Wine review: Klinker Brick 2005 Farrah Syrah Lodi
Located southeast of Sacramento near California's eastern edge, the Lodi region isn't a romantic, sophisticated wine "country" (yet), but it's got the hip enviro-edge. Lodi is so serious about the health of its land, they formed a growers trade group, Lodi-Woodbridge Winegrape Commission (LWWC), which in 1992, laid down their environmental imperatives in a farming…
Ben and Jerry’s ice cream flavor contest
The last time they held an ice cream flavor creation contest, Ben & Jerry's received 40,000 entries. But for some reason, they're doing it again: Asking fans to concoct the company's next Fair Trade flavor for the "Do The World A Flavor" contest. The contest celebrates their newest Fair Trade flavor, Chocolate Macadamia, and Chief Euphoria Officer Walt…
Skincare products aren’t always as “natural” as they claim
“Ugh, my cuticles are dry!” my Canadian pipefitter boyfriend said over the phone, 3,000 miles away. “I think I need to moisturize.” He has the most rugged job out of anyone I know, and yet he moisturizes daily. Aveeno, he swears by it. “Now that you’re moisturizing, it makes me want to moisturize,” I said,…
Vin Diesel-powered excitement: Wheelman video game review
April has been the month of Vin Diesel in America. Why would have thought such a thing would ever come to pass in our lifetimes, but here it is. Many have apparently gone out an seen Fast And Furious, and aggressively mediocre, overly-digitized, woodenly-acted action movie that somehow made $120 million in just two weeks.…
Go Green at Work!
Don’t just be green at home, start a green routine at work, too. There are simple steps you can do right now to go green at work: Only print documents and emails when absolutely necessary. Consider keeping digital copies instead of paper copies. Use non-disposable utensils on your lunch break. Take a ceramic mug, reusable…
When you don’t really need to print, PDF instead
If you're like me and use the internet for pretty much everything you can, you'll find this application to be very satisfying! For all those online payment confirmations and web store receipts asking you to "print this page for your records," you can ease your green conscience. CutePDF will let you hit "print" without queueing…
You want me to do WHAT?
I read “What are the risks of hetersexual anal sex?’ By Cecil Adams 4.8.09 ,http://tampa.creativeloafing.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=683722, last week and it made me think back to my phone sex days. Most of the time my calls were pretty routine; what are you wearing, what do you look like, give me a blow job, that sort of thing. …
Karl Simon – Contributor
Karl Simon has earned a Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical Engineering from USF and currently works at a 3D rendering firm for home builders. In his spare time, he has started a home garden to grow his own organic fruits and vegetables, and even has names for all of his plants! He was drawn to write…
Heidi Lux – Contributor
Heidi Lux is a writer/comedienne with a BFA in drama from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. She studied and performed improvisational comedy at the Upright Citizens Brigade and Magnet Theatres in New York City. Her first feature length film, A Big Production, was produced her senior year of college. Currently, Miss Lux…
Top 10 Songs for a Rainy Ass Day
It's been raining all day, even before I woke up, making the already problematic feat of getting out of bed doubly difficult. The gray weather is making my brain cloudy and I'm having a hard time focusing on anything other than the soothing pitter-patter of drops on the Creative Loafing office's metal roof. (If it…
Alexa White – Contributor
Alexa has logged hours upon hours ogling the eco-smart, off-the-grid, modern houses featured in magazines like Dwell. Until she can find just such a residence to call her own, she's happy to help the environment in more apartment-friendly ways. Her favorite green activities include reducing energy consumption, finding ways to reuse materials, and recycling. email:…
Green Day video preview: “Know Your Enemy”
A heavily-pixelated sneek peek of the video for Green Day's new single, "Know Your Enemy," has leaked on YouTube. The music itself is pretty mediocre, and what's up with the basketball players? I never knew the grunge punk trio were sports fans.
