Culinary Events
Below is a listing of classes and events that bolster your cuisine expertise and offer tasty experiences. If you have info you'd like to share with Planet readers, please write to Culinary Events, Weekly Planet, 1310 E. Ninth Ave., Tampa, FL 33603. Or e-mail julie@weeklyplanet.com. Chef Antoine Louro, of Chateau France, a St. Petersburg French…
Soundboard
Thursday, Jan. 10 AJ's Ale House Dr. Do-Little Alley Cat's Cafe Diane Beach Place Soulyard Billy G'Z Baby Huey Band Bourbon Street Beet's Jam Carlie's Edge Water Band Chase Club Derrick Williams Dave's Aqua Lounge Eddie Wright Famous Cigars Jazz Lounge Chuck Drake Fox and Hounds Irish Pub Jack McGuire Frenchy's Rockaway Grill Rhodeside Gasoline…
Corkscrew: The Match Game
Performance anxiety has gripped every soul who has ever been assigned the wine list. Tension builds as one guest wants salmon, another chooses steak, the other — tofu. Nervous sweat beads on your forehead. The eager party awaits your choice of the perfect bottle of wine, the wine to end all wines, the one that…
Ham I Am
Sean Penn gives Dustin Hoffman a run for his money, offering up a respectable Rain Man routine in the otherwise unremarkable I Am Sam. Penn's got it all down — the flattened, staccato rhythms of the autistic voice, the awkward, uncertain gestures, the whole body language — and director Jessie Nelson does her best to…
Music Menu
Robert Cray w/Eric Bibb Yeah, we were so psyched about Cray coming to town that we ran his blurb last week. What can we say? He's a strong persuader. Adventurous, soulful, pop-friendly blues from a master player. Opener Eric Bibb blends his folk-blues with a dash of country twang, and a lot of gospel soul.…
Letters
A Test for Trustees Re: "A Lesson in Self-interest" by Susan Edwards (Dec. 27-Jan. 2) Thank you for your superb editorial on the Al-Arian fiasco. I'd like to have everyone with an IQ over 100 read it (and the Board of Trustees)! Nancy Jane Tyson Past President USF Faculty Senate Associate Professor of English ……
A Safe Haven
Seventy-two-year-old Dolores Castaldo presses her palms against her eyes and takes a deep breath. She is bracing to tell about the moment she saw the pit bulls attack her grown son, Sal, in St. Petersburg. "He has a chronic brain disorder, you see, and yet he had to live alone because that"s the way community-based…
If You Go to Sarasota …
Two prize-winning plays are currently showing in Sarasota. One, a Tony award winner, is an impressive work of writing and acting. The other, which won the Pulitzer Prize, is surprisingly mundane, in spite of some fine performances: Speak, Memory. Maybe the purpose of family is to baffle us permanently. Consider Charlie Tynan and his father,…
Taxi Stand
Five hacks have gone into the taxicab business for themselves. All it took was each driver coming up with $2,200 and an automobile — and putting up with a lot of grief from Tampa's dominant taxi providers. Cabbie-owned taxi companies have come and gone in Tampa. The most recent, Executive Taxi, drove off into the…
Web Site of the Week
Turn Off the Internet
Dining Guide
HILLSBOROUGH Brandon Bec's, 147 E. Bloomingdale Ave. (813-662-3000). Grab-n-go morning drivers will love the palmlettes, calzone-like breakfast sandwiches stuffed with delicious combos of eggs, meat, cheeses and veggies. For brunch, try baked egg souffles with a variety of meats, cheeses and veggies. Lox and bagel lovers will appreciate the generous Nova platter. For lunch, try…
Outtakes
Ali (R) Sitting through all two-and-a-half hours of director Michael Mann's Ali is a lot like being locked in a small room with a feisty 8-year-old with Attention Deficit Disorder. Between the jittery, distracted style-gymnastics and a storyline that flits willy-nilly from one event to another, Ali gives us a scattershot picture, at best, of…
Law & Disorder
Jail4Judges, a political activist group headquartered in California, has deemed Pinellas County ground zero for its nationwide campaign, due to alleged corruption within the government and judicial system. A Jail4Judges national rally, a kickoff for J.A.I.L. (Judicial Accountability Initiative Law) takes place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the steps of the Old Pinellas…
Public Life
Living Fully in Fearful Times Sunday, Jan. 13 Noon-2 p.m. Dr. Warren Clark leads this free workshop at the First United Church of Tampa, pointing out opportunities for personal and social growth in times of danger. Topics include practices to help people live more deeply in the present when surrounded by uncertainty. The church is…
Books
Mark Hayes revies Pafko at the Wall by Don DeLillo.
Blush With Fame
You know that point in a lot of movies when the hero seems finished, shot out, kaput? The love interest misunderstood his phone message; the evil billionaire let loose an evil device that's creeping toward his crotch; the big Russian dude's about to punch his face off of his head. Circumstance and character flaw have…
Branch Out in Plant City
If you've never ventured to eastern Hillsborough County for a day of relaxation in the country, take an afternoon and meander through the verdant farmland near Plant City. This time of year, strawberries grow in bountiful fields as far as the eye can see, and roadside stands sell big flats of the freshest, most delectable…
The List
Festivals/Events Fifth Annual Downtown Dunedin Art Festival Tampa Bay's first art festival of the year brings in artists from around the country with works of various media. Musical entertainment is provided by pianist Jeffrey Michaels, sitarist Stephen Miles, steel drummer Doug Walker and keyboardist Kayte Wolf. Jan. 12-13, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Free. On Main Street…
Planet Picks
Thursday 1.10 Yeehaw Ha Ha Originally a country songwriter, comedian Tim Wilson has appeared on the Tonight Show and Grace Under Fire and opened for Clint Black, Ricky Van Shelton and Reba McEntire. A sort of Merle Haggard of comedy, he rants about everyday frustrations of the working man. His albums include It's a Sorry…
THE WINE LIST
New Wines for a New Year The Vintage Wine Cellar presents the fruit of its labor, testing worldwide wines for taste and value. The bins are restocked and new 10 wines will be showcased — sure to be something for everyone. $10. Friday, Jan. 11. 7-9 p.m. Takes place at 3629 Henderson Blvd., Tampa. Reservations…
