Breakfast Week: Raw milk in your morning glass?
The sale of un-pasteurized milk is illegal in most states, including ours. But with techniques reminiscent of the Prohibition era, aficionados use a Florida loop hole to get their ways. Raw milk sale for human consumption is against the law; But buying raw milk for your pet (wink, wink!) is, however, perfectly legal. Call farmers…
Game review: Totally Spies! totally insulting. Girls deserve much, much better
I'm clearly not the target audience for this game. I've never seen the cartoon Totally Spies, I'm not a pre-teen girl, and nothing with a mini-game called “Let's Talk about Clothes” was ever created with me in mind. But having said all of that, I feel I'm still qualified to judge whether or not a…
Tampa/St. Pete To Do This Week in Music: Grayson Capps, Cory Branan/Jon Snodgrass/Joey Cape, the Citrus Circuit Tour (with audio)
You know what they say, "when it rains, it pours", and such is the case this week with three shows in four days. While I don't expect anyone else to adhere to such a rigorous schedule I do think you could find something you like in one (or more) of these shows. If you do…
Celebrity chef Eric Ripert is following me on twitter! Maybe!
A few weeks ago, I joined Twitter on the advice of super food blogger Jaden Hair of Steamy Kitchen. It has been great. The hardest thing by far is to schedule actual "twitter sessions" during my work day, or I'll just produce absolutely nothing and tweet all day. For anyone who's unaware, on Twitter, you…
New Vinyl, CDs & DVDs out this week.
VINYL: Acid Mothers Temple & The Melting Paraiso UFO – Dark Side Of The Black Moon: What Planet Are We On? More proggy psych from Acid Mothers Temple — mixes Pink Floyd with fuzzy wah guitars and cosmic sounds. Double LP includes an exclusive bonus D-side track. Neko Case – Middle Cyclone Dinosaur Jr. -…
Do It Today: Party in the Penthouse, Ritz Ybor’s first birthday
It might be hot, hot, hot, but that's no excuse to stay home and whine. Get out on the town and network/party/be charitable at the ple will be out in droves. Proceeds from your partying benefit the Edwards Family Foundation, which gives away thousands of bikes, toys and food baskets to underprivileged local kids each…
Review: Bettye LaVette, A Change is Gonna Come Sessions
Six months after she triumphantly joined forces with Jon Bon Jovi on Sam Cooke’s “A Change is Gonna Come” at the Obama inaugural, The 63-year-old vocalist, whose career was rescued from obscurity by 2005’s I’ve Got My Own Hell to Raise (Anti-), breaks songs down to their narrative essence. Her voice is weathered, full of…
Outings & Adventures: Gay life beyond the bars
It's Pride Week, and that means a lot of gay folks will be out at the bars. Modern gay history arguably began 40 years ago at a bar (NYC's Stonewall Inn), and for a long time a tavern was the only public place where gay men and lesbians could meet discreetly and in relative safety.…
Monsters of Mock: Three tribute bands stir up a Jannus Landing crowd
The crowd cheers as a tattooed man with shaggy hair and a British accent belts out Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath tunes. An hour later, a blonde singer tears through a set of Motley Crue classics while his bandmates pound their instruments into submission. An hour after that, a grown man in a schoolboy outfit…
Offset your carbon footprint by drinking beer from eco-friendly brewers (video)
You've heard about organic and eco-friendly wines from us recently, but did you ever wonder about the "green" beers out there? (And I don't mean the kind some people drink on St. Patty's Day.) Many breweries around the country are actually becoming quite eco-friendly. Some breweries are taking environmentally friendly initiatives, like using only organic ingredients,…
Corkscrew: Why Taylor seeks the (Murphy) Goode life
The six-month dream job of Wine Country Lifestyle Correspondent at Murphy-Goode Winery has been blowing up the blogosphere. $10,000 per month to live at the winery in Sonoma Valley, write, and ride the social media wave. It's a sweet gig for whoever gets it. And I threw my glass into the ring. Initially, I learned…
Review: Betty LaVette, A Change is Gonna Come Sessions (with video)
Six months after she triumphantly joined forces with Jon Bon Jovi on Sam Cooke’s “A Change is Gonna Come” at the Obama inaugural, The 63-year-old vocalist, whose career was rescued from obscurity by 2005’s I’ve Got My Own Hell to Raise (Anti-), breaks songs down to their narrative essence. Her voice is weathered, full of…
Top Ten Artisanal Cheeses: The stink is part of the fun