Stuart Sternberg’s reaction to Rays’ B.J. Upton’s amazing over-the-shoulder catch from home opener [video]
Some time in the middle innings of last night's Rays home opener against the Yankees, communications director Chris Costello ambled by my spot in the press box and told me that owner Stuart Sternberg was doing an impromptu media session across the room. I hustled over and joined the throng; Stu answered questions but kept…
New on DVD: The Spirit & The Who
Comic fans continue to debate the merits of Frank Miller's The Spirit, which arrives today in a Blu-ray and two-disc DVD package. They say you never want to follow in the footsteps of a legend, and The Spirit largely proves this point by failing to live up to its predecessor, the much-beloved Sin City. Of…
Sharon Joy Kleitsch – Green Community Editor
Sharon Joy Kleitsch is a meta-networker, weaving local with global by sharing what’s emerging and what’s working. She inspires communities, organizations and individuals to partner “outside the box” in conversations that matter and actions that make a difference. A former Citigroup executive with a masters in spirituality, she applies the new sciences to large living…
Giveaways on Tax Day, April 15
P.F. Chang’s China Bistro offers a 15 percent discount off your total total bill on April 15th. Counts for both food and beverage. Participating mall-based Cinnabon franchises sweeten your Tax Day with free Cinnabon Bites on April 15 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. See details and enter their essay contest about how Cinnabon saved your day.…
Last night at Tropicana Field: Banners and a stomping
Tropicana Field got some nice new interior decorating last night: two pennant-shaped flags, simple blue letters on a white background, flying high in left field, guaranteed never to get weathered and never to flap in the breeze.They read: • AL East 2008 Champions • American League 2008 Champions (I would have liked to insert a…
Lemon-Mint Risotto recipe
Lemons always remind me of spring because of their sunny color and fresh flavor they add to food. I love to use lemon juice to add a bright citrusy flavor to dishes, and the zest shouldn't be wasted either — it packs a punch of flavor in just a small amount. Mint is also another…
New music releases Tuesday, April 14
A selection of CDs, EPs, LPs, Digital Releases, DVDs and Box Sets that dropped today. As I Lay Dying, This Is Who We Are DVD Box Set (Metal Blade) Beck, One Foot in the Grave 15th Anniversary Edition (Iliad Records) Bill Callahan, Sometimes I Wish We Were an Eagle (Drag City) The Boy Least Likely…
Do It Today: Bamboozle Road Show, the Florida Orchestra and more.
The month-long Bamboozle Roadshow lands at several locations across the country U.S., and makes its stop in St. Petersburg tonight. The bill spotlights up-and-coming bands that, for the most part, fall into the power pop-emo-rock realm. Bradenton's We The Kings (pictured) headline and Forever the Sickest Kids, The Cab, Never Shout Never and Mercy Mercedes…
Jessica McCormick – Contributor
Jessica has been a lean, mean, recycling machine since elementary school. She even started an individual recycling program at college, collecting plastics in her hall before the school even started a campus-wide plastic-recycling program. From simple steps to wacky ideas, she can get behind pretty much any method of living a greener lifestyle. email: witchy.mac@gmail.com
Rays couldn’t start much better
Kazmir gets the Yankees 1-2-3. Bottom first, Upton steals two bases, Crawford 1; Pena knocks them in with a double into the right centerfield gap; Pat Burrell knocks in Pena with a double into the left centerfield gap. 3-0, 1 out. Navarro gets an infield single and moves Burrell to third. Gabe Gross keeps fouling…
Quick update from Rays pregame
It's almost 6:15, about 35 minutes before the Tampa Bay Rays unveil their American League Championship flag and an hour before Scott Kazmir throws the first pitch in the Rays home opener against the NY Yankees. I've been hanging around since before 3, checking out batting practice and pregame interviews. Mostly fly-on-the-wall stuff. Fans were…
Late night music, April 13-18
A weekly bulletin on musical guests playing late night TV; set your TIVOs or DVRs, The Late Show with David Letterman, CBS Monday, April 13: A.C. Newman (pictured) with Nicole Atkins Tuesday, April 14: Yeah Yeah Yeahs Wednesday, April 15: Neko Case Thursday, April 16: Rascal Flatts The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, NBC Monday,…
Justin Goff – Contributor
Justin Goff loves anything to do with technology, and truly believes it can be a greater friend than foe to the planet. You might also catch him surfing the net on his laptop anywhere where the wi-fi will take him. An avid gamer, he needs to refocus on his degree in Information Technology at USF…
Carrie Webb – Contributor
My favorite color is green! The color green reminds me of the beauty of nature always putting me in a peaceful state of mind. I'm a positive, happy, fun-loving gal who is reducing her carbon foot-print by embracing a more simple and green lifestyle. I'm also a long-time foodie who enjoys and prefers natural ingredients. …
Yeah Yeah Yeahs play Zero, Maps on SNL [video]
Yeah Yeah Yeahs were the musical guests on Saturday Night Live this weekend. They played Zero, the single from their new album It's Blitz (reviewed here) and, rather strangely, an older song, Maps. Old but good at least. here's Zero: Watch Yeah Yeah Yeahs perform Maps below the jump:
Delicious introduction: Key Lime Pie recipe
Since moving far away from the Florida scene I find that certain tastes take me back to my home state, my roots and the people there. Pure and simple, this pie is one of the premiere staples of Sunshine State cuisine. I created the recipe for my stepfather several years ago in a quest to…
Making music with food: the Vegetable Orchestra
Brings a whole new meaning to "playing with your food."
