This week in food and drink
Halloween shindigs, wine and spirits dinners, tastings and more.
Free Halloween double feature and costume contest at the Seminole Heights Indie: Mon., 10/31
Halloween, Evil Dead 2 and lots of beer. Need I say more?
Live review: TV on the Radio at Jannus Live, St. Petersburg
When I saw TV on the Radio perform in Orlando back in '07, I realized one important fact about the avant rock band that is a deal breaker for certain types of music fans: their studio sound is, by and large, very different from what they deliver live. Sometimes this works for a band; sometimes…
Group says they’ll protest Rick Perry appearance in St.Pete Beach
Rick Perry Fresh off unveiling his new flat tax plan, Texas Governor Rick Perry will be in Pinellas County early Wednesday morning, for a $1,000 a plate breakfast event at the TradeWinds Island Grant Resort from 9:30-10:30 a.m. For the big rollers, a $2,500 contribution will entitle you to a VIP reception and an opportunity…
Suncoast Sierra Club’s “Spookfest Fun-draiser”: Sat., 10/29
Food, live music, environmental costume contest and fun for the whole family.
RPOF skirts rules again regarding presidential primary, this time with RNC’s assent
RNC Chair Reince Priebus One reason why the epic Barack Obama/Hillary Clinton battle for the Democratic nomination went into late spring in 2008 was the fact that many of the states and caucuses distributed delegates based on their popular vote or the number of congressional districts they won in each particular state. For the GOP,…
New music Tuesday! (October 24/25)
New releases out this week by Coldplay, Kid Koala, Bob Schneider, Surfer Blood, Thomas Dolby, Justice, Deer Tick, Medeski Martin & Wood + more (w/lots of audio & video)
Album review: Tom Waits, Bad as Me
It's been seven years since Tom Waits released a stand-alone, no-themes-attached, no-filler-added album of all-new material. It was worth the wait. On Bad as Me — 16 songs, including three bonus tracks on the Deluxe Edition — the 61-year-old forever iconoclast sounds robust and rejuvenated, and is at turns cranky and romantic, introspective and in-your-face,…
Deborah Cox-Roush to leave Hillsborough GOP to work for Herman Cain campaign
Deborah Cox-Roush was always a Herman Cain fan. She even brought the former businessman to town two and a half years ago when he was barely on anyone's radar, so it's not a shock to hear that she is stepping down from her role as Hillsborough County Republican Party Chair to work with the insurgent…
DIY pumpkin spice latte — espresso machine not required (video)
Get your fix at home for a fraction of the cost.
Awake The State to hold new rally in Tampa
The activist group Awake The State, which has many offshoots, such as Awake Tampa, led a series of protest rallies against Governor Rick Scott and the GOP-led Florida Legislature last spring, and they were some of the most successful political rallies by liberal Democrats seen in Florida in a long time (Awake The State was…
Mitch Perry Report 10.25.11
Did you hear the one about the Florida Republican legislator who wants to arrest doctors for performing abortions in the Sunshine State? It's no joke. Some Tampa Bay business and political leaders gathered yesterday in Tampa to talk about what might start jarring the local economy. The Tampa offshoot of the activist group Awake The…
Tampa Bay leaders discuss strategies to increase economic development
On Monday, regional stakeholders and business leaders gathered at the Pepin Hospitality Centre to take part in The Congress of Regional Leaders meeting held by the University of South Florida, the Florida Institute of Government and the Tampa Bay Partnership.
A time-capsule offering in Jeffrey Archer’s Only Time Will Tell
England between the world wars was a place that few Americans could imagine. World War I nearly obliterated an entire generation, their decline as a world power had begun, and then came The Great Depression. The middle class was still in the future, and the division between rich and poor was stark. Jeffrey Archer sets…
A Tampa Bay Treasure found in Gaspar: A Pirate Fantasy
What happens when you blend together artistic talent, localism and Tampa Bay’s annual pirate extravaganza? You come out with Gaspar: A Pirate Fantasy. The swash-buckling, pirate-reveling, locally crafted ballet that's become an annual tradition and is set for production this upcoming January. Fantasy is certainly one word to describe Tampa Bay’s original, pirate-filled dance piece.…
Visit WUSF’s website and enter a drawing for VIP entry to sold-out “Wait, Wait Don’t Tell Me”
The beloved NPR quiz show hosted by Peter Sagal — with golden-voiced Karl Kasell and recurring guest celebs such as the bow-tied smartass Mo Rocca and comedian Paula Poundstone — is hitting the Straz Nov. 17, but the live taping is sold out. You can win a chance to get in with VIP passes and…
#MusicMonday, Vol. 51
What the CL Music Team is jamming, from Junius to Grouplove to Thom Yorke’s BB6 6 mix (with audio).
