarium (long story short: I don’t have a babysitter until about 10:30 a.m., and the place is relatively empty when it opens at 9:30 a.m.). Thanks to the air-conditioning and sea critters, the venue is perfect for my nine-month-old and me. But one aspect of each visit—the art made from plastic that’s been collected from the shores of beaches— is both beautiful in its aesthetics and absolutely soul-crushing in its message (long story short: We’re pretty much selfish fucks who can’t be bothered to utilize reusables or even secure our trash).

The sculptures in “Washed Ashore: Art to Save the Sea” include a parrot fish, white shark, whale skeletons and more, but they’re all made of lighters, toilet brushes, flip-flops, bleach bottles and other garbage. Go punish yourself by going to see it (viewing has been extended through October), and then walk out committed to trying to make sure an exhibit just like it can’t ever be made again. flaquarium.org —RR

BEST BEAUTIFUL REMINDER THAT WE’RE WASTEFUL PIECES OF SHIT

‘WASHED ASHORE’ AT FLORIDA AQUARIUM

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continued from page 21 even just five minutes, your day could be transformed. kittydaniels.com —RR

BEST CORONAVIRUS CONCERT LIVESTREAM THAT LANDED A LOCAL BAND ON FORBES ‘UNDEROATH: OBSERVATORY’ COVID-19 still has the national touring industry in a chokehold. Across the country, venues are closing and musicians are having to quit their craft to keep food on the table (streaming services virtually eliminated income from album sales, remember?). Everywhere, artists at every level started livestreaming. Some of it was cringeworthy, but all of it was—and still is—a chance for the community to support its creative class. One local band, however, went all out. Granted, Underoath (which was supposed to open for Slipknot in arenas this summer) is in a different league when it comes to fanbase (the Grammy-nominated rock outfit sold-out Yuengling Center for chrissake), but it was able to use its resources to turn its ambitions into reality with a series of cinematically-shot, live full-album performances staged at an off-the-record soundstage in Tampa. The band sold exclusive online access to fans—and ask local venues to sell discounted tickets and make some money for themselves—but bundled a lot of it with merch to help the bottom line. On the day of the first show, Forbes reported that revenue from the band’s “Observatory” concerts was on pace to “compensate for all the touring revenue lost this year,” adding that when sales started for the concerts, there was “a conversion rate of $800 per email,” which led to the band band passing “the six-figure threshold in the first two days of sales.” That’s a lot of money for crew, support staff and the band itself—and if other bands can pull it off, it looks like a model that could save bands with equally devoted and widespread fanbases. underoath777.com —Ray Roa

BEST CORONAVIRUS RALLYING CRY BIG BABY SCUMBAG There are plenty of reasons to be more like Big Baby Scumbag right now, and the foremost is hygiene. The Tampa rapper born Tyrell Williams hasn’t changed his routine too much in the face of the coronavirus because he was pretty damn tidy to begin with. “Honestly, man, I wash my hands all the time. I’m not

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saying a lot of people are dirty, but people aren’t as clean as they need to be,” Scumbag, 25, told CL in April. Plus, the Town ‘N’ Country product is having a hell of a year. In January, Pitchfork gave his "Big Baby Earnhardt" mixtape a 7.1, adding that “The tracks on the Florida rapper’s latest tape overflow with jubilant maximalism and have a proudly Southern bounce.” A follow up ("www.flexedupshawty.com," released in August) is a Windows 98-style throwdown, but the our favorite single is March’s “Fuck Coronavirus 2020”—a full-blown trap rager where a masked Scumbag passes on dapping people or shaking hands all while spraying them down with Lysol and drinking Bud Light instead of White Claw. In the hook, Scumbag joyously sings, “Fuck coronavirus. I’ll punch him in his jaw.” If he was in office instead of DeSantis, we might have this thing under control by now. @bigbabyscumbag on Instagram —RR

BEST COVID-19 CONCERT SCENE CAGE RATTLER TOM DEGEORGE Tom probably didn’t want to be this guy, but we’re glad he is. From the very beginning of the COVID-19 shutdowns—when concert venues like his shuttered first along with the national touring industry (both are still closed, mind you)—he warned us about how small stages wouldn’t survive without federal help. Little did we know how bad it would get. While other bars got to bend the rules (and then fuck it all up, leading to a second shutdown), Tom kept screaming for help at the top of his lungs. He’s the Florida captain for the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA), and he’s been on seemingly every TV station and quoted in every newspaper complaining about the lack of a good plan (and an unwillingness of local municipalities to enforce the rules) so that Crowbar and other venues like his can have a chance at dusting themselves off. Tom’s gonna fight like hell, and you’re gonna have to drag him off the mat to get him to shut up. nivassoc.org —RR

ASHLEY DIEUDONNE

CREATIVE LOAFING 2020 Best

Best ENCORE DJ SANDMAN nity gathering place after it opened a year ago—put its events on hold. Still, the crew did its best Daniel-san, focused and kept making records with literally clean vocals (ie: sanitized mic covers) for local music fans to enjoy. Be on the lookout for the calendar here whenever we can all karate chop our way out of COVID-19. dojosounds.com —RR

BEST ENCORE DJ SANDMAN After being laid off in January after 15 years at 95.7-FM The Beat, Tampa Bay hip-hop godfather DJ Sandman undoubtedly felt a little down. But that didn’t last long. He remembered that it was him that made his radio segments great, and he knew he wanted to keep shining a light on the local scene he’s loved since he went to Madison Middle School. So together with Symphonic Distribution, Sandman launched the Illsboro record label and “Next Up” podcast which’ll shine a light on up-and-coming talent whether it’s signed to Illsboro or not. Sandman’s first act was enough to cement his status as a local legend, but there’s reason to believe the encore will be even better. His speakers are the best, after all. djsandman.com —RR

BEST DOJO WHERE THERE’S NO KARATE DOJO SOUNDS

BEST EERILY RELEVANT CONCEPT ALBUM BC ‘TIME PIECES 3’

Every adapt it was which

If there was ever an emcee to write a soundtrack for the moment when a global pandemic met a social revolution, then it’s BC. His new, 24-track sci-fi concept album

business in Tampa Bay has had to to the challenges of coronavirus, but such a bummer to see Dojo Sounds— had doubled as an unofficial commu-

is for fans of New York label Def Jux, Brooklyn trio Company Flow and Aesop Rock, but it’s also for real ones who wonder why public schools teach about Martin Luther King Jr., but not Malcom X. What’s even weirder is the allegorical elements which tie outof-this-world events to the sadly-very-real current events of today. “On [‘Don’t Look Down,' a highlight of the LP], I had to think about how I’d speak to her about prejudices of all kinds, you know, sexism, homophobia, all of that,” BC told CL. “How to treat people, and in classism as well. So, that song became really important to me in that sense.” bcofredtide.bandcamp.com —RR

BEST FOOTWORK YA LA’FORD AND TAMPA BAY ROWDIES Ya La’ford’s latest community mural is all about teamwork. It’s the perfect theme for a mural at Al Lang Stadium, where the Tampa Bay Rowdies play soccer. La’ford worked with the players to add a layer of footprints to the mural. Afterwards, over 100 St. Pete residents added their handprints to create the finished piece. Teamwork wasn’t exactly 2020’s theme, but it should have been. Sometimes you have to work together to win, and sometimes you have to work together to survive. Either way, this mural is a great tribute to people in Tampa Bay working together for the win. yalaford.com —J. Ring continued on page 25

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BEST FOUR-WHEELED IT’S ABOUT TIME TAMPA PRO WOMEN’S TOURNEY Seemed like it was a long time coming— especially since women have skated for free at the Skatepark of Tampa (SPoT) for what feels like forever—but in February, for the first time ever, Tampa Pro included a women’s open tourney with a $5,000 purse on the line. Ladies long should’ve been part of one of the country’s most unique skateboarding tournaments, and it’ll feel even better whenever the tourney actually happens again. skateparkoftampa.com —RR

BEST GET ME INTO THE CAGE THE KILLERS AT ORPHEUM On Nov. 22, The Killers headlined the 19,000-capacity MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre as part of 97X’s expanded Next Big Thing lineup. After that, the band played a one-off show in Abu Dhabi as part of a Formula 1 party. But on Nov. 21, Brandon Flowers & co. played 18 songs, new and old, to just over 700 fans at Orpheum in Ybor City. One guy outside was trying to buy a ticket for $400, but for Killers su-

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perfans no amount of money could’ve kept them out of that cage that night. —RR

BEST GUITARIST (SENIOR DIVISION) STEVE CONNELLY Some guitarists just have a way of playing solos that make the hair on your neck stand up and add a vital dose of energy to any song. Steve Connelly’s been delivering that juice for decades. He is unequivocally a Bay area legend, most notably as a founding member of The Headlights, a lodestar of the local scene from the early 1980s to the mid-’90s. (The band did a stint backing up ex-Byrd Roger McGuinn on tour and played “The Tonight Show” in ‘91). Connelly, who has owned and run Zen Recording in Pinellas Park for more than 20 years, is also a sharp-eared producer and engineer, and does some credible singing. But it’s his guitar work—played with a profound inner for when we can finally come home. facebook. com/pvillesongs —Eric Snider

BEST IPHONE MOVIE WORKSHOP VICTORIA JORGENSEN AND FABIANA LOWE A lot of you started filming with your iPhones

at the onset of this pandemic. Not all of you took Victoria Jorgensen and Fabiana Lowe’s iPhone movie workshop at the Dunedin International Film Festival beforehand—I can tell. But that’s okay; we applaud all your home movie-making efforts during these difficult times. But if you ever want to level up, there’s a workshop for that. Lucky for us, this isn’t a one and done scenario. Before the pandemic came around, Jorgensen told me they’re planning more workshops with Creative Pinellas and additional film festivals, you know, once we can have film festivals again. amovieproductions. com —J. Ring

BEST LAST MUSIC FESTIVAL BEFORE IT ALL WENT TO SHIT GASPARILLA MUSIC FESTIVAL One of the things I remember from Gasparilla Music Festival 2020 was Jane Castor, sounding like she was having a really good night, introducing Saturday headliner Brandi Carlile. I’m glad that Tampa’s mayor and Bay area music lovers could let loose one last time because the coronavirus shredded all that to shit by the end of the month.

Pretty much every music festival since then has been canned or reimagined, and as of press time, we still don’t know if the coast will be clear enough for GMF to come roaring (safely) back by that first weekend of March 2021. gasparillamusic.com —RR

BEST LIVE DRAWING SHOW JUJMO ADAM COLE BOEHM

BEST HOTEL PARTY POISONVILLE SONGS PROJECT

In March, with the pandemic in its early stages, Tampa-based artist Jujmo—known for creating colorful murals adorned with fun characters sprinkled throughout Tampa Bay—hosted free, weekly “Jujmo Drawing Show” livestream drawing classes on Instagram. Those who followed along got to flex their creativity while the artist channeled Bob Ross during the instructional class. During self-quarantine, the artist found a new way to connect with the community while getting a little dough through donations since her revenue stream dried up when events got canceled. jujmo.com —Jenna Rimensnyder

BEST LOCAL MUSIC GEAR TRANSACTION BILLY SUMMER SELLING TO PETE TOWNSHEND Once upon a time, local rock and roll leg-

end Billy Summer sold a bunch of gear so he could buy a Fender Deluxe Reverb from another revered musician, Rob Pastore. For years, a bunch of other bozos tried to buy the amp from Summer, but last fall, he got an email saying “Hello, I’m in town touring with The Who and I’d like to buy your amp but I don’t have transport.” Summer agreed to sell and drive the thing to Amalie Arena where Townshend’s guitar tech Simon Law inspected the amp, explained that “Pete would be using it for recording,” handed Summer a wad of cash then proceeded to show our local hero the ins and outs of Townshend’s rig before giving him a backstage pass and two pristine seats for the show. billysummer.bandcamp.com —RR

BEST LOCAL WHO TECHNICALLY WON A GRAMMY THIS YEAR JASON CHAROS It wasn’t part of the plan, but being in the right place at the right time—combined with simply being ready and able to get the parts down—led to St. Petersburg trumpeter Jason Charos ending up on the recording of Brian Lynch’s "Omni American Book Club" (which took home a Grammy for “Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album” in February).

Lynch is Charos’ instructor at Miami’s Frost School of Music, and while just being on a record with Lynch is a dream come true, being apart of a Grammy-winning effort is something no could ever ever forget. @jasoncharos on Instagram —RR

BEST MARK OF A BEAST THEY HATE CHANGE ‘666 CENTRAL AVE.’ They Hate Change attracted international attention for the Clearwater experimental hip-hop duo’s new album, "666 Central Ave.," and the shine is well deserved. Flaunt, Clash, Earmilk and Acclaim were just a few of the pubs who lauded the five-track release whose title is an homage to the old address of St. Petersburg’s Daddy Kool Records.

The 14-minute thrill ride will leave your head spinning just long enough to hop back on and take the ride again. In a world fraught with the uncertainty of a pandemic and the doldrum-driven nature of life under quarantine, They Hate Change gave us a fresh wake up call that we could all use to rinse out our continued on page 27

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CREATIVE LOAFING 2020 Best

BEST MUSICAL LOVE FOR TAMPA JEREMY GLOFF Though Jeremy Gloff grew up in Fredonia, New York, he calls Tampa home. The song “Tampa” celebrates a town that welcomed him when he moved here 20 years ago.

A town that accepted him and led him to claim the role of “Tampa’s Queen of Pop.” After the original video shoot idea had to change, he called out on his community to send in videos of themselves while quarantining. The video was a hit and included almost 100 local celebrities dancing and playing virtually beside him in the video. Sorry, not sorry, about your loss Fredonia. jeremygloff.com —Stephanie Powers

BEST NEW ART COLLECTIVE CRAB DEVIL I love seeing new art collectives pop up around Tampa Bay. As many local art collectives have demonstrated through the years, everything’s better with friends, including making and showing art. Devon Brady and Janine Awai’s Crab Devil plans to put Tampa’s art scene on the map with a novel art attraction called “The Peninsularium.” Although the Crab Devil collective and The Peninsularium project are both new, many Crab Devil artists are familiar members of Tampa’s art scene, like Tempus Projects’ Tracy Midulla. I can’t wait to see what they build together. crabdevil. com —J. Ring

BEST NEW FACEBOOK GROUP TO KEEP IN TOUCH WITH TAMPA BAY’S CREATIVE COMMUNITY WITHOUT GETTING COVID-19 DFAC’S 'ONE WORLD: I’LL SHOW YOU MINE, IF YOU SHOW ME YOURS—DAILY PHOTOS' If there ever was a time to create a new Facebook group, it was when COVID-19 struck. The groups gave us the opportunity to put our favorite community gathering places online. Whether it’s your church, that dive bar where everybody knows your name, your LGBT community center, or your writing group, we all had people and places that we missed. I missed the community art centers where people gather to

be creative. Thanks to the Dunedin Fine Art Center’s efforts early in this pandemic, I never felt too disconnected from our creative community. The Dunedin Fine Art Center’s “Daily Photos” Facebook Group did more than just document our quarantine experiences—it brought us together like the Dunedin Fine Art Center does in real life. DFAC’s “Daily Photos” wasn’t the only Facebook group dedicated to staying creative in Tampa Bay, but with over 400 members, it was certainly one of the most active. facebook.com/dunedinfineartcenter —J. Ring

BEST NEW NEW YEAR’S EVE TRADITION TAMPA’S BOOTY DROP Remember when getting together and partying in huge crowds was cool? Jane Castor couldn’t have picked a worse time to be Mayor of Tampa, but it was fun for those first few months, wasn’t it? Like when the City of Tampa decided to ring in New Year’s Eve with a “Booty Drop.” Although… now that I see how 2020 is turning out, I wonder if that Booty Drop was bad luck? Should I be giving this an award? I don’t know. Trying to find something fun to celebrate in 2020 is like grasping at straws. —J. Ring

BEST ON-AIR CELEBRATION OF LOCAL MUSIC 'ROOM 1210' ON WMNF When it comes to embracing local music on the airwaves, nobody does it better than Amanda Doyle. Her “Room 1210” program features locals almost every week, and the episodes quite often include live sessions recorded in WMNF 88.5-FM’s ace live music studio (live sessions are on hold while the pandemic wrecks everything). If you want to know about the good music your neighbors are making, let Doyle show you the way. @room1210 on Instagram —RR

BEST ONLINE ART MARKETING CAMPAIGN 'PAINT IT FORWARD' Derek Donnelly started "Paint it Forward" in 2018 to elevate the Tampa Bay arts scene.

The idea was to share photos and videos of artwork made in Tampa Bay on social media via hashtag #PaintItForward. When COVID struck in March and the galleries closed,

DANIEL DIAGRANADOS

continued from page 25 cobweb-laden minds. Beast mode engaged. linktr.ee/theyhatechange —RR

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BEST MARK OF A BEAST

THEY HATE CHANGE '666 CENTRAL AVE.' Donnelly’s online marketing efforts became more important than ever. Suddenly, the internet was the only place where artists could get their work in front of collectors, and Donnelly already had the resources and the perfect hashtag for it. Through his nonprofit Public Art Project, Donnelly provided $150-$300 stipends to artists in exchange for online content, sharing their work with the world. The stipends gave several Tampa Bay artists the break they needed to revamp their online marketing strategies so they could survive this pandemic. And that’s how you paint it forward. @saintpaintarts on Instagram —J. Ring

BEST PANDEMIC-INDUCED EXIT-ENTRANCE GRAND NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS For a decade-and-a-half, Grand National Championships was WMNF’s definitive nighttime one-stop-shop for new-to-youmusic and unrivaled wit from the voices running the show, but complications surrounding pre-recorded segments in the age of coronavirus led to host Alastair St. Hill—a longtime champion of local acts who shone light on the best of ‘em with the show’s “GNC Sessions”—to take the show off-air and into the podcast world where it’s flourcontinued on page 29

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of the Bay CRITIC'S PICKS ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT gigantic sculptures are made, it showcased public art designs for the new St. Pete Pier, and it taught our local artists how to transition from studio work to public art through a series of lectures. Also, I love the pamphlet they made on where and how to see public art in Tampa Bay—it’s still available online via floridacraftart.org —J. Ring SANDRA DOEHNERT BOURNE

Best ONLINE ART MARKETING CAMPAIGN PAINT IT FORWARD continued from page 27 ished. WMNF’s loss is everyone else’s gain, and that’s OK. grandnationalchampionships. com —RR

BEST PLACE TO GET IRREPARABLE EAR DAMAGE AND SEE AN WMNF-ER TWERK BIG FREEDIA AT GASPARILLA MUSIC When New Orleans bounce queen Big Freedia performed at Gasparilla Music Festival, I made sure to be up close during their set. It was the very start of the pandemic so I was worried about hand sanitizer and germs, that I forgot about wearing earplugs. Rookie move. I didn’t even think about them until after the banging performance that I realized I could barely hear. I’m pretty sure the bass did some irreparable damage to the speakers because De La Soul’s set sounded a little wonky. In fact, everything has sounded a little wonky since. But damn was it worth it—especially when one of WMNF’s sweetest souls, Miss Julie, got on stage and twerked for a packed Kiley Gardens. —SP

BEST PUBE-Y PRODUCT PLACEMENT WOLF-FACE X LIQUID DEATH Watching lupine, pube-loving punk-rock outfit Wolf-Face onstage can leave any

young pup thirsty, which is why it made sense when canned water company Liquid Death asked the band to soundtrack a oneminute commercial where the band murders thirst and the band's real-life archnemesis Mike Kinsella (of American Football and Owen fame). It’s been almost 10 years since Wolf-Face arrived as a band that everyone thought was a joke, but the outfit’s run and continued quality output is anything but.

The staying power—and catchy jingle in the commercial—is just plain fun to watch. wolfface.bandcamp.com —RR

BEST PUBLIC ART PRIMER FLORIDA CRAFT ART 'INSIDE THE WORLD OF PUBLIC ART' I’ve always enjoyed the selection of crafts at Florida Craft Art, but typically, crafts just don’t wow me. That was until I found out how many installation artists got their start crafting, like Elayna Toby Singer, who transitioned from making jewelry into making mobile-like sculptures in public parks and gardens. Florida Craft Art’s “Inside the World of Public Art” featured work from several artists who made the transition from craft studio work to large-scale public installations. This exhibit was special for many reasons: it introduced Tampa Bay to the artists behind their favorite public art, it gave us a behind-the-scenes look into how

BEST RAISING AWARENESS FOR HUMAN TRAFFICKING THE CANTONS AND THEIR GOATS Rob and Debbie Canton established Grady Goat Farm to raise money for causes close to their heart. One such cause is the fight against human trafficking, which hits closer to Tampa Bay than you may realize (not the Qanon brand of human trafficking, either).

This year, the Cantons commissioned Scott Moore to create 55 identical goat sculptures for artists to paint and/or decorate. The goal was to raise awareness and get some money in the hands of organizations fighting human trafficking. Fifty of the goat sculptures made their debut at the 50th Anniversary Gasparilla Festival of the Arts in Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park, where they attracted quite the crowd. gradygoat.org —J. Ring

BEST RAPPER-TURNED ALLY FOR THE WORKING CLASS PLIES’ ESSENTIAL WORKER RANT Some employees at Publix, one of the Southeast’s most popular grocery chains, tested positive for the coronavirus, but one Florida man loudly said what so many of us thought about that. That man was Algernod Lanier Washington. In April, the 43-year-old Florida rapper better known as Plies went on Twitter to post a minute-long video wondering why the hell Publix employees—plus other nonhealthcare frontline workers like bank tellers and airline stewardesses—don’t get paid like they’re risking their lives. “People are here on the front line, still risking they fucking life, while you CEOs home quarantined with you goddamn family,” Plies noted, adding that even $30 an hour isn’t enough to risk your life. “You don’t risk your fucking life but no $9 an hour, no $11 an hour, no fucking $30 an hour. Pay 'em like they risking their life.” Kept it too real. twitter.com/ plies —RR

BEST REMEMBER US WHEN YOU ARE A MEGASTAR JJ CURRY Comedian JJ Curry has the charm and the talent to make it big. The mama’s boy and former U.S. airman gets crowds to fall in love with him with stories about growing up in Georgia, his not-so-great dad and hot takes on current issues. Curry’s a staple at Side Splitters, where he won last year’s “Last Comic Stranded” competition, but he’s been getting gigs all over the South as of late. If you ever need a date for, say, the Golden Globes, I’ll be sure my calendar is open. facebook.com/ jjcurrycomedypage —SP

BEST SHOW FROM A SHOWMAN FRE$H P AT GASPARILLA MUSIC FESTIVAL While hopping around Gasparilla Music Festival, I tried to make a point to see as many local acts as I could. When I sat down at the beginning of a performance by William McAllister III (aka Fre$h P), I knew the show would be banging thanks to his single “Money Move.” I didn’t realize we were in for such theatrics. Representing his time in the Army, he started his Saturday amphitheatre set in fatigues—just the first of a few costume changes. By the end of the show, he had me laughing, crying (when he brought his mom up during “I Love You Mama”) and cheering him on. soundcloud. com/fresh813prince —SP

BEST THAT WAS GREAT WHILE IT LASTED VETNOUGH I knew Vetnough was good the first time I saw them and each time after. Then came Gasparilla Music Festival, during which it rocked the shit out of a standing room only amphitheatre Sunday afternoon. The mix of Julia Powell’s deep vocals and guitars, Carlos Reyes’s killer keys and Tampa music scene vet Christina Piasecki’s powerful drums comes together perfectly. Every time I saw them, or more lately, heard them, I just wondered when the rest of the world was going to find out about the band—but now it’ll never get the chance in real life. (Editor’s note: After this award was submitted, the band broke up, so we had to switch it up.) vetnough. com —SP continued on page 31

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CREATIVE LOAFING 2020 Best BEST TRIBUTE TO AN ADOPTED LOCAL LEGEND WMNF’S JOHN PRINE TRIBUTE He had homes in Nashville and Ireland, but that didn’t stop Gulfport from adopting John Prine (who has an address near the small beach town’s downtown). When the American songwriting legend died from COVID-19 in April, it left a hole in his fanbase’s spirit. Community radio station WMNF 88.5FM filled that void for a few hours on April 16 by inviting local bands to submit covers of Prine tunes. We couldn’t get together due to coronavirus, but it sure did feel like there were a bunch of old friends popping in to say “Hello In There.” wmnf.org —RR

BEST UNLIKELY VENUE AMERICAN LEGION SEMINOLE POST 111 What a strange, magical place Seminole Heights’ American Legion is. There’s usually a slew of older veterans sitting at the bar throughout the day and into the evening.

Sometimes, at night, they’ll still be in their barstools watching sports or just deep in their drink. Sometimes, on that same night, some of Tampa’s loudest bands like WolfFace and Nervous Girls will be playing to a crowd of hipsters—though, they usually save the metal shows for Mondays. At the bar, no one talks politics—or tries not to. It’s just a room full of boomers and millennials all sharing the same space, and enjoying every minute of it. alseminolepost.org —SP

BEST UNLIKELY VENUE THAT GOT SAVED BY ITS COMMUNITY VFW POST 39 In CL’s Spring Arts issue, Scott Harrell and Dave Decker celebrated Lady V and the VFW Post 39, which she and a diverse group of St. Petersburg vets and hipsters call home. But come the fall, coronavirus had one of Florida’s oldest VFW halls—and one of St. Pete’s last neighborhood places to have a rock show—facing extinction and a depleted savings account, from which funds usually went to vets in need. Sept. 1 was the last day the place could stay open… until the community—drag queens and all—came together, started crowdfunding and throwing outdoor concerts to keep the doors open (and vets served). 727-327-8109 —RR

BEST UP-AND-COMING COMEDIAN JAQUAVIOUS CURRY Feel free to call him JJ. That’s what his friends call him, and after you see his set you’ll feel like one, too. His calm, confident demeanor would normally be found in older performers, but Curry has been building veteran-style momentum since moving to Tampa Bay a few years ago. He’s now headlining shows throughout the Southeast and making a name for himself in the comedy community. Whether that name is Jaquavious or JJ doesn’t really matter; you’ll be hearing more of it in the future. facebook.com/jjcurrycomedypage —MM

BEST USE OF LEGOS ‘BRICK BY BRICK’ AT TAMPA BAY HISTORY CENTER People like to bust their nuts over singular historic events like Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I have a dream speech” or the Apollo 11 moon landing, but those milestones were preceded by smaller events, which stacked up, brick by brick, so that history could eventually be made in a big way.

Last fall, Tampa Bay History Center invited kids and adults alike to think about that when it hosted “Brick History” featuring key figures and events constructed entirely out of LEGOs by a team led by artist Warren Elsmore. That’s one way to piece history together. tampabayhistorycenter.org —RR

to host artist talks and opening receptions online. Tampa’s college galleries followed suit a month later, starting with Gallery 221. creativepinellas.org —J. Ring

BEST VIRTUAL CINEMA TAMPA THEATRE When I asked local filmmakers what they love most about Tampa’s film scene for this year’s Gasparilla Arts Month preview, Tampa Theatre kept coming up. The 1920s movie palace is one of Tampa Bay’s best attractions outside of our beaches. It is the best place to watch a classic movie or an independent film in the area; no matter which part of the Tampa Bay area you hail from, it’s worth the drive. Unless you’re living in the middle of a deadly pandemic. When film distributors made the transition from in-person to streaming cinema in March, Tampa Theatre was quick to offer a series of arthouse films through different streaming platforms.

Thanks to Virtual Cinema, we could safely watch new movies in our living rooms while supporting Tampa Theatre at the same time.

I was so excited, I made my entire family watch “Fantastic Fungi,” a 80-minute documentary about mushrooms. It was good, too—and that’s not the mushrooms talking. tampatheatre.org —J. Ring

BEST VIRTUAL LITERARY LITERTAINMENT DURING LOCKDOWN WORDIER THAN THOU

Don’t tell Wordier than Thou founder Tiffany Razzano that writers are solitary creatures.

She’s spent years developing a community of writers in Tampa Bay who regularly get together for various literature-themed events.

And when the pandemic put a damper on in-person get-togethers, Razzano rapidly found fun and exciting ways to socialize with her fellow writers online via Zoom and Facebook Live. While others suffered from a temporarily-paralyzing pandemic-induced lack of motivation, Razzano launched “Quarantine Storytime,” “Personal Library Tours,” and “Tell Us About Your Quarantine.”

Her commitment to Tampa Bay’s community of writers during these difficult times was inspiring. wordierthanthou.com —J. Ring

BEST VIRTUAL TALENT SHOW TTRL BY THE STRAZ CENTER It didn’t take long for co-workers Zachary Hines and Roxanne Gallo to come up with the idea for their Wednesday night online talent show that is the Straz’s "Tampa Total Request Live." They quickly switched gears from their roles as Senior Manager of Institutional Marketing and Program Specialists to co-hosts and co-producers with the first episode on April 10. They have now produced over a dozen episodes, each one with a different theme and different performers.

It’s a welcome respite to the crushing depression 2020 has brought. strazcenter.org —SP

BEST VIRTUAL ART TRAILBLAZING CREATIVE PINELLAS Creative Pinellas was doing great stuff long before COVID-19 came along, but the pandemic really brought out the best in the collective. It was clear from the beginning that Creative Pinellas was going to do everything it could to help artists survive this crisis. It kept an updated list of places to enjoy art online. It raised pay for its Arts Coast Journal contributors when other publications couldn’t afford to pay their writers at all. It even established the area’s first arts relief fund in collaboration with the St. Petersburg Art Alliance and the Pinellas Community Foundation. Then on April 16, Creative Pinellas introduced 2020’s crop of emerging artists in Zoom conversations shared via Facebook Live, becoming the first arts organization in the Tampa Bay area

TAMPA THEATRE

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BEST VIRTUAL CINEMA TAMPA THEATRE cltampa.com | OCTOBER 1-7, 2020 | 31

SPONSORED CONTENT PRESENTED BY BULA KAFE

Bula Nation Celebrates Its Kava Takeover of Tampa Bay

Y

ou may have noticed around town there seem to be kava bars everywhere. The kava bar industry is growing rapidly and there are around 20 kava bars in Pinellas County alone with more being built.

How are they all succeeding? What is really going on here? It goes beyond muddy water and has turned into a cultural movement. It is a reflection of today’s current society and our need for connection with each other.

What is a kava bar? Bula Kafe, our original kava bar, opened in 2009 32 | OCTOBER 1-7, 2020 | cltampa.com

and we have built 3 more since; Bula on the Beach located on Madeira Beach, Bula Kavananda in Tampa, and Bula Cocoa in Cocoa Beach.