Bacon sandwich cures hangover
Hell, we knew it already — bacon's salty, greasy deliciousness soothes a pounding head and oddly calms the jitters. But why? Someone wanted to know. England's Newcastle University found that bacon and bread salve a hangover by increasing the amines in your body. Read more in London's Telegraph. More tips for avoiding a hangover
MLB: An important first week for the Tampa Bay Rays
I realize that there is definitely a difference between the first week in April, and the last week in September (or even October). The Royals were in first place in the AL Central until April 14th a year ago before remembering they were the Royals and they needed to go ahead and pack it in. …
Wine review: Wild Rock 2008 Elevation Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough
From an innovative, fun-loving Wild Rock winery in the rugged hills of New Zealand comes a wine for spring if I've ever tasted one. They farm the grapes sustainably, taking care to be empathetic to the land. Smells and tastes like honeysuckle flowers dipped in honey but with a bracing backbone of tart grapefruit, lime and fresh green…
Can a jar of quarters guarantee good restaurant service?
We all want to have outstanding service when we go out to eat. In most cases, the service is more important than the food. However, unfortunately the service experience is completely out of control. Until now.
Do It Today: Home-Opener Series, Rays vs. Yankees.
By Eric Snider. Admit it, you’ve wondered: Was the Their starting pitchers have a year’s more experience, but they’re still young and spry. In fact, the team has a logjam in its pitching staff and may have to trade a guy they would sooner not trade. Leftfielder Carl Crawford (pictured) is over the injuries that…
Concert Review: Karla Bonoff’s embarrassing display
Last night, the Murray Studio Theater at Ruth Eckerd Hall hosted Karla Bonoff, a Ming vase wrapped in 18th century parchment flown in on gossamer wings. And here I thought she was just a singer/songwriter who had some middling success in the 1970s. Bonoff put on an embarrassing display of petulance in the first of…
American captain freed, three pirates killed
The pirate-hostage crisis came to a close off the coast of Somalia today, the rescue of Captain Richard Phillips ending an international crisis that has thrown new light on the increasing threat of high-seas piracy. Look for Phillips to have a blast of talk-show, magazine-cover fame not seen since the days of "Sully" Sullenberger. CBS…
Do It Today: Last chance to see Legally Blonde and Inishmore
LAST CHANCES: Final performances of The Lieutenant of Inishmore at Jobsite (4 p.m., TBPAC) and Legally Blonde The Musical (3 p.m., Ruth Eckerd Hall). Closing day for It’s a Dog’s Life: Photographs by William Wegman from the Polaroid Collection at Leepa-Ratner and Albrecht Dürer: Art in Transition at the Museum of Fine Arts. Spring Plant…
Concerts at Rays games announced
Ruth Eckerd Hall On The Road presents the entertainment for the Summer Concert Series for select Tampa Bay Rays home games. The schedule begins May 30 with the first concert of the series to be announced shortly. The remainder of the concert schedule continues Saturday, June 13 with Grammy Award-winner Ludacris and concludes Saturday, September…
Mind Your Own Big Business
Los Angeles Sludge-metal gods Big Business wear their name well. They deliver a big, low-end, rumble your guts sound, and obviously mean business while doing it. It’s to be expected considering that bassist/singer Jared Warren and former Murder City Devil, drummer Coady Willis, are also members in a band called The Melvins. Maybe you’ve heard…
Green thumbs unite! Spring plant festival April 11 & 12
We’re now a few weeks into spring, so if you like plants and flowers this is your season. And if you really like plants and flowers, this is your weekend: The USF Botanical Gardens, 4202 E. Fowler Ave. near Fowler and 30th Street, is holding its Spring Plant Festival this Saturday and Sunday. The USF…
So, you want to go to a fetish party…
Recently, I've been getting a lot of questions about exploring the lifestyle and approaching fem doms. So, take to your desks, students – here are the answers. If you've never been to a public play party, but always wanted to go, the idea of walking into a club dressed in your best probably fills you…
Nick Truden – Contributor
Nick has been living in the Central Florida area for 25 years. His theme song is "Ms. Jackson" from OutKast. In his opinion, Kostritzer is the finest beer ever to be brewed. Nick lives vicariously through Anthony Bourdain's travels and in between graphic design, losing Tupperware and the perpetual search for the sublime Chicken Korma…
