

Tampa Powerstories ‘Voices of Women Theatre Festival’ runs through next weekend
Playwrights from the US and Canada are being showcased.
Gloria Jean Royster joins the ‘Supernatural Saturday’ lineup in downtown Tampa
Home base is Supernatural Food & Wine store.
The Monkees’ Micky Dolenz and Michael Nesmith bring farewell tour to Clearwater next week
They’re not in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and that pisses us off.
Thievery Corporation plays outdoor St. Pete concert next week
The band is at Jannus Live.
Manchester Orchestra finally brings new album to St. Petersburg
Foxing opens at Jannus Live.
Tampa pop-punk band Peachy makes live debut at New World Brewery this Saturday
It’s filming a music video during the gig.
Low Season plays punk-rock in the St. Pete Side Lot outdoor venue this weekend
The Inhalers open the show with Tiger 54.
Oktoberfest Tampa finally arrives this weekend
Plus four other local Oktoberfests happening in the meantime.
Florida board approves sanctions for eight school districts over mask rules
The crackdown intensified the battle over whether school districts can set student mask requirements, a debate that is also playing out in courts.
Florida experienced the nation’s worst COVID-19 death rate during summer surge
Florida suffered the most deaths overall and per-capita.
Even with all the injuries, the Bucs better win by at least 10 this Sunday
The Bucs should win 28-13 this Sunday at Raymond James, despite their defense being depleted by injuries.
Owners of St. Pete’s ‘COCKtail’ gay bar are opening ‘The Wet Spot’ pool bar next door
Get your beach balls ready.
The Half Baked Potato has officially opened in St. Petersburg
Find it on Central Avenue.
College football stadiums are packed across Florida, but so far no apparent pandemic outbreaks
Packed stadiums had worried professors on campuses who were concerned about infections running rampant through classrooms after football weekends.
Trae Pierce & The T-Stones return to Tampa this weekend at Skipper’s Smokehouse
His new single ‘Be Anything’ even adds a little country to the funk.
Grammy-nominated DJ Mark Knight plays Edge Collective party in St. Pete
Knight’s single ‘Everything’s Gonna Be Alright’ is the anthem we need right now.
Tampa’s Same Day Delivery Orchestra will pay tribute to Billy Joel this weekend
It’s a benefit for Feeding Tampa Bay.
Orlando ska and rocksteady band Control This! plays Tampa on Friday
Monument and Victims of Circumstance open on Friday.
Judge will consider Sarasota bead store’s challenge to Florida’s ‘vaccine passport’ ban
The Sarasota business, Bead Abode, Inc., argues that the law violates the First Amendment and is seeking an injunction to block it.
Brooks & Dunn plays Tampa on Friday, and you’ll need a negative COVID test to get in
A vaxx card will pass, too.
Florida backs plan to allow limited harvest of goliath grouper
Commissioner Robert Spottswood said the “limited” harvest should help the agency better determine the overall stock of the fish in the next three to five years.
Rock the Park Tampa’s free October concert is moving to Water Works Park
Panda Paws and Easy Button are on the bill.
Latin Grammy-nominated rapper Snow Tha Product plays St. Pete on Thursday
She was in Ybor City last year.
Dead & Co. canceled its Tampa concert, so local venues are hosting tribute bands instead
Since you already took Oct. 7 off, head to Skipper’s or New World Brewery.
Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried urges federal government to list manatees as ‘endangered’
“According to Florida’s Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, there have been 957 manatee deaths so far this year,” Fried wrote.
Despite threats from state, Hillsborough and other Florida districts aren’t backing down over masks
The districts targeted for potential penalties are Alachua, Brevard, Broward, Duval, Hillsborough, Indian River, Leon, Miami-Dade, Orange, Palm Beach and Sarasota counties.
DeSantis ripped for being only governor in nation to not apply for $2.3 billion in COVID relief for schools
‘The uncertainty this creates for schools and families is absurd.’
DeSantis doesn’t want the FBI looking into threats aimed at Florida educators
“Attorney General Garland is weaponizing the DOJ (Department of Justice) by using the FBI to pursue concerned parents and silence them through intimidation.”
The Vault of Souls haunted experience returns to Tampa’s historic Exchange National Bank
The Vault of Souls runs 7:30 p.m. – 1 a.m. Oct. 22-23 and 29-30 with a Halloween event happening 6:30 p.m. – midnight on Oct. 31.
New Asian concept, Mangosteen, will open in St. Petersburg this month
It’s next to Boutique and Pacific Counter.
Groups challenging new Florida election law seek documents about how it was drafted
The motion contends that Heritage was “intimately involved in meeting, conferring, and strategizing with key Florida legislators about SB 90.”
St. Petersburg’s first Foxtail Coffee location is now open
Find it near Historic Round Lake Park.
Florida still hasn’t said how it will spend $2.3 billion in federal COVID-19 funding for schools
Florida is now the only state or U.S. territory that hasn’t submitted a plan for spending American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief funds.
St. Pete woman attacked by large alligator after falling into canal
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission deputies are currently searching for the gator.
