Welcome To Tampa! Where Our City’s Cuisine Is Just As Unique And Rich As Our Culture.
Sip on lavish libations at our waterfront bistros and bars. Take a bite into culinary diversity. Discover our fine dining or farm-to-table restaurants and enjoy fresh seafood and authentic Spanish dishes. While the food and beverage offerings are far too many to list here, I thought it would be helpful to provide you with a starting point for your dining experiences during Conference. I hope that you will find this guide helpful. The Open Table and Resy apps are the easiest ways to secure your reservations, but most places on the list also accept walk-ins. For even more suggestions on things to do and places to see, please visit www.visittampabay.com.
But first, the CMAA World Conference is taking place during the Gasparilla Season in Tampa, which is one of my favorite times of year. There are pirates, beads and cannons galore during the month of February in Tampa. So, I thought it only appropriate to give you a bit of history on the Gasparilla Pirate Festival and legend of Jose Gasparilla, as well.
The Gasparilla Pirate Festival (often simply referred to as Gasparilla) is a tradition that dates back to 1904 and is framed as a friendly invasion by the crew of the mythical pirate Jose Gaspar, a popular figure in Florida folklore. The Parade of Pirates and some related events are organized by Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla (YMKG). On Gasparilla Day, which is traditionally the last Saturday of January, members of YMKG reenact the fictional story of Gaspar and his crew by donning pirate regalia and sailing across Hillsborough Bay aboard the Jose Gasparilla II, a 137-footlong (42 m) replica pirate ship, which is actually a steel barge. Firing loud mini-cannons and accompanied by hundreds of private boats, the pirates make their way to the Tampa Convention Center, where they demand that the Mayor surrender the key to the city in a playful ceremony. YMKG then stages a 4.5-milelong victory parade down Bayshore Boulevard featuring over 100 floats, marching bands and other live entertainers, plus dozens of additional krewes and community organizations. Participants on floats and on foot throw beads, coins, and other trinkets to a crowd of spectators that usually numbers about 300,000, making the Parade of Pirates one of the largest annual parades in the United States.
Over time, the formerly one-day event has evolved into a Gasparilla season which runs from approximately the beginning of the year until mid-March. Two other major parades during this time are the Gasparilla Children’s Parade, which runs a shorter route on Bayshore Boulevard one week before the main parade, and the Sant’ Yago Illuminated Knight Parade, which is organized by the Krewe of the Knights of Sant’ Yago in the historic neighborhood of Ybor City two weeks after the main parade. Besides the three large parades, the city hosts many other community events during this time including the Gasparilla Film Festival, the Gasparilla Festival of the Arts, the Gasparilla Distance Classic, the Gasparilla Music Festival, the Gasparilla Bowl college football game, and a broad slate of other events that varies from year to year. Most of these events are not organized or officially sanctioned by the city or YMKG, which have only limited legal control of the Gasparilla name. Taken together, the events of Tampa’s Gasparilla Season have an estimated local economic impact of about $40 million.
The Dining and Entertainment suggestions that follow are broken down by areas within the City of Tampa, starting with the Downtown Area around the conference hotels, which consists of Water Street, Harbour Island, Sparkman’s Wharf. The next area is a short walk or water taxi up the river to Armature Works. From there Hyde Park Village is a short Uber ride west and is a fun place to spend a few hours checking out the shops. SOHO, short for South Howard, has an eclectic selection of restaurants. Even more it has a booming nightlife at the northern end of Howard Avenue. Finally, travel back in time with a visit to Ybor City for its Spanish culture, cigars and craft breweries.
I hope you enjoy all that the City of Tampa has to offer during your stay and hope to see you throughout the week!
Sincerely,
Scott B. Fairbairn, CCM, CCE General Manager Tampa Yacht & Country Club
Within Walking Distance From The Conference Hotels & Convention Center:
Downtown
Harbour Island
(just across the bridge from the Convention Center)
Both of these restaurants offer good food, ambience and the waterfront views are unbeatable.