Three spring fashion trends for women on a budget
Fashion/beauty contributor Kim Colvin hips you to some hot new looks: Spring 2009 women's fashions have been to the rainbow and back in bold primary hues of Skittles. It's all about vibrancy and loose-fitting silhouettes. But who's really thinking about revamping their wardrobe during the worst economic slump in decades? Uh, you are, of course.…
Artsqueeze Weekend Roundup, Apr. 10-11
Intersect at C. Emerson Fine Arts features celluloid sculptures by Gulfport artist Nancy Cervenka. Image courtesy CEFA. Friday 7-10 p.m. – Opening reception for Pompous Circumstance, the USF Senior Thesis BFA Exhibition, at the West Tampa Center for the Arts. 7-9 p.m. – [5]art opens in conjunction with Pompous Circumstance at the WTCA. Current show:…
All Hail the Ale : Beer and cheese pairing this Saturday at Datz Deli
Tomorrow (Saturday the 11th) at Datz Deli — All Hail the Ale — a celebration of the world's best beers matched with fine cheeses. $25 per person includes 5 ounce pours and commemorative glassware. 4 pm- 7pm. 2616 MacDill Ave. Call (813) 831-7000 or email dixon@datzdeli to reserve your spot. Here's the pairing lineup :…
Watchmen DVD giveaway
No, not the feature film, which doesn't have a DVD release date yet. Instead, we're giving away both the Tales of the Black Freighter and Watchmen: The Complete Motion Comic DVDs. All you have to do is go to our Free and Fun page and sign up. A winner will be selected on Wed., April…
Concert Review: “Boogie” Bob Seeley @ the Palladium
My men's league basketball game ran into overtime, so I arrived at the Palladium's Side Door club just in time for boogie-woogie piano master Bob Seeley to go on break. I was surprised, and pleased, to see a sell-out crowd of 150 lingering around the tables, the crowd made up mostly of retirees. Seeley, based…
New concert announcement: Bon Iver at State Theatre
Got an email from State Media with their updated concert announcements and I literally gasped aloud when I saw that Bon Iver (the moniker of Wisconsin singer/songwriter Justin Vernon) will be making his way down to FLA before hitting Bonarroo, and will play State Theatre Wednesday, June 10. Bon Iver's stunning, austerely beautiful For Emma…
Wine review: Hess 2006 Allomi Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon
Occasionally a wine surprises me. But when an entire winery makes a turnaround, I take notice. Take Hess Collection. I'm absolutely bored with Napa where Hess hails from, so honestly, I haven't given them a look in years. But recently, Dave Guffy, winemaker for Hess Collection, came to town and changed my mind. Guffy has…
Do It This Weekend: House tour, spring plants and last chance to see six great shows
When one door closes, another door opens, the saying goes — not an inappropriate sentiment for Easter weekend. It's especially apt this year — because, as it happens, a number of art exhibitions and stage productions have their final shows this weekend. And speaking of doors, you can see what's behind the ones in Historic…
My first time fisting and filming
*Warning!* If the idea of chubby people and sex makes you want to bleach your eyes, don't read any further. Up until recently, two things I could say I had never done in the sack were filming and fisting. The latter tends to surprise people. Now that the deed is done, the people who know…
Poet’s Notebook: Jellybeans, God and John Updike
To think of you brings tears less caustic than those the thought of death brings. Perhaps we meet our heaven at the start and not the end of life. —John Updike, from "Peggy Lutz, Fred Muth" (2009) At Easter our family turned toward jellybeans. We also had baskets with colored eggs, chocolate rabbits and, sometimes,…
Green Community Contributors
Katie Machol – Editor I am a recent graduate of the International Culinary School at the Art Institute of Tampa. My previous culinary work experience includes working in a banquet kitchen and at Marchand's at the Renaissance Vinoy, as well as the former Tastings wine bar, in downtown St. Petersburg. Currently, I am a food…
Lightning round with Led Zeppelin, ancient mysteries and sex on the brain
Here’s the book-review equivalent of the lightning round. Short takes on a lot of great new books. Any Led Zeppelin fan who’s ever seen The Song Remains the Same remembers the story of the band’s $203,000 stash cash from their hotel. In Black Dogs (Three Rivers Press, $13.95), author Jason Buhrmester imagines what might have…
Go Trek yourself
As part of the hype for J.J. Abram's Star trek re-boot, Paramount Pictures has launched a website where you can Trek-ify a picture of yourself. Kinda-sorta entertaining. Probably not as cool as having Optimus Prime or Mitt Romney call your friends, but not that far off either. As an added convenience, the site will allow…