The mystery of the orange-spotted underwear (a lesson on consuming escolar)
Orange you glad this didn’t happen to you?
Florida Legislator wants to arrest doctors who perform abortions
Florida House Republican Charles Van Zant Although he's been unsuccessful in pushing it the past couple of years in an extremely conservative state Legislature, Florida House Republican Charles Van Zant says he will once again soon introduce a bill that would make abortion illegal in the state of Florida, with the only exception being for…
HART board gets proactive regarding possibility of consolidation with Pinellas County
Clearwater GOP state Senator Jack Latvala's idea of consolidating the Tampa Bay area's two biggest transit agencies- HART in Hillsborough County with PSTA in Pinellas, is roiling HART board members, who spoke in concerned tones about the proposal at their meeting on Monday. With committee hearings already taking place in Tallahassee for next year's earlier…
Eco-friendly “wet cleaning” over standard dry cleaning
Most of the nation’s dry cleaners still clean clothes using perchloroethylene, a hazardous air contaminant and a probable human carcinogen.
Fangbanger’s Delight: Tru Blood Beverage cocktails
This Blood’s for you.
Cynical and Southern: What if I’m not gay, but bisexual?
In 1994, I told everyone I was bisexual. No one believed me. Half of my friends secretly thought I was a flaming gay in denial (“bi now…gay later…”), while the other half thought I was jumping on the trendy early '90s bisexual bandwagon. Not much later, I decided that if I didn’t get a boner…
5% Day for Sweetwater Organic Community Farm at Whole Foods: Mon., 10/24
Stock up on your groceries and support a grassroots local cause!
Mitch Perry Report 10.24.11
Welcome back MRP readers. Hope everyone had a great weekend. I did, with the exception of seeing the Oakland Raiders lay a huge egg in Carson Palmer's debut yesterday against Cincinnati. But hey, UF grads were certainly in a tizzy after their boy Tim Tebow rallied the Denver Broncos against Miami yesterday (and apparently now…
Cain being written off too soon?
The increased scrutiny on Herman Cain since he became a co-front runner (along with Mitt Romney) for the GOP presidential nomination has not been kind to him, based on the number of mea culpas he's issued out in the past week. But has it really hurt him? With the media, which is where most people…
10 sex toys that rock: a review and giveaway (NSFW)
Finding the right sex toy can be as difficult as finding a comfortable pair of stilettos. You will never really know how good or bad your choice has been, or if the proverbial glass slipper fits, until it's too late to return your purchase. I've spent hundreds of dollars trying out toys that just don't…
Despite foreign policies successes, Obama will get no love from GOP
In the past four days the world has seen the end of Muammar Gaddafi and an official declaration that the U.S. will pull all troops out of Iraq in a little over two months. Taken together, even a hardened skeptic has to admit that it continues a series of successes that President Obama has had…
Halloween treat: Maple Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
A seasonal dessert with a surprise ingredient. (Hint: Think airplane food.)
Terror time
This year’s Reel Terror Film Fest scares up short films, scream queens and more.
Live review: New Found Glory at Jannus Live, St. Petersburg
Perhaps it was because it was a Monday night in the middle of midterms, or maybe it was the forecast that warned of rain. Either way, the result was a less than stellar turnout for the "Pop Punk’s Not Dead Tour" stop at Jannus Live this week. Veterans of the genre, New Found Glory, brought…
Wengay Newton serenades his wife
And other moments from the St. Pete City Council candidates’ forum at Tiger Bay.
Men-Ups: USF student Rion Sabean’s calendar sensation
A gender-switch sendup of the classic girlie calendar.
You are what you choose to eat
The consumers.
Even if labeled “BPA-free”, plastic food steamers may still leach chemicals
Play it safe: Opt for plastic-free materials, like glass, stainless steel or bamboo.
A son guides The Way
Martin Sheen takes a 500-mile hike.