Political committee will once again try to legalize recreational pot in Florida
Sensible Florida would need to submit 891,589 valid petition signatures and get Supreme Court approval before it could take the new version to voters.
21 live music concerts and events happening in Tampa Bay this weekend
Gasparilla Music Festival and so much more.
Sasscore favorite SeeYouSpaceCowboy will tease new album at Saturday Tampa concert
Newly formed post-hardcore supergroup If I Die First opens at Crowbar.
St. Pete rock band Eyelid Cinema releases new album at Green Bench on Saturday
It’s the band’s first new music since the ‘Peaks’ EP.
Vampiric songwriter Aurelio Voltaire plays Tampa this weekend
Cadaver Cable opens the show at Orpheum.
Grammy-nominated electro-pop duo Chromeo plays Tampa’s WTR bar on Sunday
You better hydrate if you’re headed out to see these pranksters.
Kingsford Fire Grille, branded after the charcoal company, opens in Tampa next week
Yes, it’s branded after the charcoal company.
98Rockfest is back in downtown Tampa this weekend with Seether, Candlebox and more
Shinedown, Fozzy and Dirty Honey are on the bill, too.
Siudy Garrido and flutist Juan Parrilla lead flamenco show in Tampa on Friday
It’s at Straz Center’s Ferguson Hall.
Tampa show by acid-washed electro-pop band TV Girl is sold-out
Go listen outside Crowbar, I guess.
Menstrual Moonshine plays two-day Tampa Death Fest this weekend
It starts on Friday at Brass Mug.
Hannah Aldridge opens for Nashville songwriter Matt Woods in Tampa on Friday
Woods played the same room over the summer.
Mauricio Rodriguez, Coltrane tribute lead full weekend of live jazz in Tampa Bay
Here are four great jazz gigs happening around town.
Ancestral reclamation got personal for Miami ‘Brujas’ author Lorraine Monteagut
The USF grad discusses a new book at St. Petersburg’s Tombolo Books on Oct. 7.
Tampa Bay History Center’s downtown walking tour about Fortune Taylor happens again this weekend
It profiles the iconic local landowner and freed slave.
Author James Chapin to discuss his new Florida fiction book in downtown Tampa
Pulitzer finalist Ben Montgomery will ask the questions on Sunday at Oxford Exchange.
Florida Senator leader calls for prison shutdowns, blasts corrections leaders
“I think there’s a leadership crisis at the top,” Simpson, a Trilby Republican who is running for state agriculture commissioner next year, said.
Best Place for a Wedding
The Don CeSar
Best Realtor
Jon Lewandowski
Florida Gov. DeSantis says migrants ‘will stop even coming’ if Biden reinstitutes Trump border policies
The border crisis is a manufactured one, Florida officials say.
Gasparilla Music Festival finally returns to downtown Tampa starting Friday
It was the last big local event before the world shut down
Tampa rapper Pusha Preme plays ‘Red Oktober’ listening party and Gasparilla Music Festival this weekend
One gig’s private and the other will have a few thousand people at it.
Duckweed Urban Grocery will open a new location in Tampa’s North Hyde Park
Official offerings are TBA, but Duckweed is known for its health-conscious selections that cater to diets of every kind—including vegan and keto.
Best kind of KFC
Anju
Best milk and cookies
Sonder Social Club
Best Jewish food
Temple B’nai Israel Jewish Food Festival
Best modern Irish bar
Strandhill Public
Best lunch counter in a grocery store
Cacciatore & Sons
Best neverending expansion
King Of The Coop
Best it was worth it
MacDinton’s getting alcohol license suspended
Best new restaurant
Urban Stillhouse
Best of the Bay 2021 Goods & Services
Creative Loafing Tampa Bay critics and readers pick the best goods and services in Tampa Bay.