Sex in the Shadows, Vol. 2: Suicide Betty
The second installment of Michael Troy's new blog: Suicide Betty, who we called Miami Betty until she killed herself, was a young woman whose life had been filled with bad luck. She was a beauty — part Seminole Indian, part Cuban, part white trash — who already looked considerably older than her 22 years. She’d…
Grilled New York strip steak with Argentinian chimichurri recipe
I was in another Latin mood last week when I decided to make this recipe. I had a taste in my mouth for that combination of vinegar, olive oil, garlic and fresh herbs that chimichurri possesses and was simply looking for an excuse to make it, and a vehicle on which to consume it. Chimichurri…
Mark-recapture – a poem
Her mark was unmistakable, like a lightning scarred tree – in the middle of a dessert. How'd you get here? Tattered and weary like the fake smile that obviously followed her from somewhere else. Unmistakably not indigenous. She was tethered to another realm by unseen codes that shortened her reach yet somehow were able to…
Preview for Mike Judge’s Office Space-like movie Extract
Director Mike Judge is heading back into Office Space territory with Extract, a new comedy set largely in a factory. This preview landed online today, and from it we can glean 1. Ben Affleck's haircut is a riot, 2. Jason Bateman & Kristen Wiig could be couple of the year, 3. Mila Kunis keeps getting…
Concert review: Iron Maiden in Ft. Lauderdale
The good news: if you couldn't make it to Fort Lauderdale last Thursday for the first Iron Maiden show in Florida since '95, frontman Bruce Dickinson swore up and down multiple times Maiden would return to our state in 2011. The bad news: the classic Powerslave-era stage decor and the old-songs-only mantra of the Somewhere Back In Time…
Oops, Britney does it again, mother f**ers!
It's not as buzzworthy as her wardrobe malfunction in Tampa, but ya gotta hand it to our gal Brit — she knows how to go viral. And who knew she was going to turn into an anti-weed crusader? And "rock with your cocks out?" What does that even mean? Check the video from the close…
Easter brunch meals in Tampa Bay
If you're an orphan, non-religious or just plain hungry this Sunday morning, check out the plethora of options for good eats: Gallagher's Steakhouse in Channelside has a three-course brunch menu for $26.95/pp. 11 a.m. – 2 :30 p.m. The Noho Bistro in West Tampa presents a brunch buffet for $24.95/pp. 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Yacht Starship…
Local milkmaids produce fresh, delicious milk for Tampa Bay
In my travels in the rural parts of our counties, I meet all kinds. Among them are two ladies that have reached back to their roots to do something even I didn't think was still going on. Thank God they are! Pam Lunn started Dancing Goat after losing her job and we're the beneficiaries of her efforts.…
Jorge Ordonez: The guy who introduced Spanish wines to America
Couched comfortably in the luxury of the stunning new Ocean Prime restaurant, I recently sat down with famed Spanish wine importer and merchant Jorge Ordonez. He's a very influential man in the wine world and here's why: He single-handedly reintroduced Spanish wines to the U.S.In the 1980's, Spanish vino tasted little better than low quality…
Desperation finds a home: Craigslist’s casual encounters
Craigslist personals ads are clearly the future of mating. Admit it, some of those cell phone shots of dudes spreading their cheeks in the mirror are of you. Being the virtually promiscuous young man that I am, I not only browse the personals for my own entertainment, I post absurd ads under the "Casual Encounters"…
Do It Today: Green St. Pete, Boogie Woogie Blues and Last-Chance Sideshow
Last Chance: Sideshow with Postage Due. Lori Ballard's mixed-media circus sideshow banners are hugely compelling and Steve Smith's "anti-stamp" prints are both witty and artful — all in all, a small show that packs a big visual wallop, and today's your last day to see it. 10 a.m.-4 p.m., HCC-Ybor Art Gallery Ybor Performing Arts…
Legatto Staccato “Lemonjello’s Birthday” (Download)
Improvisational collective Legatto Staccato has released an exclusive new track entitled "Lemonjello's Birthday" recorded sometime last year at the International Academy of Design and Technology in Tampa. This recording is an excerpt from a half-hour session the band recorded using drums, bass, guitar, saxophone, percussion and various analog sound effects (including assorted balloons and toys). No word yet…
Earth Day on April 22: What’s happening?