We are now building our fifth bar, which will be called Botanica Herbal Bar and Coffee House just outside downtown St. Petersburg. We are proud to say this is our fourth year winning Best of the Bay’s award for best kava bar and our second year in a row winning Best Beach Bar (a proud accomplishment considering we don’t serve any alcohol). A kava

bar is a bar that serves a variety of plants, primarily kava, instead of alcohol. Kava is the root of a pepper plant from the Pacific Islands that has been used traditionally for thousands of years to gather people because of its relaxing effects. It has been used by the South Pacific peoples to obtain peace during tribal warfare and as a way to connect through drinking and gathering just like we use alcohol in our society. The effects are mild, stress relieving, and anxiety reducing while also being somewhat of a social lubricant. Other drinks besides kava served at our bars are coffee, kombucha, hemp, cacao, kratom, and other herbal teas prepared by local plant lovers. Many of our products are locally made and the others are sourced sustainably with care. Since

we first opened our doors, more thanfrien 20 other kava bars have been openedthan in Pinellas County. to b Our mission is to not only serveunfo plants and get people connectednece to nature but to shift the entirebein cultural context of our current socialThis atmospheres. Currently in 2020, webars are disconnected from each otherso su more than ever for a variety ofin a different reasons, whether it be theneed pandemic, politics, living in the socialhavi media digital age, or the simpleness ofsoci living in a consumerist society wherepeop most of our neighbors are strangers.grab There is a current nationwide mentalalso health crisis that isn’t being addressedBula whatsoever and humans are socialhas creatures who need community. Ourwill options for gathering are very limited,cont largely limited to bars or our smalljust

SPONSORED CONTENT PRESENTED BY BULA KAFE

hanfriends groups, and we need more enedthan that. We are biologically wired to be a part of a village and cities erveunfortunately do not provide that ctednecessity to everybody despite them tirebeing filled with millions of people. ocialThis is why we believe in the kava , webars and this is why they have been therso successful. It provides community y ofin a brand new light, something theneeded now more than ever. It is not ocialhaving to party or drink alcohol to be ss ofsocial; it is being able to gather with herepeople at any time of the day while gers.grabbing a coffee or a shell of kava or ntalalso enjoying sober nightlife. After ssedBula Kafe being built 11 years ago, it ocialhas started a form of community that Ourwill only keep reverberating and will ited,continue to spread throughout not malljust Pinellas County but the entire

country. Kava bars are now found in dozens of cities across the nation.

We meant the part about this being a newfound cultural movement. For reasons like everything listed above, we are also plant medicine advocates and are trying to begin the initiative to decriminalize psychedelics in St. Petersburg with Decr imina lize Nature St. Pete.

But we will leave that story for another time.

As mentioned above, we are about to begin building our fifth bar, Botanica Herbal Bar and Coffee House. This will be slightly different than our other bars. It will feature

an herbal taphouse filled with different herbal drinks and elixirs formulated by local plant enthusiasts and herbalists along with of course serving kava. We will proudly be St. Petersburg’s first herbal brewery.

It is our next venture in honoring creating a relationship between plants and people and creating a new social atmosphere and community for St. Pete.

Opening date is not yet known but when the time comes we hope to see you there. In the meantime, all of our kava bars offer your first shell of kava free.

We are also building local

community gardens and a natural space in St. Pete’s concrete jungle to hold different classes, workshops, and gatherings. Our ultimate goal is to bring community and connect everyone back to themselves, each other, and nature. Every night at Bula on the Beach a group of us meets for sunset and on Sundays we have a drum circle before sunset (while following social distancing guidelines). Our bars are open from early morning until late night and your first shell of kava is on the house.

If you are searching for an escape from the everyday and believe in community and spaces that help shift society, or if you simply want a good cup of coffee or shell of kava, we hope you come by and see us.

cltampa.com | OCTOBER 1-7, 2020 | 33

Sure, this year is different, but it can still

BE CLAWSOME!

Celebrate the return of Stone Crab Season with Frenchy’s!

Just like the 35 years before, we’ll be serving up the freshest claws at deeply discounted prices!

Join us at all Frenchy’s dine-in locations from October 23rd through the 25th! We’ll get crackin’ so you can start snackin’!

FrenchysOnline.com

34 | OCTOBER 1-7, 2020 | cltampa.com

CREATIVE LOAFING 2020 Best

FOOD& DRINK BEST 509 DISSENT ‘PINT AND A POCKET’ Ron DeSantis’ lack of a plan to combat, track and contain coronavirus is extremely bad news for bars and breweries, and while many of them are still navigating the governor’s fuck up, several took Halsey Beshears up on his 509 restaurant liscence loophole that basically let any bar open if it served food (Beshears is DeSantis’ Secretary of the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation since Jan. 2019). None pointed out the ludicrousness of the 509 gimmick louder than Dissent Craft Brewing Company which offered a Hot Pocket and pint of beer special to patrons both desperate to get out of the house and pour money into one of their favorite breweries. dissentcraftbrewing.com —Ray Roa

BEST ALLERGY-FRIENDLY DATE NIGHT GOURMET PIZZA COMPANY Netflix and chillin’ with your vegan or gluten-free boo might be a bit cumbersome when you don’t know what takeout to or-

of the Bay CRITIC'S PICKS FOOD & DRINK

der. Gourmet Pizza Company’s menu is flush with delish options literally anyone can enjoy, and it’s constantly adding new allergy-friendly ingredients. Plus, you can add vegan cheese to just about anything, and you might feel a little less guilty about your carb coma if you opt for the cauliflower crust. gourmetpizza-company.com —Alexis Chamberlain

BEST BAKERY BOSS UP CURIOUS CAT BAKERY Curious Cat Bakery owner and one-woman band, Natalia Lima, got crafty once coronavirus forced a switch up in the small business game. The vegan baker began offering free virtual lessons via Instagram live for all of her bored and ambitious fans practicing social distancing in their homes. On top of lessons, Lima began offering free delivery and weekly pop-up menus for customers (she could safely whip up in her commercial kitchen in St. Pete). Lima also made headlines back in October for making vegan versions of dishes from Netflix’s “Great British Bake Off.” Talk about a bakery boss up. curiouscatbakery.com —Jenna Rimensnyder

BEST BEAN-Y TOILET PAPER DROP BEANS & BARLOUR

being cleared out like never before, locals were getting anxious about how they were going to keep their tailpipes clean during self-quarantine. Lucky for them, Beans & Barlour came to the rescue. The boozy ice cream shop hosted a free toilet paper “drive-thru.” The restaurant donated commercial-sized toilet paper rolls, which are nine inches in diameter, or approximately five times larger than a standard residential roll. The locals who arrived early and secured their roll were saved from skidmarks for days and hopefully weeks to come while in their bubble. beansandbarlour. com —J. Rimensnyder

sults are magnificent; excellence suffuses the entire experience. Chef Bonsack’s Michelin roots show in the service, wine, decor, and, of course, the ethereal pastas. Rocca is an essential pilgrimage for Tampa Bay foodies. roccatampa.com —JPC

BEST COFFEE SHOP BOSS WHO’S MORE THAN THAT SARAH WEAVER AT BANDIT

Tampa’s Taco Sun serves up delicious food.

Tacos! Burritos! Tortas! Vegan flautas! And you never have to leave your car to get any of it. You can go inside and eat it if you want. But if you don’t feel like putting on a bra when going to get your cochinitas, head to this pretty efficient drive-thru. No shirts, no shoes, no problem. Don’t forget to ask for extra red sauce. tacosonmexicangrill. com —Stephanie Powers

In March, Bandit Coffee cofounder Sarah Weaver wrote a letter about her new job and boss. Her duties included processing orders, answering phones, and texting customers when Bandit had a pick-up station assigned to them. She did all that all while doing her best to keep everyone distanced, cycling through the table rotation—then sanitizing and repeating. The note was all to say that her effort was not unique and that she—plus other responsible business owners—was doing it to keep the community safe. The world got even more complicated after Weaver’s letter arrived, but the words served as a reminder that while there’s still a lot of fighting (and cleaning) left to do, we’re certainly not alone in the effort. banditcoffee.co —RR

BEST CHEESECAKE VARIATION SONDER SOCIAL CLUB, GOAT CHEESE CAKE

BEST CORN DOG OXYMORON OLD SCHOOL BAR & GRILL, WAGYU CORN DOGS

The individual goat cheese cake is baked in a faceted mold to resemble an ancient Aztec temple. There’s an almond crust and lemon zest to give citrus notes to the goat cheese. The plate looks like a concrete skate park for Smurfs; it’s not quite a half pipe, but the curved edges cradle the cake and fresh whipped cream garnished with candied zest and mint. Thin slices of tiny Adriatic figs looks like a school of fish swimming up a thin stream of port wine reduction. All the tastes meld beautifully. sondersocial. club —Jon Palmer Claridge

Wagyu is the ultimate artisan gourmet beef, while corn dogs are simple county fair comfort food. But the combo created bewitching alchemy. The six hand-dipped mini wagyu beef corn dogs were the size of fat skewered golf balls. I didn’t even care to use the house ketchup or chipotle mustard. The juicy dogs had complex, layered beefy flavor highlighted by corn batter that wasn’t at all grainy. They were absolutely sensational, and now extinct since Old School closed to make way for a, get this, dog bar. —JPC

BEST BRA-LESS COCHINITAS TACOSUN DRIVE THRU (TAMPA)

In March when grocery store shelves were

CITYOFSTPETE/FLICKR

BEST CHEF BRYCE BONSACK, ROCCA

BEST COFFEE SHOP BOSS WHO’S MORE THAN THAT

SARAH WEAVER AT BANDIT

What propels someone to greatness? Passion bordering on obsession, keen attention to detail, the element of surprise? Whether shaken or stirred, these qualities make for an impressive cocktail of habits. The heart of Bonsack’s menu is a fixation on pasta, based on extensive travels around Italy to learn authentic, uncompromising techniques. The re-

BEST CURBSIDE CHOCOLATE WILLIAM DEAN March was hard (and April, May, June, July, August, September and right now). It’s been really fucking hard, which is why we’ve all sought out creature comforts we can enjoy safely at home. And what’s more comforting than chocolate? It’s scientifically proven to help your mood when you’re stressed out (through the release of endorphins, continued on page 37

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We’re a ďŹ nalist!

Thanks so much for voting!

drbbqs.com botbtampabay.com 36 | OCTOBER 1-7, 2020 | cltampa.com

CREATIVE LOAFING 2020 Best but we don’t want to geek out too much here). Back in May, my mother handed me a Mother’s Day gift guide from the Tampa Bay Times (well done Meaghan Habuda and Maggie Duffy) with some items circled. It seems the thing she wanted most was a box of William Dean chocolates. The hand-made artisan chocolates are made right here in Tampa Bay. You can get them shipped anywhere in the U.S. for a fee, but if you’re local, curbside pickup is where it’s at. I ordered a 15-piece assortment for Mom online, along with a five-piece box and a PB&J bar for me because I love myself. It’s hard to have an exciting new experience when you’re stuck in your house, but William Dean delivered.

I’ve never tasted anything like it. williamdeanchocolates.com —J. Ring

BEST DISH “JUST FOR THE HALIBUT” OLIVIA The “secondi” are the power hitters of Chef Chris Ponte’s menu, ranging from prime steak to scallops with risotto. His delicate thick halibut fillet poached in extra virgin olive oil sits in a sea of yellow tomato sugo (sauce) swimming with a school of blistered grape tomatoes. An island of verde fregula— tiny Sardinian couscous-like pasta— with diminutive green peas supports the beached fillet, which is topped with a quenelle of stewed peperonata and olives plus an enormous basil leaf blanketing the whole affair. The combination of colors, flavors and textures is an exhilarating home run. oliviatampa.com —JPC

BEST DRINKS TO-GO THE HUB’S KAMRAN MIR There’s a meme going around that the best thing to happen because of COVID-19 is togo margaritas. Well, in Tampa, the best thing that happened because of COVID-19 was togo Hub drinks. And thanks to bartender Kamran Mir, they were as strong as they were fancy-for-The-Hub at least. His relationship with liquor reps around town also meant the drinks sometimes were free for hospitality industry workers. He’s made mai tais, whiskey-sours and bloody Marys. Most recently, and most importantly, he’s been topping off bottles of Jarritos and Topo Chicos with a complimentary alcohol (i.e. tequila) in grapefruit soda. That’s some ingenuity. —SP

BEST END TO THE WEEK (THAT’S NOT HAPPY HOUR) XTREME JUICE $5 SMOOTHIE FRIDAYS Who needs Zoom happy hours when you can have a nutritious, local smoothie happy hour? Cause 2020 is all about self care... right? Every Friday, Xtreme Juice discounts its gigantic 32-oz. smoothie option to only $5, and it’s not only a way to treat yourself without the hangover, but get in some essential vitamins, plus a free immunity boost. Win-win. xtremejuice.com —Alexis Chamberlain

MELISSA SANTELL

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BEST GASTRONOMIC ANTIDOTE TO 2020 GOLDEN DINOSAURS VEGAN DELI Insane-sorcery-that-takes-place-in-theirkitchen aside, the proprietors and staff here are bona-fide vegan heros. They didn’t just opt to do takeout/delivery-only in the face of the shutdown; they made meals for healthcare workers on the front lines. And when protestors took to the streets in the wake of George Floyd’s murder, they provided vegan meals to the brave people who marched.

When a staff member tested positive for COVID-19, they shut down and did a deep clean, but not before telling us what was going on. They’ve since reopened, so go support them. goldendinosaurs.com —Kate Bradshaw

BEST GLUTEN-FREE & VEGAN BAKERY HALELIFE BAKERY Hands down, HaleLife has the best gluten-free and vegan baked goods in town. Seriously, trick a non-vegan, gluten-loving friend into trying one of the doughnuts, cakes, cinnamon rolls, waffles, or cupcakes (the options seem endless), and their mind will be blown when they find out it’s free of dairy, eggs, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, and more. HaleLife recently expanded to South Tampa, so you can satisfy your allergy- and diet-friendly sweet tooth on both sides of the Bay. halelifebakery.com —AC

BEST GREEK DINER THAT’S NOT A DINER PSOMI A quick glance at Psomi’s hours and menu has me thinking I’m going for lunch at a strip mall Greek diner. Instead, a modern corner lot A-frame’s stone chimney reaches to the apex

Best GREEK DINER THAT'S NOT A DINER PSOMi of the roof, which is held up by stone pillars connected by warm wood siding. There’s a comfortable patio sofa before a glass fireplace where patrons look through the flames to an exterior waterfall—a great effect mingling elemental motifs. Plus a bas relief’s undulating drapery and literal chiseled abs could be torn from a Greek temple entablature. It’s an unexpected space in which to enjoy the splendid cuisine. eatpsomi.com —JPC

BEST HYPE BEAST EATS NEBRASKA MINI-MART In April, after having to limit his staff and reimagine the new protocol for dining out during the pandemic, chef and restaurateur Ferrell Alvarez of Nebraska Mini-Mart (as well as Rooster & The Till and Gallito) decided to pay homage to In-N-Out Burger by hosting a “NMM-N-Out Burger” pop-up.

“There aren’t any In-N-Out Burgers in Florida, and that’s just a sin,” Alvarez, told CL. While the chain is nowhere to be found in the Sunshine State, locals were able to get their fix at the Seminole Heights resto. The hype beast eats sold out in record time and have been a menu staple since. nebraskaminimart.com —J. Rimensnyder

BEST IRISH PUB THAT SURVIVED THE QUARANTINE MCARTHUR’S IRISH PUB McArthur’s was scheduled to open just in time for St. Patrick’s Day, and owner Ar-

thur Paula pushed hard and did everything he could to see to it that the pub made its deadline. With live music featuring authentic Irish musicians, traditional Irish fare, and proper Guinness (I can vouch for it myself, after enjoying many a pint in the Emerald Isle), McArthur’s opened full of good vibes and Irish cheer. And then COVID-19 hit. The business took a hit with the quarantine and forced closure, but the staff held strong and was able to stay afloat. Now that businesses are opening up again, McArthur’s is the perfect place to celebrate. McArthur’s has a great vibe and lives up to its claim: “At McArthur’s, ‘the craic is mighty!’” mcarthursirishpub.com —Resie Waechter

BEST KOSHER FOOD FOR THE RESTAURANT WORKER SOUL SUZANNE CROUCH, CASS STREET DELI Thanks to the Lee Initiative and Maker’s Mark, Cass Street Deli got to help out fellow restaurant workers affected by COVID-19 with hot meals and a surplus of goodies. Chef Suzanne Crouch whipped up some amazing dinners (the chicken curry was especially delicious) paired with bags full of hot commodities including toilet paper and plastic gloves.

Through the initiative, Cass Street Deli also got to rehire some of its furloughed employees. That’s definitely some kosher food for your soul. cassstreetdeli.com —SP continued on page 39

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CREATIVE LOAFING 2020 Best continued from page 37

BEST LOCAL CHEF ON PBS GREG BAKER ON ‘SOMEWHERE SOUTH’ I had no clue Greg Baker had smoked mullet ambitions, but he laid them bare on an episode of PBS’ “Somewhere South” where he headed to Terra Ceia Island for his first try in the town’s annual competition. Baker, who famously started Seminole Heights down its path to becoming a foodie destination, didn’t win, but he did get to share his love of Florida with viewers across the country. chefgregbaker.com —RR

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tacos, chocolate chip cookies with sea salt, and everything else I cook from your book after writing this paragraph. foodxfeels. com —J. Ring

BEST MAKING THE BEST OUT OF A SHITTY SITUATION PELICAN PUB

Bench” party. As part of the ceremony, Pelican Pub offered patrons one free round of “Bye-Bye Bench Bomb” shots. A tombstone will also be erected for the bench. An illustration of the tombstone says “The Bench: 2014-2019 — Supported many. Irritated some. Remembered by all.” jannuslive.com/ pelican-pub —J. Rimensnyder

The Pelican Pub had St. Petersburg itching

BEST LOCAL FOOD DOCUMENTARY ‘A SOULFUL TASTE: EXPLORING TAMPA BAY’S BLACK-OWNED FOOD SCENE’

COURTESY

Believe it or not, some of my best pandemic entertainment came from a cookbook. I’ve always been a sucker for a good cookbook, especially ones with a photo for each recipe. I knew Melissa Santell’s book was for me from a single phrase on p. 11, stating that “garlic is the lifeblood of everything sacred in this book.” And though Santell—a Tampa food photographer, home cook and CL contributor—doesn’t care to be boxed in, I’m throwing “Hi, I’m Hungry” into the comfort food category solely on the grounds that these recipes comforted me and my family during this pandemic.

To Melissa Santell: Thanks for the delicious chicken francese, creamsicle cookies, po-

BEST NEW RESTAURANT COUNTER CULTURE Talk about bad luck. Chef Jeannie Pierola opens the most exciting new restaurant in town and CL’s rave review cover story appears on the same day that COVID-19 pulls the rug out from under the economy. Six months later, Counter Culture is still providing stunning food, from tuna tartare to porchetta wood-roasted on the “steampunk” grill. Luckily, the take out menu is extensive and there’s lots of room for social distance ‘til it’s safe to resume counter service. edison-tampa.com —JPC

BEST NEW ROOFTOP BAR ROX

After a disappointing Google search for “Black-owned restaurants in Tampa Bay,” local journalist Alexandria Jones decided she wanted to shine a light on the local Black-owned restaurant scene that hasn’t quite hit it big on SEO. Her background specializing in the food scene came in handy. In two short months, Jones (a CL contributor) cranked out the nearly halfhour documentary, "A Soulful Taste,” including filmed interviews and cooking footage from six concepts throughout the area. Talk about grind. This documentary is an essential watch for those looking to support a somewhat hidden food scene that demands attention due to its flavorful offerings and touching stories. thefrugalistalife.com —J. Rimensnyder

BEST LOCALLY-PUBLISHED COMFORT FOOD COOKBOOK ‘HI, I’M HUNGRY’ MELISSA SANTELL

creamy. These mezes are served with hearty pita and crackery flatbread. Baba offers indoor and covered outdoor dining right on Central. eatatbaba.com —Eric Snider

Lest you wonder, Rox has the most sweeping panoramic view of Tampa Bay of any bar in the region. And it’s huge both inside and out. The rectangular interior has floor-toceiling windows on three sides with 180-degree-plus views. And the exterior patio that wraps around opens up to a visual playground with views from Tampa International to the Howard Frankland Bridge across to St. Pete-Clearwater Airport looping back to Courtney Campbell Causeway. You’d need to be a pelican or osprey to get a better view. thecurrenthotel.com —JPC

BEST NEW USE FOR AN OLD FAVORITE PICKFORD’S COUNTER AT PICKFORD’S SUNDRIES

BEST LOCALLY-PUBLISHED COMFORT FOOD COOKBOOK

‘HI, I’M HUNGRY’ MELISSA SANTELL

after images of a mysterious rash purportedly contracted from a bench at the bar led to owners to voluntarily shut down in late October. During the closure, which lasted for just two days, bar staff worked hard to rid themselves of whatever funk may have been causing skin irritation. Rather than crying over spilled milk, the Pelican Pub acknowledged the drama, reopened (after being cleared by the Florida Department of Public Health) and hosted a “Bury the

BEST MEZE PLATE BABA The meze plate is a terrific way to start your meal at this Eastern Mediterranean restaurant in the Grand Central District. Diners can choose three spreads out of five offered: muhammara, tabouli, baba ganoush, labneh and hummus, each with a distinct flavor profile. The star here is the muhammara, a thick red concoction of roasted red peppers and walnuts. The hummus is ridiculously

Nostalgia is the order of the day at 2606 W. Hillsborough Ave. where Urban Bungalow has relocated with a new name. And inside is a new soda shop concept run by chefs Adrianna Siller and Benjamin Pomales whose menu is both progessive and a nod to the days when people would gather around the soda fountain. It’s pretty scary to open a restaurant during a pandemic, but Siller and Pomales—together with Urban Bungalow’s David Hansen—have done a handsome job so far. pickfordscounter. com —RR

BEST NOT CLOSED ON SUNDAY NEBRASKA MINI-MART’S HONEY CHILI DIPPED FRIED CHICKEN SANDWICH continued on page 41

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Weekly Specials Monday:

Tuesday:

Burger Bag Day

Tactogon Tuesday

Wednesday:

Thursday:

Closed

$6 Cubans

Saturday and Sunday: Vegan donuts & rotating weekend sandwich specials @goldendinosaursvegandeli 2930 Beach Blvd. S in Gulfport goldendinosaurs.com 727-873-6901

Karaoke

7 Nights a Week!

AT

with KJ's

BARB YOUNG & MARTY DJFX DOLAN DINE IN & TAKE OUT

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40 | OCTOBER 1-7, 2020 | cltampa.com

continued from page 39 Despite efforts to calm activists, the facts surrounding the charitable (and possibly still-anti-LGBTQ) giving of Chick-Fil-A are still murky at best, and while those chicken sandwiches are OK, you still can’t get ‘em on Sunday. And while Seminole Heights’ Nebraska Mini-Mart has never waded into that kind of political territory, it is open on Sunday when it serves a mother-clucking drool-worthy sando made with 24-hour brined chicken thighs which get fried then submerged in a honey chili sauce. The Martin’s bun, homemade pickles and a big squirt of ranch comeback sauce are the cherry on top, and I would quite honestly be fine with never going to ChickFil-A again if I could have a sack full of these chicken sandwiches in my life once a week until judgement day. nebraskaminimart.com —RR

BEST NY-STYLE PIZZA (ST. PETE) ASTRA PIZZA A lot of Bay area pizza restaurants— “pizzerias” if we’re talking New Yawk—have claimed to offer New York pizza over the years. Few have delivered. This tiny place (pickup and delivery only) in a tiny, weathered strip mall nails it. The pies are gooey but not (too) greasy. The crust is thin and just a bit chewy, rather than crispy, allowing you to fold a slice like Travolta strutting Brooklyn in “Saturday Night Fever.” The sauce and cheese meld just right. The owner, Carlos, who’s from New Jersey, makes his own dough from scratch and gets some of his ingredients from up north. Open the box and one inhale tells you this pizza is scrumptiously Big Apple. astrapizzamenu.com —ES

BEST PANDEMIC OPENING SUNSHINE KITTY CATFE The Sunshine Kitty Catfe had been teasing cat lovers with its opening (or rather existence) since Feb. 2019. Due to construction, permitting and all that fun stuff, it wasn’t until mid-pandemic, aka early June, that the joint made its debut. The cat cafe allows guests to enjoy locally-sourced drinks and eats in the company of adoptable cats acquired from Friends of Strays Animal Shelter. “Providing a large-scale foster home like this frees up space in the shelters,” owner Amanda “AJ” Jones told CL. “I want to save all the cats, but also provide a therapeutic

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place where people can come, relax and enjoy the company of cats.” Talk about a silver lining while the world is on fire. sunshinekittycatfe.com —J. Rimensnyder

BEST PANDEMIC METAMORPHOSIS THE RESTORATIVE First, it was The Temporary and a series of international takeout menus; then, adding a short flirtation with 50% table seating. But, after a brief July vacation and the launch of Side Piece at Caledonia Brewing, BOTB-winning chef/restauranteurs Jason and Cricket Borajkiewicz morphed their no. 1 restaurant into Resto To Go Go, creating thrilling, affordable, and ever-changing takeout. Because the entire kitchen operation is so nimble (sous chef Tom Cochrane completes the trio), they’re able easily to respond to current conditions and serve patrons safely. restorativerestaurant.com —JPC

BEST PANDEMIC SUCCESS STORY PROPER HOUSE GROUP Listening to a chef detail how he’s going to have to layoff pretty much his entire staff across three concepts is heartbreaking.

Especially when that chef is heart-on-hissleeve James Beard nominee Ferrell Alvarez. But chef—along with his Proper House Group partners Chon Nguyen and Ty Rodriguez—made the tough cuts and then spent the next few months crawling back with takeout concepts, burgers and anything else they could throw at the situation. The result? The piecemeal hiring back of virtually everyone Proper House laid off, and while no restaurant—including Alvarez’s—is anywhere near out of the coronavirus conundrum (in fact, canceled reservations now threaten the restaurant’s livelihood), seeing the group bring laid off staff back is inspiring. properhousegroup.com —RR

the brand’s website and app while also creating merch to bring in funds—because as a small business owner, the bills never stop.

Thankfully, this pandemic strengthened the bonds of restaurateurs as King of the Coop’s Joe Dodd rented out space to Empamamas for a handful of weeks, allowing Swanz and her team to get back in the kitchen and feed the concept’s cult following eats like the Tampa Girl empanada and the iconic Bang Bang chicken. So this one might count as multiple pandemic pivots (Empamamas is safely snuggled back into its stall at Armature Works, by the way). empamamas.com kingofthecoop.com —J. Rimensnyder

BEST PLACE TO END A DATE CHILL BROS. I’m convinced that part of what led me to fall in love with my wife were the nights we spent cooking pizzas together. What I’m trying to say is that sharing good food can bring people together, and whether you’re trying to woo someone or just hanging out with plantonic loved ones, there aren’t very many better places to call it a night than Chill Bros. in Ybor City where the not-toosweet scoops have brought a smile to my face every time I’ve entered since the spot opened a year ago. Prime people watching on one of the best blocks on Seventh Avenue is a bonus. chillbros.com —RR

BEST PLACE TO FILL YUH NALGENE WITH BEER

KING STATE Alright, so the new Tampa Heights coffee shop and roaster, food spot and brewery is tops when it comes to a lot of things.

From its retro bathroom soap, to the rehab of the old service station it lives in, to its coffee, grub, pizza night, pickles (RIP), suds (praise Aric Parker), and staff, King State lives up to the hype and its monarch-ly moniker. Food & Wine even named it the best coffee shop in Florida (no. 8 in the U.S., mind you; Tampa Bay’s Union by Commune + Co. and Bandit were also on the mag’s “Best Coffee Shops In America” list). All that said, we’re just gonna toss this superlative at the joint because nowhere else in Tampa Bay can you buy a branded Nalgene and fill it with some of the best beer in the country to-go. Yuh. king-state.com —RR

BEST PLACE TO OWN THE LIBS CONSERVATIVE GROUNDS Let’s be honest: No one is surprised that Largo is home to a coffee shop dedicated to Trump, guns, and conservative values.

That didn’t make the February arrival of Conservative Grounds any less facepalmworthy, but don’t’ tell that to shop stans who flock to the safe space where “rational, conservative, moral, God-loving people congregate without the scourge of liberalism.” No word on whether you can add liberal tears to your coffee, too, but don’t you continued on page 43

MELISSA SANTELL

CREATIVE LOAFING 2020 Best

BEST PANDEMIC TEAMWORK EMPAMAMAS AND KING OF THE COOP In the beginning of the enforced regulations for bars and restaurants to shut down due to coronavirus, Empamamas founder Stephanie Swanz had to get creative when her stall, along with other vendors at Armature Works, was forced to close until further notice. Swanz sprung into action, updating

BEST PORK SHANK SHOW STOPPER BARTERHOUSE YBOR cltampa.com | OCTOBER 1-7, 2020 | 41

Beauty By Blue ESTHETICS

Thank you for voting us Best of the Bay 2020

Accepting this award in my Mother's memory

7011 First Ave S. St. Petersburg, FL 33707 727.614.1084 | tiffany@beautybyblue.com @beautybyblue.esthetics 42 | OCTOBER 1-7, 2020 | cltampa.com

CREATIVE LOAFING 2020 Best

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MELISSA SANTELL

Best TABLESIDE MAGIC TRICK ROCCA TABLESIDE MOZZARELLA continued from page 41 dare say “happy holidays” to anyone there this winter. conservativegrounds.com —RR

BEST PORK SHANK SHOW STOPPER THE BARTERHOUSE YBOR Chef Justin Sell’s tamarind lacquered pork shank is a show stopper. There’s a nod to pulled pork with crisp, kohlrabi slaw dotted with cucumbers and red onion. The tender shank sits upright with bones poking skyward like the kanzashi sticks that hold a geisha’s hair. The super shiny glaze is garnished by tiny bits of chive and roasted peanuts.

It’s irresistible. barterhouseybor.com —JPC

BEST RESTAURANT DESIGN REVELATION SONDER SOCIAL CLUB There are many handsome touches in Dunedin’s first craft cocktail bar. Hip cane-back chairs with leather seats, round variegated black marble tables, a long tufted banquette in a rich shade of hunter green. But Christina Feinstein’s design pièce de résistance is the library shelves in the corner reminiscent of Downton Abbey. They’re actually hidden doors lined with books like something out of Agatha Christie. Upon close inspection, a peek behind the doors reveals lovely restrooms to wash the crumbs from your dainty hands. It’s a delightful surprise. sondersocial.club —JPC

There’s a great taco selection here, but the best and most unusual is the surprising flower power (veggie) taco on a dark organic hibiscus tortilla filled with quinoa, elote (street corn), jicama slaw, cotija cheese curds with cilantro crema and a micro green garnish.