Still to this day, one of my most memorable dining experiences revolves around cheese. It occurred in Tuscany, where my local friends Giulio and Pierre-the-herb-shepherd prepared an ultra-simple, 6-course dinner made only of local, rustic cheese, Super Tuscan wine, along with Pierre's spices and a drizzle of olive oil. Absolutely nothing else. No other ingredients.…
Swinger team sports: everybody plays
The night starts out great. We are out for an evening of good friends, good cheer, a little laughter – and hot sex. The club we frequent is hopping with people. Women dressed in stretchy neon dresses, nighties, mini skirts, or low rider jeans (me) swarm around the bar. The music is the usual techno…
Monsters of Mock: Three tribute bands stir up a Jannus Landing crowd
The crowd cheers as a tattooed man with shaggy hair and a British accent belts out Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath tunes. An hour later, a blonde singer tears through a set of Motley Crue classics while his bandmates pound their instruments into submission. An hour after that, a grown man in a schoolboy outfit…
Recipe: Cilantro-lime chicken with avocado salsa
I'm always looking for ways to use my homegrown herbs before they suffocate in the summer heat. I scour the internet and my favorite magazine, Cooking Light, for recipes that creatively use this summer bounty. Last night, I tried a chicken recipe from Cooking Light and, as all cooks do, adopted it to my ingredients…
The lady that married the Eiffel Tower, and others with fetishes for inanimate objects (Video)
As you may have noticed summer is officially rolling into town this week, though it's been hotter than lava in a toaster here in Tampa for a few weeks now. And since The Rabid One is doing quite well for himself: I splurged and purchased a hammock for my "pleasure zone" in the backyard. It's…
Do It Today: show your political stripes and more
Whether you're a dem or a rep, or if you just want to haze the folks from the other camp, there's a meeting for you today: Show your loud, proud, Democratic donkey pride at the Northwest Hillsborough Democratic Club Meeting, where you can meet, greet and network with politically like-minded local peeps. Call 813-390-3616 for…
Guided By Voices documentary Watch Me Jumpstart now online (video)
For what we assume will be a very limited time, Pitchfork is streaming the entire epic Guided By Voices documentary Watch Me Jumpstart on its site, for free. The 1998 film tells the story of the unlikeliest of rock stars (featuring Dayton, Ohio born Robert Polllard, an ex-4th-grade teacher) who never actually became rockstars to…
Concert Announcement: The Killers coming to Orlando Oct. 1
The Killers will play UCF Arena in Orlando on Thursday, October 1. Tickets are $52.00 for the General Admission Dance Floor, $38.00 for Reserved Lower Bowl Seating and $35.00 for Reserved Upper Bowl seating. They go on sale Saturday, June 27 at 10 am at LiveNation.com, charge by phone 877-598-8698 and all TicketMaster outlets. Day…
Review: Booker T., Potato Hole
This album looks great on paper: Legendary organist and Stax Records session mainstay Booker T. joins forces with the Drive-By Truckers, whose Patterson Hood is the son of Muscle Shoals bassist David Hood. Add Neil Young's lead guitar into the mix, and the result? Gritty instrumental R&B gold, right? Not really. Potato Hole sounds like…
Pictures of Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland with Johnny Depp and Anne Hathaway
Pictures from Tim Burton's new project Alice in Wonderland, starring Johnny Depp, Helena Bohnam Carter and Anne Hathaway, have made their way to the Internet. The photos give an idea as to what to expect, and this isn't your typical retelling of Alice and the rabbit hole. It seems that director Tim Burton is giving…
CL Interview: Pop/R&B legend Boz Scaggs (with video)
To casual music fans, Boz Scaggs is that smooth dude from the ’70s with those disco-ey hits “Lowdown” and “Lido Shuffle.” They might even know about his 1976 smash album Silk Degrees, which included those tunes as well as “Georgia,” “What Can I Say” and “Harbor Lights.” Although Scaggs’ days as a major hitmaker ended…
Interview: Televisionary artist Taylor Oliver in Clearwater
The recent transition to digital television marks the end of Dad making you grab the TV antenna and stand on a coffee table in the far corner of the room because the picture got fuzzy 30 seconds before the end of the big game. No more wrapping rabbit ears in foil trying to get a…
Ruth Eckerd Hall ranked No. 2 in the world among venues with 2,500 seats or less
This just in from our friends at Ruth Eckerd Hall. Congrats. Entertainment industry trade publication Venues Today announced that Ruth Eckerd Hall ranked #10 in the world in venues having 5,000 seats or less. With that same ranking, Ruth Eckerd Hall is #2 in venues having 2,500 seats or less. This ranking is based on…
Tampa Bay’s Top 50 Restaurants: Readers’ Poll Winner!