It has been almost 30 years since the first annual Earth Day celebration kicked off in the U.S. on its annual April 22nd date. It seems as every year passes, more and more people are "going green" with more readily available educational classes/workshops, consumer products, and organic foods to help them on their quest of…
Must-see this Friday: Ratatat at The Ritz Ybor
I've been listening to of guitarist Mike Stroud and multi-instrumentalist/producer/synth extrordinaire Evan Mast — produce some top notch rocktronica and have released three solid full-length albums on XL Recordings — Ratatat (2004), Classics (2006) and LP3 (2008). The duo's sound is mostly instrumental, save for when they're remixing someone else's song (like their sick redux…
Free lunchtime beer and cider tasting Thursday
This week's free beer sampling is set for Thursday the 9th from 11am until 2pm. Stop by Datz Deli for lunch and enjoy free samples of Samuel Smith's Organic Cider, Southampton India Pale Ale, and a variety of brews from Green's Gluten Free Beer. And don't forget, this Saturday, Datz presents All Hail the Ale,…
LGBT good news, bad news: Vermont, Iraq, Susan Stanton
Sometimes the headlines can make your LGBT head spin. Take the front page of today's New York Times print edition, where there were two major stories about gay issues, both above the fold. The good news: the Vermont state legislature's override of Gov. Jim Douglas' gay marriage veto. The bad: Openly gay Iraqis are being…
Album review: Justin Townes Earle, Midnight at the Movies
This review comes courtesy of Autopsy IV. When Justin Townes Earle's debut, The Good Life, came out, I didn't pay it hardly any mind. Months later, when I finally got around to listening to it, I wasn't really expecting anything special. My what a difference an album makes. Don't let my tardiness in discovering Earle…
Chmura’s retro-futuristic fashions at Czar
I became a fan of Tampa-based fashion designer Ben Chmura after seeing his work at Dirty But Sophisticated 4. (He was also featured in last summer’s installment of Wearable Art at the Dunedin Fine Art Center.) Chmura describes his design aesthetic as “retro-futuristic” and lately has been incorporating the influence of ancient global cultures into…
Food, wine and beer events
Wednesday, Apr. 8: ABC Fine Wine and Spirits Join wine lovers and experts at this tasting and sample from dozens of wine selections. Each guest will receive a souvenir wine glass and a coupon for $5 any purchase that night. $10. 6-8 p.m., 14248 US Hwy 19 N., Hudson (727-869-3003) Wednesday, Apr. 8: Whole Foods…
The Real Story on the Food Safety Bill
During the last 20 years it wasn't just the banking industry that got de-regulated. The field of industrial agricultural was also operating without necessary safety oversight and thousands of Americans have been poisoned by tainted beef, peanuts, lettuce, almonds and spinach as a result. HR 875 is a bill attempting to ensure greater food safety,…
Sarah Howard – Contributor
After moving to San Francisco (food & wine heaven!) from the bay area two years ago. Her culinary interests appeared at an early age with a favorite peanut butter cookie recipe that still pleases today. Growing up in the kitchen with a food-savvy family helped to heighten a love of classic home style dishes turned…
Parkesdale Farms Market in Plant City: Buy local, save money!
Have you been to the grocery store lately and seen the prices on produce these days? No wonder why people don't want to buy fresh food that's actually good for them, when they can save a buck by buying processed, pre-packaged food that is full of chemicals and fake ingredients. It's also dejecting to think…
Kosher wines for Passover
There's good news for the approaching Jewish high holies. In the last 20 or so years, new kosher producers have emerged to take on the granddaddy of disgusting, syrupy kosher wine, Manischewitz, by expanding varietal choices and delivering juice even the nonreligious might deign to consume… even enjoy.
Do It Today: Ancient epic, Indian dance and haircuts for a cause
Gilgamesh Teaser from Sarah Wilson on Vimeo. Gilgamesh. How do you stage a 4,000-year-old Mesopotamian epic in a way that resonates for a 2009 audience? With dance, puppets, ingenious set design and a director who knows her way around ancient text, that's how. Izumi Ashizawa, a visiting professor at USF's School of Theatre and Dance,…
Fast and Furious
Arguably, there's something poignant in the sight (you couldn't say "spectacle") of Vin Diesel delivering the American fantasy of muscle-car omnipotence just as Detroit is being stretchered into the ICU. Inarguably, this fourth entry in the franchise that began with The Fast and the Furious (2001) is a bloated, incoherent, 147-minute snooze. For what it's…
Green Community Events
AUGUST Fresh Markets and More at Seminole Mall- Every Thursday-Sunday; 9 am-3 pm. Fresh Markets and More is a fun-filled celebration of the world’s most popular culinary ingredients along with a selection of unique arts and crafts all located in the air conditioned corridors of the Seminole Mall. Featuring multicultural foods, fresh produce, prepared foods,…
Tuscany’s new world of wine
Lately, and I have no idea why, all things Italian intrigue me. It's a passionate country with rich history and a population who adores food. What's not to like? But their complicated (and archaic) wine laws confound me. Grape varieties number in the thousands. Wine can be labeled by region or grape variety, making it…
New albums from Neko Case, Raul Malo, Lucky Thompson and more.