Worst Irish wake
Four Green Fields closing
Best non-record store with a ‘high fidelity’ vibe
West Palm Wines
Best invention since the cronut
The Crumb Factory’s Cruffin
Best Old Fashioned (Tampa)
Ella’s Americana Folk Art Cafe
Best old school burger
El Cap (St. Pete)
Best hummus (but that’s just the beginning)
The spreads sampler at Baba
Best pandemic byproduct
Thai Temple drive-thru Palm River’s Wat Mongkolratanaram Buddhist Temple is the number one place in Tampa to seek tranquility as you stir your bowl of pho (skinny noodle, please) with a spring roll—but like so many other things, the pandemic took it away. Until last March, that is, when the Wat started drive-thru service complete…
Best hummus and baba ghanouj served on a paper plate
Mays Alreem USA pita house
Biggest pandemic food casualty
Cafe Ponte
Best home away from home (that’s much nicer than your home)
Bula Kavananda (Seminole Heights)
Best place for farm-to-table if it’s your kitchen in the middle
Meecham Urban Farm
Best holy smokes
Grand Cathedral Cigars
Best reason to follow a bartender
6 A.M. On 7th
Best secret waterfront restaurant
Tiki Docks Skyway Bar + Grill
Best fancy burrito
Filet mignon burrito at Red Mesa
Best reason to get t-boned turning left on Nebraska Avenue
Gulf Coast Sourdough
Best drinkable venue lifeline
Angry Chair “Ghost Light”
Best restaurant
Rocca
Best cottagecore fantasy come true
Meacham Urban Farm
Best restaurant in Seminole Heights
Ranchero Tacos
Best Cincinnati chili popup
Nathan Hardin
Best chef
Jeannie Pierola
Best seitan
Uncle Mince’s World Famous Seitan
Best cephalopod bite
Wild Child jerk octopus
Best shakshuka while shuffling
Tom Murray (Shuffle)
Best street meat
Boozy Pig vending machine
Best burger joint easily mistaken for a strip club
Bae’s Burgers & Wings
Best still-warm donuts
Hole N One
Best Bucco Brew
Coppertail’s Florida Special lager
Best Sweet success (St. Pete)
Bright Ice
Best Bruce Juice
King State turns two
Best visit to Spain without crossing the Atlantic
La Vid Fine Wines & Vinoteca
Best Thai on the west side
Lanna thai
Best taste the rainbow
Gulfport Brewery’s pride flight
Best way to decide if we’re still friends or not
Florida State Fair pickle pizza
Best sweet success (Tampa)
Chill Bros. Scoop Shop
Best breakfast to make you hole
Supernatural Food & Wine
Best breakfast to keep you full until well past lunch
Raw Smoothie Co. Rise N Grind
Best bread bag
Jamison B Bakehouse
Best show of showbiz chutzpah
Ward Smith’s Studio Grand Central and Off-Central Players
Best borscht and other russian goodies
Babushka’s
Worst we hope this isn’t a restaurant closing
Coney Island Sandwich Shop
Best best of the bay foodie drama
Stone Soup Co. V Stone Soup Cafe
BEST baby that got bigger
Xtreme Tacos Seminole Heights stoner burrito
Best art-themed charcuterie
Café Gala at The Dalí
Best underground food to come out of the lockdown
Jesus Bravo’s quesabirria tacos
Tom Brady and the Bucs should blow the Pats out of the water
This Sunday night the Bucs will have a chance to show the league that they’re still the defending champs.
Most amusing bouche
Urban Stillhouse pea soup
Best Amish fair food
Peachey’s
Best add these to the Strawberry Festival lineup
Get Along strawberry shortcake doughnut
Best Tequila Bar
Red Mesa Cantina
Best new art scene
Pinellas Art Village
Best new block party
Bloom on Franklin
Best new arts organization
Tampa Arts Alliance
Best new concert accessory
Negative COVID-text or proof of vaxx
Best new party in Pinellas Park
Pride at the Village
Best new art collective
New Roots Art Collective
Best new Tampa-based documentary filmmaker
Jennifer Msumba
Best pandemic recycling practice
Emily Stehle’s COVID comfort baskets at Creative Pinellas
Best musical stimulus package
Palladium Creative Class stipend
Best pandemic museum remodel
The MFA
Best pandemic short film
“Sexo y Violencia” by Christen Hailey
Best message of hope
Ya La’ford’s ‘Woven’
Best photos of SPACE
Todd Bates photos of SPACEcraft
Best makeover
Floridian Social Club
Best place to discover new talent
Wave Theory Replay open mic
Best place to pretend you’re a mermaid
Fairgrounds St. Pete
Best masterwork by a local artist
“Mi isla” by Gabriel Ramos
Best player of reed instruments
David Pate
Best macabre musical
‘Shockheaded Peter’
Best life-changing theater artist
Brianna Larson
Best place to get the gear you need to … pump you up!
Bandit Fitness Equipment
Best local celeb
Drunk Tom Brady
Best place to renew your driver’s license
Downtown Tax Collector’s Office (601 E Kennedy Blvd.)