Yet again, CL readers turned out in droves to pick their favorite restaurant among the five regional Top 50 winners. And yet again, the restaurants up for the honor mobilized a huge get-out-the-vote drive. Quickly enough, Backfin Blue and Guppy's slid out of contention, with Bamboozle struggling to stay in sight of front-runners Bin 27…
His kinks, my kinks: Sometimes they just don’t match up
It may surprise you to know that my boyfriend, The Puppy, and I enjoy different things in bed. Not “he likes it rough, she likes it slow” types of differences – I’m talking different fetishes and kinks. Some of our friends do not believe that we ever have this problem. They tell me their own…
Let’s transform this ‘domination culture’ into a ‘partnership culture’ (Videos)
The Iranian revolution underway is a sign of the times. Millions of oppressed people Twittering and linking up forging networks to create and topple a system that's in need of reformation. Women have been the very foundation of this movement. Moussavi the leader of the resistance's wife spoke at one function this quote: "I hope…
New studio album by Living Colour due on Megaforce
In the late 1980s, Living Colour broke down the color barrier in rock radio with their hit album Vivid. The all-African-American band's style of razory metal with tinges of funk and the an avant-garde proved that pigmentation didn't matter when it came to power chords and thunder beats. Living Colour broke up circa 91, then…
Hail to the Queens: Queenshead bar opens in Grand Central today (video)
Creative Loafing's Gay Issue hits the streets on Wednesday just in time for St. Pete Pride. During Pride Week, we'll be updating last year's Za-Gay Guide with news about bars, clubs and restaurants that are newly opened or recently renamed. First up: The Queenshead Eurobar, opening today in St. Pete's Grand Central District. It's an…
Chalk Talk with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and their cheerleaders
I was in a deep slumber last week when my phone rang. It was about 10 a.m. and I was resting comfortably on my couch, trying to pretend the Orlando Magic meltdown the night before never happened. The Commish was on the other end of the phone. He had landed tickets to a special Buccaneers…
CL Interview: Pop/R&B legend Boz Scaggs (with video)
To casual music fans, Boz Scaggs is that smooth dude from the ’70s with those disco-ey hits “Lowdown” and “Lido Shuffle.” They might even know about his 1976 smash album Silk Degrees, which included those tunes as well as “Georgia,” “What Can I Say” and “Harbor Lights.” Although Scaggs’ days as a major hitmaker ended…
Plating food: Are you a modernist or a retro?
Just like your wardrobe, food is highly subject to fashion and trends. I’m suspecting that most of us today wouldn’t normally dress in psychedelic outfits and platform boots to our next meeting in town, or go out to dinner dressed like this: Or like the following picture, even if I suspect the CL readership to possibly have…
Do It Today: Writers Guild Meeting, TLC networking night
Self-employed journalists are invited to the Bay Area Professional Writers Guild Meeting to hear USF journalism professor Max Courson present "Dangerous Words for Discriminating Writers," guidelines on avoiding commonly confused terms. Call 727-363-7531 for more info. Mon., June 22, 12 p.m. Panera Bread-Largo, Bardmoor Center, 10801 Starkey Road, Largo. 727-320-8830. Join special guest Humberto Ortiz…
Duck, revisited: Whole Roasted Duck with Chorizo and Wild Mushroom Confit recipe
What is it about duck that keeps it out of the average kitchen? Is it the cost? It's pricier than chicken but less expensive than steak. Is it the flavor? Duck is popular at restaurants so someone eats it. Even magazines and food television rarely extol the virtues of duck. I'm puzzled by this but…
The Derby Darlins have a successful first green event with T.R.E.E. at Little Bayou Park
The Tampa Bay Derby Darlins had their first official green event take place at Little Bayou Park, in St. Petersburg, this past Saturday morning. Teaming up with the super fun and cool people at T.R.E.E. (Tampa Bay Reforestation and Environmental Effort, Inc.) the Darlins planted over 100 native trees at the Park in a record…
True Blood sex review: Season 2, Episode 1 (featuring a very nude Anna Paquin – NSFW)
As you may recall from my story a few weeks ago, I have delved deeply in the world of vampires and the love and sex lives of the walking undead. In doing so, I discoverd some hot business going down on in HBO's series True Blood. You know for a show about icy bloodsuckers, there is…
Review: Dinosaur Jr., Farm (with video)
I — probably like most interested parties — didn’t have high expectations for Sure, I was excited about the band getting back together, and seeing them at Lollapalooza was fun, but few of these indie- and punk-rock reunions ever produce much in the way of exciting new music. Toss in the legendary bad blood between…
The Green Community: Week in review
What’s the buzz on the latest issues in the Green Community? Check out what you may have missed this past week: Reconstructing a historic bat tower in Temple Terrace and how to build your own bat roost- Grant Rimbey investigates efforts in Temple Terrace to reconstruct an historic tower for bats, discusses a large community…
Are men gay if they like strap-ons?