The flavors sing; even a carnivore will be impressed. shakerandpeel.com —JPC

cool, but what’s better than getting a pup out of a shelter and into a home? On top of that, a portion of all proceeds went toward Shelter Manatee, which is still on a mission to build a new shelter (the shelter hopes to raise at least $2 million in donations from the citizens and businesses of Manatee County). motorworksbrewing.com —J. Rimensnyder

BEST ‘TAIL’ OF COMFORT 7TH & GROVE, OXTAILS

BEST WAY TO DIY JAPANESE CUISINE AT HOME NOBLE MARKET

“Rude Boy” is a comfort food supernova.

Perhaps because my late mother introduced me to them in my youth, braised oxtails hold a special place in my heart. If you’re a fan of lamb shanks, you’ll be delighted with these.

There’s so much collagen that the meat is the lushest imaginable. It sits on a creamy, balanced sage and garlic mash with some braised veggies and crispy cornbread nuggets that have soaked up all the juices, but maintain their crunch. A sprinkling of thin green onions on top finishes off this wonder in style. 7thandgrove.com —JPC

BEST STRESS RELIEF EAT BAKE’N BABES CBD COOKIES

BEST TIGER KING GULP DISSENT BREWING

I don’t know about you, but I eat my feelings, and for a few weeks during the pandemic all I could think about was Bake’n Babes chocolate chip cookies. The shop, which recently relocated from the Hall on Franklin to downtown Tampa’s Gen X Tavern, even has cookies with CBD oil in them, and while I knew it was wrong to avoid my anxiety with a treat, I used those loaded cookies to calm my nerves and sweet tooth at the very same time. bakenbabes.com —RR

In April, you know, at the height of Joe Exotic’s fame thanks to “Tiger King,” St. Pete’s Dissent Brewing released a limited Berliner beer inspired by the popular Netflix docu-series. The 16oz. canned brew, which was named “G.D.C.B.”(Goddamn Carole Baskins), was a traditional Berliner weisse with blended berry tea and vanilla. Viewers across the globe will forever be thankful to the timely release of the series during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Perfect binge-watching material along with a cold brew that paid homage to the madness. Not even Carole Baskins could take this joy away. dissentcraftbrewing.com —J. Rimensnyder

BEST TABLESIDE MAGIC TRICK ROCCA TABLESIDE MOZZARELLA Moving into the “food-as-theater” realm is Rocca’s riveting mozzarella cart, which is sadly a pre-pandemic activity. A welltrained “maître d’frommage” pulls on a pair of long black rubber gloves looking like an ad from BDSM Vogue and proceeds to knead, squish, pull and prod. The final smooth ball of cheese is cut into chunks and plated along with garden fresh heirloom tomatoes and basil. Add a few grinds of fresh black pepper, a sprinkling of coarse Maldon sea salt and luxuriously bold 25-year-old balsamic vinegar balanced with indulgent first cold-pressed olive oil, and you’ve got caprese heaven. roccatampa.com —JPC

BEST TACO SURPRISE SHAKER & PEEL

BEST USE OF BEER CANS MOTORWORKS BREWING At the start of the year when all was hopeful and there was nothing but possibility for the days ahead, Bradenton’s Motorworks Brewing released a wholesome lineup of cans adorned with adoptable dogs. The brewery teamed up with Shelter Manatee to print adorable faces of pups looking for a forever home on beer can labels as an exclusive four-pack release of the brewery’s Adoptable Dog Cruiser Kölsch. Sure designs are

Cooking at home is having a moment, and don’t let Japanese cuisine intimidate you. You can—and will—make that bowl of udon noodles, and it’s actually a lot easier than you think, thanks to Noble Market. From specialty sauces and spices to ready-made foods for you to pop into your dish (hellooo, chashu pork and miso cured salmon), the shop has you covered with those hard-to-find authentic, gourmet ingredients. Without overly crowded shelves or an insane amount of brands to choose from, it’s easy for a quick stop so you can get home and get cooking. Don’t forget the sake and Pocky for dessert. noblemarkettampa.com —AC

BEST WAY TO SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL COFFEE SHOP WHILE IT CLOSED AND ADAPTED TO CORONAVIRUS CORONAVIRUS RELIEF T-SHIRTS Coffee shops are communal essentials that are built into the fabric of our lives, but COVID-19 all but took the social aspect of them away. As many shops had to reduce staff, three local spots (Union by Commune + Co., Bandit and King State—which all landed on Food & Wine’s “Best Coffee Shops In America” mind you) hooked up with local designers, including Jujmo and David Gonzalez, to create threads whose sales went directly to staff. That’s one way to wear a heart on your sleeve.—RR

BEST WELL-INTENTIONED KNEE JERK REACTION FEEDING TAMPA BAY The reaction time of Feeding Tampa Bay is pretty incredible. In early March as fears of the coronavirus spread continued to continued on page 45

cltampa.com | OCTOBER 1-7, 2020 | 43

DINE IN • PICK UP • CURBSIDE

HAPPY HOUR IN THE BAR AREA TUESDAY-SUNDAY 5-7 WINE DOWN WEDNESDAY HALF OFF SELECT BOTTLES • DAILY HANDMADE PASTA AND BREAD • FRESH LOCALLY-SOURCED PRODUCE AND SEAFOOD • VEGAN CHICKEN PARM AND VEGAN PIZZAS WE ARE CLOSED ON MONDAYS.

7 1 8 S O U T H H O W A R D A V E N U E , TA M P A | 8 1 3 . 5 1 2 . 3 0 3 0 | A V ATA M P A . C O M

44 | OCTOBER 1-7, 2020 | cltampa.com

CREATIVE LOAFING 2020 Best

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Best YBOR RELOCATION CEPHA'S continued from page 43 grow, Feeding Tampa Bay, a nonprofit focusing on providing food to the hundreds of thousands of food insecure families in the 10-county area of West Central Florida, released its “Coronavirus Preparedness & Prevention Plan.” According to the nonprofit, 600,000 struggle with food insecurity in our 10 county region, 1 in 4 are children. The program increased mobile pantry distributions, sourced hygiene and cleaning products for pantries, expanded hot meals to-go for distribution to seniors and ramped up extra support for children receiving food through our school pantry or after school meals programs. These are the initiatives that keep Tampa Bay going in the toughest of times. feedingtampabay. org —J. Rimensnyder

BEST WINNIE-THE-POOH DESSERT GARRISON TAVERN HONEY CAKE You can almost hear Piglet squeal, “Oh my, Pooh.” A multi-tiered cube of ultra-thin layers with luscious dulce de leche cream

supports roughly broken pieces of molded honeycomb bark which lean teasingly against the cake to block your view. Ah, but underneath is a scoop of scrumptious stone fruit compote. There are two other mounds of the delectable fruit and a dusting of crumbs. We all sit gobsmacked, licking our lips like Eeyore, Tigger, Roo and other members of the Hundred Acre Wood. garrisontavern.com —JPC

BEST YBOR CITY RELOCATION CEPHA’S Last October brought news of a closure for Ybor City Jamaican restaurant Cepha’s Hot Shop, and while they had to wait nearly four months, Cepha’s fans finally got to see their beretwearing hero again when he opened a juice bar window on nearby Seventh Avenue. Gone are the days when you could get a box of jerk chicken, but Cepha’s famous aloe shakes, tamarind tea and infamous commentary are still on tap. cephashotshop.com —RR

BEST YOU GIVETH AND COVID TAKETH AWAY NEW WORLD BREWERY Oh New World, how we waited patiently for you, for over two years, to open. We waited for updates on Facebook. We bugged your staff. We stopped by and stalked your new address to see the progress. And then, on February 12 (cue angels singing) you opened. It was beautiful—more than we could’ve imagined. It was new, improved and with a full bar. Most importantly, it still had the New World patio feel, the New World ambience and the New World smell of meat smoking somewhere. There was a party to celebrate the opening. Then there was a Love Doctors event. And then, fucking COVID-19. Thankfully, you can still go and (while, socially distancing) enjoy the new menu. Yes, you can still get a pizza to go.

But we still don’t have what we were waiting for, to be elbows deep with everyone

we ever knew—hugging the fuck out of them and the friend they brought—whenever we want at New World Brewery. newworldtampa.com —SP

WORST COVID-19 COFFEE SHOP CASUALTY THE BUNKER In June, a bastion of community and culture closed its doors after 14 years. The good news for fans of The Bunker, however, is that owners hope the right people can take over and run it, rent-free, to restore the hub to its glory. “We are thinking there may be people who have real training in hospitality management who are now suddenly out of work who would love the chance to jump in and make it their own, perhaps with our financial support,” owner Dale Swope told CL. “The Bunker survived the Spanish Flu, the Great Depression, two world wars, and being abandoned for a decade, so I’m sure it will survive this. For now, though, we are going to let it rest.” —RR

cltampa.com | OCTOBER 1-7, 2020 | 45

IMAGINE

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46 | OCTOBER 1-7, 2020 | cltampa.com

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PHOTOGRAPHED BY THEE PHOTO NINJA, WARDROBE PROVIDED BY LINA TEIXEIRA, ROMA NYC AND GIOFFRE. MODELS: LEIGHTON BESCH, JOJO SHAW, CHLOE BRENNAN AND LUCAS PERSECHINO. STYLIST: TRISTIN RICHARDS cltampa.com | OCTOBER 1-7, 2020 | 47

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BEST BABY ON BOARD FREEDOM BOAT CLUB Over Fourth of July weekend, a Clearwater woman gave birth three weeks early while her family was out on a boat rented from Freedom Boat Club. So what did the boat club do? Rename the vessel “Aiden’s Arrival” after the kid, Aiden Easterday. And if you’re wondering what the hell is the cleaning charge was for giving birth to a baby on board? Turns out, it was $0. freedomboatclub.com —Ray Roa

BEST BADASS LADY TATTOOER SHOP 13 ARROWS TATTOO Pepper Raefin opened 13 Arrows Tattoo in 2015 with a dream of it one day being an allfemale-operated tattoo studio; these days, the shop has grown to include two incredibly talented female artists, Pinky Rae and Jocelynn Ivy, and all of them put beautiful work into the world and onto our skin. @13arrowstattoo on Instagram —SK West

BEST BUS TOUR YOU SHOULD GO ON BLACK BUSINESS BUS TOUR Activist Candy Lowe has been educating the Bay area in Black issues for years, and with her Black Business Bus Tour you can educate yourself. Since 2006, her tours have visited Black-owned businesses around Tampa, giving them exposure for maximum prosperity. The participating businesses are also promoted on her social media pages, which reach thousands of people. Small businesses are obviously hurting these days, so it’s way more important to give Black retailers your money than it is to fluff up Amazon.

Bezos has enough money, give yours back to your community. blackbusinessbustourflorida.com —Stephanie Powers

BEST CHURCH TITHE DIFFERENT CHURCH One of Different Church’s core beliefs is that it should “reverse tithe,” or give 10% off all money collected back to the community.

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And in March, just as the pandemic grabbed a hold of locals’ livelihoods, church leaders put $3,500 back into the neighborhood by leaving a $1,000 tip at Punky’s Bar & Grill. It also donated $1,500 and $1,000 to Reach St. Pete and the St. Pete Free Clinic and Food Bank, respectively. diffchurch.com —RR

BEST CLEAN ASS STICKER TATTOOS AARON MURRAY If you’re a frequent flyer at The Bends, you may see handfuls of tattoo artists popping out for a smoke break in between sessions at St. Petersburg’s Amulet Tattoo. Also departing are newly inked customers leaving with some body part wrapped up. Their looks of relief are not only because the pain is over, but also because they now have pristine roses from Richard Smith or maybe a clean ass sticker from Aaron Murray on their body. If you want playful, colorful pieces, Murray is your man. His Instagram (@aaron.murray) is filled with his handiwork. From bullfighter to nutcrackers to ukelele playing manatees, his lines are smooth, his colors are beat in. Get stamped by one of the ‘Burg’s best. amulettattoos.com —Jenna Rimensnyder

BEST CLEAN FREAKS STAR BOOTY SALON As the dumbest people we know took to the dumbest social media platform on earth to yell about their Constitutional right to get a haircut, some salons were working their asses off to ensure their places of business were not going to be sources of community spread upon reopening, Star Booty Salon just north of downtown St. Petersburg was chief among these. With a strict distancing and sanitation protocol a hospital would envy, co-woner Cassandra Bradshaw (no relation to this writer) reopened the salon in early June, sporting a N-95 mask behind a surgical mask and an OCD sufferer’s dream of a cleaning-products arsenal while carrying out the work she’s so good at for a dedicated clientele. starbootysalon.com —Kate Bradshaw

BEST DENTIST DR. KAREN BURNS Hey, no one looks forward to going to the dentist, but maybe, just maybe, the experience can be something that approaches pleasant. That’s what patients get at Dr.

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CREATIVE LOAFING 2020 Best

BEST BABY ON BOARD FREEDOM BOAT CLUB Karen Burns’s practice. The office is modern and comfortable; wait times are minimal; treatment rooms are impeccable with stateof-the-art equipment. But it’s the care you receive that sets Dr. Burns apart. The frontoffice folks are friendly and helpful, and the dental assistants are empathetic. Dr. Burns has a chair-side manner that’s both gentle and assertive. She’s never in a hurry. Whether it’s simply filling a cavity or performing major cosmetic work, Dr. Burns is a perfectionist. And that’s a good thing for a dentist to be. karenburnsdmd.com —Eric Snider

BEST EASY MEAL HACK/WAY TO IMPRESS YOUR NEW BOYFRIEND/GIRLFRIEND AND MAKE THEM THINK YOU CAN ACTUALLY COOK LITTLE BIG MEALS AT THE FRESH MARKET When my boyfriend and I first started dating, I told him right off the bat that I don’t cook. After being treated to many a delicious dish prepared by my man, though, I decided it was time to reciprocate—or at least try. Though I had some truly epic failures (who knew that using flavored olive oil as a substitute for canola would make an entire batch of chocolate brownies taste like garlic?), The Fresh Market has come to my rescue with its weekly Little Big Meals. For $20-25, TFM gives you pre-portioned, preseasoned meals with little prep work and

practically foolproof cooking instructions that feed four (or two if you have the appetite of a Marine and a marathoner). Time and time again, these Little Big Meals have saved me and made it seem like I can cook such flavorful dinners as crab cake sandwiches, blistered tomato chicken caprese and oven roasted stuffed pitas. Bon appétit! thefreshmarket.com —Resie Waechter

BEST EXCUSE FOR CHUGGING A BEER AT 8AM (PRE-COVID) THE ST. PETE BEACH CLASSIC These days, intermittent fasting and the omission of most carbs means I can’t daydrink like I used to. Or enjoy a T H I C C, hoppy-ass IPA just whenever. So organized running events (RIP) were always a good excuse to enjoy a carb or two—especially the St. Pete Beach Classic Waste Connection Duo, a 15K comprising a 10K at 7 a.m., followed by a 5K at 9 a.m. (about 9.3 miles total for the rubes out there). Assuming you complete the 10K in under an hour (you got this!), you have a full hour to enjoy the glorious carb tent, where cans of craft beer flowed and peanut butter could be consumed on something other than a spoon—a cracker, for instance. Imagine that: A cracker! Then, right before 9 a.m., you line up and knock out that 5K like it’s nothin’. Then you come back and have another beer. Because you earned it. Anyway, it was a blast, and I continued on page 51

cltampa.com | OCTOBER 1-7, 2020 | 49

So Much to see in October!

Central Park Performing Arts Center 105 Central Park Drive ♦ Largo www.eightoclocktheatre.com

October 2-3

PLAY TOGETHER

Join us for this fundraising gala as some of our regular performers sing for irregular (gender) roles! Men will sing songs originally written for women and vice-versa, creating both comedy and touching moments in unexpected ways.

Enjoy drinks, gourmet desserts and exciting raffles as we help this beloved theatre!

October 9-11

In conjunction with LGBT history month, EOT partners with Come Out St. Pete to present this limited engagement event. Twenty years after losing her only son to AIDS, a woman is challenged to face how society has changed, and revisits the past to begin to see the life her son may have led. Written by Terrence McNally, "one of the greatest contemporary playwrights the theater world has yet produced”.

October 30November 8

Named one of TIME Magazine's ten best shows of 2001, this powerful show follows two New Yorkers who fall in and out of love with each other over the course of five years. By showing their storylines moving in opposite directions, this compelling musical shows what can happen when a relationship moves in opposite directions as well.

Socially Distanced Seating for all Performances

Call 727-587-6793 or visit LargoArts.com to reserve your table for 4 50 | OCTOBER 1-7, 2020 | cltampa.com

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CREATIVE LOAFING 2020 Best continued from page 49 hope we as a society can get our fucking shit together so I can do it again in January 2021. stpetebeachclassic.com —KB

BEST GO-TO TATTOO ARTIST MICHAEL KELLER There are a slew of tattoo artists throughout Tampa Bay, but finding one that’s a goto feels like finding a diamond in the rough.

Well, Michael Keller of Classic Tattoos has been tattooing my boyfriend for a decade, and five years ago he got me in the chair to cover up the saddest infinity symbol tattoo— for that alone, I am forever grateful. Throughout the years I keep referring my loved ones to him and anyone who hops on social media asking for a tattoo artist. Keller has tattooed my younger sister, cousin, friends and has humored my dad by recreating nearly every Marvel character on his skin. If you’re into American Traditional, he’s your guy. classictattoos.com —J. Rimensnyder

BEST GYM (IF DIVERSITY MATTERS TO YOU) JIM & HEATHER GILLS YMCA You can get pretty much any kind of exercise you want at this large facility, which includes a spacious workout room, a basketball/volleyball/pickleball gym, a huge heated pool,

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cycling studio, indoor rock-climbing wall and more. And that includes playing ultimate frisbee on the large outdoor field. Kids programs abound, as do those for seniors. Perhaps the best thing about this Y is the way a large, diverse group of folks representing an array of races, cultures and incomes mix easily and naturally. The Y reopened as the lockdown eased, installing a stringent set of cleanliness and safety protocols. During the shutdown, it reached out to members with online exercise videos. stpeteymca.org —ES

BEST INDIE A/V SHOP RICK’S ELECTRONICS BOUTIQUE It’s a fair question to ask how a small retailer like this one stays alive in the face of online shopping and big box stores. With Rick’s, the difference begins and ends with service and expertise—and you can also factor in a diverse product line. Owner Rick Shook and his small team of experts and techs can do everything from install a wireless, fully hidden sound system throughout your home to fix a broken turntable. Go ‘head, buy gear online and save a few bucks—friend, you are: On. Your. Own. Rick’s will help you get everything up and running, which ain’t often easy for us regular schmoes. Plus, the prices at Rick’s are competitive and … you’re buying local. donttossitwefixit.com —ES

BEST KID’S DENTIST DR. JERRY COPELAND It’s easier to get my four-year-old son to go to the dentist than to go to a park.That’s because his dentist is Dr. Jerry Copeland.

Never have I met a nicer person without being suspect of underlying issues. It’s not just me, every client I know feels the same. He’s been described as Mr. Rogers, or Tom Hanks, or Tom Hanks playing Mr. Rogers. He is the right balance of goofy, sweet and professional. He explains things like a teacher, not like someone who knows way more than you do even though he most definitely does. mykidsteeth.com —SP

BEST LAUNDRY SERVICE LAUNDRY PROJECT In March, Current Initiative’s “Laundry Project” announced a six-week plan to hit four different Tampa laundromats and pay for the laundry of needy community members—plus hospitality workers left without jobs. Well the support, and need, hasn’t stopped, and neither have LP volunteers who’ve now been at it for nearly 30 weeks. It’s unclear how many families have been affected by the outreach, but it’s heartwarming to see others quite literally helping their neighbors take a load off. laundrybycurrent.org —RR

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In April CL wrote a story about how St. Petersburg’s Wee Gallery has brain-developing freebies like coloring sheets and craft projects for all the pandemic parents trying to entertain and educate youngsters during the lockdown. Unprompted, my sister (and volunteer babysitter to my nine-month-old) got a hold of a Wee Gallery wooden shape toy board. I don’t know that Patrick’s smarter for having it (we’re saving the standardized testing for when he turns one), but he sure does love spending time figuring out how it works. weegallery.com —RR

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BEST LOCAL KIDS BRAIN BUILDER WEE GALLERY

Renee Feinman hurt a lot of conservative snowflake feelings when she started making Trump voodoo dolls to help raise money for Feeding Tampa Bay. She sells the dolls on Etsy for $20.21, and each shipment

comes with six straight pins, but the real winner was the local nonprofit which got a $1,1000 check from the 61-year-old educator after readers and fans cleaned her out. @itsafeinworld on Etsy —RR

BEST LOCAL VETERINARIAN OFFICE THAT GIVES A DAMN AND WON’T RIP YOU OFF SPCA TAMPA BAY (ST. PETE) I am #dogmomaf to an awesome Lab-mix named Tucker, who turns 12 this year. While he has, thankfully, always been in good overall health, any pet parent needs a good vet to trust and count on for annual visits and occasional concerns.

Last year Tuck and I were told by another local vet that he needed a complicated, invasive and incredibly expensive spleen removal surgery that would take him months to recover from. I was worried about my pup going under the knife and decided to seek a second opinion.

Tucker and I checked out the SPCA Tampa Bay and were told his spleen was absolutely fine. They got him up-to-date on his vaccines and shots and treated Tucker like a prince. Being on a teacher-and-freelance-writer-budget has its limitations, and in any visit to the SPCA Tampa Bay I am given clear expectations on what the team is doing and how much it is going to cost. Each fee is itemized and the office asks permission before doing anything that costs extra. It also offers sheltering, pet adoptions and dog training classes. spcatampabay.org —RW

BEST MASKS BUT MAKE IT FASHION KYLE KILGORE For most people, adhering to mask mandates was an easy ask, but one designer decided to up the ante, make it fashion and prop up his newly-relocated business at the same time. A personal favorite was the Orville Peck-inspired sparkling fringe mask, which was commissioned out of Miami. “We can practice extra safety measures and still look cute,” Kyle Kilgore told CL.” A global pandemic is not a good reason to give up on your aesthetic.” kilgoreofficial.com —RR

BEST NEW BOOKSTORE (ST. PETE) BOOK + BOTTLE Owned by young local entrepreneur Terra continued on page 53

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BEST NEW VEGAN GROCERY BLACK RADISH You can never have too many reminders of the negative impacts of farming animals just to eat them, but the folks at Black Radish don’t shove any of that down your throat.

Instead, the boutique shop in V.M. Ybor offers buku online and in-person COVID-19 shopping options (Black Radish even utilized food lockers). There’s also a weekend vegan deli and one night the place had a pizza munch wrap special. blackradishgrocer.com —RR

BEST NEXT BEST THING TO ACTUALLY TALKING TO A RECORD STORE EMPLOYEE DADDY KOOL’S MUSIC GUIDES AND INSTAGRAM STORIES Daddy Kool Records kicked off its pandemic shutdown by publishing a music guide to ska, dancehall, roots, dub, lovers rock and reggae, and while other record stores definitely attracted sales by offering curbside, delivery and a social-media driven shuffle through the crates (hi, Microgroove), nobody did it quite like DK, which let its staff run wild on Instagram stories with music picks. Hell, even They Hate Change (a Clearwater hip-hop duo, which released a mind-bending album, "666 Central Ave.", during the lockdown) did a takeover of the DK account, sharing influences and sample inspirations with the shop’s followers. DK offers limited capacity and verysanitized shopping now, but watching the shop online kept it top of mind for sure. daddykool.com —RR

BEST NEW THING THAT’S OLD TO HAPPEN IN YBOR HOTEL HAYA The renovation and repurposing of the former home to El Goya, Tracks, and Czar has been long coming. Hotel Haya is now open and guests will be able to enjoy the exquisite transformation of this property into a swank, luxury boutique hotel. Haya is uniquely sourced by many local vendors, including The Glass Studio (an arm of the Morean Arts Center), where resident glass artists crafted the round globes for the lamps in guest rooms. Next time you’re in Ybor and a friend tells you to get a room, make sure it’s at Haya. hotelhaya.com — Alexis Chamberlain

BEST NONPROFIT THAT ACTUALLY PUTS MONEY TO ITS MISSION ECHO Emergency Care Help Organization, known as ECHO, has been in the Bay area for more than 30 years providing food, clothing, job skills workshops, GED courses, and more to folks who need support. Plus, 91% of every dollar donated goes back into their programs and resources which makes it incredibly effective at equipping our community with the tools and training necessary to thrive. echofl.org —SKW

VKNG ROW

continued from page 51 Dunham, who grew up in St. Pete, Book + Bottle opened just as COVID-19 hit. Book + Bottle is a self-proclaimed “bookstore with wine and wine bar with books.” Dunham fought hard to keep her small business alive throughout the quarantine and continues to push to make it better each day. With a cozy, inviting atmosphere, walls covered in books, well-spaced furniture and lots of natural light, Book + Bottle invites customers to come curl up with a good new book, use one of its tables as a workspace, or meet a friend for happy hour. Regularly scheduled events include yoga, book club, wine tastings and poetry readings. bookandbottlestpete.com —RW

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BEST NONPROFIT THAT SHOULDN’T HAVE TO EXIST TAMPA DREAM DEFENDERS It seems the TPD has gotten a little fuzzy on certain aspects of the Constitution like “the right of the people peaceably to assemble” by arresting, tear-gassing and sometimes injuring protestors. In comes Tampa Dream Defenders’ Bailout Hotline. Thanks to donations, it helps bail out people arrested during protests. You know, people arrested for doing something that is totally within their rights as an American citizen to do. dreamdefenders.org —SP

BEST PLACE TO PLAY WITH BABY GOATS GRADY GOAT FARM I wasn’t having the best month when I visited Rob and Debbie Canton’s Grady Goat Farm in February. I’d recently gotten some very bad news—my lung disease had progressed to the point where I needed to go on IV medication. So when Rob invited me to his farm in Thonotosassa, I welcomed the distraction.

BEST ROWING STUDIO VKNG ROW And when I told him I wasn’t well and might have trouble getting around the farm, Rob let me park closer to the goat pen and drove me around in a golf cart. And though I was legit afraid of practicing yoga in my condition, Rob let me into the pen anyway just to play with the baby goats. Playing with baby goats, by the way, is like being licked by a dozen puppies. If it doesn’t make all your troubles melt away, then your troubles are far greater than mine and, I apologize for taking you away from your busy schedule of sobbing into your pillow. gradygoat.org —Jennifer Ring

BEST PLANT THERAPY TO MAKE STAYING AT HOME MORE PLEASANT WILLOW TREE NURSERY When the quarantine struck and we were forced to stay home, many people decided to make the most of it by taking on home improvement projects, big and small. I know I’m not the only one who used some of my budget normally allocated to currently nonexistent social hangs and spent it on plants and landscaping projects instead. Willow Tree nursery has been a St. Pete plant lovers’ continued on page 55

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CREATIVE LOAFING 2020 Best continued from page 53 staple for the last four decades and never disappoints. It offers competitive prices and has a wide selection of indoor and outdoor plants on its expansive property. A great reminder that there is hope and growth in store for all of us, Willow Tree supplies us with an extra dose of life when we need it most. willowtreenursery.com —RW

BEST REASON FOR A BIG-BOX MUSIC FAN TO FALL IN LOVE WITH AN INDIE MOJO BOOKS & RECORDS’ SIGNED TAYLOR SWIFT CDS As the pandemic wore on, megastar Taylor Swift, who released a stripped-back folk album "folklore," did small shops a solid by signing a shitload of CDs and shipping them exclusively to indie record stores who ordered them. St. Petersburg’s Daddy Kool got a small lot which sold out immediately, but Mojo Books & Records in Tampa went all out by putting more than 100 copies on the shelves. It’s safe to say that the average Taylor Swift fan who’s willing to drive anywhere to get a signed CD isn’t in the same demo as a loyal record shop regular who’s in the crates each week, but this promo sure did give shops a chance to cross the streams a bit. mojotampa.com —RR

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too. On March 20, 50-year-old 2001 Odyssey—the one with the spaceship—went dark to protect customers and dancers from the novel coronavirus. Don Kleinhans, President of the joint, said he immediately checked to see about getting emergency funding only to walk away empty handed. So 2001—which once hired a dwarf to drop dollar bills on dancers from the ceiling, according to an intern— put the stage performances online via its website. Make your own stimulus, we guess.

2001nude.com —RR

BEST WAY TO GET HELP 211 CRISIS CENTER OF TAMPA BAY 211. 2-1-1. Two-one-one. That’s a string of numbers you should not forget. On the other end is a trained professional who can help you get resources whether you need food, assistance after domestic abuse, or

need someone to talk to you when you’re having suicidal thoughts. Life in general is hard, for some more than others, but everyone is hurting right now. Do not hesitate to call because help is out there, and the world is much better when you’re in it. crisiscenter. com —RR

BEST WAY TO TEACH YOUR KIDS ABOUT EQUALITY CULTURED BOOKS ST. PETE Cultured Books in St. Pete is a children’s bookstore with a mission to foster a love of self by showing positive images and sharing great stories about people of color. Now, more than ever, it’s important to show our children stories that promote equality and broaden world views. Empower your children. Teach them to be accepting. Challenge them to to think critically about the world around them—and then do something about it. And Cultured Books has a book (or several) for that. culturedbooks.com —AC

BEST YOGA STUDIO FOR BEGINNERS ST. PETERSBURG YOGA At the start of the new year, I wanted to actually start and stick to a resolution. So, I signed up for an unlimited pass at St. Petersburg Yoga, above the Rollin’ Oats on MLK. Having never attempted to do yoga in my life, I was terrified. Do I have the gear? Do I need to switch my entire diet to granola? To my surprise, my first class, although challenging in the physical sense, was a breeze. The instructors and even fellow yogis were quick to lead me through the studio, picking up blocks and an extra mat for my knees. Each instructor had mastered a soothing voice for savasana but was also able to switch the tone back to motivational when I slipped out of posture. Over the next few months I found myself going six times a week, squeezing in classes before and after work and experimenting with harder courses. Whether you’re starting out or have been a yogi for years, you’ll be in good hands. stpeteyoga.com —J. Rimensnyder

If you haven’t rowed before, word on the street is it works up to 86% of your total muscle mass. VKNG Row’s 45-minute total body high-intensity, low-impact workouts are designed to get the most out of your workout. Your class time is spent split between the machine and “land” circuits, where you target the other 16%. Hop on a rowing machine to get a full overview of how the rower works and rowing basics, including terminology, so you can comfortably push your physical limits and “HIIT the water.” VKNG makes working out fun, yet challenging, and before you know it, the class will be over and your ass will be kicked. vkng-row.com —AC

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PEOPLE, PLACES & POLITICS BEST ABOUT FACE TAMPA BAY TIMES DROPPING MUGSHOT GALLERIES Progressive media junkies have long questioned the continued use of mugshots by Tampa Bay Times (and other papers across the country). In the midst of the George Floyd protests and a push for racial justice, Sarasota Herald-Tribune—alongside all Gannet-owned properties—made the decision to discontinue the publication of mugshot galleries. The following day, June 10, CL contributor Jo Ellen Schilke futher explored the ethics of TBT’s continued use of the photos in her article, “It’s 2020, and The Tampa Bay Times still has a mugshot gallery.” Five

days later on June 15, the Times announced plans to drop its mugshot galleries. “The galleries lack context and further negative stereotypes. We think the data is an important resource that our newsroom will continue to analyze and watch carefully, but the galleries alone serve little journalistic purpose,” Executive Editor Mark Katches said in a statement. It’s about damn time. —Jenna Rimensnyder

BEST ART FOR EVERYONE TAMPA MUSEUM OF ART Art is supposed to be for everyone, but let’s face it: admission to the museum isn’t always tops on the list of families trying to make ends meet—especially in the coronavirus era.