• Jackson’s Bistro (www.jacksonsbistro.com)
• American Social (www.americansocialbar.com)
Water Street
(runs from the host hotels to the Aquarium)
• Boulon Brasserie (www.boulontampa.com)
Modern interpretations of French classics
• Lona (www.lonatampa.com)
Modern Mexican located inside the Marriott Water Street
• The Pearl (www.thepearlrestaurant.com)
Eclectic mix of scratch kitchen cuisine & oysters
• Predalina (www.predalina.com)
Modern Mediterranean cuisine
• Beacon Rooftop Lounge (www.beacontampa.com)
Top floor of the JW Marriott with small plates and a 360-view of the city.
Sparkman’s Wharf
(on Water Street, just before the Aquarium)
A short walk from the hotels and a fun place to explore. In addition to the restaurants below, this area features a fast casual dining garden with countless options.
(www.sparkmanwharf.com)
• Splitsville (www.splitsvillelanes.com). A perfect place to eat and bowl with a group
• The Battery (www.batterytpa.com)
Steaks, seafood and craft cocktails
• Jotoro Kitchen & Tequila Bar (www.jotoro.com)
Fine Mexican Provisions
Downtown Sports Bars and Nightlife
• Hattricks (www.hattrickstavern.com)
Worth the trip just to see the memorabilia on the walls
• Yard House (www.yardhouse.com) across the street from Amalie Arena
• Top Shelf Sports Lounge (www.topshelfsportslounge.com)
• Morgan’s Cove (www.morganscovetampa.com)
A pirate’s den where pirates like Mark Bado plunder
• Yeoman’s Cask & Lion (www.yeomanstopgolfswingsuite.com)
If a pub and Top Golf had a baby.
Harbour Island Water Street
Sparkman’s Wharf
Hattricks - Downtown
On the Edge of Downtown
but, worth the Uber
• Mise En Place (www.miseonline.com)
A Tampa classic that never disappoints for dinner
• Oxford Exchange (www.oxfordexchange.com)
Breakfast, Lunch and Afternoon Tea
• Olivia (www.oliviafl.com) Modern Italian
• Ponte Modern American (www.pontetampa.com)
Modern American with French and Italian influences
Armature Works
A 2-mile walk or Water Taxi ride up the Hillsborough River www.armatureworks.com
Features several bars, restaurants and shops, but here are the favorites:
• Steelbach (www.steelbach.com)
A southern inspired kitchen and chophouse
• Oak + Ola (www.oakandola.com)
• Ulele (www.ulele.com)
• M. Bird (www.mbirdtampa.com)
A rooftop bar with shareable small plates and a great view of the city.
Hyde Park Village
Stroll the shops and “see and be seen” just 2 miles from downtown www.hydeparkvillage.com
• Timpano (www.timpanohydepark)
Italian cuisine with vibrant nightlife
• Meat Market (www.meatmarket.net)
The place to go for steaks, but it’s not cheap
• On Swann (www.onswann.com)
Contemporary American Cuisine
• Forbici (www.eatforbici.com) Modern Italian
• Bar Taco (www.bartaco.com) Casual Taco Bar
South Howard Avenue (SOHO)
2.5 miles from the host hotel.
These restaurants are south of Swann Avenue. For the wild nightlife, cross Swann and head north on Howard Avenue.
• Bern’s Steak House (www.bernssteakhouse.com) A Tampa landmark since 1956
• Haven (www.haventampa.com)
Bern’s “little brother”
• Ava (www.avatampa.com)
Modern and Authentic Italian
• Elevage (www.epicureanhotel.com)
Bern’s “little sister”; Visit Edge, the rooftop bar
• Bulla Gastrobar (www.bullagastrobar.com)
Spanish tapas, and another cool rooftop bar.
Ybor City
2.5 miles from the host hotel
• Columbia Restaurant (www.columbiarestaurant.com) A Tampa icon since 1905
• Casa Santa Stefano (www.casasantostefano.com) Sicilian Cuisine
Hyde Park
Ybor City
Bern’s Steak House
M. Bird - Armature Works