That was one question I asked myself after an incident a few years ago. I met a man in his mid 30s at a bar in South Tampa. He was a well-dressed Italian man with a nice athletic build. We exchanged numbers and that was that. I left the bar and forgot about even giving…
Seven-story “carbon clock” launched near Madison Square Garden in NYC
It seems New York City has counters for everything these days. The famous debt clock, and now, a new 'carbon clock' was resurrected this past Thursday near Madison Square Garden and Penn Station. It counts the total amount of greenhouse gases that are trapped inside the Earth's atmosphere. According to Scientific American, the counter takes into…
Creativity and cannibalism in dreams
A poet writes, "Last night I had a dream that I ate my own index finger. The dream was pretty vivid and unpleasant. I saw how I scraped flesh from it. I ate it like it was a candy. Then I went to the resort, where I was supposed to have fun, but I got…
Photo review: Frodus Ressurected (with Guiltmaker & Hurrah)!
Frodus Conglomerate International (1993-1999) resurrected on June 18, 2009 at Redlight Redlight, Orlando, FL, continuing what has been an outstanding reunion year for '90s hardcore (most recently the unbroken/split lip reunion at burning fight). Supporting the resurrection was Tampa's Guiltmaker and Orlando's Hurrah.
Bonnaroo wrap-up: Beastie Boys, Al Green, Animal Collective, Grace Potter, David Byrne, others
Based on sheer numbers, Bonnaroo is a beast. 70,000 people invade Manchester, Tennessee, making it the Where else could you find Jimmy Buffett, Ani Difranco, Snoop Dog, Al Green and Bruce Springsteen? For better or worse, Bonnaroo is biggest and baddest of the American music festivals. With 13 stages and tents, hundreds of vendors, and…
Bonnaroo wrap-up: Phish, Al Green, Beastie Boys, Animal Collective, more
Based on sheer numbers, Bonnaroo is a beast. 70,000 people invade Manchester, Tennessee, making it the 6th largest city in the state for over three days. Now your average Bonnarooian is quite a bit different than your typical Tennessean — full of booze, THC and god knows what else. It’s a crazy place. Where…
Theater review: Bathhouse: The Musical
Arts on 9th is a new facility in Ybor City, featuring a theater, art gallery, photography studio and shop. It’s a welcome addition to the Bay area scene, which ought to have 20 such spaces. But the first play offered there — Bathhouse: The Musical by Tim Evanicki and Esther Daack — is far from…
AC/DC, Crue and Ozzy tribute bands for $10, June 20
If you want to see AC/DC in concert, be prepared to shell out about $100. For Motley Crue, you’re looking at another $50-$100. And if you want to see Ozzy Osbourne…good luck. He hasn’t toured since 2007 and “Ozzfest” was cancelled this year. So you could probably see two of those bands for around $150…
Courtney Love resurrects Hole, channels Billy Corgan and Ozzy in the process
Courtney Love is a little nuts. Years of drug abuse will do that to a person. She uses the Internet predominantly to bicker with Ryan Adams and wonder aloud, "What happened to all that Nirvana money!?" Sometimes, she covers both topics simultaneously! She either hasn't quite grasped or doesn't give a shit about Twitter's 140-character…
CL Tournament of Summer Movie Blockbusters Round 1: Raiders of the Lost Ark vs. Shrek 2
Note: This is our first Tournament of Summer Movie Blockbuster. In case you missed it, here's the skinny on the tourney and a full list of competing films. And for news and reviews of this summer's blockbusters, be sure and check CL's Movies & TV site. In yet another blowout, The Empire Strikes Back froze…
Great wines to try this weekend
The best wines I tried this week: La Freynelle 2007 White Bordeaux Entre Deux Mers Dinner out on Monday night. Entre Deux Mers is a little-known wine region in Bordeaux, so you can get tasty wines like this one on the cheap. A blend of sauvignon blanc and semillon that tastes like walking through a…
This week @ the movies: Year One
[Ed. note: Each week I'll be breaking down the big summer blockbuster movie releases. If you're curious about what's coming out in future weeks, be sure to check out the Summer Movie Preview. For more info on this week's releases, please check out CL contributor Kevin Hopp's full-length review of Year One or visit our…
The return of Blur (with video of their reunion show)
"There were a lot of people crying," says Blur bassist Alex James describing the crowd's reaction to their first show in nine years at the East Anglian Railway Museum in Essex on June 13. This museum is coincidentally where Blur played their first show back in 1988. The Britpop laureates played a two-hour set including…