That’s why it was cool to see the Tampa Museum of Art say that anyone receiving food assistance can show their EBT card and get in free (as of July, that’s 152,000 families in Hillsborough alone). In May, Nina Contreras Womeldurf, TMA’s Director of Marketing and Communications, told CL that the museum

BEST CASE OF MISTAKEN IDENTITY KELLY BENJAMIN BEING MISTAKEN FOR A COP

has no end date in mind for the “Museums for All” initiative. “We want to keep it as a permanent feature if sponsorship funding continues to be available,” she said. tampamuseum.org —Ray Roa

On July 31, longtime CL contributor and activist-journalist Kelly Benjamin found himself walking with protesters who were marching in and around Tampa’s Riverbend neighborhood as part of a demonstration at Mayor Jane Castor’s house. Benjamin, a two-time City Council candidate who’s faced off with Charlie Miranda and Rose Ferlita, had just shaved his mustache, which might have contributed to what happened next, but someone asked Kelly if he was a cop. Benjamin was arrested at the 2008 RNC (charges were dropped, but his civil rights were violated).

Police shot him with a rubbercoated steel bullet during a protest at the Free Trade Area of the America’s meeting Miami in 2003. The Chamberlain High grad even won a WMNF Peace Award and helped co-found 87X, a low-powered late-90s radio station in Ybor City. He’s also been a longtime member of the fight to create a Community Review Board with investigatory powers and other privileges that give the CRB true independence and teeth.

Benjamin wasn’t phased by being mislabeled as a cop, but the moment provided a little levity during a movement that’s been an uphill battle for protesters who’ve been on the street since May. —RR

BEST BATHROOM SELFIES @THE.HUBS.BATHROOM A dive bar’s bathroom can be a special place, but there’s not one as special as the women’s room at The Hub in downtown Tampa, and Hub lifer Chloe Davis has devoted her life (OK, well, a few hours a week) to celebrating it via her @the. hubs.bathroom Instagram account. Lately, since The Hub was to-go only, the feed has been pics of feet (yum), but the entire thing just feels like a love letter to a dive, and that’s certainly worth remembering as the joint navigates reopening.—RR

ADOBE

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BEST COMMUTE MONOTONY BREAKER LED LIGHTS ON THE SUNSHINE SKYWAY A lifetime ago (i.e., prior to mid-March), my daily commute took me from St. Petersburg to Lakewood Ranch and back. On good days, it was 40 minutes each way, tops. On bad days… I’ll just say it has taken two-plus hours before. In short, seeing pretty stuff along the way can make a hell of a difference. So, when the state installed color-changing LED lights on the Skyway, funded by $15 million in SunPass toll dollars (paid mostly by me; you’re welcome), I was thrilled. Driving over the Skyway at dusk was already lovely, but the ever changing glow always added to the beauty as I drove home at night. I don’t know when I’ll see it again, or what color it will be when I do, but I miss it. —Kate Bradshaw continued on page 67

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CREATIVE LOAFING 2020 Best

of the Bay CRITIC'S PICKS PEOPLE, PLACES & POLITICS

ABC

Facebook. There’s a mob of barely-literate trolls (and probably bots) that has a fucking meltdown every time CL posts something remotely political. The commenters—and it’s unclear what proportion of them are human—have no clue what they’re reading or why, but they seem to understand each other’s incoherent slurries. Earlier this year, CL eliminated the comments section within its own web domain. If only it could do the same in Zuck’s domain, the world would be a happier place. facebook.com/cltampabay —KB

BEST FOOLED US ONCE TAMPA MAYOR JANE CASTOR

BEST HOMETOWN REALITY SHOW CONnECTION

CHRIS WATSON

continued from page 65

BEST CYCLING SCENE EXPORT LEO RODGERS In the last year, the cycling world has started to get to know St. Petersburg expat Leo Rodgers, which is great because there probably wasn’t anyone else in the local bike scene who didn’t know about the paralympic cyclist’s tenacious, transparent and positive approach to pedaling through life.

In May, Rodgers appeared on the cover of Bicycling magazine, and a few weeks after that he was gone to Costa Mesa for a new cycling-related job and a chance to grow his Leo Rogers Foundation. Our loss is California’s gain, but Rodgers made an impact while he was here. @slimone1000 on Instagram —RR

BEST DIGITAL CESSPOOL CL’S FACEBOOK COMMENTS SECTION If you ever want to know what chugging a gallon of seawater and chasing it with a few good huffs of gasoline looks like, look no further than the comments section—of any web content, really. This is especially true for CL’s political content when it’s shared on

We’ll admit it: CL, like the nearly 39,000 folks who voted for her over the late David Straz in a mayoral runoff, fell under the spell of electing Tampa’s first openly gay mayor.

And until protests calling for police reform broke out in late May, Jane Castor was doing a hell of a job managing Tampa’s growth and standing up to members of the Hillsborough Emergency Policy Group who never seemed to grasp the seriousness of COVID-19. But for some reason (the 30-plus years as a cop, probably) Castor stumbled trying to find the right balance between serving every citizen and being a former chief of police. As a result, pro-police zealots are calling her “Castro Castor” for refusing to punish protesters at every turn, while protesters who’ve been hit by cars, arrested by police (only to have charges dropped) and ignored when they called for a reduction in the police budget are calling for her resignation. She’s in office until 2023, so she’ll have plenty of chances to change hearts and minds, and we’ll see what happens when, or if, she runs for reelection. —RR

BEST HIGH SCHOOL NEWSPAPER STORY ‘GAITHER SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHER ACCUSED OF RACIST AND ANTI-SEMITIC COMMENTS ONLINE’ THE PONY EXPRESS In late May, Vernon “Chuck” Henderson, a Gaither High School social studies teacher who’d come under fire for posts in a white supremacist Facebook group, resigned.

The move came a week after Andie Fields, a journalist at the school’s student newspaper, broke the news wide open and pointed out that “Gaither High School has a minority enrollment rate of 62%, and the comments could alienate students Henderson is responsible for educating.” ghsponyexpress.com —RR

BEST HOMETOWN REALITY SHOW CONNECTION CHRIS WATSON, ‘THE BACHELOR: LISTEN TO YOUR HEART’ Reality dating show infamy is usually a bad thing. Not for Chris Watson. The Jesuit Tampa grad—together with girlfriend Bri Strauss, who he met on set—won “The Bachelor: Listen to Your Heart,” where aspiring singer-songwriters must pair up, find love and compete in an “American Idol” and “The Voice” style competition. The ooeygooey feelgood thing is that the couple was probably the only one on the show where the songwriters were genuinely into each other. tellemwatson.com —RR

BEST HYPOCRISY TAMPA POLICE DEPARTMENT In recent weeks, Tampa Police Chief Brian Dugan seems to be practicing a more balanced tone when it comes to talking about protesters calling for reform. That still doesn’t change the different treatment demonstrators got when held against the actions of pro-police “back the blue” protesters who illegally painted murals on city streets without harassment from cops (counterprotesters who attempted to paint an unpermitted rainbow a few days later were arrested; some were abused and sexually assaulted during processing by Hillsborough Sheriffs at Orient Road jail). With an increased police budget already approved and the fate of the city’s toothless Community Review Board still up in the air as of press time, TPD is going to have to work a lot harder to make citizens believe that the force doesn’t treat you differently if you “back the blue.” —RR

BEST INSTAGRAM TO LIVE VICARIOUSLY THROUGH @MAYOROFYBOR If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to live like a kind-hearted, unafraid-toparty 20-something in Tampa Bay, then follow Jabari Waite (@mayorofybor) and always watch the stories where the expert ‘grammer hilariously trolls his best buds, celebrates the best in local nightlife and transparently talks about his ups and downs in a wholesome and authentic way that influencers can only hope to emulate.—RR

BEST IT’S ABOUT TIME (ASPHALT DIVISION) SMART STREETS, ‘ROAD DIETS’ Walking: believe it or not, it was once the primary method from which humans got from Point A to Point B. Some of us still risk our lives to attempt to use that method to travel relatively short distances. But the elders among us are accustomed to roads, and they’re the ones with the money. So if you need to get somewhere, in most cases, you get into your car. And drive on a road. If there are too many other cars, they make the road bigger. Yet more and more people are starting to take a shine to walking. Or biking.

Gee, what a concept. That’s why it’s been so amazing to see more and more lighted crosswalks and protected bike lanes around (often these are referred to as Smart Streets or Road Diets)—even if the Olds are bitching about having to drive more slowly and stop for people crossing the street. —KB

BEST IT’S ABOUT TIME (RACIST INTONATION DIVISION) HOLLINS HIGH SCHOOL In early July, Dixie Hollins High School students posted a petition to change the high school’s name and Rebels mascot. Simultaneously, I was writing an article on racial injustice since the desegregation of schools in Pinellas County, specifically at Dixie Hollins.

Other schools who had ties to the Confederacy, be it through a name or mascot, had made changes to move forward for both the betterment of its student body and future as an educational establishment. When CL posted the story, comments and messages flooded Facebook and my email. There was a lot of backlash from white high school alumni as well as those who just felt the need to flex their white privilege and claim that the school has “done enough” to pay for the racial injustice of the past. After the letter by the students and media coverage gained attention, all we could do was wait for Principal Robert Florio to meet with a group of students to make an official decision. As of August 31, Pinellas’ Dixie M. Hollins High School is to be referred to as “Hollins High.” In addition to the unofficial name change, is an official change of the mascot from the “Rebels” to the “Royals.” Although this name and mascot change is long overdue, it feels good continued on page 69

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CREATIVE LOAFING 2020 Best to have a blemish wiped away from Tampa Bay. —J. Rimensnyder

BEST LOCAL NEWS APP PUSH NOTIFICATION TAMPA BAY TIMES Who says you can’t put “fuck” in a headline at the Tampa Bay Times? Not the newspaper’s mobile app apparently. In May, someone at Naviga (which the Times contracts to run the app) pushed out a mobile alert which simply said, “look a fucking title.” Editors at the Times naturally blamed Naviga, but that still doesn’t mean the slip up isn’t worth having a laugh over. And you trolls thought our headlines sucked.—RR

BEST LOCAL WRITE-IN CANDIDATE CHESTER STONE First off, if you write in anyone instead of Joe Biden in 2020, you are probably going to be forced to live on a Trump pontoon for the next four years, but if we were going to write somebody in, it’d be Chester Stone (who sells “Chester Stone ‘20” swag on his Linktree). Mr. “Godmuthafuckin’ damn!” is the bonafide king of the Hope Food Store and gas station near the corner of 22nd Street and E. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in East Tampa, and he documents his day—including interviews with flashy commentary—on his Instagram (@chesterstone745) which had just under 160,000 followers as of press time. But for all the bravado, Stone is vulnerable about his troubles, too. “Foxes have holes, birds have nests,” Stone told CL in June, “but I have no regular place to rest my head.” You’ll always have a place in our heart though, Chester. —RR

BEST LOWKEY SEWER VILLAIN FATBERGS On April 22, Earth Day, the City of Tampa posted a plea for help, and asked Tampeños to stop clogging the sewage system with “fatbergs.” If you’re wondering, fatbergs are what happens when grease and wipes—like the non-flushable ones you used to wipe your ass in lieu of toilet paper when the pandemic started—come together at pump stations and at private residences or businesses. Over a period of three days, “a department contractor removed 108 cubic yards of grease and non-flushable wipes”

from the wet well at Sulphur Springs Pump Station. Long story short: If you keep flushing the damn wipes down the toilet, then you’re increasing the chance of poopwater flowing through the streets or even in your own yard, plus each wet well repair costs the city precious tax dollars. —RR

Last year saw a healthy dose of General Manager drama at 41-year-old community radio station WMNF, but it seems to have all been worth it. New GM Rick Fernandes arrived, survived his first week-long pledge drive and then eliminated the weeklong fundraiser format in lieu of single-day spurts of hat-passing. The gamble paid off, and Fernandes—together with WMNF’s news department—saw another new face, former Tampa Bay Times reporter Daniel Figueroa IV, join the station staff this year, too. —RR

As pastor-grifters like Rodney HowardBrowne opened their churches claiming all kinds of horseshit about how coronavirus wasn’t gonna come get the congregation, at least one actual church leader, Watermark Tampa Church’s Tommy Preson Phillis, took to social media to explain why he wouldn’t put his flock in danger. “If we fail to adequately protect and care for our community at this time, and if we put our *own* desires above the needs of our neighbors, we fail as spiritual leaders in the church. Plain and simple,” he wrote in July. In the weeks after, he even invoked the words of the Bible to support social justice efforts, adding, “The very existence of injustice in a society is a danger to it, a poison, a cancer. God’s people have always known this. By fighting injustice, you are blessing your neighbor, whether rich or poor.” My very-Catholic mom knows I don’t go to church regularly anymore (not even on Facebook), but if I tell her I’m a follower of Preson, she can probably go to sleep knowing I have a fighting chance of not going to hell in a handbasket. watermarktampa.com —RR

BEST NEW PLACE TO PROTEST THE ST. PETE PIER

BEST PELICAN PRIDE THE CITY OF ST. PETERSBURG

In July, when pier-goers and and some outlier protesters clashed, the Tampa Bay Times’ editorial board—Elizabeth Dijinis and four white men tasked with being the “institutional voice” for the Bay area’s vaunted paper of record—asked protesters to, “Take your skateboards and go home,” adding that, “the leverage of social justice is working. There’s no sense in becoming the problem or overplaying one’s hand.” But let’s point at one of the new pier’s most alluring features: Janet Echelman’s sculpture, “Bending Arc,” which invokes Dr. Martin Luther King and his famous quote, “The arc of the moral universe is long but it bends toward justice.” Plus, in 1955, Black St. Petersburg residents sued the city for the right to use nearby municipal Spa Beach and Pool. City Manager Ross Windom retaliated by closing the pool for “repairs” rather than allowing integration. Protests are supposed to disrupt normalcy to expedite needed change. All of it certainly requires more nuance than a Best of the Bay blurb (or newspaper editorial, quite frankly) can provide, but the pier is for everyone, including protesters. stpetepier.org —RR

Thanks to St. Petersburg City Council, the brown pelican finally became the official

BEST NEW HIRES RICK FERNANDES AND DANIEL FIGUEROA IV AT WMNF

BEST NON-INSANE CHURCH PASTOR TOMMY PRESON PHILLIPS

bird of St. Pete this year. Before it was codified, the Morean Arts Center already had its pelican-themed art show in the works.

On Jan. 9, Morean Curator of Exhibitions Amanda Cooper and Director of Photography Beth Reynolds shared the news on Facebook, joking, “someone should have a show.” After a two-month pandemic delay, “Pelican Proud” opened at the Morean in June. A masked Rick Kriseman cut the ribbon on June 15, surrounded by about 40 locally-made pelican-themed works of art. moreanartscenter.org/pelican-proud — Jennifer Ring

BEST PINCH ME ST. PETE PIER Wait, the pier is really open? After what seemed like an eternity (seven years from closure to rebuilding and opening), the St. Pete Pier is back and more extravagant than ever before. There’s a play zone for the kids, booze for the adults and incredible water backdrops for photo ops. The 26-acre pier also is home to an aerial sculpture called “Bending Arc,” by artist Janet Echelman, not to mention a handful of restaurants when you want a bite, and even a Discovery Center and Wet Classroom dedicated to the protection and restoration of the Tampa Bay continued on page 71

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CREATIVE LOAFING 2020 Best continued from page 69 estuary through scientific and educational programs. stpetepier.org —J. Rimensnyder

BEST POOP JOKE SARA AT ZOOTAMPA There’s a ZooTampa tram operator named Sara who has a joke about the large container of poop that lives behind the scenes at the facility. She explains how cool it is to know that the zoo teams up with local farms to make sure the waste doesn’t go to waste, and she says it’s her favorite thing about the zoo. And then she explains how folks ask her if it’s really her favorite thing there. Then she comes clean and says, “No it’s actually not my favorite, but it is a solid number two.” For some reason, I died inside in the best way, and while the title of this award is about the joke, it’s really about someone at the zoo who took the time while I was waiting in line to not only be kind to me, my nine-month-old and everyone else in queue, but someone who tries to interject joy into little moments in time. In a pandemic where everything is shitty, that gesture goes a long way. (By the way, it seems like every tram driver at ZooTampa tells the joke, Sara was still the nicest, though). zootampa.org —RR

BEST POOR CHOICE OF A HILL TO DIE ON, VOL. I KATHLEEN PETERS, RE: BLM Pinellas County Commissioner Kathleen Peters was always one of the “cool” Republicans, in that she was known to go against the party grain to do what’s right, and probably suffered politically for it. That’s why, in the wake of George Floyd’s murder, when there was finally (almost) a collective understanding of what Black Lives Matter actually means, it was surprising to see her complain when her colleague, Commissioner Ken Welch, used South St. Pete’s Black Lives Matter street mural as his Zoom background for a virtual meeting (that’s part of his district, and he happens to be Black and care about his constituents, so duh). She said constituents had complained about it— in all caps, no punctuation, I’m sure. —KB

BEST POOR CHOICE OF A HILL TO DIE ON, VOL. II BOB GUALTIERI, ALSO RE: BLM Same went for Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri, who got all bent out of shape at the Tampa Bay Rays’ Opening Day tweet, “Today is Opening Day, which means it’s a great day to arrest the killers of Breonna

of the Bay CRITIC'S PICKS PEOPLE, PLACES & POLITICS

Taylor.” Gualtieri apparently complained that the post was inaccurate (and, in fairness, he opposes no-knock warrants like the one that reportedly resulted in Taylor’s death). Regardless, the head LEO in a diverse county complaining about a tweet like that at a time like this? Not a good look, man. —KB

BEST SAFE SPACE TO BIKE FROM SOUTH TAMPA TO THE HEIGHTS BAYSHORE BOULEVARD TO TAMPA RIVERWALK If there’s anything quarantine has taught us, it’s to slow down a little bit. Hop on your bike and take the scenic route to get around Tampa. You’ll get to take in the sights of South Tampa, downtown, and the Heights while getting in a little cardio. What’s more, is once you’ve made your way onto Bayshore Boulevard’s sidewalk, you can bike all the way to Armature Works without having to cross a single street (except at Cass Street in between the TMA and Straz Center).

Along the route, you’ll bask in beautiful views of the bay, Hillsborough River, Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park, Water Works Park, and finally, the Armature Works lawn, where you can enjoy views of the downtown skyline. Don’t own a bike?

You can rent one on Bayshore at the Rome Avenue intersection. thetampariverwalk. com —Alexis Chamberlain

BEST SHIT STARTER (IN A GOOD WAY) @OFFICIALTHEBODY In 2020, everyone is getting called out.

The days of bosses sexually intimidating employees, racists being themselves or celebrities being predators are, hopefully, soon over. Model and activist @officialthebody was one of the first to call out @ nocturnalfranco aka Lanfranco Pescante of the Nocturnal Restaurant Group, for posting the statement “Just Shoot Them All” on one of her Instagram posts in regards to Black Lives Matter protests. Pescante soon resigned and since then three former Franklin Manor employees have sued Pescante claiming sexual assault. Even the Feds have

an investigation about him open. Watch out assholes, the revolution will be Instagrammed. @officialthebody on Instagram —Stephanie Powers

BEST SOCIALLY-DISTANT DAY TRIP CHASSAHOWITZKA RIVER Raise your hand if you miss traveling. Luckily, you don’t have to go far to dive into Chassahowitzka River’s crystal clear fivemile-long spring-fed river. Just a quick drive from Tampa, The Chazz offers solo kayak rentals from only $25 for the entire day. As you paddle to make your way to cool off in one of the many springs, you might even spot a bald eagle or a manatee. Book your rental in advance to secure parking and make your day on the river as stress free as possible. chassahowitzkaflorida.com —AC

BIGGEST SOUTH TAMPA ASSHOLE UNTIL CORONAVIRUS ARRIVED THAT TRAIN Remember when a CSX train stopping up South Tampa crossings from W. Morrison Avenue to W. Gandy Boulevard was the biggest asshole in South Tampa?

That sucked big time until COVID-19 got here. Bet you’d trade-in lockdown for having to hold your pee at the railroad crossing at the drop of a hat.—RR

(STILL) THE BEST CHURCH ALLENDALE METHODIST CHURCH St. Petersburg’s Allendale United Methodist Church has been no stranger to activism since 2017, so it came as no surprise to see the house of worship say something about the murder of George Floyd. One side of the church sign said “George Floyd was lynched today by the police. We can’t breathe!” while the other reads, “White Supremacy: The most dangerous virus infecting our country since 1492.” We’re going to need this kind of moral clarity and gumption to call it like it is over the next month, and maybe four years. allendaleumc.org —RR

BEST THORN IN SCIENTOLOGY’S SIDE

TRACEY MCMANUS, TAMPA BAY TIMES Paul Guzzo may be Tampa Bay’s official lost cemetery search and rescue team, but his Tampa Bay Times colleague Tracey McManus is on the ground in Clearwater making sure the Church of Scientology gets away with nothing. Her fearless reporting feels essential, especially when held up against the relative non-action from local elected officials who mostly seem scared to stand up to one of the most powerful and intimidating religious organizations on the planet (new councilmember Mark Bunker excluded).

Even Xenu seems scared—did you see how the church tried to clap back by creepily distributing its Freedom magazine across Clearwater (and buying online ads) after McManus explained how Scientology doubled its downtown Clearwater footprint? @TroMcManus on Twitter —RR

BEST WAY TO GET A KIDS-GLOVE EDITORIAL IN THE DAILY NEWSPAPER INVEST IN THE TAMPA BAY TIMES Don’t get us wrong, the reporters in Tampa Bay Times newsroom staff are an essential cog in the local media landscape, and this region would suffer a huge blow if the paper doesn’t recover from the financial hardships that forced layoffs, a reduction in print production and a temporary staff pay cut since restored. But the editorial board treatment of projects being spearheaded by two of the Times’ no-longer-anonymous investors—Jeff Vinik and Darryl Shaw—is embarrassing. Vinik’s Water Street project uses Trump “opportunity zone” tax breaks meant to help the poor, but in the part of downtown Water Street is rising out of, the median family income is almost twice as high as the Tampa metro area. Sure, Vinik has given the Bay area part of his fortune (and bought your kid a hockey jersey!), but that doesn’t give his companies a pass to lobby politicians and exploit the tax break.

The Times editorial board shouldn’t have given him a pass either, but instead the board—which only dug in after ProPublica called the tax break out—offered a gentle critique that included the line, “Of course, some of the criticism of opportunity zones is easier from the outside looking in.” Come on, you literally are on the inside now that he’s your investor. And the board’s treatment of Shaw’s Tampa Park project finds the board lauding the fact that the Blue continued on page 73

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CREATIVE LOAFING 2020 Best

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BEST WE DON’T GIVE A FUCK ANYMORE TAMPA BAY RAYS OPENING DAY BREONNA TAYLOR TWEET continued from page 71 Pearl Veterinary founder is spending $1,500 per family when it comes to moving costs (to the tune of $800K total). Never mind that generations of families who lived in subprime conditions had to move out of the last public projects still close to the urban core so that another rich guy could cash in on an investment. Stand up for the people, folks, not the dudes bankrolling your recovery (and don’t get us started on the straight-up anti-Black Heritage Foundation essay the paper ran on Sept. 26). @ TBTimes_Opinion on Twitter —RR

BEST WAY TO KEEP SPORTS FANS IN THEIR SEATS DURING A PANDEMIC TAMPA BAY RAYS The Tampa Bay Rays’ on-field performance should be enough to keep fans tuned into the game on TV, but the club found a way to get followers into seats during the pandemic, too—cardboard cutouts.

The 18-by-30-inch cutouts cost Rays fans $40-$60 and are in the seats during Rays home games (and now, the playoffs). Not as great as the real thing, but any kind of friendly face will do in this day and age. mlb.com/rays —RR

BEST WE DON’T GIVE A FUCK ANYMORE TAMPA BAY RAYS OPENING DAY BREONNA TAYLOR TWEET Social justice is finally an easy thing for brands to get behind these days, and the Tampa Bay Rays still went all in on Opening Day when it wrote, “Today is Opening Day, which means it’s a great day to arrest the killers of Breonna Taylor,” on Twitter. Fans revolted (many have probably come back to jump on the playoff bandwagon), but the Rays haven’t let up in the team’s belief that, “Systemic rac-

ism is real,” and needs to be dealt with. And as the recent Breonna Taylor court decision proved, the Rays are going to need to do a lot more screaming to find the justice the team seeks. mlb.com/rays —RR

BEST WELCOME TO THE CLUB TIGER BAY’S COVID-19 FORUMS A side effect of coronavirus was increased access to the political process (at a meeting online, Tampa City Councilman John Dingfelder said he loved the increased participation and hoped it could continue).

Beneficiaries of these times also include anyone who couldn’t afford the dues for Tampa’s Tiger Bay Club. The nonpartisan group opened its forums, featuring candidates from the city’s most important races, to the public online, and the result was a more informed electorate. Let’s hope Tiger Bay keeps the door open go-

ing forward (you can’t ask questions unless you’re a member, so there’s still incentive to join). tigerbayclub.com —RR

BEST YOU KNEW THIS WOULD END BADLY GYM PROTESTERS Preface: This is coming from someone who works out for more than an hour a day; fitness is fucking life. Our region made national headlines in the current epoch, but few of these viral moments made us look as dumb as the footage of a bunch of poorly informed gym enthusiasts/personal trainers doing pushup/burpees/ whatever outside the municipal buildings in Clearwater and Tampa as a way of protesting the shuttering of gyms. These protesters not only shot themselves in the foot by demonstrating how easy it is to work out fucking anywhere; but when they got their wish and everything reopened in May, guess what fucking happened. So much for health. —KB

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TAMPA BAY'S ICONIC OUTDOOR MUSIC VENUE SINCE 1984 JANNUSLIVE.COM 74 | OCTOBER 1-7, 2020 | cltampa.com

CREATIVE LOAFING 2020 Best

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT BEST ACTOR JOEL D. WYNKOOP Runner’s-Up: Jorge Diaz, Cranstan Cumberbatch

BEST ACTRESS BAILEE MCQUEEN

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AUTHOR PUBLISHED IN THE LAST 12 MONTHS “THE STRANGER INSIDE”

BY LISA UNGER Runner’s-Up: Creepy Florida by Mark Muncy, St. Pete Eats: A Cookbook

by Dr. Kanika Tomalin

BEST BURLESQUE ACT MAYVEN MISSBEHAVIN

BEST CLASSICAL MUSICIAN STEPHEN P BROWN

Runner’s-Up: Painted Leaf Art Studio, Practically Pikasso

BEST CONCERT IN THE LAST 12 MONTHS GASPARILLA MUSIC FESTIVAL

BEST BAND (ORIGINAL) THE WANDERING HOURS Runner’s-Up: Derrick Williams & The Gospel Voice Band, The Black Honkeys

BEST BLUEGRASS BAND THE APPLEBUTTER EXPRESS Runner’s-Up: The Wandering Hours, The Florida Mountain Boys

BEST BOOK BY A LOCAL

Runner’s-Up: Hip Abduction, Bearded Brothers

BEST DANCER ASHLYN BOLTON

Runner’s-Up: Colleen Schmitt, Mark Sforzini

BEST ART PARTY TRASHY TREASURES

Runner’s-Up: SweetLick, 60 West

Runner’s-Up: Brandon School of Dance Arts, Dreamer’s Dance Company

Runner’s-Up: Melissa Smith, Tiffany Oscher

Runner’s-Up: DJ Paul Santana, DJ Austen Van Der Bleek

BEST JAM BAND UNCLE JOHN’S BAND

BEST DANCE COMPANY MARY JO’S PERFORMING ARTS ACADEMY

BEST CHOREOGRAPHER ASHLYN BOLTON

BEST CLUB DJ DJ MIKE SKLARZ

BEST COVER BAND JON DITTY’S HOUSE OF PAIN

Runner’s-Up: The Castle, The Honey Pot

Runner’s-Up: Femmes & Follies, Cherry Von Topp

Runner’s-Up: MIZE Gallery, Morean Arts Center

Runner’s-Up: Derrick Williams - Pianist, Nate Najar

BEST DANCE CLUB BLUR NIGHTCLUB

Runner’s-Up: Emily Pedone, Katie Michaels

BEST ART GALLERY (NON-MUSEUM) DUNEDIN FINE ART CENTER

Runner’s-Up: Aubrey Wollett, J.T. Curtis and The Florida Scoundrels

Runner’s-Up: Jordan Denise Williams, Shazadi Julie

BEST DRAG PERFORMER ADRIANA SPARKLE Runner’s-Up: Matthew McGee, Kori Stevens

Runner’s-Up: 97X Next Big Thing, Billy Joel at AMALIE Arena

BEST EXPERIMENTAL ACT INFINITE EIGHTS

BEST CONCERT PROMOTER BROKENMOLD ENTERTAINMENT

Runner’s-Up: Justin Depth, The HeadTones

Runner’s-Up: FWDThinkers, TampaBayNightLife.TV

BEST FILM FESTIVAL TIGLFF - TAMPA BAY INTERNATIONAL GAY & LESBIAN FILM FESTIVAL

BEST COUNTRY ACT (ORIGINAL) SOUL CIRCUS COWBOYS

Runner’s-Up: Dunedin International Film Festival, GIFF - Gasparilla International Film Festival

BEST FILMMAKER JOEL D. WYNKOOP Runner’s-Up: Michael Kenneth Fahr, Gerard Lima

NYMANIA PRODUCTIONS

BEST GALLERY (NON-MUSEUM) SHOW ICONS: LGBTQ+ PORTRAITS AT MIZE GALLERY Runner’s-Up: VISTA at the Dunedin Fine Art Center, Diane V. Radel at the Hermitage Gallery

BEST HIP-HOP ACT THEOLODGE Runner’s-Up: Jon Ditty, B-Zeik

BEST IMPROV TEAM AMERICAN STAGE Runner’s-Up: Improv @ USF, Got Jokes?