Best loss to the military-industrial complex
Mikhail Mansion of Fairgrounds
Best local playwright
Natalie Symons
Best keys to the crib
Psych Montano and Albert J. “Mansion Music”
Best local Billboard chart appearance
Pusha Preme
Best keep standing for something
Kenosobi
Best jazz album (smaller group)
Fred Johnson/Andre Weiss ‘Duo’
Best jazz album (small group)
La Lucha ‘Everybody Wants to Rule the World’
Best jazz album (big group)
Chuck Owen & Jazz Surge ‘Within Us’
Best hometown Billboard No. 1
Rod Wave
Best sign that some police are trying to listen
St. Pete CALL team
Best Vegetarian/Vegan Restaurant
Golden Dinosaurs
Best place to flash the white power sign with little to no consequence
(Tie) Bad Monkey or New Port Richey Wanna express your free speech by throwing the “OK” sign in public spaces without much pushback? There are at least two places in Tampa Bay to do that. One is Bad Monkey in Ybor City where post-Trumparilla reveler Don Cini screamed “white power” during a VIP event. Despite…
Best Family Performer
Dewayne Hill
Best Philanthropist
Jeff Vinik
Best real talk about local development
URBN Tampa Bay
Best Med Spa
Castellano Cosmetic Surgery
Best Diner
Mamas Kitchen
Best Walking Tour
Sip City Tour
Best comedian
Cam Bertrand
Best celebration of Black, queer culture
St. Pete Pride’s Arts and Qulture
Best Instagrammer
@stufftodointampabay
Best Furniture Store
Vintage Roost
Best Blogger
I Love the Burg
Best place to get the scoop on all those buildings going up
St. Pete Rising
Best Public Artwork
St. Pete Murals
Best Indian Restaurant
Flames Indian Cuisine
Best Physical Therapist
Optimal Performance & Physical Therapies
Best boulevardier
Andrew Harlan of St. Pete Supper Club, I Love The Burg and Tombolo Books
Best dog’s best friend
Dave Bautista
Best Singer/Songwriter
Rebekah Pulley
Best Seafood Restaurant
The Original Crabby Bill’s
Best Cuban Sandwich
Brocato’s Sandwich Shop
Best Mayor
Jane Castor
Best Wine Bar
Lolita’s Wine Market
Best Afternoon Radio Show
Drew Garabo Live
Best TV Newsperson
Denis Phillips
Best Dog Training
Ernie Webb
Best Videographer
Roberto Rivera at Animus Visual
Best Cookies
Bake’n Babes
Best pain management without narcotics
Biofeedback at TGH
Best Gourmet Popcorn
Gigglewaters
Best Store Staff
ZaZoo’d
Best there goes the neighborhood
Ella’s taking the Old Seminole Heights Baptist steeple
Best Splurge Restaurant
The Black Pearl
Best Burgers
Nebraska Mini-Mart
Best Museum Exhibit
Van Gogh at the Dalí
Best Hotel Restaurant
Flora Fina at Hotel Haya
Best Cocktails
Sonder Social Club
Best activism on four wheels
Gay Commie Skate Crew
Best Tacos
Taco Bus
Best Open Mic Night (Music)
Dunedin Brewery
Most courageous arts leader
Stephanie Gularte
Best bike repair that comes to you
VeloFix (Scott Imrich)
Best nonprofit that makes an immediate local impact
Meals On Wheels Tampa
Best Sushi Restaurant
Pisces Sushi & Global Bistro
Best Cold-Pressed Juice
SOHO Juice Co.
Best Barre Studio
Pure Barre St. Pete
Best Handcrafted Jewelry
Florida CraftArt
Best Tampa Heights Restaurant
Oak & Ola
Best Lobster Roll
Mazzaro’s Italian Market
Best Gym
Apex Performance
Best Chinese Restaurant
Yummy House China Bistro
Best Stage Director
Karla Hartley
Best Pad Thai
Lemon Grass Thai Kitchen
Best Bakery (Pastries)
Mazzaro’s Italian Market
Best Bagels
St. Pete Bagel Co.
Best Sports Bar
Ferg’s Sports Bar
Best Spa Services
Essentials South Tampa
Best sign that change is good
They Hate Change Clearwater duo They Hate Change was already on many a hip-hop head’s radar thanks to '666 Central Ave.,' its recent release on the Godmode imprint, but Dre and Vonne took it to a new level this year when the band signed to indie-label giant Jagjaguwar, which released They Hate Change's mind-boggling new…
Best Cuban Coffee
La Segunda Central Bakery
Best Greek Restaurant
Acropolis Greek Taverna
Best Auto Repair Shop
Bob Lee’s Tire Company
Best Club DJ
DJ Sandman
Best Seltzer
3 Daughters Hard Seltzer
Best Middle Eastern Restaurant
Acropolis Greek Taverna
Best LGBT Organization
St. Pete Pride
Best Stand-Up Comedian
Cam Bertrand
Best Kava Bar
Bula Kafe
Best Organized Bike Ride
On Bikes
Best Roots/Alt-Country Act (Original)
Have Gun, Will Travel
Best Marketing Agency
Olive Branch Business Solutions
Best permit-obsessed Instagram account
Tampa Tomorrow
Best Italian Restaurant
Bella’s Italian Cafe
Best he said it better than all of us
Tampa Bay Lightning’s drunk Nikita Kucherov
Best Pasco Restaurant
Noble Crust
Best Thrift Shop
Sunshine Thrift Store
Best Doctor for a Nip and Tuck
Castellano Cosmetic Surgery
Best Poolside Bar
Pool Bar & Grill
Best Martial Arts Studio
Gracie Martial Arts Tampa
Best Dunedin Restaurant
The Living Room
Best Consignment Shop
Curv Exchange: St Pete
Best Seminole Heights Restaurant
Ella’s Americana Folk Art Cafe
Best Cover Band
Black Honkeys
Best St. Pete Restaurant
Red Mesa Restaurant
Best Pro Sports Team
Tampa Bay Lightning
Best show of solidarity for workers outside Super Bowl LV