Essential Listening: KRISTEENYOUNG (with audio)
Perhaps I was just young, but there seemingly was a time when Tori Amos felt edgy and just a little brash. Over the years, though, she has mellowed considerably and I've filed her in the "artists I used to like whose new albums I check out out of politeness only but I doubt I'll ever…
Courtney Love resurrects Hole, channels Billy Corgan and Ozzy in the process
Courtney Love is nuts. (Newsflash, right?) Years of drug abuse will do that to a person. She uses the Internet predominantly to bicker with Ryan Adams and wonder aloud, "What happened to all that Nirvana money!?" Sometimes, she covers both topics simultaneously! She either hasn't quite grasped or doesn't give a shit about Twitter's 140-character…
Phish revels in jam with “hero” Springsteen
"I got to play with Bruce. That's my hero." Trey Anastasio said that. After Phish jammed with Springsteen at Bonnaroo. The unlikely pairing joined forces for the R&B classic "Mustang Sally" as well as Springsteen's "Glory Days" and "Bobby Jean." Added Phish bassist Mike Gordon, after witnessing Springsteen's three-hour set at the festival, his first…
The return of Blur (with video of their reunion show)
“There were a lot of people crying,” says Blur bassist Alex James describing the crowd’s reaction to their first show in nine years at the East Anglian Railway Museum in Essex on June 13. This museum is coincidentally where Blur played their first show back in 1988. The Britpop laureates played a two-hour set including…
How do relationships work when you are swinging and friends?
I don’t totally agree with the notion that most swingers are in the lifestyle primarily for friendship; maybe "friends with benefits" is a better description. Being a swinger is about sex, and if the friendship part follows its all the better. According to dictionary.com, the term swinger is defined as: 1. a person who indulges…
Xbox Live Silver members can upgrade to one month of “Gold” for $1
Haven't had the cash to upgrade to an Xbox LIVE Gold account, Mr. or Mrs. Silver Member? Well, it's time to dig through the nether reaches of your couches and wrangle up a dollar as Microsoft has extended Silver Members the chance to snag one month of Gold Membership for 100 pennies. What's the catch,…
Movie review: Jack Black and Michael Cera in Year One
[Editor’s Note: This is the first post by new CL film contributor Kevin Hopp. Kevin has been writing about film on his own site, Kevin's Movie Blog, and we’re excited to add his perspective to CL’s film and television coverage.] Ghostbusters, Stripes, Caddyshack, Analyze This — all have Harold Ramis to thank for the classic…
One theater closes, another gets a thousand bucks
Intriguing story from the Philadelphia Inquirer: A small theater company called Hotel Obligado decided it was time to close down, but found itself with a $5,000 surplus. As a non-profit, Obligado was, um, obligated to give the money away, and they came up with a smart idea (with the help of the Theatre Alliance of…
Top Chef Podcast, episode 2: “The Lost Supper”
This week we discussed episode 2 of Top Chef Masters: The Lost Supper. Our special guest this week was Jeff Houck, food writer for The Tampa Tribune, who added a great dose of humor to the show and kept us in stitches. In a nutshell: the four players this were were Graham Elliott Bowles, Suzanne…
Your weekly sports Chumpdate featuring Sammy Sosa, Brett Favre, Hedo Turkoglu, Tiger Woods and Shaquille O’Neal
SAY IT AIN'T SOSA – The New York Times recently reported that former National League MVP Sammy Sosa failed a drug test in 2003. Surprise! I've never failed a drug test before… but I'm pretty sure my employer wouldn't wait six years to tell me that I had. Sosa's name was on the same infamous,…
Culinary Lessons: Plating food with the right support
A diner in a restaurant is sensitive to culinary presentations, very much like a viewer is sensitive to a piece of artwork. He or she responds to stimuli and psychological perceptions influenced by his or her background, education, trends, etc… Chefs can influence that perception by effectively following a set of guidelines and bring harmony…
Phish revels in jam with “hero” Springsteen
"I got to play with Bruce. That's my hero." Trey Anastasio said that. After Phish jammed with Springsteen at Bonnaroo. The unlikely pairing joined forces for the R&B classic "Mustang Sally" as well as Springsteen's "Glory Days" and "Bobby Jean." Read more. Check out CL's main music site.