BEST SPOKEN WORD ARTIST JON DITTY

BEST INSTRUMENTALIST MATT WEIHMULLER, SAXOPHONIST

BEST JAZZ ENSEMBLE TARPON SPRINGS HIGH SCHOOL JAZZ ENSEMBLE Runner’s-Up: Derrick Williams, La Lucha

BEST KARAOKE CORNER BAR & GRILL Runner’s-Up: CJ’s On The Island, Double Decker

BEST LARGE CONCERT VENUE (2,000PLUS CAPACITY) AMALIE ARENA Runner’s-Up: Ruth Eckerd Hall, David A. Straz, Jr. Center for the Performing Arts

BEST LITERARY EVENT TAMPA BAY TIMES FESTIVAL OF READING Runner’s-Up: Horror Author Halloween at Books at Park Place, Booze & Book Club

BEST LITERARY JOURNAL SWEETLIT Runner’s-Up: Odet Literary Journal, Torrid Literature Journal

BEST MAGICIAN CORY VAN VALIN Runner’s-Up: Geoff Williams, Mark Byrne

BEST METAL/HARDCORE BAND (ORIGINAL) DEN OF THIEVES Runner’s-Up: Malice Strikes, Kill the Imposter

BEST MUSEUM DALÍ MUSEUM Runner’s-Up: Museum of Fine Arts St. Petersburg, The James Museum of Western & Wildlife Art

BEST MUSEUM EXHIBIT MIDNIGHT IN PARIS AT DALÍ Runner’s-Up: Beaches, Benches and Boycotts: The Civil Rights Movement in Tampa Bay, The Grasshopper and the Ant at MFA

BEST MUSIC FESTIVAL GASPARILLA MUSIC FESTIVAL Runner’s-Up: 97x Next Big Thing, Reggae Rise Up continued on page 77

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BEST MUSIC SCHOOL (INSTITUTIONAL/ACADEMIC) GIBBS HIGH SCHOOL Runner’s-Up: Patel Conservatory, Blake High School

BEST MUSIC SCHOOL (NON-ACADEMIC) HANDS IN MOTION MUSIC SCHOOL, PRODUCTIONS, & MARKETING Runner’s-Up: Creative Keys Music School, Barrett School of Music Tampa

Runner’s-Up: St. Pete Murals, Art on the Block

BEST RECORD LABEL DERLIE RECORDS INC. Runner’s-Up: New Granada, Wave Theory

BEST RECORD STORE DADDY KOOL RECORDS Runner’s-Up: Steelworker Records, Bananas Records: CDs, DVDs & Vinyl

BEST RECORDING STUDIO CLEAR TRACK STUDIOS Runner’s-Up: Mullins Music, Zen Recording

BEST OPEN MIC NIGHT (COMEDY) BEST REGGAE/SKA BAND SIDE SPLITTERS COMEDY CLUB THE HIP ABDUCTION Runner’s-Up: Liter of Laughs at Dunedin Brewery

BEST OPEN MIC NIGHT (POETRY) SHAMC ALIVE Runner’s-Up: The Studio@620, The Blueberry Patch

BEST OPERA COMPANY ST. PETERSBURG OPERA Runner’s-Up: Opera Tampa, New City Opera Company, Tarpon Springs

BEST PERFORMING ARTS CENTER DAVID A. STRAZ, JR. CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS Runner’s-Up: Ruth Eckerd Hall, The Palladium

BEST PHOTOGRAPHER JESSIE STEHLIK - FOTO BOHEMIA

Runner’s-Up: Victims of Circumstance, Badda Skat

BEST RELEASE

BY A LOCAL BAND BLUE WATER BY 60 WEST Runner’s-Up: Dear Diary by Jordan Denise Williams, Playground by Alien House

BEST ROCK BAND (ORIGINAL) BEN ROGERS BAND Runner’s-Up: Row Jomah, The Black Honkeys

Runner’s-Up: Javier Ortiz (ZITRO), Caroline Allen Photography

BEST ROOTS/ALT-COUNTRY ACT (ORIGINAL) THE WANDERING HOURS

BEST PLACE TO BOWL PIN CHASERS

Runner’s-Up: The Applebutter Express, Have Gun-Will Travel

Runner’s-Up: Dunedin Lanes, Splitsville

BEST PLACE TO PLAY POOL CJ’S ON THE ISLAND Runner’s-Up: Sullivan’s Boulevard Lounge, Peabody’s Billiards & Games

BEST PLAYWRIGHT GERARD LIMA Runner’s-Up: Jas Warren, Linda Goldman - SAGES Theater Inc.

BEST POP ACT (ORIGINAL) JORDAN DENISE WILLIAMS

BEST SINGER/SONGWRITER LISA NOE Runner’s-Up: Derrick Williams, Rachel Villalona

BEST SINGLES HANGOUT PARK & REC Runner’s-Up: CJ’s On The Island, The Canopy

BEST SMALL CONCERT VENUE (UNDER 2,000 CAPACITY) JANNUS LIVE

Runner’s-Up: 60 West, Visit Neptune

Runner’s-Up: Tampa Theatre, Crowbar

BEST PUBLIC ARTWORK BLACK LIVES MATTER MURAL DR. CARTER G. WOODSON AFRICAN AMERICAN MUSEUM

BEST SOUL/R&B/FUNK ACT DERRICK WILLIAMS Runner’s-Up: The Black Honkeys, The HeadTones

of the Bay READER'S PICKS BEST SPOKEN WORD ARTIST JON DITTY Runner’s-Up: Novacane, Kennedy Engasser

BEST STAGE DIRECTOR DAVID JENKINS Runner’s-Up: Kevin Rego, Melissa Smith

BEST STAND-UP COMEDIAN CAM BERTRAND Runner’s-Up: Barry S Naylor, Ward Smith

BEST WEEKLY CLUB NIGHT CJ’S ON THE ISLAND MONDAY SIN NIGHT Runner’s-Up: Al Downing Tampa Bay Jazz Association, Monday Night Jazz Jam at The Hangar Restaurant & Flight Lounge, Fridays at The Castle

FOOD& DRINK

BEST STAND-UP COMEDY VENUE IMPROV COMEDY THEATER Runner’s-Up: Side Splitters Comedy Club, Coconut’s Comedy Club

BEST STRIP CLUB 2001 ODYSSEY Runner’s-Up: Mons Venus World Famous Nude Strip Club Tampa, Oz Gentlemen’s Club

BEST THEATER COMPANY JOBSITE THEATER Runner’s-Up: American Stage, freeFall Theatre

BEST THEATER PRODUCTION “A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM” AT JOBSITE THEATER Runner’s-Up: “The Laramie Project” at St.Petersburg College, Paradise Lost

BEST UNDERGROUND CINEMA EVENT REWIND AT TAMPA THEATRE Runner’s-Up: The Rocky Horror Picture Show - Hell on Heels, Tampa Bay Underground Film Festival

BEST VISUAL ART CURATOR CATHERINE BERGMANN Runner’s-Up: John Gascot, Tracy Midulla

BEST VISUAL ART FESTIVAL GASPARILLA FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS Runner’s-Up: SHINE Mural Festival, Wearable Art - Dunedin Fine Art Center

BEST VISUAL ARTIST LANGSTN Runner’s-Up: Mark Mitchell, FABSTRAQ

BEST VOCALIST VERONIKA NAUMOVA Runner’s-Up: Derrick Williams, Rachel Villalona

BEST ACAI BOWL SOHO JUICE CO. Runner’s-Up: Sweet Soul, Escape Root Juicery

BEST ALL-AROUND RESTAURANT RED MESA RESTAURANT Runner’s-Up: Bella’s Italian Café, Bern’s Steak House

BEST BAGELS ST. PETE BAGEL CO. Runner’s-Up: Bella’s Bakes Cakes and Bagels, 18 Bagels Co.

BEST BAKERY (BREAD) MAZZARO’S ITALIAN MARKET Runner’s-Up: La Segunda, Alessi Bakery

BEST BAKERY (PASTRIES) MAZZARO’S ITALIAN MARKET Runner’s-Up: The Cake Girl, Bake’n Babes

BEST BANH MI LA V Runner’s-Up: Phoedin, Bamboozle Cafe

BEST BAR CRAWL BREW BUS Runner’s-Up: Pedal Pub, Ugly Sweater Bar Crawl

BEST BARBECUE RESTAURANT DR. BBQ Runner’s-Up: The Dunedin Smokehouse, URBAN Brew and BBQ

BEST BARGAIN RESTAURANT PACIFIC COUNTER Runner’s-Up: Bodega on Central, La Teresita Restaurant

BEST BARISTA AMY - MAZZARO’S ITALIAN MARKET Runner’s-Up: Cafe Vino Tinto Crew, Katie Kahwa, Kahwa

continued on page 79

cltampa.com | OCTOBER 1-7, 2020 | 77

“The Craft Beer of Chocolate”

Ratza Chocolate Handcrafted • Bean to Bar • Artisan

The Chocolate Studio and Shop 11 North Pinellas Avenue, Downtown Tarpon Springs (Across from the St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Cathedral)

www.RatzaChocolate.com Follow us on FB and IG at Ratza Chocolate

78 | OCTOBER 1-7, 2020 | cltampa.com

CREATIVE LOAFING 2020 Best BEST CHEF TRACI BRYANT - CARACARA

Runner’s-Up: Stephanie Kasper - The Toasted Monkey, Mitch - Berns Steak House

Runner’s-Up: Anne Kearney - Oak & Ola, Michael Buttacavoli - Cena

BEST BEACH BAR BULA KAVA BAR & COFFEE HOUSE (BULA ON THE BEACH)

BEST CHICKEN SANDWICH PDQ

Runner’s-Up: The Toasted Monkey, Frenchy’s Rockaway Grill

BEST BEACH RESTAURANT FRENCHY’S ROCKAWAY GRILL Runner’s-Up: Crabby Bill’s in St. Pete Beach, The Toasted Monkey

BEST BEER REEF DONKEY

BY TAMPA BAY BREWING CO. Runner’s-Up: Unholy by Coppertail Brewing Company, Jai Alai by Cigar City Brewing

BEST BREAKFAST DATZ Runner’s-Up: Clear Sky Draught Haus, Oxford Exchange

BEST BREWER VINNIE GIORDANO TAMPA BAY BREWING COMPANY Runner’s-Up: Khris Johnson - Green Bench, Kenjiro Tomita - Crooked Thumb Brewing

BEST BREWERY 7VENTH SUN BREWING Runner’s-Up: Tampa Bay Brewing Company, 3 Daughters Brewing

BEST BRUNCH JACKSON’S BISTRO, BAR & SUSHI Runner’s-Up: Datz, Gigglewaters

BEST BRUNCH FOR BOOZING ELLA’S AMERICANA FOLK ART CAFE Runner’s-Up: American Social, The Living Room on Main

BEST BURGERS GIGGLEWATERS Runner’s-Up: Engine No. 9, El Cap Restaurant

BEST CHARCUTERIE THE CHARCUTERIE CHIC Runner’s-Up: Annata Wine Bar, Adored Boards

Runner’s-Up: King of the Coop, Gigglewaters

BEST CHINESE RESTAURANT YUMMY HOUSE SOUTH CHINA BISTRO

DOUG HICKS

continued from page 77

BEST BARTENDER ERIN GREEN - HAVEN

of the Bay READER'S PICKS

Runner’s-Up: Hawkers Asian Street Fare, Zom Hee Chinese Restaurant

BEST CLEARWATER RESTAURANT CLEAR SKY ON CLEVELAND Runner’s-Up: Frenchy’s Rockaway Grill, Island Way Grill

BEST COCKTAILS SONDER SOCIAL CLUB Runner’s-Up: Mandarin Hide, CW’s Gin Joint

BEST COFFEE KAHWA COFFEE Runner’s-Up: King State, Buddy Brew Coffee

BEST COFFEE SHOP INTERMEZZO COFFEE & COCKTAILS Runner’s-Up: Restoration Cafe, Buddy Brew Coffee

BEST COLD-PRESSED JUICE SOHO JUICE CO. Runner’s-Up: Good Vibes Juice Co., Squeeze Juice Works

BEST COOKIES BAKE’N BABES Runner’s-Up: Joey Biscotti, Elise’s Pieces

BEST CRAFT BEER EVENT TAMPA BAY BEER WEEK Runner’s-Up: Brews by the Bay, Bad Ass Beer Fest by TBBC

BEST CUBAN COFFEE BODEGA Runner’s-Up: La Segunda, 22nd Street Coffee

BEST BRUNCH FOR BOOZING ELLA'S AMERICANA FOLK ART CAFE BEST CUBAN RESTAURANT COLUMBIA RESTAURANT

BEST DOG-FRIENDLY BAR THE DOG BAR

Runner’s-Up: Bodega, La Teresita Restaurant

Runner’s-Up: Gigglewaters, 3 Daughters Brewing

BEST CUBAN SANDWICH WEST TAMPA SANDWICH SHOP

BEST DOUGHNUTS DOUGH

Runner’s-Up: Brocato’s Sandwich Shop, Bodega

Runner’s-Up: Valhalla Bakery St Pete, Simply Done Donuts

BEST DESSERTS BASSANO CHEESECAKE

BEST DRAFT SELECTION WORLD OF BEER

Runner’s-Up: Mazzaro’s Italian Market, (swah-rey)

Runner’s-Up: The Ale and the Witch, Sparkman Wharf

BEST DEVIL CRAB BROCATO’S SANDWICH SHOP

BEST DUNEDIN RESTAURANT THE BLACK PEARL OF DUNEDIN

Runner’s-Up: Michelle Faedo’s Tampeño Cuisine, La Segunda

Runner’s-Up: Casa Tina “Fresh, Healthy, Authentic Mexican”, The Living Room on Main

BEST DINER TRIP’S DINER

BEST EGGS BENEDICT NOBLE CRUST

Runner’s-Up: Metro Diner, Lenny’s Restaurant

Runner’s-Up: Oystercatchers, The Library

BEST DISTILLERY KOZUBA AND SONS DISTILLERY Runner’s-Up: Cotherman Distilling Co., Saint Petersburg Distillery

BEST DIVE BAR THE HUB BAR

BEST EMPANADAS XILO MEXICAN Runner’s-Up: Empamamas, Mr. Empanada

BEST FARM BRICK STREET FARMS Runner’s-Up: Keel Farms, The Dancing Goat

Runner’s-Up: Mahuffer’s, Tiny Tap Tavern continued on page 81

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CREATIVE LOAFING 2020 Best continued from page 79

BEST FISH & CHIPS MAD DOGS & ENGLISHMEN

BEST GUACAMOLE RED MESA CANTINA

Runner’s-Up: Flanagan’s Irish Pub, Yeoman’s Cask and Lion

Runner’s-Up: Casa Tina “Fresh, Healthy, Authentic Mexican”, Miguelitos Taqueria Y Tequilas

BEST FOOD BLOGGER @THISJENNGIRL, JENN THAI

BEST HAPPY HOUR HAVEN

Runner’s-Up: Carlos Eats, St. Eatersburg

Runner’s-Up: Gigglewaters, City Side

BEST FOOD FESTIVAL BUSCH GARDENS FOOD AND WINE FESTIVAL

BEST HEALTH FOOD MARKET NATURE’S FOOD PATCH MARKET & CAFÉ

Runner’s-Up: Stone Crab Festival, Tampa Bay Veg Fest

Runner’s-Up: Rollin’ Oats Market, Black Radish Grocer

BEST FOOD TRUCK/VENDOR TACO BUS

BEST HOT SAUCE FLORIDA HEAT AT DUNEDIN BREWERY

Runner’s-Up: Chicken & Taco Loco, Ramen & Waffles

BEST FOODIE INSTAGRAM ACCOUNT @THISBABEEATS Runner’s-Up: @thisjenngirl, @girlwiththewhisktatoo

BEST FRIED CHICKEN KING OF THE COOP Runner’s-Up: Southern Fresh, Better Byrd

BEST FROSÉ DATZ Runner’s-Up: Sips Wine Bar, The Avenue Eat + Drink

BEST GOURMET MARKET MAZZARO’S ITALIAN MARKET Runner’s-Up: Vine & Grind, Joe and Son’s Olive Oils

Runner’s-Up: Urban Brew and BBQ, Taco Jesus Hot Sauce

BEST HOTEL BAR EDGE ROOFTOP COCKTAIL LOUNGE Runner’s-Up: The Canopy, Tap Room at the Hollander Hotel

BEST HOTEL RESTAURANT PAUL’S LANDING Runner’s-Up: Birch & Vine, Élevage SoHo Kitchen & Bar

BEST ICE CREAM/GELATO/ FROZEN YOGURT THE REVOLUTION ICE CREAM CO.

BEST GOURMET POPCORN GIGGLEWATERS

Runner’s-Up: Chill Bros Scoop Shop, Bo’s Ice Cream

Runner’s-Up: Salty Sisters Gourmet Popcorn, Harley’s Gourmet Popcorn & Cider Shoppe

BEST INDIAN RESTAURANT RASOI INDIAN CUISINE

BEST GREEK RESTAURANT ACROPOLIS GREEK TAVERNA Runner’s-Up: Little Greek Fresh Grill, Mr Souvlaki

Runner’s-Up: Flames Indian Cuisine, Curry Leaves Indian Cuisine

BEST ITALIAN RESTAURANT BELLA’S ITALIAN CAFÉ

of the Bay READER'S PICKS AND BAGELS

MINI DOUGHNUTS & ICE CREAM

Runner’s-Up: J. J. Gandy’s Pies, Inc., Nature’s Food Patch Market & Café

Runner’s-Up: Simply Done Donuts, Local Mini Donut Co.

BEST KOMBUCHA MOTHER KOMBUCHA

BEST NEIGHBORHOOD BAR, HILLSBOROUGH C.1949

Runner’s-Up: Sunny Culture, St. Pete Ferments

BEST LATE-NIGHT RESTAURANT BELLA’S ITALIAN CAFÉ Runner’s-Up: La Teresita Restaurant, The Bricks

BEST LGBT BAR CRISTOPH’S Runner’s-Up: Bradley’s on 7th, Blur Nightclub

BEST LIQUOR STORE AMERICAN SPIRITS & FINE WINES Runner’s-Up: Bern’s Fine Wines & Spirits, The Hub Bar

BEST LOBSTER ROLL OLDE BAY CAFE & DUNEDIN FISH MARKET Runner’s-Up: Crabby Bill’s Fish Camp, Alto Mare Fish Bar

BEST MAC ‘N’ CHEESE FORK & HEN Runner’s-Up: Gigglewaters, URBAN Brew and BBQ

BEST MARGARITA RED MESA CANTINA

Runner’s-Up: Central Melt, Park & Rec DTSP

BEST KAVA BAR BULA KAVA BAR & COFFEE HOUSE (BULA KAFE)

BEST GROUPER SANDWICH FRENCHY’S ROCKAWAY GRILL

Runner’s-Up: Grassroots Kava House, Mad Hatters Ethnobotanical Kava Bar

Runner’s-Up: Big Ray’s Fish Camp, Salt Shack On The Bay

BEST KEY LIME PIE BELLA’S BAKES CAKES

BEST NEIGHBORHOOD BAR, PINELLAS GIGGLEWATERS Runner’s-Up: CJ’s On The Island, Backwaters on Sand Key

BEST NEW BREWERY, HILLSBOROUGH THREE BULLS TAVERN & BREWERY Runner’s-Up: BarrieHaus Beer Co, Bay Cannon Beer Company

BEST NEW BREWERY, PINELLAS BAYBORO BREWING CO. Runner’s-Up: Gulfport Brewery + Eatery, Brighter Days Brewing Company

BEST NEW RESTAURANT OLIVIA Runner’s-Up: Rocca, Fly Bar and Restaurant

BEST OUTDOOR DINING AMERICAN SOCIAL Runner’s-Up: The Canopy, Amature Works

BEST PAD THAI ROYAL PALACE THAI RESTAURANT Runner’s-Up: Nitally’s Thai Mex, Jasmine Thai Restaurant

Runner’s-Up: Casa Tina “Fresh, Healthy, Authentic Mexican”, Los Magueyes Mexican Grill, Miguel’s Mexican Seafood & Grill

BEST PALM HARBOR RESTAURANT THE LUCKY DILL

BEST MEXICAN RESTAURANT CASA TINA “FRESH, HEALTHY, AUTHENTIC MEXICAN”

BEST PASCO RESTAURANT NOBLE CRUST

Runner’s-Up: Red Mesa Restaurant, Mekenita Cantina

Runner’s-Up: Cena, Annata Wine Bar

BEST GRILLED CHEESE THE BRICKS

Runner’s-Up: Independent Bar and Cafe, The Mermaid Tavern

BEST MIDDLE EASTERN RESTAURANT GENGIZ KHAN RESTAURANT Runner’s-Up: Baba Restaurant, Bakery & Cafe, Mirage Restaurant

BEST MINI DOUGHNUTS VAN DOUGH

Runner’s-Up: The Ozona Pig, Mystic Fish

Runner’s-Up: Bourbon On Main, Craft Street

BEST PIZZA MADISON AVENUE PIZZA Runner’s-Up: The Nona Slice House, Gourmet Pizza Company

BEST POKE RESTAURANT PACIFIC COUNTER Runner’s-Up: Zukku Sushi, Poke Rose

continued on page 83

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continued from page 81

BEST POOLSIDE BAR SEMINOLE HARD ROCK HOTEL & CASINO TAMPA Runner’s-Up: Hollander Hotel St. Petersburg / Downtown, WTR Pool and Grille

BEST RAMEN BUYA RAMEN Runner’s-Up: Ichicoro Ramen, Ramen & Waffles

BEST RESTAURANT THAT DELIVERS PACIFIC COUNTER Runner’s-Up: Gigglewaters, Golden Dinosaurs Vegan Deli

BEST RIBS THE DUNEDIN SMOKEHOUSE Runner’s-Up: Dr. BBQ, URBAN Brew and BBQ

BEST SAFETY HARBOR RESTAURANT GIGGLEWATERS Runner’s-Up: Whistle Stop Grill and Bar, Daydreamers Cafe and Grill

BEST SALAD BAR NATURE’S FOOD PATCH MARKET & CAFÉ Runner’s-Up: SoFresh South Tampa, Secret Garden

BEST SANGRIA BULLA GASTROBAR Runner’s-Up: Red Mesa Restaurant, Ceviche Tapas St. Pete

BEST SEAFOOD RESTAURANT THE LURE Runner’s-Up: Alto Mare Fish Bar, Trophy Fish

BEST SEMINOLE HEIGHTS RESTAURANT ELLA’S AMERICANA FOLK ART CAFE Runner’s-Up: Rooster & the Till, Mamas Kitchen

BEST SMOOTHIES XTREME JUICE Runner’s-Up: Nature’s Food Patch Market & Café, Rollin’ Oats Market

BEST SOMMELIER JAYME KOSAR Runner’s-Up: Julian Mayor, Dina Kuchkuda - Malio’s

of the Bay READER'S PICKS

BEST SOUP THE STONE SOUP COMPANY

BEST THAI RESTAURANT NITALLY’S THAI MEX

Runner’s-Up: Nature’s Food Patch Market & Café, Bern’s Steak House

Runner’s-Up: Lemon Grass Thai Kitchen, Royal Palace Thai Restaurant

BEST SOUTHERN COOKING 7TH + GROVE

BEST VEGETARIAN/VEGAN RESTAURANT GOLDEN DINOSAURS VEGAN DELI

Runner’s-Up: Southern Fresh, Ella’s Americana Folk Art Cafe

BEST SPLURGE RESTAURANT COUNCIL OAK STEAKS & SEAFOOD (IN SEMINOLE HARD ROCK) Runner’s-Up: Bern’s Steak House, Malio’s

BEST SPORTS BAR FERG’S SPORTS BAR & GRILL Runner’s-Up: Social House, Hattricks

BEST STEAKHOUSE BERN’S STEAK HOUSE Runner’s-Up: Council Oak Steaks & Seafood (in Seminole Hard Rock), Malio’s

BEST SUSHI RESTAURANT PISCES SUSHI AND GLOBAL BISTRO Runner’s-Up: Zukku Sushi, Samurai Blue Sushi & Sake Bar

BEST TACOS CASA TINA “FRESH, HEALTHY, AUTHENTIC MEXICAN” Runner’s-Up: Lolis Mexican Cravings, Taco Bus

BEST TAMPA RESTAURANT ON SWANN Runner’s-Up: Mise en Place Restaurant, Rooster & the Till

BEST TAPAS/SMALL PLATES BULLA GASTROBAR Runner’s-Up: Annata Wine Bar, Ceviche Tapas St. Pete

BEST TEA SHOP TEBELLA TEA COMPANY Runner’s-Up: TranquiliTea, Blush Tea and Coffee St Pete

BEST TEQUILA BAR MIGUELITOS TAQUERIA Y TEQUILAS Runner’s-Up: Green Lemon, bartaco

Runner’s-Up: The Cider Press Cafe, Dixie Dharma Tampa

BEST VIETNAMESE RESTAURANT LA V Runner’s-Up: Bamboozle Cafe Downtown, Pho Ha Tien

SANDRA DOEHNERT BOURNE

CREATIVE LOAFING 2020 Best

BEST WAITSTAFF OAK & OLA Runner’s-Up: Strandhill Public, Three Bulls Tavern & Brewery

BEST WATERFRONT DINING FRESCO’S WATERFRONT BISTRO Runner’s-Up: Salt Shack on the Bay, Jackson’s Bistro, Bar & Sushi

BEST WHISKEY BAR GIGGLEWATERS

BEST BOOKSTORE

TOMBOLO BOOKS

Runner’s-Up: Bourbon On Main, Whiskey Cake Kitchen & Bar

BEST WINE BAR POUR YOURS Runner’s-Up: Sips Wine Bar, Cru Cellars Palma Ceia

BEST WINGS THE FAT RABBIT PUB Runner’s-Up: Whiskey Wings - Tarpon Springs, Hattricks

BEST YBOR CITY RESTAURANT THE BRICKS Runner’s-Up: The Columbia Restaurant, 7th + Grove

GOODS SERVICES &

BEST ART SUPPLY STORE BLICK ART MATERIALS Runner’s-Up: Vista Galleries, Creative Thrift

BEST ATTORNEY KATHRYN LEE Runner’s-Up: Ryan Cappy, The Fran Haasch Law Group

BEST AUTO REPAIR SHOP MASTER MECHANIC’S INC Runner’s-Up: Ice Cold Air Discount Auto Repair St. Pete, HiTech Automotive

BEST BANK SUNCOAST CREDIT UNION Runner’s-Up: Achieva Credit Union, Grow Financial Federal Credit Union - Carrollwood

BEST BARRE STUDIO STUDIO 3 BEST ACUPUNCTURIST CARRIE GRAVES THE WELLNESS TREE Runner’s-Up: Emily Armstrong - Art of Acupuncture, Dr. Liem Quang Le

BEST ANTIQUE SHOP VINTAGE MARCHE Runner’s-Up: Lis’s Pieces, Buster’s Antiques

Runner’s-Up: Pure Barre St. Pete, Barre Central

BEST BLACK-OWNED BUSINESS 7TH + GROVE Runner’s-Up: Pop Goes the Waffle, cultured books continued on page 85

cltampa.com | OCTOBER 1-7, 2020 | 83

300 BEACH DR NE #124 • ST. PETERSBURG, FL • 33701 • (727) 873-3427 84 | OCTOBER 1-7, 2020 | cltampa.com

CREATIVE LOAFING 2020 Best continued from page 83

BEST BOOKSTORE TOMBOLO BOOKS Runner’s-Up: Mojo Books & Records, Oxford Exchange

BEST BRIDAL BOUTIQUE THE WHITE MAGNOLIA BRIDAL COLLECTION Runner’s-Up: Malindy Elene Bridal Boutique, CC’s Bridal Boutique

BEST CBD SHOP YOUR CBD STORE ST. PETERSBURG Runner’s-Up: Chillum Glass Gallery and CBD Dispensary, LOHI Tampa - CBD Kratom Kava

BEST CLOTHING BOUTIQUE (MEN) LA FRANCE Runner’s-Up: Atlas Body + Home, Ravens and Rockers

BEST CLOTHING BOUTIQUE (WOMEN) LA FRANCE Runner’s-Up: MISRED Outfitters, {a} haley boutique

BEST CONSIGNMENT SHOP TRIAGE CONSIGNMENT BOUTIQUE Runner’s-Up: The Littlest Trunk Children’s and Maternity Boutique, Curv Exchange PLUS-SIZE RESALE Boutique

BEST CUSTOMER SERVICE WHITE DUCK ESPRESSO Runner’s-Up: Curv Exchange PLUS-SIZE RESALE, Vintage Marche

of the Bay READER'S PICKS

FRESH MARKET Runner’s-Up: St. Petersburg Saturday Morning Market, Ybor Saturday Morning Market

BEST FASHION DESIGNER MELISSA DOLCE Runner’s-Up: Kyle Kilgore, Lina Teixeira

BEST FASHION EVENT WEARABLE ART DUNEDIN FINE ART CENTER Runner’s-Up: cocktails & couture, Metro Inclusive Health’s Trans Fashion Expo

BEST FINANCIAL ADVISOR WEALTH ADVISORS WHO CARE Runner’s-Up: Matt Hembree at First Command, David Duquette

BEST FITNESS STUDIO CAMP TAMPA Runner’s-Up: The Body Electric Athletic Company, VKNG ROW

BEST FREE CLINIC ST. PETERSBURG FREE CLINIC HEALTH CENTER Runner’s-Up: Community Health Centers of Pinellas Inc. at Clearwater, Community Health Centers of Pinellas at Johnnie Ruth Clarke

BEST GRAPHIC DESIGNER HOOVER DIGITAL Runner’s-Up: Jeremy Rex, Lisa DeCamella

BEST DOCTOR FOR A NIP AND TUCK DR. JOSEPH CASTELLANO Runner’s-Up: Marcadis Watt Plastic Surgery & Med Spa Tampa, Dr. Robert Applebaum

BEST DOG TRAINING SIT MEANS SIT DOG TRAINING Runner’s-Up: Revolution Dog Training Erica Shiffrin, Dog EZE Training

BEST DRY CLEANER TIDE CLEANERS Runner’s-Up: McNatt’s Cleaners, Sun Country Cleaners

BEST FARMERS MARKET HYDE PARK VILLAGE

BEST GYM APEX PERFORMANCE Runner’s-Up: CAMP Tampa, The Fit Mob Co.