The IBEW Local 824 (and TBH, everyone who showed)
Best Smoothies
Rollin’ Oats
Best celebration of love and strawberries
Macy Higgins and Emiliano Settecasi’s Strawberry Room at Fairgrounds St. Pete
Most inventive theater pandemic solution
FreeFall Drive-In
Best Coffee
Kahwa Coffee
Best Dog Park
Fort De Soto Dog Park & Beach
Best City
St. Petersburg
Best Hip-Hop Act
Pusha Preme
Best place to get some love with your wood
Anderson Lumber
Best Clothing Boutique (Women)
Seersucker Sassy Boutique
Best Southern Cooking
The Mill
Best New Restaurant
Social Roost
Best Large Concert Venue (2,000-plus capacity)
Amalie Arena
Best Politician (Pinellas)
Rick Kriseman
Best one-man bicycle shop
Tony’s Bike Shop (St. Pete)
Best Comic Book Shop
Emerald City Comics
Best Dancer
Jordan Denise Williams
Best Customer Service
White Duck Espresso
Best Hispanic-Owned Business
Casa Tina “Fresh, Healthy, Authentic Mexican”
Best Handmade Crafts Gallery
Dunedin Fine Art Center
Best (hopefully) neverending pantries
Metropolitan Ministries and Feeding Tampa Bay
Best Women-Owned Business
Bayshore Marketing Group
Best composer
Chuck Owen
Best Sangria
Red Mesa Restaurant
Best Spa
The Pampered Peach’s Jessica Kurstron
Best Choreographer
Alison Burns
Best Tattoo Studio
Classic Tattoos
Best Fish & Chips
Hog Island Fish Camp
Best Whiskey Bar
The Urban Stillhouse
Best Fashion Event
DFAC Wearable Art
Best Bargain Restaurant
Bodega
Best Radio Station
102.5-FM The Bone
Best Recording Studio
Five 5 Studios
Best Classical Musician
Melissa Grady
Best Photo Booth
EVNT Photobooth Co
Best campaign to increase workers’ wages
Fight For 15
Best Soul/R&B/Funk Act
The Black Honkeys
Best Black-Owned Business
Pop Goes the Waffle
Best Breakfast
Oxford Exchange
Best Outdoor Dining
Jackson’s
Best Bookstore
Tombolo Books
Best way to ruin your chances at mayor before even running
Robert Blackmon
Best Head Shop
Cosmic Fish
Best Acupuncturist
Dr. Ashley Heintz
Best Vintage Clothing Store
Sunshine Thrift Store
Best dirty pics
Angels Erotic Lounge
Best Ice Cream/Gelato/Frozen Yogurt
Bo’s Ice Cream
Best Jam Band
Black Honkeys
Best Free Clinic
St. Petersburg Free Clinic
Best Nanny Service
Soho Sitters
Best local crime story
The Gabber’s ‘Vibrator Theft Shakes Up Gulfport’
Best Record Store
Daddy Kool Records
Best CBD Store
Trichom Health Center
Best Sex Shop
Todd Couples Superstore
Best Eggs Benedict
Daydreamers Cafe and Grill
Best LGBT-Owned Business
Gourmet Pizza Company
Best College Hangout
Armature Works
Best Farm
Keel and Curley Winery
Best Mexican Restaurant
Casa Tina “Fresh, Healthy, Authentic Mexican”
Best COVID coping mechanism
Milk crate olympics
Best Columnist
Stephanie Hayes
Best keeping in touch
Leo Rodgers
Best cabaret act
Scott and Patti
Best Graphic Designer
Bradley King
Best Neighborhood Bar, Pinellas
Gigglewaters
Best Supermarket
Publix
Best Waitstaff
Social Roost
Best Photographer
Urban Dog Studio
Best Draft Selection
World of Beer
Best traveling art project collab
SPACEcraft
Best Fried Chicken
King of the Coop
Best takedown of cops targeting children suspected of future crime
Neil Bedi and Kathleen Mcgrory
Best theater design concept
Shockheaded Peter
Best Podcast
Miguel & Holly Uncensored
Best Networker
Emily Rose
Best Nature Trail
Pinellas Trail
Best New Brewery, Hillsborough
Woven Water Brewing Company
Best Steakhouse
Bern’s Steak House
Best Small Concert Venue (Under 2,000 capacity)
Jannus Live
Best Bay area debut Kanye took away
Jay Electronica The show was announced less than a month before it was supposed to happen, so maybe we shouldn’t have been surprised when Jay Electronica’s Tampa debut got postponed. It wasn’t COVID that got the legendary rapper, however. Nope, Jay had to bail on Tampa after doors were already open at Crowbar because none…
Best New Brewery, Pinellas
Gulfport Brewery + Eatery
Best small-town pride
Gulfport Pride
Best embodiment of the show must go on
Nate Najar
Best Yoga Studio
Yoga Loft
Best Craft Beer Event
Dunedin Craft Beer & Food Festival
Best portraiture with a purpose
Dr. Carter G. Woodson African American History Museum’s ‘Reverberations’
Best collaborative comeback
Skyway 2020/21
Best big store for all your disc golf needs
Local Route Disc Golf Pro Shop
Worst reminder that David Straz might’ve been right
Tampa Police’s Crime-Free Housing Program
Best Date Restaurant
Bern’s Steak House
Best Bartender
Bobby at Hard Rock Cafe
Best Interior Designer
Debra Ackerbloom Interiors
Best Halloween headbanger
Doechii ‘Spookie Coochie’
Best CEO
Jeff Vinik
Best musical tribute to Weedon Island
Scott Lee Through The Mangrove Tunnels
Best Sports Coach
Jon Cooper
Best Charcuterie
Cru Cellars
Best New Business
Trichom Health Center
Best dare to dream
Zulu Painter’s mural at Clearwater’s North Greenwood Rec Center
Best Bar Crawl
Downtown Dunedin
Best Bridal Boutique
White Magnolia
Best we should’ve seen that coming
Jon Schaffer pleads guilty in wake of insurrection attempt
Best Vocalist
Derrick Williams
Best ordinance change
Critic”s Pick.