Reviews of new CDs in pop, rock, country and jazz.By Eric Snider
Wine review: Hess 2006 Allomi Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon
Occasionally a wine surprises me. But when an entire winery makes a turnaround, I take notice. Take Hess Collection. I’m absolutely bored with Napa where Hess hails from, so honestly, I haven’t given them a look in years. But recently, Dave Guffy, winemaker for Hess Collection, came to town and changed my mind. Guffy has…
Kosher wines for Passover
There’s good news for the approaching Jewish high holies. In the last 20 or so years, new kosher producers have emerged to take on the granddaddy of disgusting, syrupy kosher wine, Manischewitz, by expanding varietal choices and delivering juice even the nonreligious might deign to consume… even enjoy. Contrary to some beliefs, kosher wines are…
Student art shows Closure and Pompous Circumstance at USF
Toward the end of spring, local colleges and universities observe a right of passage: the student art show. What such exhibitions lack, at times, in craft or sophistication, they make up for in exuberance. (On the other hand, sometimes they are dazzling displays of craft and sophistication.) Check out the following shows for a glimpse…
Is Tampa mayor Pam Iorio stepping down?
Shrinking the Everglades deal: It started out as a mammoth, billion-dollar plan to buy out Everglades polluter U.S. Sugar and restore its farmlands to help heal the river of grass (shown here in the current drought near Boca Raton), which was nearly destroyed because of fertlizer-rich runoff. But the recession and flagging tax revenues are…
Straight Dope: How can I avoid getting old?
With modern medicine and hygiene and diet, we've extended life expectancy far beyond what it's ever been. Yet we all still get old and die. Few make it past 80 or 90 years, and almost nobody makes it past 100. Is there any real hope of something that could allow humans to stop or slow…
Savage Love: Swim fin fetish
The two things that I dig most on a woman are a nice big pair of … swim fins. There is a small subculture devoted to scuba fetishism on the Internet, but it's a total sausage/snorkel fest. One day, I'm heading somewhere tropical like Hawaii, where I hope to meet scuba divas. Until then, what…
Fly to The Nest, Tampa’s newest Tapas restaurant
Ybor’s new tapas joint is worth two in the bush.
Movie Adventureland finds charm in the mysteries of Pittsburgh
Flashing back to the '80s, Adventureland sets up tension between Falco and Lou Reed to convey the crossroads facing its young heroes. The charming coming-of-age comedy primarily takes place at Pittsburgh's seedy Adventureland amusement park, where "Rock Me Amadeus" plays incessantly on loudspeakers like a form of psychological warfare. For the park's overeducated, underemployed summer…
Keeping up with the Sarasota restaurant scene
It's been a while since I pimped the Sarasota dining scene — mainly because the economy has stalled our neighbor to the south more than it has the Bay area. But there are two new and one old restaurant down I-75 that are worth the visit, whether you're in the area or make a special…
Gorilla Theater’s play Elizabeth and Edward is well-intentioned but jumbled.
Aubrey Hampton's Elizabeth and Edward is an ambitious if not very convincing attempt to demonstrate that Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford, was the real author of the plays of William Shakespeare. Employing a wide range of characters in a series of disjointed scenes, Hampton puts on stage not only Edward and the hapless…
Tampa Bay band Beanstalk sprouts again
After nine years apart, the band goes Old School.
Savage Love: Seeking sex online can be hazardous to your health
I hope you address the recent rough-play-gone-bad death of New York City radio newsman George Weber. According to reports, it appears Weber met a guy on Craigslist for "violent sex," and the guy stabbed Weber to death. It's a reminder that if you have these kinds of fantasies — Weber wanted to be bound and…
Jorge Ordonez: The guy who introduced Spanish wines to America
Couched comfortably in the luxury of the stunning new Ocean Prime restaurant, I recently sat down with famed Spanish wine importer and merchant Jorge Ordonez. He’s a very influential man in the wine world and here’s why: He single-handedly reintroduced Spanish wines to the U.S.In the 1980’s, Spanish vino tasted little better than low quality…
Unbelieveable Transformations is Moving Sculpture
A new Polk Museum exhibit plays tricks with our perceptions.
What are the risks of heterosexual anal sex?
What are the risks of anal sex if the partners are heterosexual and monogamous? Could one contract some disease? And if so, how bad is it? —guerita2kool Anal sex, eh? Well, I suppose anything beats another round of Gilmore Girls reruns. But let's get one basic concept on the table right away. While there's no…
Beer Store Roundup: Whole Foods on Dale Mabry
Everyone knows Whole Foods on Dale Mabry is the place to be for high quality food and beverages. My favorite thing about the beer section, besides the fact that it’s located directly across from the massive cheese cooler, is the presentation. The way the beers are grouped together tells a story, and seeing all those…
Tournament of Tacos Critic’s Bracket: And the winner is … La Cabana Del Tio
A Taco Tournament champion is declared.