Johnny English Reborn flatlines
Rowan Atkinson needs to put this useless character to bed.
Found on Etsy: not so creepy creeps
With Halloween right around the corner, there simply isn't a moment to waste on these slightly spooky goodies. I know most of you thoroughly enjoy my darling first paragraph banter but this week (month? Oh my I'm so terribly behind!), I'm launching right into the good stuff. First up! Olena from MyBookmark has really been…
Sci-fi and fantasy take center stage at Necronomicon
This weekend, St. Petersburg is the ideal place to do some larping and filking. Never heard of those terms before? They're familiar to attendees of science fiction, fantasy and anime conventions. Larping (Live Action Role-Playing) and filking (the performance of folk music with science fiction or fantasy themes) are just two activities you'll find at…
Reel Projections: video games give Hollywood a 1-up
The Reel Projections crew discuss the varying “levels” of video game movie greatness.
Tampa Police make arrests of Occupy Tampa protesters
Update:Well, so much for the Tampa Police Department's boasts that Tampa is the only city in the U.S. that hasn't had any arrests in the Occupy Wall Street movement. Although we're waiting to get specific information from the Tampa Police Department, we know there have been 6 protesters of Occupy Tampa arrested at Curtis Hixon…
Lust: A Dictionary for the Insatiable: It’s lubricious
Use these in a sentence: cicisbeo, doxy, gynecomania, ithyphallic…
Mitch Perry Report 10.21.11
CL spent several hours yesterday in the back row in the chambers of the Tampa City Council, where we were joined at one point by dozens of members of Occupy Tampa, who made the walk from Curtis Hixon Park to 315 East Kennedy Boulevard yesterday morning. Occupy Tampa was the source of discussion at the…
Senate blocks vote on separate piece of President Obama’s jobs bill
In today’s economy people struggle to find jobs to support their families. Across from the University of South Florida at the James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital a group of veterans rallied in favor of the American Jobs Act to expand opportunities for unemployed veterans to re-enter the work force. On Thursday, in their try to…
Occupy Tampa comes to Tampa City Council
The Occupy Tampa movement became a source of discussion for the first time at the Tampa City Council on Thursday, after members of the activist group complained to council member Frank Reddick earlier in the week about the mistreatment they say they have been receiving from member of the Tampa Police Department regarding their conditions…
Victor Wooten Preaches the Gospel of Groove
Bela Fleck & The Flecktones’ acclaimed bassist hosted a clinic at Seminole Music & Sound.
Rest(aurants) In Peace
Eight epitaphs for places that aren’t there anymore.
Mother of Tampa man killed at Club Empire begs City Council to close club down
Club Empire in Ybor City On Sunday morning, October 2, 20-year-old Leslie Jerome Jones Jr. was shot and killed at Club Empire, yet another act of violence that has occurred in or around the Ybor City hip-hop club. On Thursday morning a number of citizens, including many Ybor business owners and/or residents, were outspoken in…
Six-day panhandling ban will become the law in Tampa on Nov. 1
The only drama that remained from the draining year-long discussion on passing a hybrid ban on panhandling in Tampa came this morning from some members of the Occupy Tampa movement, who spoke strongly against the city enacting such legislation. But the battle was pretty much officially decided two weeks ago when ailing Council chair Charlie…
Kathy Castor says she’ll be going to Cuba
Tampa area Democratic Congresswoman Kathy Castor says she is definitely planning a trip to Cuba soon, though she's not sure she'll be able to book a trip before the end of the year. "It's in the planning stages," the Congresswoman told CL on Monday, adding that it might be difficult to get away because of…
Bare minimum Halloween costume ideas for ballsy men (NSFW)
Favre, anyone? How about Chris Farley as a Chippendale?
Green Community Calendar weekend events
Sweetwater Planter’s Ball, permaculture workshop, farmers markets and more.
A meal so bad it challenged his will to go on
Remembering the dinner dreadful.
Mitch Perry Report 10.20.11
Happy first real day of fall here in Tampa Bay everybody. Occupy Tampa is all over the news this morning. As we posted late last night, acting City Council Chair Mary Mulhern addressed well over 100 people last night inside Curtis Hixon Park (actually Kiley Gardens) to hear their issues. Their general issue of police…
6 reasons Floridians should be afraid — very afraid —
From backward laws to shady politics, there’s a lot to worry about in 2012.