Best Spoken Word Artist
Novacane
Best single
“Blood on the Water” Mike Mass and J.T. Brown
Best dual personality
Nick Hoop and his puppet in ‘Hand to God’
Best Law Firm
Battaglia, Ross, Dicus & McQuaid, P.A.
Best Barista
Ellis Holloway at Kahwa Coffee
Best Distillery
St. Petersburg Distillery
Best Pizza
Madison Avenue Pizza
Best Experimental Act
Bangarang
Best Grilled Cheese
Gigglewaters
Best Florida Man
Tyler Riggs ‘God’s Waiting Room’
Best dead film art
Chris Preston
Best Grouper Sandwich
Frenchy’s Original Cafe
Best Web Developer
Bradley King
Best Skincare Specialist
The Pampered Peach’s Jessica Kurstron
Best All-Around Restaurant
Mise en Place
Best Bakery (Bread)
Mazzaro’s Italian Market
Best Chef
Traci Bryant
Best-kept secret place to find some outside time to yourself
Hillsborough River Pocket Parks
Best Veterinarian
Hyde Park Veterinary Clinic
Best Vintage Market
Vintage Marche
Best Poke Restaurant
Zukku Sushi
Best Barbecue Restaurant
The Dunedin Smokehouse
Best Place to Adopt a Pet
Humane Society of Tampa Bay
Best Fashion Designer
Lina Teixeira
Best Guacamole
Casa Tina ‘”Fresh, Healthy, Authentic Mexican”
Best Record Label
Derlie Records Inc
Best Beach Town
Dunedin
Best Food Festival
John’s Pass Seafood Festival
Best remembrance for a working class hero
Joe Haskins
Best Surf Shop
Suncoast Surf Shop
Best of the Bay 2020 People, Places and Politics
Creative Loafing Tampa Bay critics and readers pick the best—and shittiest—people, places and politicians of the last year.
Best Palm Harbor Restaurant
The Lucky Dill Deli
Best Startup
Sip City Tour
Best Place to Play Pool
Corner Bar & Grill
Best Ribs
Wicked Oak BBQ
Best Art Supply Store
Blick
Best Bicycle Shop
Chainwheel Drive
Best Foodie Instagram Account
@thisbabeeats
Best Wedding Planning Company
Confetti EventsConfetti Events
Best emerging digital artist
Nick Davis
Best Hotel
The Don CeSar
Best Open Mic Night (Poetry)
Smoken Words
Best Hospital
Moffitt Cancer Center
Best Sommelier
Jen Bingham at Cru Cellars
Best new museum
Museum Of The American Arts And Crafts Movement
Best Tapas/Small Plates
Bulla Gastrobar
Best Gourmet Market
Nature’s Food Patch
Best Brewer
Devon Kreps at 7venth Sun
Best Reggae/Ska Band
The Hip Abduction
Best proof that Jane Castor gets what she wants
Tampa Bay Lightning losing Game 4
Best Late Night Restaurant
Taco Bus
Best Mani/Pedi
Whole Aveda Salon and Spa
Best forest fire
Effort to save USFFP
Best Playwright
Fanni Green
Best Frosé
Armature Works
Best Wings
Ferg’s Sports Bar & Grill
Best Vietnamese Restaurant
La V Vietnamese Fusion
Best Actress
M. Catherine Wynkoop
Best up-and-coming comedian (Pinellas)
Jeff Klein
Best LGBT Bar
CockTail St. Pete
Best way to learn about Black cemeteries without knowing who Paul Guzzo is
Rose Hill Cemetery place-based learning project
Best hardware/home improvement store
Empire Paint & Hardware
Best Weekly Club Night
Castle Fridays
Best Opera Company
St. Pete Opera
Best use of your uncle’s skeleton
Prince Midnight
Best legacy work
Abe Brown Ministries
Best Public Library Branch
President Barack Obama Main Library: St. Pete
Best Place to Bowl
Pin Chasers
Best Hair Salon
Whole Aveda
Best County
Pinellas
Best Up-And-Coming Radio Personality
Scott Tavlin
Best Personality to Follow on Twitter
@DenisPhillipsWx
Best Clothing Boutique (Men)
Atlas Body + Home
Best appointment only vintage soccer apparel shop
Tiffozi Apparel
Best Music School (Institutional/academic)
Blake High School
Most resilient record store
Daddy Kool Records This beloved shop survived the near extinction of record stores a decade or so back. Daddy Kool was a fixture on the 600 Block of St. Pete’s Central Avenue for a decade, but escalating rents pushed it out. No biggie. In April 2019, owner Tony Rifugiato and the man who mans it,…
Best Drag Performer
Adriana Sparkle
Best Strip Club
2001 Odyssey
Best Roofing Company
Readers’ Pick.