Music for Dads
Dad's dig music. I'm a dad, and if I didn't work at THEE record store (and already have them), these'd be on my Father's Day list: Booker T – Potato Hole This album has it ALL. The funky soul of classic Booker T, rocking guitar of Neil Young and it grooves to the backing of…
Interview with local filmmaker Arlen Slobodow about In The Air, a documentary about the air pollution, our health, and the environment in Tampa Bay
Below, is an interview I just conducted with Arlen Slobodow, a local filmmaker who just completed a documentary about air pollution caused by fossil fuels in the Tampa Bay area and how it affects our health and the health of our planet. Also, see my last post which goes more in depth about the film. The…
The fuck-buddy search continues
I'm back on the hunt for my next fuck buddy applicant. The qualified applicant I came across wasn't available to accept the position – he already had an employer and was just testing the market. It was a great interview that ended too soon. I was prepared to have multiple interviews and multiple organisms with him,…
Do It This Weekend: Father’s Day, Millionaire auditions, STOMP and way, way more
First, figure out what you're doin' for good ol' Dad on Sunday. Then, plan what you're doing with the other blessed 24 hours you'll have off from work. Hey, if you make it onto Millionaire, maybe you won't have to go back. Yeah, you could treat the old man to a cold beer and a…
St. Petersburg’s Wild Shrimp Company restaurant closing this Saturday
CL received a brilliant and absurd gift basket today from St. Pete's Wild Shrimp Company (including 4 cans of Colt .45, a cigarette-smoking monkey figure, Trojan Magnums and more – see after the break for a list of the goodies), but with the swag came some terrible news: Wild Shrimp Company is closing up this…
Artsqueeze Weekend Roundup, June 18-20
Craig Kaths. 24 bit one. 18” x 18”, 24-color screen print on Arches 88 paper. Image courtesy craigkaths.com. Though this weekend ushers in summer – a season notoriously devoid of art offerings in Tampa Bay – you wouldn't know it from this busy slate of openings and events. The weekend begins early with tonight's Heart…
Man found dead at Bonnaroo site
Bonnaroo has averaged just under one death per year during its eight year run. Last year there were no fatalities. This year, a body of a man in his 20s was found by the cleaning crew on Tuesday after the festival. The body showed no signs of trauma, and police speculated that the man's death…
Something to share with children — and another thing that, if you share with children, will force us to call the cops on you
LEARNING TO FLY: Maybe it doesn’t happen for everyone. But for those who love books, it's not hard to remember that moment when they fell in love with reading. Maybe it happened early on, with Dr. Seuss. Maybe it came later, during the early pangs of adolescence, with Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird. For me,…
New York Times uproots its culture staff
Here's a cryptic dispatch from the Times' ArtsBeat blog: As dedicated readers of The New York Times already know, the newspaper and its Culture report are traditionally produced each day from a 52-story building between 40th and 41st Streets in Manhattan, designed by the Italian architect Renzo Piano. On Wednesday, the Culture department is trying…
Green Community Calendar weekend events: June 19-20
Looking for something green-related to do this weekend? Look no further than our own Green Community Calendar. Whole Foods: Destination Date Night- Fri., June 19. Comedy, plus wine and cheese tasting. Singles and couples are treated to an hour long variety adventure while enjoying a wine and cheese tasting from Whole Foods Market. Registration required-…
Sex and love adult events this weekend: June 19-20
Fri. and Sat. June 19-20. Clothing optional foam party. Pool and hot tub. Potluck dinner. Bands and Djs. Foam on the dance floor. 8 pm- 12am. The Riverboat Club. 6901 Caliente Blvd., Land O Lakes, FL 34637 Sat. June 20. Naughty Summer Camp. Play interactive party games and win prizes, like a 3 day, 2…
Lights, camera, pour: Wine Spectator launches video contest
There seems to be a lot of video contests airing these days. But I'll give props to one of the first to embrace the technology in the wine industry, Wine Spectator. This marks the third annual video contest sponsored by the venerated wine magazine. They aren't giving away a cool job in wine country, but you receive…
Xzanthia’s naked foam party. Got your attention? (Pictures)
Okay, to be clear, the first time I went to this event I had no idea what to expect. We had heard it through the electronic grapevine that the event would be great from an artist's perspective. My wife, Natalie, is a pastel artist that paints mostly nudes, and it would give us an opportunity to network…
Wine and food discounts at Tampa Bay’s area restaurants – redux
Last week's post on Bay area half-priced food and wine deals was so popular, we thought we'd do it again. AND, June 18th marks the first day of Creative Loafing Restaurant Week: $25 for 3-course prix fixe menus at restaurants all over town until June 28. See the full list of participants and their menus.