Dining disasters and cooking catastrophes
Spine-chilling tales from the kitchen.
TV on the Radio — on film
The art-rock outfit’s Nine Types of Light goes cinematic.
Album review: Bill Frisell, All We Are Saying…
In the 1960s, while chasing the crossover dream, jazz musicians routinely covered Beatles songs. Clumsily, for the most part. The melody from "Lady Madonna," for instance, ladled over a smooth bop or easy funk groove, after which — solos. The players had little to no affinity for the songs. Guitarist Bill Frisell, 60, has Beatles…
Little Dragon, Kindlewood + more of this week’s best upcoming concerts.
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 20 The Back Pockets w/Young Egypt/Nick Lennon A huge collective that plays in lineups varying from four to 17, depending on who's available, and incorporates banjo, harmonium, trombone and violin (among various other instruments) into their "interactive gypsy folk punk" sound. The female-fronted Back Pockets are accompanied by performance artists who execute their…
BIGGEST LOCAL MUSIC RETAIL SUCCESS
Mojo Books & Music
Undead again: Howl-O-Scream’s happy zombies
They return year after year for the simple pleasures of terrifying people.
BEST CHEF
Chad Johnson, SideBern’s
BEST ACTOR
Paul Potenza
BEST THING TO HAPPEN TO A POTATO
Mise en Place
R.I.P. Dan Wheldon
Plus: Steven Soderbergh in St. Pete, Republican smackdown and more.
Prettier woman
Am I an asshole for wanting to dump my less-than-hot girlfriend?
The “literary horror” of St. Pete’s Christopher Buehlman
His debut novel is vibrant and unnerving.
Live & Local Spotlight: Have Gun, Will Travel CD Release Show
We've claimed Have Gun, Will Travel as our own, even though the rousing Americana and roots-rock outfit fronted by singer-songwriter Matt Burke is really from Bradenton. Have Gun have just returned from a national tour promoting their forthcoming full-length, Mergers & Acquisitions, which finds the quintet returning to their beloved dusty road aesthetic, replete with…
BEST PIECES OF MEAT
The hunky servers AND the food at Texas de Brazil Churrascaria
BEST RESTAURANT
The Refinery
BIGGEST LOSS TO LOCAL MUSIC RETAIL
Vinyl Fever Closing
BEST OUTDOOR ART SHOW THAT DID NOT SUCK (REALLY, IT DIDN’T. BUT COULD BE BETTER.)
Gasparilla Arts Festival
BEST LUNCH BUFFET
The Laughing Cat
BEST SAVORY SUNDAY MORNING MEAL
Dim Sum at Yummy House China Bistro
Mulhern addresses Occupy Tampa activists for over an hour in Curtis Hixon Park
Mary Mulhern In one of the more extraordinary appearances an elected official in the Tampa Bay area has conducted with the public in the past decade, Tampa City Councilwoman Mary Mulhern addressed between 120-150 members of the Occupy Tampa movement Wednesday night for over an hour near the new epicenter of the movement, Curtis Hixon…
Hillsborough Commissioners discuss changing makeup of board
Les Miller At Wednesday's Hillsborough Board of County Commissioners meeting, Commissioner Les Miller presented a proposal for the expansion of the board through the increase of single member districts. This action, he argued, would allow for better representation of all neighborhoods and ethic groups within the county.
Tampa City Council to discuss Occupy Tampa this Thursday
Tampa City Councilman Frank Reddick Tampa City Councilman Frank Reddick has met with members of Occupy Tampa about complaints about police harassment in Curtis Hixon Park, and has scheduled a discussion about the issue during tomorrow's Council meeting. Occupy Tampa had been gathering at Gaslight Lykes Park during the days over the past few weeks…
Will these folks go to jail after November 1?
Would Tampa’s anti-panhandling law forbid roadside Statues of Liberty and carwash babes?
Big Big Love, Revised: between the sheets of plus-size sex with Hanne Blank
Admittedly, I am one of those jerks who sees a corpulent couple and is a bit confused by the physics of how they have sex. As the author of Big Big Love: A sex and relationships guide for people of size (and those who love them), Hanne Blank reveals that being or dating a person…
NYC’s Battles to play Crowbar this Wednesday
The John Stanier-led group loses a member and produces an epic record.