BEST HAIR SALON WHOLE AVEDA Runner’s-Up: Loft 352 Aveda Salon, Tribeca Salon

BEST HAIRSTYLIST AMBER KELLY Runner’s-Up: Vincent Saladino - Whole Aveda, Maxshell Klimzak

BEST HANDCRAFTED JEWELRY DUNEDIN FINE ART CENTER Runner’s-Up: Artware by Shirley, Lis’s Pieces

BEST HANDMADE CRAFTS GALLERY FLORIDA CRAFTART Runner’s-Up: Craftsman House Gallery * Cafe* Pottery Studio, Dysfunctional Grace Art Co

BEST HEAD SHOP ASYLUM SMOKE SHOP Runner’s-Up: Smokey Jones Smoke & Vape Shop, Chillum Glass Gallery and CBD Dispensary

BEST HOME DECOR COASTAL FINE FURNITURE

BEST MANI/PEDI THE NAIL ALCHEMIST Runner’s-Up: Jillian Melucci - Nails by Jillian, Chateau Blanc Lash & Beauty Lounge

BEST MARKETING AGENCY STUFF TO DO IN TAMPA BAY / UNATION Runner’s-Up: Hoover Digital, The Design Mob Co.

BEST MARTIAL ARTS STUDIO TAMPA MUAY THAI Runner’s-Up: Iron Dragon MMA, Marcio Cruz Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu New Tampa

Runner’s-Up: Vintage Marche, Lis’s Pieces

BEST HOSPITAL TAMPA GENERAL HOSPITAL Runner’s-Up: St. Anthony’s Hospital, Morton Plant Hospital

BEST HOTEL HOLLANDER HOTEL ST. PETERSBURG / DOWNTOWN Runner’s-Up: Epicurean Hotel - Autograph Collection, The Vinoy®

BEST MASSAGE THERAPIST ANNA JURADO Runner’s-Up: Zane Desmore, Massage by Kaita

BEST NANNY SERVICE NANNIES WHO CARE Runner’s-Up: Doublemint Sitting, MiniArt Family Home Daycare

BEST NEW BUSINESS THE CAKE GIRL Runner’s-Up: The Candle Pour, EPIC Services

BEST INTERIOR BEST PERSONAL TRAINER DESIGNER RODDY GONZALEZ Runner’s-Up: Reggie Harvey, DEBRA Bradford Stevens ACKERBLOOM Runner’s-Up: Leonie Linscheid Leonie G Interiors, Lisa Langford

BEST LANDSCAPE DESIGN COMPANY CAMPUS LANDSCAPE Runner’s-Up: Tommy Todd Landscape & Design, Hardrock Landscape Services

BEST LGBT-OWNED BUSINESS SMITH & ASSOCIATES REAL ESTATE Runner’s-Up: The Honu, Stella’s

BEST PET BOUTIQUE BAY PAWS PET RESORT Runner’s-Up: St PetersBARK Natural Pet Market, Health Mutt

BEST PET SITTING FAIRYTAIL PET CARE Runner’s-Up: Furry Ventures Pet Care, SoHo Hound

BEST PHOTO BOOTH PREMIER PHOTO BOOTHS Runner’s-Up: Clik-me-Quik, Wild Hearts Photobooth Bus

BEST LOCALLY-OWNED BUSINESS YOU WISH HADN’T GONE OUT OF BUSINESS (IN THE LAST 12 MONTHS) WAGON WHEEL FLEA MARKET

BEST PHYSICAL THERAPIST SALUS PHYSICAL THERAPY

Runner’s-Up: Hamburger Marys, Cafe Ponte

BEST PLACE FOR A WEDDING NOVA 535

BEST MAKERS FESTIVAL INDIE FLEA Runner’s-Up: Localtopia, Shopapalooza

Runner’s-Up: Anthony Pribila - DPT, Belinda Schultz

Runner’s-Up: Armature Works, Rialto Theatre continued on page 87

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CREATIVE LOAFING 2020 Best Runner’s-Up: Nature’s Food Patch Market & Café, Sans Market

BEST PUBLIC LIBRARY BRANCH JOHN F GERMANY PUBLIC LIBRARY Runner’s-Up: St. Petersburg Main Library, Seminole Heights

BEST REALTOR JENNIFER THAYER

BEST T-SHIRT COMPANY DARK CYCLE Runner’s-Up: Sunshine State Goods & Apparel, Big Frog

BEST TATTOO STUDIO AMULET TATTOOS Runner’s-Up: Classic Tattoos, Atomic Tattoos Ybor City

NETFLIX

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BEST PLACE TO SHOP GREEN ROLLIN’ OATS MARKET

of the Bay READER'S PICKS

BEST THRIFT SHOP HEP THRIFT STORE Runner’s-Up: Sunshine Thrift Store, Suncoast Hospice Resale Shop

Runner’s-Up: Jennifer Dobbs, Barnett Walker

BEST SEX SHOP TODD COUPLES SUPERSTORE Runner’s-Up: XTC Adult Supercenter, Jack and Jill Adult Superstore

BEST SKATE SHOP SKATEPARK OF TAMPA Runner’s-Up: Skaters Choice, Westside Skate Shop Largo

BEST SKINCARE SPECIALIST TIF BLUE (BEAUTY BY BLUE ESTHETICS) Runner’s-Up: Julia Howey - Amy’s Day Spa, Kimberly Blackmon - Privileged Faces Skincare

BEST SPA ESSENTIALS MASSAGE AND FACIALS - SOUTH TAMPA Runner’s-Up: Botanica Day Spa, Amy’s Day Spa

BEST STARTUP THE CANDLE POUR Runner’s-Up: SweatNET Tampa Bay, Tampa Bay Business & Wealth Magazine

BEST STORE STAFF BANANAS RECORDS Runner’s-Up: Rollin’ Oats Market, Vine & Grind

BEST SUPERMARKET ROLLIN’ OATS MARKET Runner’s-Up: Nature’s Food Patch Market & Café, Black Radish Grocer

BEST SURF SHOP SUNCOAST SURF SHOP Runner’s-Up: Reno Beach Surf Shop, Grove Surf and Coffee

BEST VAPE SHOP SMOKEY JONES SMOKE & VAPE SHOP Runner’s-Up: Chillum Glass Gallery and CBD Dispensary, Smoke Signals Smoke Shop

BEST VETERINARIAN HARMONY VET CARE OF TAMPA Runner’s-Up: Pinellas Animal Hospital, Tracy Morris DVM

BEST VIDEOGRAPHER HOOVER DIGITAL Runner’s-Up: Resurgent Fire Films, Givenchy Jones House of Films

BEST VINTAGE CLOTHING STORE LA FRANCE Runner’s-Up: The Disco Dolls Studio, Revolve Clothing Exchange

BEST WEDDING PLANNING COMPANY CONFETTI EVENTS Runner’s-Up: Lis’s Pieces, Event Lab

BEST WELLNESS CENTER BIODESIGN WELLNESS CENTER Runner’s-Up: EPIC Services, House of Light Yoga and Wellness

BEST WOMAN-OWNED BUSINESS BAYSHORE MARKETING GROUP Runner’s-Up: SOHO CYCLING, Fairy Tail Pet Care

BEST YOGA STUDIO YOGA LOFT TAMPA Runner’s-Up: Bella Prana Yoga & Meditation, Lucky Cat Yoga Studio & Virtual Studio

BEST BIZARRO LOCAL NEWS STORY TIGER KING

PEOPLE, PLACES & POLITICS BEST ACTIVIST ELLIOTT DARROW Runner’s-Up: Naomi Ardjomand-Kermani, Anthony Koedel

BEST AFTERNOON RADIO SHOW DREW GARABO LIVE Runner’s-Up: The Nut House - WiLD 94.1, Serrano in the Afternoons

BEST BEACH TOWN PASS-A-GRILLE BEACH Runner’s-Up: Treasure Island, Clearwater Beach

BEST BIZARRO LOCAL NEWS STORY TIGER KING Runner’s-Up: Everything about 2020, Nocturnal Restaurant Group / Lanfranco Pescante

BEST BLOGGER I LOVE THE BURG Runner’s-Up: St Pete Rising, Julie Silva Williams

BEST CELEBRITY CHARITY EVENT HANDS ACROSS THE BAY Runner’s-Up: Martini’s for Moffitt, Equality Florida Gala

BEST CEO JEFF VINIK Runner’s-Up: Robert Glaser, Bridgette Bello

BEST CITY ST. PETERSBURG Runner’s-Up: Tampa, Dunedin

BEST COLLEGE HANGOUT PARK & REC Runner’s-Up: MacDinton’s Soho, Peabody’s Billiards & Games

BEST COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA Runner’s-Up: University Of Tampa, Hillsborough Community College Dale Mabry Campus

BEST COLUMNIST MICHELLE MILLER Runner’s-Up: Ray Kennedy, Kyle Riddle - Bucslifemedia

BEST COMMUNITY CENTER METRO INCLUSIVE HEALTH Runner’s-Up: Bryan Glazer Family JCC, TRIBE Seminole Heights

BEST COMMUNITY GARDEN SEMINOLE HEIGHTS COMMUNITY GARDENS Runner’s-Up: Dunedin Community Garden, New Port Richey Community Garden

BEST COO ANDREA HOOVER Runner’s-Up: Lisa Jordan Accent American Inc, Ken Hannon - Dunedin Fine Art Center

continued on page 89

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CREATIVE LOAFING 2020 Best BEST COSPLAYER JACK ROZSA Runner’s-Up: Jessica Lynn Kisiel, Jessyka Rivera

BEST COUNTY PINELLAS COUNTY Runner’s-Up: Hillsborough County, Pasco County

BEST COUPLE JANE CASTOR & ANA CRUZ Runner’s-Up: Derrick & Julie Williams, Nelson & Heather Cacciatore

BEST DOG PARK FORT DE SOTO PAW PARK Runner’s-Up: Davis Island Dog Beach, Julian B Lane Riverfront Park Dog Park

BEST ENVIRONMENTAL ORGANIZATION TAMPA BAY WATCH Runner’s-Up: Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful, Keep Pinellas Beautiful

BEST FLORIDA COLLEGE TEAM FLORIDA GATORS

Runner’s-Up: Mike Calta Show, The Bubba The Love Sponge Show

BEST MORNING TV SHOW GREAT DAY LIVE Runner’s-Up: Morning Blend, Daytime

BEST MOVER & SHAKER MEGAN WAGNER Runner’s-Up: Mark O’Donnell, Rachel Fine - Gigglewaters

BEST NATURE TRAIL FORT DE SOTO PARK Runner’s-Up: Boyd Hill Nature Preserve, Honeymoon Island

BEST NEIGHBORHOOD, HILLSBOROUGH SEMINOLE HEIGHTS Runner’s-Up: Ballast Point, Hyde Park

BEST NEIGHBORHOOD, PINELLAS GULFPORT

Runner’s-Up: Communion After Dark, Legend of the Traveling TARDIS

BEST LGBT ORGANIZATION METRO INCLUSIVE HEALTH Runner’s-Up: St. Pete Pride, Empath Partners in Care (EPIC)

BEST MAYOR RICK KRISEMAN Runner’s-Up: Jane Castor, Heather Gracy

BEST MORNING RADIO SHOW MIGUEL & HOLLY

BEST PLACE TO VOLUNTEER SUNCOAST HOSPICE Runner’s-Up: Dunedin Music Society, Feeding Tampa Bay

BEST PODCAST MIGUEL & HOLLY UNCENSORED Runner’s-Up: Cannon Fire Podcast, Revenue Generating Hour

BEST POLITICIAN HEATHER GRACY Runner’s-Up: Jane Castor, Rick Kriseman

BEST PRO SPORTS TEAM TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING

BEST PUBLIC GOLF COURSE INNISBROOK

Runner’s-Up: Mark O’Donnell, Aakash Patel

Runner’s-Up: Black Lives Matter Street Mural, Jane Castor is a leader in handling COVID-19

BEST INTERNET RADIO SHOW IT WAS ALL A STREAM

Runner’s-Up: St. Pete Pier™, Tampa Riverwalk

BEST NETWORKER LISA JORDAN

BEST INFLUENCER @NHIEGUYS, NICHOLAS & RYAN

Runner’s-Up: @stufftodointampabay, @miguelfuller

BEST PLACE TO SOCIALLY DISTANCE FORT DE SOTO PARK

Runner’s-Up: Tampa Bay Rays, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

BEST NEWS STORY (ANY MEDIUM) TOM BRADY TO TAMPA

BEST INSTAGRAMMER @PAINKILLERCAM

Runner’s-Up: Armature Works, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay

Runner’s-Up: Dunedin, Safety Harbor

Runner’s-Up: USF Bulls, Florida State Seminoles

Runner’s-Up: @helloluci, Jenn Thai

ST. PETE PIER™

Runner’s-Up: Mangrove Bay and Cypress Links Golf Courses, Dunedin Golf Club

BEST RADIO PERSONALITY MIGUEL FULLER - HOT101.5 Runner’s-Up: Jack Harris, Bubba The Love Sponge

BEST RADIO STATION HOT 101.5 Runner’s-Up: 102.5 The Bone, 98 Rock

BEST SCANDAL TIGER KING Runner’s-Up: Nocturnal Hospitality Group, Defund the Police

BEST SPORTS COACH JON COOPER Runner’s-Up: Kevin Cash, Bruce Arians

BEST SPORTSWRITER KYLE RIDDLE Runner’s-Up: Ray Kennedy, Luke Easterling

BEST TV NEWSPERSON DENIS PHILLIPS Runner’s-Up: Gisselle Lopez, Charley Belcher

BEST UP-AND-COMING RADIO PERSONALITY SCOTTY THE BODY Runner’s-Up: Lummox from The Bubba The Love Sponge Show, Morgan Lash

BEST WALKING TOUR YBOR CITY WALKING TOUR Runner’s-Up: St. Pete Murals, African American Heritage Trail

BEST WASTE OF TAXPAYERS’ MONEY GOVERNOR RON DESANTIS Runner’s-Up: Arresting BLM protestors, Increased Solid Waste Impact Fees

BEST WEB DEVELOPER HOOVER DIGITAL Runner’s-Up: Olive Branch Business Solutions, Derlie Records Inc.

BEST NONPROFIT METRO INCLUSIVE HEALTH Runner’s-Up: The Stano Foundation, The Gospel Voice Ministries

BEST ORGANIZED BIKE RIDE ONBIKES WINTER WONDER RIDE Runner’s-Up: Christmas Lighted Bike Ride Pinellas trail, Tweed Ride

BEST PERSONALITY TO FOLLOW ON TWITTER DENIS PHILLIPS Runner’s-Up: @scotttavlin, Drew Garabo

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BEST PHILANTHROPIST TITUS O’NEIL aka THADDEUS BULLARD Runner’s-Up: Jeff Vinik, Julie Weintraub

BEST PLACE TO INSTAGRAM A SELFIE

BEST MAYOR RICK KRISEMAN cltampa.com | OCTOBER 1-7, 2020 | 89

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CREATIVE LOAFING 2020 Best

SEAN AND CELESTA CARTER On the first weekend of every month, for more than five years, Sean and Celesta Carter welcomed thousands of people on the hunt for special finds at Brocante Vintage Market in the Warehouse Arts district of downtown St. Petersburg.

Boasting more than 15,000-square-feet of vintage items ranging from ABBA records to zebrawood dressers and literally everything in-between, constantly restocked over the weekend and completely refreshed the next month, Brocante, located in a former piano factory, gained a kind of cult following with people waiting in line at 6 a.m. for their 9 a.m. opening or planning vacations around market weekend.

“That was one of the signs we really had something. We always wanted to connect with the community who loved this stuff as much as we did,” Celesta said. “The kind of response we got blew us away and we never could have imagined Market would become what it did.”

The Carters opened Brocante in August 2014; the idea for the business was inspired from their travels and visits to vintage or second-hand scenes in other places around the country.

approach was always experience first, goods second,” Celesta said. Sean added, “Our number one thing was that we all were excited [the customer’s] here and that it was a genuine feeling, too.”

Over the years, Brocante weekends developed into a kind of family reunion for the Carters and their loyal customers-turnedfriends. Making the time to spend a few minutes catching up, meeting newborns, being introduced to parents visiting from out of state, and more cemented their presence in the community.

Celesta grew up going to farmer’s auctions in Kansas and had always loved unique furnishings, but it wasn’t until the Carters were decorating their first house that Sean’s love for vintage was kindled by, of all things, a Mason jar at a yard sale.

“He was just standing there doing research on his phone about this random jar and getting really interested in its history,” Celesta recalls. “And now he’s quite the aficionado.”

“Those years we spent getting to know our customers and their families was unforgettable,” Celesta beamed.

“It’s because of their endless support that we’re so grateful.”

St. Pete Mayor Rick Kriseman and a few Rays players also shopped there over the years, adding to the acclaim of the business—not to mention the consecutive Best of the Bay Awards.

“They represent a huge turning point in American history because you no longer had to worry about drying food to preserve it over Winter,” Sean said. “One wrong move and this glass jar could break but it had already made it through 120 years, and it all just went from there.”

Brocante closed with a grand flourish in December of last year after a million memories were made and just as many vintage goods found new homes.

Since then, the Carters have spent time doing home projects and planning postquarantine trips.

Comprised of about 50 vendors— "Brocanteurs," rather—Market was always a big, exciting adventure with so many personalities found in both the goods and the people who worked there, all present to ensure the customer had a great time.

“We got to help make everyone’s house beautiful and now it’s our turn,” Celesta said.

“I think the biggest thing we could ever provide was an unrivaled experience. Our

What’s their message to all the people who shopped at Brocante over the years?

“We can’t thank you enough and we could not have existed without you all. That’s the best feeling when you work hard and people like it,” Sean said. —SK West

KATHY CASTOR

COURTESY

SEAN & CELESTA CARTER

If you’ve ever wondering whether you’re on the right side of history on an issue, just compare your views to those of Kathy Castor, the Democrat who represents Florida’s 14th U.S. Congressional District.

The daughter of beloved former Florida Education Commissioner Betty Castor (and no relation to Tampa Mayor Jane), she’s the kind of elected official who stands up for what’s right regardless of whether doing so is in vogue.

Take LGBTQ equality. Years before even the likes of Barack Obama were publicly “evolving” on same-sex marriage, Castor was going against the grain. There was that fateful Hillsborough Board of County Commissioners meeting in 2005 that has since

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& SERVICES GOODS PROFILES

“The concept was really pieced together over several years and we tweaked it along the way,” Sean explained. “People would always ask how we could be open for only two days a month and pay our bills. It was a leap of faith, but we were definitely in the right spot for it all to work.”

of the Bay PROFILES

KATHY CASTOR become the stuff of local legend. Castor was one of two Democrats on the board, which was set to vote to ban any kind of county support or promotion of Gay Pride.

The ordinance stemmed from Republican Commissioner Ronda Storms (Remember her? Egad.), who was apparently offended by a Pride Month display at a library in Town ‘n’ Country. Storms read the ordinance, famously adding “little g, little p” for emphasis. Of the six commissioners at the dais (one of the seven wasn’t in the room), Castor was the sole vote against it.

Months later, Castor sought to reinstate a ban on workplace discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. Then-Commissioner Thomas Scott, the other Democrat on the board, was the only commissioner to side with Castor. Ultimately, that ordinance unanimously passed—but not until 2014.

Castor was then elected to Congress in 2006, where she’s easily held onto her seat, which covers a heavily Democratic swath of Tampa and suburban outcrops.

Castor may not make national headlines with fiery proclamations like her colleagues in the Squad, but she’s demonstrated her leadership in Democratic circles in other ways. She serves alongside former Secretary of State John Kerry and U.S. Rep. from New York Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (hello, Squad) on Democratic Presidential Nominee Joe Biden’s climate change task force.

She does, after all, chair the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis. Castor continued on page 93

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92 | OCTOBER 1-7, 2020 | cltampa.com

CREATIVE LOAFING 2020 Best “going to be a slaughter.” Even if the election isn’t some blue tsunami, he’s probably right.—Kate Bradshaw

CHARLIE CRIST

continued from page 91 said she was “humbled” at the appointment to the task force in May. Making national headlines doesn’t seem as important to her as showing up and advocating for her district on issues like the environment, gun safety and transportation.

Whatever the disaster—and from Deepwater Horizon to Pulse, there sure as hell have been many since she started—she shows up in the immediate aftermath to rally for reform and offer words of comfort to her constituents (and the greater Tampa Bay media market).

In the age of COVID-19, that translates to cosponsoring legislation supporting the U.S. Postal Service as well as advocating everything from low-cost testing to financial help to those hardest-hit by the pandemic.

Castor has long been an outspoken opponent of oil-drilling off of Florida’s shores.

While it’s not grabbing many headlines, drilling off our coasts is still a threat that still looms to this day as a ban on drilling in the gulf is set to expire soon. The outcome of the 2020 election will obviously determine what happens.

While she probably doesn’t worry too much about reelection, she typically draws one GOP challenger or another. This year, it’s once again Christine Quinn, who challenged Castor in 2016. Democratic consultant Victor DeMaio told the Tampa Bay Times’ Charlie Frago that the match-up is

He was a popular moderate with potential for a meteoric rise in national politics—and what seemed like the ambition to match. He was first elected to the state senate in 1992, then education commissioner, then Florida attorney general, then governor. It appeared to be smooth sailing. A woman toward the back of the room asked what others there were wondering about the charismatic St. Pete native: "Are you really a Republican?"

After all, his policy positions were generally not what one would associate with the GOP. He was very pro-environment, pro-public education and pro-science. At the time, his answer was a solid yes. Party of Lincoln, after all. Times have, indisputably, changed.

can Party, and announced his non-party U.S. Senate bid. But because Democratic Congressman Kendrick Meek was already on the ballot, the Dem vote was split, and Rubio is still a sitting Senator today (if it’s possible to sit without a spine). In 2014, Crist—now a Democrat—challenged Governor Rick Scott for his old job to no avail in an off year when Dems tend to be tepid about going to the polls.

In 2016, he challenged then-U.S. Rep. David Jolly, then a moderate Republican who passionately disavowed Trumpism, for Florida’s Congressional District 13 seat, which covers Pinellas from the south end to Clearwater, roughly— and won. (Jolly has since left the Republican party as well.)

It may not be the presidency, a U.S. Senate seat or the governorship, but Crist really seems like he’s in his element now. FL-13 includes his hometown, where he’s got sustained star power to constituents from most zip codes. He gets to advocate for them while sponsoring compassionate legislation that, while it might not make it to the president’s desk, gets his colleagues on the record on important issues like gun safety and the environment.—Kate Bradshaw

The arc of Crist’s career has since been mirrored (and at times refracted) the insane political climate of the last decade-plus.

In the face of creeping extremism, he was among the first prominent Republicans to resist the temptation of a hard-right turn that would keep him in the party’s good graces. A year after the Williams House forum, he was on Sen. John McCain’s list of potential VP picks. Some would argue that McCain’s ultimate choice, Sarah Palin, is kind of why we are where we are today.

In 2010, Crist eschewed reelection in favor of a U.S. Senate run for a seat that was open because he appointed his former chief of staff, George LeMieux, to replace retiring Senator Mel Martinez. The chatter, of course, was that LeMieux was keeping the seat warm for Crist.

Then the Tea Party wave hit. In the personage of one Marco Rubio, Republicans had a guy who could appeal to all GOP factions, from the Tea Party to Big Sugar. Crist, meanwhile, had pissed off his party by accepting federal stimulus dollars, a moment immortalized in a photo of him embracing President Obama. The party was already not too keen on his positions on issues like gun safety and the environment.

By May of 2010, Crist exited the Republi-

ROB DOUGLAS, TONY RIFUGIATO AND DAVE HUNDLEY Led by three scrappy and determined entrepreneurs, the Bay area concert scene took a turn for the better around 1980. Rob Douglas, Tony Rifiguato and Dave Hundley (the latter two were, and are, partners) combined their resources and savvy, along with hard work and sheer will, to infuse our market with shows that would have previously been unthinkable. Before we go any further, note that all three still actively promote concerts in the Bay area, although not for the last seven months or so.

Through the ‘70s, most major acts that routed through Florida got booked at the Lakeland Civic Center, which had maybe 10,000 seats. The thinking among out-of-town promoters was that neither Tampa Bay nor Orlando were active enough markets to schedule both for a concert by, say, the Allman Brothers Band. So they split the difference and drew from each metro area. This was before Tampa Bay had a major arena, outdoor amphitheater or upscale performing arts centers. When bigger shows did come to town, they played Curtis Hixon Hall in continued on page 95

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CHARLIE CRIST

Spring, 2007. Then-Governor Charlie Crist stood in the parlor of the Williams House, an old Victorian structure that now lives on the USF St. Pete campus. One of the few Tampa Bay-born Florida governors in modern history, he was doing what he does best: holding court as a room full of students, politicos and media volleyed questions.

of the Bay PROFILES

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continued from page 93 Tampa and the Bayfront Arena in St. Pete, both of which were torn down long ago.

Douglas got the ball rolling. A former clerk at Disc Records in Tyrone Mall and disco DJ, he introduced a concert program at Tierra Verde Island Resort (it, too, went the way of the bulldozer long ago). Douglas scheduled acts like Dr. John, Weather Report, Pat Metheny Group, Maria Muldaur and others in a sit-down environment. Then he added, in another space, a jazz nightclub that presented national acts like Clark Terry and Herb Ellis.

Meanwhile, Tony and Dave—under the aegis of their No Clubs Productions—were booking rowdy, cacophonous punk gigs like the Circle Jerks in small shitholes, where puke on the walls and a little blood on the floor didn’t much matter.

Tierra Verde Island Resort shut down its programming around ‘83 because of a legal dispute with time-share owners. Then the Big Bang. The Jannus Landing courtyard opened for concerts in 1984. Douglas soon became its house promoter and production manager. Suddenly, he (and we) had an outdoor concert venue in a downtown setting that held around 1,500 (a few hundred more if the fire marshall was in a good mood). No Clubs started scheduling shows there, which led to a bonanza of concert offerings, and prompted other independent promoters and venues to get into the game.

But Jannus was the nexus.

Rob, Tony and Dave became co-promoters, business associates and friends. They built a network of contacts among agents and managers, and were able to draw an extraordinary, and extraordinarily diverse, array of talent to the courtyard. The stage, sound and lights were pretty basic, but it didn’t matter when The Ramones (a very early booking), Bonnie Raitt, The Band, Little Feat and countless others were rockin’ it.

The three promoters made for an interesting triumvirate. Rob, an imposing 6-foot4, was a no-nonsense sort who could be intimidating on show nights, but a swell guy otherwise. Tony Rifugiato, a Brit who proudly maintained every iota of his accent, was 5-foot-4 if he stretched—amiable, but all business during shows. Dave Hundley was gregarious, the kind of guy who’d talk your ear off about a Todd Rundgren bootleg during breaks between acts.

It should be noted that in 1980, a small, free publication called Music Magazine (initially named Rocks Off!) emerged as a voice about music that the local daily papers covered lightly. The publication gave independent promoters a vehicle for cheap advertising and advance coverage of shows. Rob, Tony and Dave, and Music magazine—inextricably linked until the publication’s demise in the late ‘80s—also deserve considerable credit for helping cultivate the local music scene.

During their golden years at Jannus Landing, the three promoters pulled off some cultural coups. No Clubs booked Nigerian jùjú artist King Sunny Adé & his African Beats into the courtyard, probably the first true worldmusic act to play this market. A scant crowd showed up to witness a remarkable show by the 20-piece ensemble. Word spread: People had missed something special. About a year later, Tony and Dave paired King Sunny Ade with reggae legend Jimmy Cliff and sold out Jannus on a muggy summer’s evening.

Another time, the guys found out that New Orleans funkmasters The Neville Brothers and the quirky pop/R&B act Was (Not Was) (far more substantial than their one gimmicky hit, “Walk the Dinosaur”) were crossing paths in Florida, so booked them as a double bill. It’s a show that folks still talk about. So is the early-’90s Bay area debut of Pearl Jam, where Eddie Vedder climbed one of the stage poles and launched backward into the rabid, sold-out crowd.

Tony and Dave took up residency at the 800-capacity State Theater, five blocks west of Jannus Landing. They got the joint jumpin’, sometimes offering three or four shows a week.

Programming covered the stylistic gamut— from Guided By Voices to Warren Zevon to War to R.L. Burnside. A lot of local acts pooled together and played the State, too.

The Tampa Bay concert scene—pandemic shutdown excepted—has grown exponentially over the years, but the original surge took place in the ‘80s, with an intrepid trio of independent promoters leading the charge. A parade of fly-by-nights have come and gone, some of them unscrupulous, leaving a trail of unpaid invoices.

Jannus Landing has been Jannus Live for more than a decade. It’s a nicer space but somehow lacks the same magic of its older, scruffier self. After several years working independently, Douglas is back

of the Bay PROFILES

COURTESY

CREATIVE LOAFING 2020 Best

DR. CARLEAH EAST booking the venue. The State Theater has been given a major facelift inside and out, and we’re still waiting for it to open as the Floridian Social Club. Tony and Dave may put some shows in there, but the venue is under new management.

The three concert-biz pioneers have taken their lumps with shows that bombed—all promoters do—but they’ve paid their bills and never had to fold their tent. Together or separately, the troika have operated with ethics in a business not known for it. That’s a major reason why Rob, Tony and Dave are still standing in a concert industry that has become increasingly corporatized. They, like everyone in the live-entertainment game, face an uncertain future, but their collective legacy is beyond reproach. —Eric Snider

DR. CARLEAH EAST Dr. Carleah East is a clinical psychotherapist, licensed mental health counselor, licensed supervisor, professor of psychology, and Founder/CEO of SMILE Psychology & Associates, LLC. Extensive and incredibly impressive titles aside, students call her “Dr. Diva” while clients often call her their homie.

“I like to foster a sense of friendship with my clients,” East explained, “one that doesn’t cross boundaries but is about transparency; sometimes I have to shed these acronyms behind my name and become a human being.”

Her approach to teaching is similar—it’s all about being real.

“Through my storytelling and bringing life experiences into the classroom, it helps to educate students and maybe be more accepting of whatever they have going on,” she said. “That’s what education should be about—it’s not just teaching about the world; it should include teaching the students about themselves.”

East’s journey to counseling originally started with the legal interpretation until she realized her passion for helping people in a different way.

“I knew that I was meant to help and that I had a way of reaching out to folks who wouldn’t feel judged,” she recalled. “I’m good with being the representative of the therapists out there who genuinely love and care about their clients.”

SMILE Psychology was founded on such principles of love and truth.

“We are not the, ‘How does that make you feel’ group,” East laughs. “I tell people to imagine they’re on the phone with a close friend, that’s the kind of relationship we foster here.”

The physical office location is in St. Pete, but services have gone virtual since the global pandemic hit.

“From beginning to end, there’s no judgement and you get to feel safe in your own home so you can feel secure and we can work more flexibly,” East said. “I’ve also had continued on page 97

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continued from page 95 clients call me on their lunch break or commute home from work; we’re just talking.”

During my conversation with Dr. Diva for this profile, one of her clients who would have panic attacks while driving sent her a text saying they just drove for 20 minutes without any problems.

“That’s the type of relationship we have, they felt comfortable enough to send me a message out of the blue on a Thursday afternoon,” she explained.