Dennis Miller: The HBO Specials
It’s a shame what’s happened to Dennis Miller’s career. After graduating from Saturday Night Live’s “Weekend Update” anchor chair, Miller went on to fame and fortune with some killer HBO specials, crappy movie work (Disclosure, The Net, Bordello of Blood), a weekly TV show (Dennis Miller Live), and a memorable stint from 2000-2002 in the…
No Country For Old Men (Blu-ray)
The Coen Brothers’ dark, new-fangled Western starring Josh Brolin, Tommy Lee Jones and Javier Bardem’s haircut finally gets the deluxe treatment with a three-disc DVD and two-disc Blu-ray package. Originally released last year lacking suitable extras, No Country is done up right this time, with about five hours of bonus material. In addition to the…
Is light rail finally coming to Tampa?
If you had told me even one year ago that the Hillsborough County Commission would vote unanimously to start the process of putting a 1-cent sales tax on the 2010 ballot to build a light-rail transit system, I would have laughed in your face. But I'm not laughing today. Because that is exactly what the…
Observe and report
I've observed this Seth Rogen comedy, and I can report that it's not very good. Rogen had a pretty funny bit in Superbad as a jolly, hard-partying cop who had trouble staying inside the law himself, but that was a relatively fresh idea. This mean-spirited comedy by Jody Hill (also known for the overpraised The…
The Spirit
Comic fans continue to debate the merits of Frank Miller's The Spirit, which arrived in a Blu-ray and two-disc DVD package on April 14. They say you never want to follow in the footsteps of a legend, and The Spirit largely proves this point by failing to live up to its predecessor, the much-beloved Sin…
The Lieutenant of Inishmore is bloody good
Jobsite told us the play would be full of gore. They weren’t lying.
Hall & Oates play Ruth Eckerd Hall
They don't often get mentioned in the pantheon of important rock acts — and many critics dismiss them as trite — but Daryl Hall & John Oates made a significant imprint on two decades of pop (the '70s and, especially, '80s) and remain one of my personal favorites. Their impressive book of songs ranges in…
From China with love: Contemporary Chinese Photography at the Florida Museum of Photographic Arts
A moving collection of photographs at Florida Museum of Photographic Arts.
The Who: Maximum R&B Live
Music fans rejoyce with the release of The Who Maximum R&B. Actually a re-release (it's been available on DVD and VHS for decades), Maximum R&B is a greatest-hits package of live Who footage spanning 30 year. This new release earns it's keep by featuring a re-editing version of the original feature and adding a second…
Chain restaurant wine lists lack diversity
Although many foodies deny it, we all eat at chains, occasionally … in dark times … perhaps forced when the in-laws visit. I confess an occasional hankering for the divine Saucy Shrimp at Bonefish Grill or the crack-laced lettuce wraps at PF Chang's. I need a drink to drown my guilty pleasures, but one thing…
Looking back at Sensory Overload: Scholarship winners & event highlights
Urban Exploration from Thomas Pregiato on Vimeo. I left for a week's vacation right after Creative Loafing's spectacular Mar. 28 party, Sensory Overload 4.0. But I didn't want to let too much time pass without congratulating the winners of the two $1,000 scholarships we presented to student artists. A panel of arts professionals chose one…
Late Night Music, April 6-11: the Rerun Edition Vol. II
A weekly bulletin on musical guests playing the five-nights-a-week late night talk shows (and SNL); set your TIVOs or DVRs, if you haven't already seen them… The Late Show with David Letterman, CBS Monday, April 6: Razorlight (original air date 03/11) Tuesday, April 7: Cursive (03/13) Wednesday, April 8: Bell X1 (03/17) Friday, April 10:…
Mise en Place dessert deal
In celebration of their new dessert menu (lloooonnnnggg in coming, I might add), Mise en Place in downtown Tampa is giving away a free 1.5-ounce glass of dessert wine when you buy one of their latest creations. Some sweet standards remain, like the Chocolate Pecan Toffee Mousse, but the Dulce de Leche Pot de Creme…
Sake primer
I often think of sake as the forgotten wine. We are often so preoccupied with fruit based wines that we ignore the shadow world of wines made by fermenting rice; and, of course, we stereotype all sake by the "jet fuel" tasting hot sake we order at sushi restaurants. Generally speaking, hot sake's pecking order is…