Best T-shirt Company
Sunshine State
Best Jazz Ensemble
Hot Tonic
Best Hairstylist
Sardis (Cece) Nunez
Best champion of Black-owned businesses
Green Book of Tampa Bay
Best Hot Sauce
Dunedin Brewery – Florida Heat
Best up and coming comedian (Tampa)
Stephen Henry
Best Fitness Studio
Camp
Welcome to the Best of The Bay 2021
It’s Creative Loafing’s 31st annual issue celebrating the best Tampa Bay has to offer.
Best Vape Shop
Cosmic Fish
Best Desserts
Bassano Cheesecake
Best Mover & Shaker
Mike Calta
Best of the Bay 2021 Music
Creative Loafing Tampa Bay readers and critics pick the best songwriters, rock and rollers, clubs, DJs and more.
Best Theater Company
American Stage
Best Performing Arts Center
David A. Straz Center for the Performing Arts
Best Cosplayer
Kelli-Lynn Luckey
Best holographic genitalia
Luis Markoya
Best Beach Restaurant
Frenchy’s
Best Magician
Cory Van Valin
Best Pet Boutique
Woof Gang Bakery
Best Improv Team
American Stage Improv
Best Safety Harbor Restaurant
Gigglewaters
Best power-pop album
Ed Woltil One in My Tree
Best Thai Restaurant
Lemon Grass Thai Kitchen
Best Morning Radio Show
Miguel & Holly Show on Hot 101.5
Best Concert Promoter
No Clubs
Best Concert in the Last 12 Months
Sunset Music Festival
Best Hot Dogs
Mel’s Hot Dogs
Best Book by a Local Author Published in the Last 12 Months
“Naked Came the Florida Man” by Tim Dorsey
Best Florida College Team
Florida Gators
Best Margarita
Red Mesa Cantina
Best Place to Shop Green
Nature’s Food Patch
Best Beach Bar
Postcard Inn On The Beach
Best Skate Shop
Skatepark of Tampa
Best climate change conversations
Mickett-Stackhouse “Expanding Waters” Science Talks
Best Banh Mi
La V: Vietnamese Fusion
Best Salad Bar
Nature’s Food Patch
Best way to support black businesses with minimal effort
Candy Lowe’s Black business bus tour Green Book of Tampa Bay is the definitive local guide to buying Black locally, but if you don’t want to thumb through the listings, just hop on a bus hailed by Candy Lowe whose Tampa bus tour takes riders to over half a dozen businesses in East Tampa, Ybor…
Best concert at a Catholic church
Flo Rida at Higgins Hall
Best Bank
Suncoast Credit Union
Best Actor
Joel D. Wynkoop
Best Farmers Market
Saturday Market in St. Petersburg
Best smoke shop employees
Smoke Signals
Best Internet Radio Show
Out of Bounds with Johnny B
Best Public Golf Course
Innisbrook Golf Resort
Best unpopular opinion
DJ Ku
Best Singles Hangout
Park & Rec
Best Antique Shop
Vintage Marche
Best Electrician
Dunedin Electric
Best Date Destination
Downtown Dunedin
Best Visual Art Festival
Gasparilla Festival of the Arts
Best Dry Cleaner
Sun Country Cleaners
Best Food Truck/Vendor
Taco Bus
Best Mac ‘n’ Cheese
Datz
Best Coffee Shop
Kahwa Coffee
Best use for old political yard signs
Tampa Bay beekeepers can use your old political signs to save the bees
Best Pet Sitting
FairyTail Pet Care
Best Cuban Restaurant
The Columbia
Best Music Festival
Gasparilla Music Festival
Best arts consultant
Elizabeth Brincklow
Best Health Food Market
Rollin’ Oats
Best Politician (Hillsborough)
Jane Castor
Best final concert from a local legend
Chick Corea at Ruth Eckerd Hall
Best Plumbing Company
Dunedin Plumbing
Best real Rainbow River
Pride on the Riverwalk
Best Dance Club
CockTail St. Pet
Best Radio Personality
Mike Calta
Best Dispensary
Trulieve
Best Metal/Hardcore Band (Original)
Den of Thieves
Best Art Gallery
Dunedin Fine Art Center
Best family photos
Picture Imperfect at FMoPA
Best way to trick your kids into thinking they’re getting a dog
Suncoast Humane Society’s ‘holiday Crashers’ foster care program
Best Morning TV Show
Great Day Live
Best Bluegrass Band
Applebutter Express
Best Tampa Restaurant
Rooster & the Till
Best urban wildlife
Laurel Street bridge bats
Best Karaoke
Corner Bar & Grill
Best Community Garden
Dunedin Community Garden
Best Makers Festival
Indie Flea
Best Community Center
Dunedin Community Center
Best COVID-era innovation
TPA2Go
Best Personal Trainer
Matt Bode
Best Wellness Center
Metro Inclusive Health
Best Film Festival
Gasparilla International Film Festival
Best Dance Company
Tampa City Ballet
Best Acai Bowl
SOHO Juice Co.
