Best of the Bay 2019 Arts & Entertainment: Our readers and critics pick the best in local theater, poets, museums and so much more.
Critics' Picks
Best New Tech In An Art Museum
Best Neighborhood Haunted House
Best Play That Would Have Made You Think Had You Bothered To See It
Best Maybe The World Is Going To Shit But This Play Makes You Forget
Best Show Coated In Behr’s English Daisy
Best Theatrical One-Man “Band”
Best Art Exhibit That Punched You In The Gut
Best 50- Year Anniversary Art Show
Best Human Photography For A Cause
Best Pet Photography For A Cause
Readers' Picks
Best Book By A Local Author Published In The Last 12 Months
Best Gallery (Non-Museum) Show
Best Small Concert Venue (Under 2,000 Capacity)
See all winners from Best of the Bay 2019.
Best of the Bay 2019 Food & Drink: Our critics and readers pick all the best things that made their mouths water in 2019.
Critics' Picks
Best Local Nutrition Counseling
Best Expensive Gourmet Food Located On The Surface Of The Sun
Best Drink That Comes With A Show
Best Highly-Anticipated Opening
Best Surprise Secret Ingredient
Best Whiskey Playground Weekend
Best Budget Tour Of Asian Cuisine
Best Place To Eat With Your Hands
Best Date Night You Probably Forgot About
Best Guiltless Guilty Pleasure
Best Unofficial CL Staff Breakroom
Best Sunset Views With Drink In Hand
Readers' Picks
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE READER'S PICK IN A SLIDESHOW
Best All-Around Restaurant
Best Bagels
Best Greek Restaurant
Best Grilled Cheese
Best Ice Cream/Gelato/Frozen Yogurt
Best Local Foodie Instagram Account
Best Middle Eastern Restaurant
Best Neighborhood Bar, Hillsborough
Best Neighborhood Bar, Pinellas
Best New Brewery, Hillsborough
Best Seminole Heights Restaurant
Best Vegetarian/Vegan Restaurant
See all winners from Best of the Bay 2019.
Best of the Bay 2019 Goods & Services: Our critics and readers pick the best goods and services in Tampa Bay.
Critics' Picks
Best Inclusive Volunteer Initiative
Best Yogi To Get Your Mind And Body Right For The Weekend
Best County Bureaucracy Customer Service
Best Escape From The Ybor City Bustle
Best This Is Why We Can Have Nice Things
Best Way To Riverwalk Without Any Effort
(Still) The Best Handyman In Ybor City
Best Place To Feel Like A Kid Again While Getting Your Sweat On
Readers' Picks
Best Clothing Boutique (Women)
Best Doctor For A Nip And Tuck
Best Local Wedding Planning Company
Best Locally Owned Business You Wish Hadn’t Gone Out Of Business (In The Last 12 Months)
See all winners from Best of the Bay 2019.
Best of the Bay 2019 Music: Our readers and critics pick the best songwriters, rock and rollers, clubs, DJs and more.
Critics' Picks
Best Reminder That Record Stores Rock
Best Kool Reaction To A Shit Situation
Best Literally Underground Music Showcase
Best Reason To Believe In Tampa Bay Hip-Hop
Best Reason To Buy A Show Poster
Best Bi-Coastal Reps For Tampa Bay Hip-Hop
Best Family Friendly ‘Dick’s Picks’
Best Safe Haven For Songwriters
Best St. Pete Music-Scene Playground
Best Reason To Rep ‘Clearwater’
Best Big Ambition In Tiny Tampa
Best Living Legend Being Normal Like Us
Best Undersung Champion Of Composers’ Dreams
Best Don't Even Try To Make It Trendy
Readers' Picks
Best Concert In The Last 12 Months
Best Large Concert Venue (2,000-Plus Capacity)
Best Local Metal/Hardcore Band (Original)
Best Local Music School (Institutional/Academic)
Best Local Music School (Non-Academic)
Best Local Rock Band (Original)
Best Local Roots/Alt-Country Act (Original)
Readers’ Pick Best Release By A Local Band
See all winners from Best of the Bay 2019.
Best of the Bay 2019 People, Places and Politics: Our critics and readers pick the best — and shittiest — people, places and politicians of the last year.
Critics' Picks
Best Holy Shit Maybe It All Isn’t A Dumpster Fire
Best Pay No Attention To What’s Behind The Curtain
Best Well, At Least We Had Fun When We Thought We Had Hope
Best Set Yourself On Fire Instead, Bitch
Best “Fuck You” To Oil Companies
Best Truly Inclusive Tattoo Experience
Best We’re Going To Miss You For A Long Damn Time
Best The Air Force Actually Does Have To Hold A Bake Sale
Best Painfully Elongated Construction
Best Reason To Bum Your Mom’s Tampa Bay Times Login
Best Guy Who Found His Dream Job
Best More Inspiring Than The Women’s World Cup
Best Clearwater Community Activist
Readers' Picks
Best City: Tampa, St. Pete Or Clearwater?
Best Environmental Organization
Best Local Afternoon Radio Show
Best Local College Or University
Best Local Personality To Follow On Twitter
Best Local Up-And-Coming Radio Personality
Best Neighborhood, Hillsborough
Best Place To Instagram A Selfie
Best Skate Spot That’s Not A Skatepark
See all winners from Best of the Bay 2019.
Aaron Burkett
And he’s still one of the busiest, too. Burkett’s been handling Ybor City and Heights area jobs of pretty much every size longer than most of us have been in steady relationships. The quality of the work, reasonable prices and trustworthiness are exactly why you’ll want to get on his calendar once you know that a job outside of your own ability needs to be handled. [email protected]
See all winners from Best of the Bay 2019.
Couple Arrested Having Sex Outside O’maddy’s
When the Gulfport police arrested a St. Petersburg firefighter for having sex with a woman — consensual sex, on his own car, nonetheless — part of us died inside. Sure, public intoxication is a crime, we guess, but sweet Jesus, in this era of #metoo can we not just appreciate a grown woman and a grown man getting carried away in the most consensual way possible without ending a career? All you need is love, and, well, there but for the grace of god go I, amirite, readers?
See all winners from Best of the Bay 2019.
Hillsborough Community College
Hillsborough Community College celebrated its 50-year Anniversary, and to commemorate it, HCC the Ybor and HCC campus gallery curators teamed up for one hell of an anniversary art show. The really awesome thing about this collaboration is that the college expanded its permanent art collection in the process, ensuring that HCC students and the greater Tampa Bay area will have access to quality locally-made artwork for years to come.
See all winners from Best of the Bay 2019.
Winner: Grain and Berry, grainandberry.com
Second Place: Nékter Juice Bar, nekterjuicebar.com
Runner Up: Escape Root Juicery, facebook.com/escaperootjuicery
See all winners from Best of the Bay 2019.
Winner: Jorge Diaz
Second Place: Harold Oehler
Runner Up: Matthew McGee matthewmcgee.org
See all winners from Best of the Bay 2019.