East’s practice also ensures each session is beneficial for the client in a tangible manner.

“Nobody leaves SMILE without two or three nuggets they can plant and see growth from,” East said. “That’s what sets us apart: we make sure everyone leaves with some seeds of hope that they can immediately see growth.”

East and her team at SMILE want to support people in our community who can’t afford therapy, so they’re organizing a fundraiser during the month of September to raise $10,000 to give counseling to people impacted by the global pandemic.

“We know people are suffering who need our services,” East said. “I’m not raising 10K to pay my rent, I’m raising money to provide services for up to 200 clients until alternative funding comes through.”

The fundraiser will go live on SMILE’s website (smilepsychology.com) and every donor will get a positivity playlist of different genres by local DJ Tayy. “She DJs all my events. Music has such a power to heal, motivate, and inspire; in these dark times, we need that,” East said.

And if you’re still on the fence about reaching out to anyone, heed this piece of advice from the Dr.: “The answer is never really ‘don’t do it’—the answer is to find ways to get through it.” —SK West

DR. THOMAS HALLOCK The first time I met Dr. Thomas Hallock I was so nervous and intimidated I started to sweat the second we shook hands. This is funny, especially now that I know how down-to-earth the English and American literature professor is, but it is absolutely true. We were downtown St. Pete attending an open mic poetry reading (don’t you miss those?) at Studio@620 and some mutual friends who knew I planned on transferring to USFSP introduced us.

Tom Hallock is one of those people you like as soon as you meet.

Quirky, brilliant, and cooler than he realizes, Hallock has a certain professorial charm.

With his signature style of Roy Orbison specs, cool socks and fun ties, the man is both approachable and smooth.

I have been a writer all of my life, but always had trouble saying the words aloud due to

deep insecurities. When I arrived at Hallock’s Nature Writing class, I was aghast to learn the professor required regularly scheduled one-on-one meetings to personally review our prose. To me, there was no greater nightmare than letting a much better, experienced and talented writer read my own rookie ramblings and then talking about it with them in great detail.

husband and father and soccer aficionado.

He is a wonderful writer whose most recent book, “Trespass and Memory: A Teacher’s Journey into the Literatures of Early America,” was published by the University of Alabama Press. Hallock was a Fulbright Scholar and Garcia-Robles Chair of U.S. Studies at the Universidad de las Américas Puebla (UDLAP). —Resie Waechter

To a budding writer, though, there is no greater and more valuable gift than time and attention to one’s work from a professor. It is a rare individual who is willing to spend precious spare time meeting with young, insecure students who are fairly terrible writers; to see the potential in them and encourage them; to give them constructive criticism and patience and support. To give them truth and help them come into their own.

FRED JOHNSON

Tom Hallock is that rare individual.

In writing class I once gathered the guts to mumble something about wanting to maybehopefully-dare-I-say-it-be-a-writer “someday” and Hallock responded by having me declare out loud to the class: “I am going to be a writer.” He then instructed the class to respond to me in unison with an enthusiastic “Resie, you are going to be a writer.”

Singer Fred Johnson has traveled the world entertaining people in Japan, Europe, Palestine, Pakistan, Malaysia and around the U.S., but since 1977 he’s called St. Petersburg home. From 2009-2017, he was based in New York while working for a charity that promoted worldwide peace and concord, but he regularly made the “long commute” to Tampa Bay to spend time with his large family.

Since returning for good three years ago, Johnson has worked as an artist in residence and community engagement specialist at the Straz Center. Until COVID-19 shut everything down, he gigged sporadically, often in a duo with bassist Michael Ross. Not long ago, he was named interim continued on page 99

I pretended to casually laugh it off but in all honesty was blushing 10 shades of red and fighting back tears. Never before had someone seen the potential in me and so emphatically declared it to me; never had someone encouraged me to declare it to myself. For the first time in a very long time, I felt seen. Validated. Worth it.

I still burst with gratitude whenever I remember that moment.

My story is just one example of one class session on one random spring day. There are countless other memories of Dr. Hallock in my repertoire; adventures from exciting and eye-opening field trips like an overnight sailing trip and a class swamp walk, escorted by an alligator wrestler through the ‘glades. There are thousands of other students with thousands more memories of Tom Hallock. His enthusiasm for teaching and learning, his passion for reading and writing, his patience and persistence and—despite the man trying to get us all down—his refusal to stop fighting the good fight. Dr. Hallock inspired me to become a better student and taught me to become a better writer. He is a big part of why I also became a teacher.

In addition to teaching English and writing classes full-time at USF, Dr. Hallock is a

ERIC SNIDER

BILL DAHL

DR. THOMAS HALLOCK

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CREATIVE LOAFING 2020 Best continued from page 97 executive director for SPIFFS, the St. Petersburg International Folk Fair Society.

Johnson is commonly known as a jazz singer, which is very true. He possesses a robust, elastic voice that can caress a standard ballad, pour liquid soul into an R&B classic like “What’s Going On,” launch into daring flights of improvisational vocalese, and swing like hell. And at age 70, his instrument has withstood the wear and tear of age. He can still hold a high note like a doe-eyed “American Idol” contestant.

Yes, Fred Johnson is a jazz singer, but his contribution to the Bay area culture cuts a far broader swath than that. Over the years, he’s been and remains an educator, mentor, social justice activist, peace advocate, arts advocate, healer and community organizer, not to mention an all-around gentleman.

Here’s a long-ago story about Fred Johnson: His close friend, a chiropractor, severely injured her back and had to be bedridden for an extended period. Fred would show up at her house unannounced, stand outside her bedroom window and sing. Johnson has led classes that can best

be recalled as chant therapy. People lie on mats and follow his lead through a series of long vocal tones, each choosing their own personal sound. It’s a concept he developed, and it makes for some wild harmonies and some chilled-out folks.

In the 1980s and early ‘90s, Tampa Bay had a bustling jazz scene, with a large network of clubs and a roll-call of talented musicians. Johnson had a lot to do with it. “When Fred got here, no disrespect to the musicians who were already here, but there really was no jazz scene to speak of, for young musicians at least,” Ross says.

“The scene started to multiply and he really raised the bar for the quality of the music.”

In the first half of the ‘80s, the Fred Johnson Band played a downtown St. Pete club called B.B. Joe’s. The lineup included drummer John Jenkins and bassist Mark Neuenschwander, who still live in the Bay area, keyboardist Kamau Kenyatta and, somewhat later, saxophonist Mike Scaglione, both of whom left for bigger markets and substantial careers. So did Johnson, professionally at least. He’s performed at big festivals and toured overseas, including a stint as a featured vocalist with Chick Corea’s band for a trek through Japan. He’s been a regular

of the Bay PROFILES

performer at the Clearwater Jazz Holiday.

Johnson stands about 5-foot-6 and has a stocky build, a good portion of which is probably taken up by lungs. He has an infectious smile, a shiny bald head (for decades) and, lately, a bushy white goatee.

He cuts a compelling figure on stage and off.

Tom and Jim Morris, had acoustic properties and equipment that rivaled the major New York and L.A. studios used by majorlabel acts.

The Morris brothers came up from South Florida in the ‘70s to study engineering at the University of South Florida. They had ties to Tampa Bay. Their grandfather, M.L. Price, played organ for silent movies at Tampa Theater in the early 20th century and owned the M.L. Price Music Co., the city’s biggest music store in the 1920s and ‘30s. Tom and Jim played guitar in bands, made local contacts. They began their recording work with a mobile 8-track system in a van. The tandem founded their first brickand-mortar studio in 1981.

“There’s no question that Fred has left a major mprint on the life and culture of Tampa Bay,” Ross says. “I’ve spent a lot of time with him. He has a winning personality, which really serves him well in all the things he does. He’s just an impressive guy.” —Eric Snider

TOM AND JIM MORRIS When an ever increasing number of Bay area acts started self-releasing albums in the 1980s, most of them sounded like crap, full of punchless drum tracks, meager bass, flattened guitars and OK vocals. That was unless the band ponied up some extra dough and booked sessions at Morrisound Studios in Tampa.

The facility, founded and run by brothers

Shortly after, a local metal band called Avatar recorded an independent album there, and drew interest from major labels. After changing its name to Savatage, the group got signed to Atlantic Records and continued to record at Morrisound. Word spread among rivet-heads that the studio and the brothers, along with house producer Scott Burns, could capture the thunderous but balanced sound that metal required. Bands from the burgeoning Florida death-metal scene flocked to the studio. The music wasn’t easy to record. Everything had to be huge And louder than loud.

RAY ROA

TOM MORRIS

It’s easy to scoff at Tampa’s reign as the death metal capital of the world in the ’80s and ‘90s, but that would be myopic and flat-out wrong. Death-metal is underground cult music, and appeals to a limited group of rabid fans, but it became a world-wide phenomenon thanks in large part to Morrisound. Go ahead and chuckle at the names if you want: Napalm Death, Obituary, Death, Morbid Angel, Cannibal Corpse, Sepultura, Atheist, Deicide—all played a significant role in developing an extreme rock genre that showcased ultra-fast tempos, octopus-like drumming, guitar wizardry and vocals that sounded as if they were spewed by 12-foot demons.

The genre’s satanic themes scared the hell of regular folks, and that has to count for something.

“When you look at the history of death metal, most of the albums that are today considered essential classics were recorded at Morrisound,” music historian James Quirk told the Tampa Bay Times in 2016.

In 1985, the brothers moved their operation to an empty wooded lot near USF and built continued on page 101

cltampa.com | OCTOBER 1-7, 2020 | 99

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fin worked with a mental and behavioral health agency as a skills trainer for children and adults with cognitive disabilities.

Later, she got hired as a Special Education teacher where she spent most of her time doing paperwork, going to meetings, and being pressured to cut costs to programs like occupational or speech therapy.

a much larger, multi-room facility. At some point, Tom and Jim grew concerned about being pigeonholed as strictly a metal studio, so they made a concerted effort to diversify.

The market’s leading rock station, 95YNF, presented a show, “Live from Morrisound,” showcasing sets by local acts. Many live broadcasts from the syndicated “Rockline” radio program came out of Morrisound, including performances by Little Feat, Robert Plant, Ozzy Osbourne and Third Eye Blind.

In the 2000s, with the rise of quality home-recording, Morrisound’s capacious digs had become outmoded and expensive to keep up. In 2011, the studio was burglarized and criminal scum made off with hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of equipment and instruments, as well as platinum and gold records.

A few years later, Trans-Siberian Orchestra considered leasing the facility for a major project but, after running the numbers, realized it made more sense to buy the place.

The Morris Brothers signed it over in 2015.

However—Morrisound lives on. The brothers repurposed a small, 1920s-era bank building in Sulphur Springs into a smaller studio that’s more in keeping with the times. The new space is marked by an “immersive recording” concept where the producer and engineer are not separated by a control both but instead remain in the middle of the action along with the talent.

Morrisound, and the brothers themselves— as producers and engineers—have been major contributors to the Tampa bay music scene for four decades. Their sterling legacy is secure, but not yet fully written.— Eric Snider

COURTESY

“I wasn’t able to morally abide—these students and parents trusted me, and I couldn’t betray that trust by cheating them out of important programs,” Raefin said. “I thought I had found my forever career and felt like a complete failure.”

When a friend suggested working as a tattoo artist, Raefin immediately rejected the idea.

“I was a grown adult with a professional background; it seemed ludicrous,” she recalled. “Like many others, I misjudged the industry and was so ignorant of it then.”

Raefin couldn’t shake the idea, though.

With the support of her spouse, family, and friends—and that of another female tattoo artist—she secured an apprenticeship at a prominent shop in Hawaii, where her husband’s job had taken them (the job would later bring the couple back to Florida).

PEPPER RAEFIN PEPPER RAEFIN “My goal was to create a space where women, the LGBTQ+ community, and any other person who could potentially be vulnerable or rejected by this industry is safe and treated with respect,” Pepper Raefin explained.

She owns 13 Arrows Tattoo in St. Pete, which in August celebrated (without a signature party, unfortunately) a five-year anniversary. Raefin boasts a varied portfolio of styles and content, and now hosts two other incredibly talented female artists at her studio.

The name 13 Arrows was inspired by two events important to Raefin’s life: the death of her father on June 13, 2000 and her wedding anniversary of April 13.

“I knew I wanted to incorporate an element that represented two great loves of my life and honor my father’s memory,” she said.

Before getting into a career as a tattoo artist and “after years of false starts,” Rae-

gradually replacing my fake plants with real ones to offset my black thumb.”

Raefin is also working with an apprentice remotely.

“Lydia hasn’t come on board officially yet, but I can’t wait until we’re all in the shop together,” she said. “She’s fierce and intense and very talented, just like the rest of my team.”

“I have my own coven starter pack! Having them in the shop has really challenged me to push myself creatively and open up emotionally,” Raefin said. “I’m a better version of myself because of my team.”

Raefin has done a lot since her teaching days, and it’s all been worth it.

“I can go home at night and have a glass of whiskey, think about how far I’ve come and who is by my side, and sleep well,” she said.

“It’s truly my dream come true. I couldn’t have asked for more.” —SK West

NADINE SMITH At age 20, Nadine Smith, then a student at USF, served on the founding board of the continued on page 103

She opened 13 Arrows Tattoo with a dream of one day owning an all-female operated tattoo shop.

“I want to give female artists support, especially those who want a start in this business.

I’ve heard horror stories of women being propositioned sexually to have the ability to snare an apprenticeship and be degraded in ways male colleagues were not,” Raefin explained. “The idea that someone can’t learn a trade unless they are hazed or made to feel like shit about themselves is absolutely unacceptable and regarding sexual harassment in the workplace: Fuck that.”

Now, 13 Arrows is home to artists Pinky Rae and Jocelynn Ivy, who have added to the personality of the shop and helped Raefin’s dream come to fruition.

EQUALITY FLORIDA

continued from page 99

Morrisound did a robust business in jingles and other commercial projects, but original music remained the Morris brothers’ priority. In ensuing years, they recorded the music of Chuck Owen & the Jazz Surge, a large ensemble based at USF. In 2014, the big band’s album River Runs: A Concerto for Jazz Guitar, Saxophone & Orchestra was nominated for two Grammys. Other studio credits include Warrant’s Dog Eat Dog, Destiny’s Child’s 8 Days of Christmas, Iced Earth’s Alive in Athens, and, in 1995, the multi-platinum American Standard by Seven Mary Three. Morrisound became the recording home base for operatic rock band Trans-Siberan Orchestra—two of its founding members, Jon Oliva and Al Pitrelli, had also been founding members of Avatar/Savatage.

of the Bay PROFILES

“We’re all bone collectors but Pinky really takes it to the next level. If you get her talking about true crime and gross stuff, she perks right up,” Raefin said. “She has goats and loves nature.”

And Jocelynn? “She’s my revolutionary: making tattoos by day and protesting in the streets at night. She’s also the one responsible for all the plants in the shop,

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continued from page 101

The following year, 1987, she went to her first LGBTQ march on Washington—well before the five-letter acronym existed. Six years later, she was one of four national co-chairs for the March on Washington for Lesbian Gay and Bi Equal Right and Liberation, an event that drew more than a million people. Smith was part of the historic confab with then-president Bill Clinton, the first Oval Office meeting between a sitting president and LGBTQ leaders.

So when she founded Equality Florida with fellow activist Stratton Pollitzer in 1997—as a reaction to Republican Jeb Bush being elected governor—she was a seasoned activist with an impressive resume and tons of cred. The organization has become the leading LGBTQ advocacy group in Florida, and Smith, its CEO, has built a national reputation as a fearless opponent of bigotry and a savvy political mover-andshaker, especially in Tallahassee.

“Nadine, who I’ve known for 30 years, is a true leader,” says Todd Richardson, Equality Florida’s Pinellas County development officer. “She knows how to get people to follow her. I remember one of our outdoor galas—it was like 120 degrees, people were dressed to the nines. Nadine spoke for 20 minutes and you could’ve heard a pin drop.”

Under Smith’s 23 years of leadership, Equality Florida’s list of achievements is long indeed. The organization helped overturn Florida’s ban on gay adoption in 2010.

Because of EF’s efforts, more than 60% of Floridians are protected from anti-LGBTQ discrimination due to 200-plus policies passed a the local level. That includes the St. Petersburg Human Rights Ordinance, which passed in 2002.

Other Equality Florida initiatives include Equality Means Business, which highlights major Florida employers who have comprehensive anti-discrimination policies, and the Safe and Healthy Schools program, which aims to quell animosity, harrassment and violence toward LGBTQ students. And a real heartstrings-tugger: #HonorThemWithAction, an endeavor that raised $9.5 million for the families and survivors of those who died in the Pulse nightclub massacre.

BE BRAVE PRODUCTIONS/YOUTUBE

International Gay and Lesbian Youth Organization. Her activism was just getting started.

THE TAMPA TRIBUNE And then there’s marriage equality, perhaps Equality Florida’s foremost issue of the last 20 years. It was a tough battle. The State of Florida banned same-sex marriage in 1977. Two decades later—the year Equality Florida formed — the state legislature passed the Defense of Marriage Act, recognizing marriage as a “union between one man and one woman” and barring the state from recognizing same-sex marriages established in other states. Voters jumped onboard in 2008, passing a state constitutional amendment that banned same-sex marriage and civil unions.

Equality Florida fought these measures tooth and nail. The 2010s saw a gradual shift in attitudes—people and institutions became more accepting of LGBTQ people.

In April 2014, a Quinnipiac University poll found that 56% of Floridians were in favor of gay marriage, with 39% opposed. Compare that to 2004, when a Schroth & Associates poll showed 27% in approval and 65% opposed.

Then in January 2015, in the wake of several landmark court cases that involved the U.S. Supreme Court, same-sex mar-

riage was legalized in Florida. Still, Equality Florida marches on, fighting the good fight, pushing for more anti-discriminatory legislation and protections for LGBTQ people.

“Marriage equality is an important victory,” Smith told Forbes this year, “but what does it do for a 15-year-old Black trans girl who has been thrown out of her home…”

Lately, Smith—a Black lesbian—has put attention toward racial injustice. On May 29, she was the architect of a joint letter by more than 100 LGBTQ organizations condeming racial violence. It has since been signed by nearly 800 organizations. She is also pushing for more Black people to head up LGBTQ advocacy groups.

Smith lives in St. Petersburg with her wife Andrea and their 9-year-old son Logan.

This year, they celebrated the U.S. Supreme Court ruling protecting LGBTQ people from job discrimination.

These days, most Floridians—we hope— don’t think twice about an LGBTQ couple holding hands on the street, or living next door, or playing with their child in a park, or taking marriage vows.

Nadine Smith has had quite a lot to do with that.—Eric Snider

THE TAMPA TRIBUNE In a few generations, history books, assuming there are any, will highlight the grave communication breakdown that dominates this shameful epoch. The echo chambers.

Deliberate disinformation. The trolls and the bots. Shrinking attention spans. Pointless arguments in the comments section. And so on. To say what we’re currently experiencing doesn’t bode well is an understatement.

No, it didn’t start when Boomers discovered Facebook. Or when Zoomers discovered 8chan.

It started when newspapers responded to the Digital Revolution by throwing all their content up on the web for free rather than sit for a hot minute to think about how such a move might bite them (and democracy as we know it) in the ass someday.

As we look back on the last 30 years of CL’s Best of the Bay, we’d be remiss if we didn’t honor one of the bay’s best institutions, albeit one we’ve lost.

Until May of 2016, the Tampa Bay area was a two-daily-newspaper town. With their fierce competition on everything from scoops to new-audience inroads, The continued on page 105

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sale of the paper to the Tampa Bay Times, a transaction that led to the Trib’s immediate folding.

continued from page 103 and the Tampa Bay (nee St. Petersburg) Times were always toe-to-toe. The Trib was a bit smaller and more salt-of-the-earth; its editorial page leaned center-right (more Rick Wilson than Rick Scott, mind you). And damn, was it scrappy. The Times’ editorials leaned center-left, and the paper earned high praise for its lengthy but tightly manicured narrative and investigative pieces.

By the time I got there, the Trib newsroom was a fraction the size of what it had been decades prior. It had been bought out by some dodgy hedge fund or other, with the promise of prosperity and expansion that— spoiler!—never really panned out. Despite the uncertainty and the increased workload you get when routine layoffs turn three jobs into one, the climate in that newsroom was one of joy and camaraderie.

I’ve worked in newsrooms where communication between staff and management primarily consists of a series of grunts. This was not one of those.

Even as they barreled toward deadline each day while doggedly chasing down stories, there was laughter and collaboration. Many on staff had been there for decades, and their fondness for one another (and the paper they put out) showed.

And they fostered growth among their younger ranks. Come election season, even though I was somewhat of a cub reporter

(and a painfully self-conscious young woman), the editorial board regularly invited me to sit in on their interviews with candidates in the legislative races I was covering. (I recognize that my recollection of the Trib, however fond, could never do the place justice; I was only there for a couple of years.)

Was it perfect? Of course not. I can think of at least one regrettable personnel decision (letting go of veteran political reporter and columnist William March), the politics of which were well above my paygrade.

And I had one editor who made my and my coworkers’ lives hell nearly every day for no discernable reason (though I probably became a better reporter because of it). And printing reporters’ email addresses and work cell numbers at the bottom of every story? Well, let’s just say I had my share of voicemails from Polk County’s day-drunkest denizens and 10,000-word emails detailing the antics of the Lizard People.

In 2016, that hedge fund I mentioned, Revolution Capital, announced it had sold the building that housed the Trib’s main office and printing operations. It was prime real estate on the Hillsborough Riverfront, after all, and hedge funds gonna hedge fund. It acted like it was actively seeking a new HQ, apparently even bringing executive staff to tour prospective offices. But in early May of that year, it announced the

Some former Trib staffers stayed on with the Times and continue to work their asses off to this day. Some are at different outlets or are in entirely new fields. Life goes on, but the impact of the disappearance of a 120-yearold local institution is immeasurable.

At least one study has shown that metro areas with more than one newspaper have less corruption than those with only one (or none). It makes sense: there are more reporters and editors there to scrutinize records and otherwise hold public officials accountable, the more likely it is that they’ll find bad behavior and shame the bad actors. As for public sentiment, more editorial voices from thought leaders who actually know what they are talking about helps fight misinformation.

Tampa Bay, an environmentally sensitive and politically important region in the nation’s biggest swing state, suffers from its lack of a robust media ecosystem. So, too, does the nation. (Disclosure: I am also a former newsroom staffer there.) —Kate Bradshaw

It started as a fundraiser for the nascent public radio station. A New Personality, The Voodoo Idols, Zenith Nadir, The Backbeats, The Fallopian Tubes and Your Relatives—all local bands—played the first Heatwave; 2,000 people showed up, and had a blast.

The concert/party raised about $10,000, a considerable sum for an upstart radio station on the low end of the dial.

In 1992, Heatwave, which had limited its ticket sales for a few years due to outsized demand, enlarged its footprint to include the adjacent El Pasaje Plaza. The following year, WMNF expanded the festival to two nights, which lasted until 1996. Ybor City mania in the late ‘90s almost pushed Heatwave out of Tampa’s Latin quarter, but the station persisted. In 2005, with tickets priced at $30 (compared to $7 for the first one), the station amassed more than $50,000 for its coffers.

WMNF personnel produced Heatwave, and the station absorbed all the costs. continued on page 107

TROPICAL HEATWAVE AND GASPARILLA MUSIC FESTIVAL Damn, you shoulda been there—maybe you were—when cosmic-jazz legend Sun Ra paraded his 20-member Arkestra through the crowd in the Cuban Club Courtyard, when NRBQ played a set that was raucous, funny and musical all at once, when the crowd pelted local punk band Joe Popp with marshmallows in the stuffy Cuban Club basement, when Trombone Shorty ignited a Nawlins dance party. All of this happened at the Tropical Heatwave, a 35-year festival produced by public radio station WMNF88.5 FM. As part of our 30th anniversary Best of the Bay, Creative Loafing Tampa Bay honors the legendary local festival, and laments its demise in 2016. At the same time, we celebrate the continued success of Gasparilla Music Festival, which launched in 2012 and managed to get this year’s in on March 7-8, just under the COVID-19 wire.

COURTESY

NICOLE KIBERT/ELAWGRRL.COM

TROPICAL HEATWAVE

I won’t go into the details of what happened that day. If you want those, check out the story I wrote about it shortly after it all went down. (By then, I had been CL’s news and politics editor for a year-and-a-half.)

Over its three-and-half decades, Tropical Heatwave presented hundreds and hundreds of acts in every genre imaginable.

The event prompted people all over the Bay area to circle the date on their calendars—not just hippies, punks, music geeks and ‘MNF listeners, but suburbanites in polo shirts and tennis shorts. Heatwave provided so many people with so many good times that it’s hard to quantify its impact. Let’s call it: fuckin’ HUUUGE.

ED TURANCHIK cltampa.com | OCTOBER 1-7, 2020 | 105

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• First, register to vote! Go to https://registertovoteflorida.gov or to one of the 4 Election Offices. Deadline this year is Oct. 5.

Vote By Mail • Request your mail-in ballot. Call (813) 612-4180; go online at VoteHillsborough.org; or go in person to any Elections Office.

• Complete your ballot. It must be received no later than 7 pm on Election Day (Nov. 3), but THE EARLIER THE BETTER. • Make sure you sign and date the return envelope!

• MAIL IT by Oct. 13 to avoid delays.

• DROP IT in a secure drop-box at any Early Voting site or any Elections Office. Check dates and hours at VoteHillsborough.org.

• TRACK your ballot at VoteHillsborough.org. It will show as received until after the Election, when it will show as counted.

Vote Early In Person - Oct. 19-Nov. 1 • Vote between 7 am and 7 pm any day, at any site, Oct. 19-Nov. 1.

• Find the 26 Early Voting locations at VoteHillsborough.org.

• Changed your mind about voting by mail, and want to vote in person? You can! Election clerks will cancel your mail ballot and you may vote in person.

Vote on Election Day – Tuesday, Nov. 3 • Vote between 7 am and 7 pm ONLY at your assigned polling place (find it at VoteHillsborough.org) OR one of 4 Elections Offices.

106 | OCTOBER 1-7, 2020 | cltampa.com

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CREATIVE LOAFING 2020 Best The event was 88.5’s primary fundraiser for many years. Then the national festival scene heated up, corporate promoters got into the game, acts started demanding higher fees, and Heatwave gradually became a money pit. Near the end, costs ran to $100,000. One year, ‘MNF lost $40K. Things got dicey for Heatwave’s last hurrah.

WMNF announced that the 35th annual would take place Saturday, April 30, 2016.

Meanwhile, corporate promoter AEG booked Alabama Shakes into the Cuban Club for April 29. When that date was announced in January, WMNF staff said they were taken by surprise, while the Cuban Club’s president, Patrick Manteiga, claimed he’d kept the station in the loop all along.

WMNF felt that Alabama Shakes, red hot at the time, would siphon off too many ticket sales from Heatwave. Rather than cancel, the listenersponsored station moved its shows into eight clubs in Ybor City, hoping to create a SXSW vibe. Whether vacating the Cuban Club proved to be the last spike in Heatwave’s coffin is hard to say, but it surely didn’t help.

The festival’s luster had faded some anyway. Heatwave had always done its best to be inclusive, but in later years it was largely the baby boomer set that sustained it. And perhaps without being aware, the graying WMNF braintrust booked acts appealing to a graying crowd—nothing stupid like a Stones tribute act, but alt music that skewed older. Boomers, some of whom had been to 20, 25 Heatwaves, started to peel off. Fewer and fewer folks circled their calendars and counted down the days.

It’s tempting to say that Tropical Heatwave handed the local-festival baton to Gasparilla Music Festival, but GMF actually had a hand in Heatwave’s demise. Better funded, with the local corporate sponsorships that WMNF resisted, the downtown Tampa fest got off to a solid start in 2012. It was new and shiny, and had more appeal to a young audience. GMF was yet another entry into a crowded festival field, and ultimately Heatwave could not compete.

GMF has grown steadily. Its programming is eclectic, but the main-stage headliners have higher-than-Heatwave profiles—they include The Flaming Lips, Brandi Carlile, Portugal. The Man, Ryan Adams, Cage the Elephant and Modest Mouse. In 2018, Aus-

tin rock band Spoon turned in a triumphant set, despite performing in the rain. Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. (now JR JR) transfixed an audience at one of the smaller stages, word spread around the venue and the lawn was packed by the time the band packed it in. The Beths wowed the crowd with their infectious pop-punk. GMF, which is run by the nonprofit Gasparilla Music Foundation, always makes ample room for local acts.

Set on the riverfront on several stages in Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park and Kiley Gardens Park, the festival lacks the boho charm and intimacy of Heatwave’s Ybor City digs, but it is roomy and allows large crowds to easily flow from one stage to another. Beer stations are spread around the grounds and lines are rarely long. A promenade of food vendors provides a wide array of choices, from hefty Cuban sandwiches to several vegan-friendly options.

RAY ROA

continued from page 105

of the Bay PROFILES

In the first week of March, as coronavirus news was becoming more alarming, the GMF drink servers wore gloves and there were hand-sanitizing stations scattered around the parks (face masks were several weeks from being in vogue). Fear of the impending pandemic appeared to have hurt attendance, but did not ring a death knell. With purported virus vaccines on the horizon, one can cautiously forecast that GMF 2021 will go on as scheduled in the second week of March. And if we’re really fortunate, fans will be able to attend without face coverings. Let’s hope.

In the end, it’s a shame that Tropical Heatwave folded, but 35 years is a remarkable, and improbable, run. Here’s to hoping that GMF can come close to matching that longevity.—Eric Snider

DAVID WARNER & LARRY BIDDLE

ED TURANCHIK If you’ve ever taken that relaxing 50-minute ride between Tampa and St. Pete on the Cross Bay Ferry, you owe a nod of thanks to Ed Turanchik. While the long-time Hillsborough County politico and influencer (no, not the social media sort) is, officially speaking, the lawyer for the service’s operator, HMS Ferry, he served as an early evangelist, planner and organizer. It seems fair to say that Turanchik, 64, was the most important local player in making the ferry—which was first seen by many as a lark—a reality.

That’s just one accomplishment in a career that dates back to his arrival from Ohio in 1987. Over the years Turanchik has been an

active proponent of regional transit (or, as one local columnist called him, a “transportation wonk”). The Cross Bay Ferry is primarily a leisure service, and does essentially nothing to alleviate the Bay area’s clogged roadways and other transportation woes. But it is, y’know, something—something that actually got done other than building another leg of highway.

“I think Ed’s one of the biggest visionaries in Tampa Bay,” says current Tampa City Council member Bill Carlson, whose PR firm, Tucker/Hall, has worked with Turanchik on various initiatives. “One of the problems with Tampa is that we’ve always

been happy with the status quo. Ed has always thought big—big on transportation, big on affordable housing, regional cooperation, etc. He thinks big overall.”