Best Couple
Steve & Julie Weintraub
Best Landscape Design Company
Campus Landscapes
Best comedy club
Side Splitters
Best song to cry to
Will Quinlan’s ‘Texarkana’
Best Brewery
3 Daughters Brewery
Best Devil Crab
Brocato’s Sandwich Shop
Best Art Party
Painting with a Twist
Best Soup
Bern’s Steak House
Best Instrumentalist
Derrick Williams
Best $999.99 concert heard around the world
Teenage Bottlerocket at VFW Post 39/ SPoT
Best Activist
Tom DeGeorge
Best College or University
University of South Florida
Best Release By A Local Band
“8TEEN” by Kind Villain
Best Burlesque Act
Mayven Missbehavin
Best Doggy Day Care
Bay Paws Pet Resort
Best Museum
The Dalí (Salvador Dalí Museum)
Best of the Bay 2021 Arts & Entertainment
Creative Loafing Tampa Bay’s 2021 readers and critics pick the best in local theater, poets, museums and so much more.
Best Underground Cinema Event
“Rocky Horror Picture Show” from Hell On Heels
Best Place to Volunteer
Metropolitan Ministries
Best Ramen
Buya Ramen
Best Clearwater Restaurant
Clear Sky on Cleveland
Best Visual Artist
Chad Mize
Best Pop Act (Original)
Jordan Denise Williams
Best Doughnuts
Hole In One Donuts
Best Massage Therapist
Dee Carlton Massage
Best reminder that sometimes, your votes don’t actually matter
‘All For Transportation’ tax supreme court ruling
Best closing that actually wasn’t
Skipper’s Smokehouse
Best Brunch
Oxford Exchange
Best Financial Advisor
Priscilla Nunez
Best Lawyer
Lindsey Sheppy
Best year (acting division)
Andresia Moseley
Best Waterfront Dining
Fresco’s Waterfront Bistro
Best Beer
Beach Blonde Ale by 3 Daughters
Best Place to Instagram a Selfie
St. Pete Pier
Best Home Decor
Scavengers Marketplace
Best A/C Repair Company
Jenergy Air Services
Most inspirational race for office
Isaiah Haddon
Best farewell to a freak
Shock G
Best Ybor Restaurant
Flor Fina at Hotel Haya
Best run (and saddest farewell)
Innovocative Theatre
Best COO
Julie Weintraub
Best Filmmaker
Joel D. Wynkoop
Best Tea Shop
TeBella Tea Company
Best use of gambling money
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Best Dive Bar
Skipper’s Smokehouse
Best Place to Adopt a Pet
Humane Society of Tampa Bay
Best Liquor Store
Bern’s Fine Wines & Spirits
Best of the Bay 2021 Food & Drink
Creative Loafing Tampa Bay critics and readers pick all the best things that made their mouths water in 2020.
Best Music School (Non-Academic)
School of Rock
Best Dog-Friendly Bar
The Dog Bar
Best Theater Production
“Rocky Horror Picture Show” from Hell On Heels
Best Band (Original)
Black Honkeys
Best Real Estate Company
Next Home South Pointe
Best comedy open mic
de Bine Brewing Company
Best short-lived reprieve from coronavirus
Hot Dog Party 15
Best Celebrity Charity Event
Drew Saves Christmas
Best Influencer
@katstickler
Best Brunch For Boozing
Red Mesa Cantina
Best way for police to misuse taxpayer money
Buying gold teeth and going to the strip club
Best Visual Art Curator
Chad Mize
Best Hotel Bar
The Vinoy Renaissance St. Petersburg
Best Key Lime Pie
JJ Gandy’s
Best mall bike shop for the people
Wellbuilt Bikes
Best Rock Band (Original)
Have Gun, Will Travel
Best Sports Writer
John Romano
Best reason to get outside for a concert
Riverwalk stage at Straz Center, Rock the Park, and FWD Thinkers Lawncerts
Best Happy Hour
Enigma St. Pete
Best Environmental Organization
Tampa Bay Watch
Best Nonprofit
Humane Society of Tampa Bay
Best pop song
Kirk Adams “Here & Now”
Florida parents of children with disabilities ask judge to reconsider school mask order
The lawsuit contends that DeSantis’ executive order violated the Americans with Disabilities Act and other federal laws designed to protect the rights of students with disabilities.
Conservation groups will sue Manatee County over plan to inject waste into ground at Piney Point
Manatee County plans to use an injection well to dispose of wastewater from the site.
Artist will preview 30-foot ‘Munchausen Waves’ at Tampa’s Gasparilla Music Festival
Get a taste of Crab Devil’s forthcoming Ybor Heights art complex from Oct. 1-3 at Kiley Garden.
What Florida workers can do if their employers violate state’s new minimum wage requirement
Effective Sept. 30, Florida’s minimum wage will rise from its current $8.65 per hour to $10 an hour.
Savage Love: Your boyfriend’s kink has crossed into abuse, and it’s time for you to leave
Make a plan, lean on supportive friends, take your kid, and get away from this man.
Tampa Bay is getting a minimum wage boost on Thursday, and it’s about damn time
Florida’s minimum wage will increase to $10 an hour on Sept. 30, and $15 by 2026.