Do It Today: Tweet Up, Heart Show and more
Meet Twitterland friends IRL (that's "in real life" for those of you new to the world wide webz) at the dent businesses in Tampa Bay, hosts the event in conjunction with SaintPeteTweets. They even pick up the tab for tasty eats — so the whole shebang is totally free. Visit localshops1.com for more info. 6:30…
Concert Review: Taking Back Sunday rocks the power out at The Ritz (with pics!)
All photos by Mike Wilson. "You guys are bringing it so hard, the power went out," said lead singer Adam Lazarra of Taking Back Sunday (pictured) when, midway through their set at The Ritz in Ybor City, the power suddenly went out while the crowd continued singing the song to the beat of only the…
Kama Sutra: The Tripod (with animation)
Name of Kama Sutra Position: The Tripod Getting into the position: The man stands, pinning his partner against a wall or stationary object. Then he pulls up his lover's knee until he is able to penetrate her yoni with the force and vigor of a young jackrabbit pumped up with steroids and Viagra. On a…
In The Air (Video): Local documentarian explores impacts of fossil fuel emissons on Tampa Bay and its residents
Recently, I received an email from a local filmmaker, Arlen Slobodow of Public Media Productions, asking me to take a look at a 17-minute video he just completed on public health and the environmental consequences of air pollution in the Tampa Bay area. Because I am such a supporter of local independent media production, things…
Gorilla Theatre’s Bridget Bean, unleashed: She’s out and about and blogging at Arts on 9th, American Stage and The Ritz
Watch out everybody, Bridget's unleashed for the summer! Well, you know, that really is an overstatement 'cos I'm not much of a late night gal, but the Gorilla Theatre is dark for the summer (which means we don't have any shows going on and I'm working "normal" hours) so it's time for me to get out more…
Beer Review: Cigar City Bourbon Barrel Bolita Double Nut Brown Ale
Cigar City Brewing is relentless; they refuse to stop making ridiculously great beer. RateBeer recognizes their Hunaphus Imperial Stout as one of the world's ten best Imperial Stouts, and Big Sound Scotch Ale ranks among the top ten of its style. Then there's Bolita Double Nut Brown Ale, which ranks #1 in the brown ale…
Indie 101: Michael Lee.
Michael Lee (I trust that we don’t need any pronunciation help with this one…) is one cool Californian cat. He grew up in cow-infested Visalia, CA and now lives in badass-infested Chico, CA. He likes to fall asleep watching movies on his couch, drink Jameson, eat at Pluto’s, all while wearing his Two Ton Boa…
Noshpit Episode 18: Top 50 restaurants, Taylor’s dream job and rose wines
CL's Food and Wine podcast. Brian and Taylor invite CL's own PoHo in to talk about Tampa Bay's Top 50 Restaurants, Taylor's (hopefully) new job and rosé wines. Listen up!
How do you confront others about their green missteps (and your pet peeves)?
Everyone has a For example, when I was a little girl, I used to see a family member (they shall remain nameless) leave the water faucet on while doing the dishes. She or he would start to wash a dish, walk away to do something else, and then come back. I didn't understand why they…
Do you measure your self worth by the amount of lovin’ you get?
You know that feeling you get when you stop at the ATM and your balance is dramatically lower than you expected? And then you feel like a cretin for three or four days? That has terrible written all over it. Why do we put such value in our status in life? And with that in mind,…
CL Tournament of Summer Movie Blockbusters Round 1: The Empire Strikes Back vs. Batman Returns
Note: This is our first Tournament of Summer Movie Blockbuster. In case you missed it, here's the skinny on the tourney and a full list of competing films. And for news and reviews of this summer's blockbusters, be sure and check CL's Movies & TV site. Sorry for the delay in continuing the Tourney of…
Tampa Bay’s Top 50 Restaurants: Vote for Tampa Bay’s Best Restaurant!