During Turanchik’s 2019 Tampa mayoral run—he finished fourth—he unveiled a “Go Plan” for transit improvement that entailed bike and water routes, existing freight rail lines, electric buses and more. It also called for expanding the Cross Bay Ferry to include a more commuter-oriented Westshore-to-St. Petersburg route. All good ideas, but will any of them get done?

Hard to say. If Turanchik has not seen many continued on page 109

cltampa.com | OCTOBER 1-7, 2020 | 107

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tbbc.beer @tbbco #beerisyourfriend 108 | OCTOBER 1-7, 2020 | cltampa.com

CREATIVE LOAFING 2020 Best of his proposals come to fruition, he has been effective in making transportation an ongoing part of the civic discussion.

In 1990, Turanchik was elected to the Hillsborough Board of County Commissioners, where he served for eight years.

He ran for mayor in 2011 and lost. In the late ‘90s, he was part of the team of elected officials that hammered out a deal to form Tampa Bay Water, a regional authority that put an end to the costly, fractious, decades-long “water wars” that pitted city and county governments against each other. “I feel it’s Ed’s greatest achievement,” Carlson says. “It’s really the only example of successful regional cooperation in Tampa Bay, and Ed was the primary leader.”

Turanchik, who’s been accused of acting like “the smartest guy in the room,” has stirred his share of controversy. During his last mayoral run, he claimed at a candidate forum that “when I was commissioner, I got the Ice Palace done.” That’s the original name of Amalie Arena, which opened in ‘96. His claim earned a harsh rebuke from former Tampa Mayor Sandy Freedman, who called it “absolutely false.” The general consensus is that Turanchik was part of the team that made the Bay area’s first modern sports and concert arena happen.

In 2018, Turanchik was the only mayoral candidate who didn’t support Hillsborough County’s penny sales tax increase called All For Transportation. It seemed an odd position for a transit advocate. He criticized it as costly and ineffective. After the initiative earned a 57% vote, Turanchik publicly applauded its passing, which prompted some to accuse him of being two-faced during the mayor’s race. He wasn’t the first and won’t be the last.

While Ed Turnachik has a few miscues under his belt, he’s always been a major local asset and, through his talk and actions, showed a genuine desire to make the Tampa Bay region a better place. He maintains that he’ll never run for office again, but don’t expect his voice to go silent. —Eric Snider

DAVID WARNER AND LARRY BIDDLE All hail the happy warriors! If David Warner and Larry Biddle didn’t exist, it would be wise for us to invent them. I returned to the Bay Area after a multi-decade hiatus in 2010. As a devotee of alt-weeklies, I sought out Creative Loafing and discovered its

multi-talented editor. David Warner is a lesson in total immersion in one’s community. And then I learned of Larry Biddle, David’s multi-decade partner and husband as of 2012. These guys are everywhere, fully politically and socially engaged change agents.

Despite pedigrees that link to Merrick Garland (remember him?) at Harvard (David) or ancestral ties to one of Philadelphia’s great families predating our founding fathers (Larry), both gents are firmly rooted in the present. And that present is not about self-aggrandizement, but about lifting up the lives of others.

I realized that David and Larry knew everyone. Their network had vast roots that spread deep and wide—long before social media weaseled its way into our every waking moment. David worked to tell extraordinary stories—to shine a light on the activities and people making a difference in and around the Bay. Larry raised money for a wide range of causes to uplift the underserved and unburden good-hearted folks with much to offer, but without the skills to find the necessary funds to soar.

Warner has seemingly been ubiquitous over their 16 years in the Bay Area. From moderating a conversation with Susan Sarandon at The Dalí to judging for Theatre TampaBay, to serving as the ringmaster for CL’s annual BOTB and Gasp! bashes in days of yore. When CL was sold at the end of 2018, the new business plan meant cleaning house at the top. David got the axe. But, ever the nimble editor, he took his newly available head over to the DuPont Registry and managed to morph the glossy magazine for the well-heeled crowd into an exploration of luxury living that calls upon all his years immersed in our community. They still tease dream cars beyond the reach of mere mortals, but also offer profiles of “People Helping People” and Warner (or Tom DuPont) coaxing tales from the region’s fascinating personalities via dRTB Live.

Biddle used his considerable skills well into his 70s before retiring, but both men remain fierce advocates for all the myriad wonders our region offers. And more importantly, happy warriors for equality in all senses of the word. They are quick to laugh and invariably seen with infectious smiles.

Larry’s quick wry and dry wit reflects his keen intelligence. David’s incisive observation skills serve a dual purpose as editor and professional actor. One loss among the many in this year of COVID-19, is the chance to see David as one of Stageworks’ “Twelve Angry Men.” But, if past is pro-

logue, these two will continue to spread the message of our region’s kaleidoscope of gifts and to advocate for all that serves the common good and, by force of will, work to transform our future. —Jon Palmer Claridge

WALLACE “WALLY” WILSON If you’ve been to an art event at USF or popped into a reception at a local gallery— pre-quarantine times, of course—chances are you’ve seen Wallace “Wally” Wilson, Director of the School of Art and Art History at the University of South Florida with his signature sticky-uppy white hair.

COURTESY

continued from page 107

of the Bay PROFILES

USF’s SAAH plays a critical role in educating emerging artists and shaping the art scene of the Bay area with both undergraduate and graduate degree programs.

Wilson, who has been Director since 1994, shares his perspective about what the role entails, how Tampa’s art community has evolved over time, and where he sees things going from here.

“Almost 500 students in the department have entrusted their lives and futures to us, so the big question is how can we help these students become what they aspire to be?” Wilson said. “What can we do that is affirming radical value to the community?

In addition to figuring out how to spend money, in the most idealistic way, the department chair helps envision what the place is about and what it aspires to be.”

Wilson went to graduate school at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago for photography, then went on to teach at a few universities while also working to show his work in galleries and exhibitions. “I had become more interested in teaching and less interested in the cutthroat world of gallery art and the competitive levels of the art world,” he said. “I saw the position [at USF] was open and things seemed more open-ended and freer here. I feel incredibly fortunate to work here.”

While being thankful for his position, Wilson also misses the days of teaching. “The higher up you go in administration, the further away you get from the students,” he said. “I teach every other year for a weeklong study abroad program in London, which reminds me how much I love teaching and the interactions with the students.”

On the other hand? “I don’t miss that hustle with the galleries and depending on sales and the market,” Wilson remarks. “It takes an extraordinary amount of effort to make it happen and I am always supportive of

WALLACE "WALLY" WILSON students whether they decide to follow that path or decide to go a different direction than what they learn here.”

“I feel like [students] are trains moving along and we [USF] got to hop aboard for a while and try to make a difference in our time together,” Wilson explains. “Our faculty and staff are so dedicated to the students and helping them navigate the art world.”

In the 26 years Wilson has been involved in the arts scene of the Tampa Bay area, he’s seen it grow up and continue to evolve. “Each community in the area has its distinctive personality, and both the university and the communities around it have really matured over time,” he said. “The ‘Skyway’ show a few years ago demonstrated the richness that comes from a lot of different opportunities and places here.” (“Skyway,” you’ll recall, was a 2017 exhibition featured simultaneously at the Tampa Museum of Art, Museum of Fine Arts in St. Pete, and the Ringling Museum.) continued on page 111

cltampa.com | OCTOBER 1-7, 2020 | 109

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CREATIVE LOAFING 2020 Best able to all students that were not before, due to campus designations?”

continued from page 109 “Fairgrounds in St. Pete and Crab Devil in Tampa are not identical ideas, but they spring from pride in our communities,” Wilson said. “We’re seeing ‘new’ money going to upstart ideas which speaks to our energy and ambition plus the determination to make something happen.”

Even with all the curveballs a global pandemic can throw, Wilson is happy to be in the throes of it all.

Big changes are developing on campus, too.

“We’ve added an animation program which has, unsurprisingly, increased enrollment and our immediate challenge is asking what we are going to do with this program to have it be unique and reflective of our school? How can we create and connect with awesome opportunities for students who graduate from the program?” Wilson said. “Another facet of the recent campus merger is the profound effect it’s going to have on our school—we’ve now melded with the graphic design program at USFSP and a partnership with the Dalí, too. What kind of opportunities are going to be avail-

“One of the professors asked if I wished I had retired before COVID-19 and the campus consolidation,” Wilson said, “I don’t know what I would be doing! The photography I did was always somewhere else, it was never where I lived.”

“I am curious to get through this year and see how it all plays out,” he said. “I feel fortunate and lucky, and hope that we all stay safe and healthy.” —SK West

WMNF 88.5-FM COMMUNITY RADIO If you’re only driving on the Tampa Bay area’s billboard-strewn highways, your radio dial tuned to a frequency of 90 or above, you’ll get the impression that Tampa Bay

of the Bay PROFILES

is a soulless, homogenous place. But if you venture to the left side of the dial—and, perhaps, take the scenic route—you’ll discover the lesser-known dimensions of this region.

And they’re a hell of a lot more interesting.

Well before Creative Loafing Tampa Bay was slinging accolades at its first Best of the Bay, WMNF 88.5 FM was broadcasting from a tiny house in South Tampa, having launched in 1979 with help from donations collected via a door-to-door campaign. It’s now funded primarily through listeners via periodic donation drives they call “Marathon.” Pre-pandemic, these were always stressful-but-festive multiday events that brought volunteers together to answer phones and tally digital pledges.

Restaurants like Queen of Sheba kept volunteers and staff fed during those long days.

From the get-go, WMNF’s programming served as a refuge for music lovers who prefer the deeper cuts and for progressive news junkies skeptical of the headlines they were seeing everywhere else. Dedication to core values like peace, diversity and sus-

Between tracks of lovingly curated playlists and news segments tailored to progressive ears, most of the voices you’ll hear are those of volunteers. The list of notable shows is long, and if I attempt it, I know there’d be at least one glaring omission, so I won’t.

Staffers you’ll hear on the air include news and public affairs director Rob Lorei, whose low-key, conversational style gleans important insights from interview subjects—or draws out the absurdity of a day-drunk Trumpian’s logic during the mid-day call-in show he hosts.

The station has seen some loss over the years, including beloved station manager Vicki Santa in 2008 and volunteer programmer Ray “Rayzilla” Villadonga, whose show “Step Outside” was just a small piece of his stalwart efforts to foster the weirdest facets of Tampa music scene.

RAY ROA

WMNF 88.5 FM COMMUNITY RADIO

tainability is what drives volunteers, staff and board members. Now in a state-of-theart building on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in Tampa since the mid-2000s, WMNF weathered the Great Recession, the proliferation of streaming and satellite radio that gave listeners a seemingly endless array of options, inner turmoil over how to handle changing economic and media landscapes, funding cuts and, now, a pandemic.

Then there was Tropical Heatwave, a musical extravaganza volunteers and staff would put on in Ybor City every spring (see former CL music critic Eric Snider’s Heatwave profile). You knew Heatwave was coming when they’d begin airing promos featuring program director Randy Wynne’s jubilant litany of all the acts that’d be taking over Ybor. After a 35-year run, the station ended the festival in 2016 (then-station manager Craig Kopp cited a “competitive” festival market). Last year, Wynne said there was talk of bringing the event back in 2020, but then… Well, 2020 happened.

Personally, I can’t imagine what my life would have been like without WMNF. Within a week of my own moving to St. Pete in 2002, someone at an open mic night on the beach told me about WMNF. I tuned in and knew I’d found my people. Four years later, a listless grad student with a broken foot, I signed up as a news volunteer. A few years after that, I was on staff, producing daily stories for radio and web and co-anchoring the afternoon newscast with assistant news director Seán Kinane. Because that’s the kind of place WMNF is. If you show up, you’re kind and you do the work, you’re welcome… although it certainly helps if Top 40 isn’t your thing.

(Disclosure: I am a former newsroom staffer here, too.) —Kate Bradshaw

cltampa.com | OCTOBER 1-7, 2020 | 111

112 | OCTOBER 1-7, 2020 | cltampa.com

Theatre Tampa Bay congratulates the 2020 Best of the Bay winners and 2019-2020 TTB Award Nominees If you love theater and live performances, support: #SaveOurStages #RedAlertRestart #WeMakeEvents American Stage Presents their 2020-2021 season: REIMAGINE, a hybrid season of hope, innovation and inspiration, designed to ensure productions will be presented to audiences regardless of ongoing social distancing circumstances. The season features a digital theatre series, a hybrid production series, family series, two festivals, including the annual 21st Century Voices: New Play Festival and 10 Season Artist Shorts.

AmericanStage.org.

For Jobsite Theater, after a popular presale, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) [revised], Frankenstein: The Modern Prometheus, and Twilight: Los Angeles 1992 are all now available to the public. Seating is very limited since there are fewer performances than normal and fewer seats due to distancing protocols. Call today.

StrazCenter.org or 813.229.7827.

St. Petersburg Opera Company is presenting free opera performances throughout the season. On October 4 see the Mobile Pop Up Opera series production of “The Three Tenors� and October 25 they will have a Halloween show. For tickets visit stpeteopera.org or call 727-823-2040.

For additional information about our member events visit TheatreTampaBay.org cltampa.com | OCTOBER 1-7, 2020 | 113

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Roger that

By Dan Savage

I’m a 30-something gay man married to a 30-something gay man. For almost two years, we’ve been seeing another pair of married gay men around our age. They were our first experience with any sexual or romantic interaction outside of our relationship.

The first six months were hot and heavy. We were together constantly and having sex almost every night. After the “honeymoon phase” ended, one member of the other couple (“Roger”) wanted to slow things down. Roger and I had conflict over this; I showed a pretty bad side of myself while grappling with insecurity. Eventually, Roger pulled me aside to talk one-on-one. He wanted us to be “friends who have sex sometimes.”

Then COVID-19s lockdown started. Roger and I had another heart-to-heart on my birthday. After many drinks and a lot of making out we both said we loved each other. Roger walked it back the next day. “I don’t know what you thought you heard last night... but I’m not in love with you.” I was devastated. This isn’t what I want. I am in love with Roger and his husband. I don’t want to be “friends who have sex sometimes.” My husband is OK with just being friends with Roger and his husband, especially since their large friend group has adopted us and he worries we’ll lose all these new friends if I end our friendship with Roger and his husband. I would really like to talk this out with Roger, but I’m not sure I can get through that conversation without DTMFAing him.

Were we a fun sexy fling and nothing about the last two years mattered? Or was he in love with me but decided the conflict and complication of this relationship wasn’t worth it? Which was it?

—Trouble In The Quad

Something can matter and still end. Something can also matter more to one person than it did to another person (or couple). You don’t have to dismiss or minimize what the four of you had because Roger has decided, for whatever reason, that being in a quad with you isn’t what he wants.

And if you’re hoping to get this quad back together… and it’s entirely up to Roger… you’re going about it wrong. If Roger got cold feet due to the “conflict and complication” of being in a poly relationship, TITQ, then your best move is to avoid conflict and complication. If you think Roger told the truth on your birthday and lied to you the next day, then you need to demonstrate the kind of emotional maturity that makes you a more attractive partner to a person like Roger. And provoking a confrontation with Roger—staging a scene where you’re likely to dump up a guy who has already dumped you—will have the opposite effect. It will only confirm for Roger the decision he has already made.

Your best bet—your best strategy—is to accept Roger’s offer of friendship and refrain from blowing up at him. You should also tell him, just once and very calmly, that you and your husband would be open to getting back together with him and his husband. Best case scenario, the quad gets back together. Worst case scenario, you have some great memories, a whole bunch of great new friends, and maybe once in a while a hot foursome with Roger and his husband.

Two last things… I would love to see video of you showing the “bad side” of yourself to Roger. Given the way people tend to minimize their own shitty behavior—all people do it, myself included—I’m guessing it was/you were ugly. If you’re prone to blowing up when you don’t get what you want, well, it’s understandable that someone who dislikes conflict and complication would start getting cold feet once the honeymoon phase ended. I’m not suggesting you’re toxic or unbearable‚ TITQ, only that different people have different tolerance levels for romantic conflict. But if what you want is for Roger to reconsider the decision he’s made, well, you might also wanna let him know you’re working on your approach to conflict. If you don’t want Roger to regret getting the quad back together and then quickly end things again, TITQ, or for the next Roger or Rogers who come into your life to head for the hills after their honeymoon phases end, you’ll talk with someone who can give you the tools to better handle conflict.

And finally, TITQ, the other two men in this quad feel strangely inert—more like houseplants than husbands. I mean, you have nothing to say about how Roger’s husband feels and very little to say about how yours does. Is Roger’s husband interested in keeping the quad together? Besides

Roger doesn’t want what you want.

That sucks and I’m sorry. But we’ve all been there. Falling for someone who doesn’t feel as strongly for us as we do for them, whether we’re dating as couples or singles, is always painful.

But that pain is an unavoidable risk. And while it may seem unfair that you can only have Roger in your life on his terms, that’s the reality. That’s everyone’s reality, TITQ, because loving someone doesn’t obligate that person to love us back or love us in the same way that we love them or want the same things we want. But Roger can’t impose his terms on you. If being “just friends” feels like an insulting consolation prize after what the last two years has meant to you, if that’s not good enough, then Roger doesn’t get to be in your life. You can have terms, too.

Backing up for a second: You seem to believe that if the relationship mattered—if Roger and his husband loved you and your husband and viceversa—then it wouldn’t have ended. That’s false.

JOE NEWTON

SAVAGE LOVE

not wanting to lose some new friends, does your husband give two shits? Because even if Roger decides he wants back in, TITQ, and that’s a big if, your revived quad won’t last for long for if your houseplants—sorry: your husbands—aren’t just as invested as you are.

The man I’m seeing is the first person I ever opened up to about my bisexuality. We had several threesomes, but both became uncomfortable with them. One day he told me he could not have that kind of sex with a woman cares about. We quarantined together; he felt COVID-19 had forced us to rush things. We decided to spend less time together to focus on our careers, which had both taken a hit. Now we only meet every two weeks or so. I thought it could be fun to reconnect and do some more threesomes. He agreed but asked me to handle things. I found some amazing girls.

But as in the past, our threesomes led to problems. I feel threatened, he feels jealous. We fight, I cry, he gets angry and acts like an asshole. I’m very insecure, depressed, and have spent years in therapy. The threesomes feel like too much but we have great sex when we talk about other women.

Is there any way we can make this work? —Lost Into My Emotions

I feel sorry for the women you two are having threesomes with—even if you’re doing your guests the courtesy of waiting until they leave to break down in tears, LIME. Even if your boyfriend is polite enough to wait until they’re gone before acting like an asshole, these women are most likely picking up on the tension and may feel conflicted after they go. If you’re having these meltdowns and blowups in front of these women, LIME, they definitely leave feeling terrible and may worry, but it’s you two who are doing something wrong: continuing to have threesomes despite knowing they never end well.

A woman shouldn't waste her time (or pussy) on a man who tells her he can’t have “that kind of sex,” i.e. sex she enjoys, with a woman he cares about. Stop doing the thing that doesn’t work— having threesomes—and do the thing that does work instead: talking dirty to each other about other women. And if you still want to get with women, LIME, do it solo. He doesn’t need to be there for you to enjoy an amazing girl.

Contact mail@savagelove.net, follow @ FakeDanSavage on Twitter, and bookmark savagelovecast.com.

cltampa.com | OCTOBER 1-7, 2020 | 117

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creative loafing puzzler 67 Beach resort area that includes Bali 70 Fill to the brim ACROSS 71 A long way ___ equinox 72 Lifeguards, day Identical in, day out A sun orbiter 73 “Dumb” girl Excited answer 75 Tails of theories to “Who wants 77 Pot opener? dessert?”

78 Half-awake Sculptor’s deg. assent Sun-worshipping 79 LP surface empire 81 Lurid details ___ of an idea 83 Giant Mel Snorkels, for 84 Turkish peak example 88 Sources of Source of Beach readings Boy music at the 92 Jaws was a big beach one Mention 94 Alerting sound A definite damper at sea on beach partying 97 Big guy Kind of 98 It’s fact-free Hot-button 101 103 Across, response for one Spanish queen 102 Mighty Marxist Canceled 103 Open-classroom Aykroyd or mtg.

Castellaneta 104 “And don’t call me Duck-feet feature Shirley” film Prepares to don 106 Skin diver’s a bikini dream Spell 110 Sicilian rumbler Disposes of 111 Tony's West Side Fish fans, in a way love Rosemary 112 Just "desserts" for chronicler Levin solving this puzzle Root needed for a 115 Concerning, oldluau style Cop’s zapper 116 Of sailing: abbr.

Make ___ (clench) 117 The TransStar of India, once Siberian, for one: Creator of Homer abbr. and Bart 118 Pooh pal Zhivago’s love 119 Sidestep Event with 120 Clubs and socs. a swimsuit 121 Blender settings competition Bucolic expanse DOWN Fish to gripe 1 Thick and sticky about?

2 Lady Mountbatten

ON THE BEACH

by Merl Reagle

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Ornate LOCATED SANCTUARY ATBR’s LIVING EN,GRANITE GRANITE COUNTERS, CUSTOM EN, CUSTOM large walk in&COUNTERS, LARGE MEDIA STON! 4rooms An ofof& formal w/ABUNDANCE TRAVERTINE STON! 4CG CG &closets.

An ABUNDANCE CABINETRY, PENDENT LIGHTING, CROWN FR w/ stone ROOM w/MOLDING. bar & PATIO, POOL & SPA. CABINETRY, PENDENT LIGHTING, windows.

Ornate formal rooms w/ windows.

Ornate formal rooms w/FP, butler’sOffered pantry, wine cellar, GAS LUXURIOUS KITCHEN, GRANITE COUN$1,290,000 butler’s pantry, wine cellar, &&GAS TRAVERTINE &&at CROWN MOLDING. TRAVERTINE CROWN MOLDING. TERS, CUSTOM CABINETRY, PENDANT COOK TOP. OFFICE, Master BR FP, COOK TOP. OFFICE, Master BR FP, FR FP, KITCH FRw/ w/stone stone FP,LUXURIOUS LUXURIOUS KITCH LIGHTING, butler's pantry, wine pool access, customwalk walkinincellar, GRANITE COUNTERS, CUSTOM pool access, &&custom EN, GRANITE COUNTERS, CUSTOM & EN, GAS COOK TOP. Master BR closet..

Master BAOFFICE, w/DOUBLE SINKS PENDENT LIGHTING, closet..

BA SINKS FP,CABINETRY, poolMaster access, &w/DOUBLE custom walk in CABINETRY, PENDENT LIGHTING, hugeMaster SHOWER &w/ TUB. All BR’s w/ closet.

BA DOUBLE SINKS, butler’s pantry, && GAS huge SHOWER &wine TUB.cellar, All BR’s w/ butler’s pantry, wine cellar, GAS walk in closets.

LARGE MEDIA hugelarge SHOWER & TUB. All BR's w/ large COOK TOP. FP, large walk closets.Master LARGEBR MEDIA COOK TOP.inOFFICE, OFFICE, Master BR FP, walk in closets.

MEDIA& ROOM ROOM w/ bar &LARGE PATIO, POOL SPA. pool walk ROOM w/access, bar & &PATIO, POOL &inin SPA. poolbar access, &custom custom walk w/ & PATIO, POOL & SPA. Offered at $1,290,000 closet..

Master BA w/DOUBLE SINKS Offered closet..Offered Masteratat BA$1,290,000 w/DOUBLE SINKS $1,290,000 huge hugeSHOWER SHOWER&&TUB. TUB.All AllBR’s BR’s w/ w/ large largewalk walkininclosets. closets.LARGE LARGE MEDIA MEDIA ROOM ROOMw/ w/bar bar&&PATIO, PATIO, POOL POOL && SPA. SPA. Offered Offeredatat$1,290,000 $1,290,000

John LaRocca REALTOR® John@MyHomeTB.com 813.990.7488

Female Therapist 118 | OCTOBER 1-7, 2020 | cltampa.com

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John LaRocca REALTOR® CUSTOM John LaRocca REALTOR® John@MyHomeTB.com ODESSA ESTATE! John@MyHomeTB.com 813.990.7488 813.990.7488 Built in 2010 by interior designer Paul Lewis. 3,517 sq ft , 3 BR, 4 BA 2 CG, + workshop/storage, Dock w/ lake access, + pergola! 50 YR SLATE ROOF, 10’ ceilings. WALNUT CABINETRY, BRAZILIAN STAR BEACH Built in 2010 by interior designer CABINET FACED SUB-ZERO GRANITE, Built in 2010 by interior designer Paul Lewis. 3,517 ft ,LAKE 3 BR,LIFE 4 BA fridge/freezer, Enjoysqthe Paul Lewis. 3,517 sq ft , 3 BR, 4 BA on2 CG, your+deck, pergola, overlooking workshop/storage, Dock 2 CG, + workshop/storage, Dock SERENE & FRENCH w/ lake lake CYPRESS access,++trees pergola! w/ access, pergola!

5050YRYR INSPIRED Located in SLATE ROOF, 10’ ceilings.

WALNUT Built inROOF, 2010landscape. by interior designer SLATE 10’ ceilings.

WALNUT Built in 2010 by interior designer the highly CABINETRY, BRAZILIAN STAR BEACH Paul Lewis.coveted 3,517 sqSTEINBRENNER ft ,STAR 3 BR,BEACH 4 BA CABINETRY, BRAZILIAN Paul Lewis.

3,517 sq ft , 3 BR, 4 SCHOOL DISTRICT. offered atBA CABINET FACED SUB-ZERO GRANITE, 22 CG, Dock CABINET FACED SUB-ZERO GRANITE, CG, ++ workshop/storage, workshop/storage, Dock $1,495,000. fridge/freezer, Enjoy theLAKE LAKE LIFE w/ lake access, + pergola!

50 YR fridge/freezer, Enjoy the w/ lake access, + pergola! 50LIFE YR on your deck,10’pergola, pergola,overlooking overlooking SLATE ROOF, WALNUT on your deck, SLATE ROOF, 10’ ceilings. ceilings. WALNUT SERENE CYPRESS trees FRENCH CABINETRY, BRAZILIAN STAR BEACH SERENE CYPRESS trees &&FRENCH CABINETRY, BRAZILIAN STAR BEACH INSPIRED landscape.

Located INSPIRED landscape.

Located inin CABINET FACED SUB-ZERO GRANITE, CABINET FACED SUB-ZERO GRANITE, the highly coveted coveted STEINBRENNER fridge/freezer, Enjoy the LAKE LAKE LIFE LIFE fridge/freezer, EnjoySTEINBRENNER the SCHOOL DISTRICT. offeredatat SCHOOL on deck, pergola, overlooking on your your deck,DISTRICT. pergola,offered overlooking $1,495,000. $1,495,000.

SERENE trees && FRENCH FRENCH SERENE CYPRESS CYPRESS trees INSPIRED landscape.

Located in INSPIRED landscape.

Located in John LaRocca REALTOR® the highly coveted STEINBRENNER the highly coveted STEINBRENNER John@MyHomeTB.com SCHOOL offered at at SCHOOL DISTRICT. DISTRICT. offered 813.990.7488 $1,495,000. $1,495,000.

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CUSTOM CUSTOM ODESSA ESTATE! ODESSA ESTATE!

CUSTOM CUSTOM ODESSA ODESSA ESTATE! ESTATE!

to advertise by phone 813-739-4800 by email dlancaster@cltampa.com

CLTamp.com advertisebybyphone phone813-739-4800 813-739-4800 totoadvertise byemail emaildlancaster@cltampa.com dlancaster@cltampa.com by

CLTamp.com CLTamp.com

CLTamp.com CLTamp.com CLTampa.com

ADULT/Models John LaRocca REALTOR® ADULT/Models John@MyHomeTB.com 813.990.7488

ADULT/Models

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John LaRocca John LaRocca REALTOR® REALTOR® John@MyHomeTB.com John@MyHomeTB.com 813.990.7488 813.990.7488

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95 On the decrease 59 Passionate 3 Big name in 96 A fugitive may be 61 Sci. org. cigars driving one 4 City that gave us 62 What the theme 97 Trash bag answers in this the word “denim” sealers puzzle literally 5 Show stoppers? have in common 98 Femme follower 6 WJM-TV kahuna 99 “A friend ___ 7 Anna’s welcomers 64 Erupted stuff is ...”

66 Library attention8 See 12 Down 100 Ark occupants getter 9 TV weatherman 68 Paul Hogan role 104 See 19 Down Mark 105 Shelflike 10 In one ___ out ... 69 Long John projection Silver’s lack 11 Make (a living) 107 Winslet of Titanic 74 Run ___ 12 A foe of 108 Enlist anew independent 13 Reindeer’s 109 Motor City org.

76 Gift-giving trio tanning woe?

111 Hot under the 80 “Hey, try to 14 Set off collar remember who 15 Managed-care co. you’re talking to” 113 Hikes 17 Inventory: abbr.

18 Blaze, to Pascal 82 Noisy Norse god 114 Brisk quality 19 With 104 Down, 84 The letters of the law?: abbr.

Palmer's golf fans 85 First name from 23 Crash-probing South Pacific org.

24 Nodes on toads 86 In the bag 87 People like doing 28 Peep show it on the beach 30 Mrs. Merino?

89 Facets 31 Teller’s call 35 Goes overboard, 90 ___ Pradesh, India PUZZLE FANS ! slangily 91 Starsky and For info on Merl's 38 Peanut Hutch co-star, Sunday crossword 39 Netter’s org.

Paul Michael anthologies, visit 40 Jimmy Carter’s www.sunday ___ middle name crosswords.com.

41 Beach bully, e.g. 93 Little devil 42 Go across Solution to Pilgrim’s Progress 44 “___ A Hammer” 45 ___ the occasion P A T I O U S A F B A C K S B I O T H A N K NONOS A L L I E I NN 47 “To repeat ...”

B U C K L E S D OWN NOON E A S L 49 Legendary city ONO A X E L A ND I NGP A R T Y A CME P A S PO I S E S OR E that sank into T H A T S E T T L E S I T S K I R T the sea H A L E A S T S A B U T E E S L AM P L YMOU T HHOR I Z ON 50 On the Waterfront U PON E A S E NU E S T RO star F I N E S S E M I T E H E NR Y S O L E T A L K I NG T UR K E Y H EM 51 Bottom lines: S T R A I N A C E S E R S K I N E abbr.

U P D A T E S C A A N A N T E P R E F E RR E D S T OC K S J OE L 52 Wk. day S E X N AGS RO T I E E L 54 Latin bear T H I RD N A U T I C A L M I L E S E T E P A C E R S KGB N E X T 55 Noted cl-IQ-ue?

H A R BORDOU B T S R OW S P A 57 Dangle ___ E R A PO I N T MR S D EW I N T E R I SM EMO T E E T UD E S C A R E (try to induce) R E P NOS I R AME S PO T T S 58 Elapsed

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