We released our list of Tampa Bay's Top 50 Restaurants (link goes to the expanded story) last week here on the site, and asked our loyal readers to pick their favorites in five different regions. The results held a few surprises. Reader's Poll winners (back when we asked you guys to pick the final five…
More about Peel, Cafe Ponte’s Tampa restaurant venture
Spoke with Chris Ponte this morning about his new Tampa "fast casual" venture (see original post here), Peel. A joint venture with Melting Pot, Ponte has been working with Arlene Johnston from Melting Pot for the past one and a half years to perfect the concept. Everything will be "made from scratch" and he defines…
Fifteen-year-old Miami fusion band Spam Allstars returns to Tampa
It's midnight at a hole-in-the-wall club in the heart of Little Havana, Miami. The place is pumpin', the dance floor jammed with a multicultural mass of bodies writhing and grooving and ducking and swaying and shaking asses to the pulsing beats. The music is a breathing, heaving, horn-saturated slice of Miami fusion, the native flavors…
Dear David Brooks: A letter to a Republican pundit
David Brooks David BrooksLet me state it flatYou love complicated books:You're a Democrat! Dear David: The above words, dropped by a wayward muse, have been driving me crazy, rattling around my head to the tune of Stephen Foster's "Nelly Bly." Still, I've been thinking about writing to you for almost a year now, so maybe…
Steely Dan are playing Ruth Eckerd Hall for the rent money
In 1974, the leading members of Steely Dan quit touring, tired of the rigor of the road and opening for heavy metal bands. That led to the departure of most of the band — including guitarist Jeff "Skunk" Baxter, who enjoyed playing live and joined the Doobie Brothers, like backup singer Michael McDonald who eventually…
Towns compete in Tampa this week for the All-America City title
But who’s equipped with good ideas?By Wayne Garcia
Review: Dinosaur Jr., Farm
I — probably like most interested parties — didn’t have high expectations for Dinosaur Jr.’s 2007 disc, Beyond, the first since the late ’80s to feature the original Dino trio of vocalist/guitarist J Mascis, bassist/vocalist Lou Barlow and drummer Murph. Sure, I was excited about the band getting back together, and seeing them at Lollapalooza…
Using S&M to spice up a vanilla marriage
Avoid cattle prods in BDSM play
Tuesdays With Morrie is a play to cherish at the new American Stage
Tuesdays with Morrie is a lovely play about dying and living, about making the most of one's life and learning the importance of expressing love. In Jeffrey Hatcher's intelligent adaptation of Mitch Albom's bestselling book, all the drama in Albom's story is gently brought to life, and Albom's message to the planet — you'd better…
The Top 50 Restaurants in Tampa Bay
With apologies to Dave, Top Ten lists are so limiting. Even finding the Top 25 of something always seems like you’re barely scratching the surface. Maybe it points a compulsively indecisive streak in our nature, but here at CL we couldn’t cram all our favorites into such a meager list. And 100? Too many to…
Has martial arts training ever helped anybody defeat a mugger?
My son just finished a three-month karate class. Last night he asked me if karate really would help someone defeat a larger, stronger opponent. I told him I honestly never heard of anyone using any martial art to win a fight outside of a movie. You would think here in New York, with so many…
Tampa Bay food, wine and beer events
Thursday, June 18: SideBern’s Chef extraordinaire Chad Johnson created the menu for this upscale, down home barbeque, which includes an array of tasty treats inspired by Spain, including suckling pig, octopus brocheta, piquillo pepper rellanos and more — finished off with a cool, creamy hazelnut float. The secret ingredient in this dessert? None other than…
Top Chef Podcast: Top Chef Masters, episode 1
If you have been paying attention to all of the ads and the commercials on Bravo, you'll already know that the Top Chef series is back (and we're hoping you've watched). This time, there's a twist: 24 well-known, seasoned chefs go head-to-head and compete in challenges just like they've put the contestants from past seasons…
CL Tournament of Summer Movie Blockbusters Round 1: Jurassic Park vs. Revenge of the Sith
Note: This is our first Tournament of Summer Movie Blockbuster. In case you missed it, here's the skinny on the tourney and a full list of competing films. And for news and reviews of this summer's blockbusters, be sure and check CL's Movies & TV site. In Friday's contest, The Dark Knight batted back a…
