crucellars / Facebook
Cru Cellars' Westshore Marina location will reopen as a new Italian concept called Vela.
Crumbl USF Crumbl Cookies' iconic, light pink boxes are truly inescapable, and if you live in North Tampa you'll be seeing even more of them pretty soon. Owner Jason Wojdylo recently confirmed with Creative Loafing Tampa Bay that the newest Crumbl Cookies storefront will soon open at 8795 N 56th St. in Temple Terrace, serving the greater University of South Florida area. Wojdylo says Tampa Bay’s newest Crumbl Cookies will celebrate its grand opening on Friday, July 21. Temple Terrace’s upcoming Crumbl Cookies is owned and operated by Wojdylo, the same franchisee who opened South Tampa’s Crumbl last fall. The national cookie brand is known for its massive, rotating menu of 200-plus flavors “inspired by cakes, candies, pies, and desserts of all kinds,” according to its website. Each week, all Crumbl storefronts offer six specialty flavors in addition to its milk chocolate chip which is offered daily. In addition to Temple Terrace’s soon-to-open location, there are other Crumbl storefronts in Carrollwood, South Tampa, Brandon and Westchase, as well as in Palm Harbor, Clearwater and Seminole across the bridge in Pinellas County. Crumblcookies.com
Coming Soon
Cass Street Coffee Company Downtown Tampa’s Historic Floridan Palace Hotel just debuted its brand new signature restaurant a few months ago, and now its casual (and more caffeinated) sibling is getting ready to open doors, too. Cass Street Coffee Company—with no relation to the now-closed Hyde Park concept Cass Street Deli—will celebrate its grand opening at 905 N Florida Ave. sometime next month. Featuring coffee and lattes from Philadelphia-based roaster La Colombe and sweet treats from Tampa’s Local Mini Donut Co., Cass Street Coffee Company will soon be downtown Tampa's newest go-to spot for a morning pick-me-up. In addition to donuts and baked goods, Cass Street Coffee Company will also serve yogurt parfaits and oatmeal for breakfast and a variety of made-to-order salads, sandwiches, wraps and bowls for lunch, according to a press release. Cass Street Coffee Company is the latest facet of Floridan Palace Hotel’s recent renovations—which also included its new bar and restaurant The Dan, added exterior lights, a remodeled lobby and more. 905 N Florida Ave., Tampa. @cassstreetcoffee on Instagram
Vela There’s no doubt that Cru Cellars has had an incredibly busy year with the opening of Hyde Park Village champagne bar Bouzy, bottle shop Wine on Water and Water Street hotspot Small Giant—but the hospitality group isn’t done announcing big news just yet. Jennifer Bingham, owner of the wine and restaurant brand, took to Instagram last week to announce Cru Cellars’ latest pivot. “We’ve learned to tailor each concept to its neighborhood which is why this summer, we’re closing Cru at Armature Works and we’re transforming our Westshore Marina location into a brand new concept called Vela,” Bingham explains in the video. “Vela means ‘sail’ in Italian and it’s inspired by its waterfront marina location.” She goes on to explain what future customers can expect from Cru’s new Italian restaurant, including a variety of pastas, pizzas and fresh small plates alongside an Italian-Mediterranean cocktail program and wine list. According to the TBBJ, Cru’s Westshore Marina space will close for five days in August and reopen as Vela—although exact closure and grand opening dates aren’t set in stone yet. Cru Cellars' Armature Works outpost will close sometime this summer as well, perhaps coinciding with Vela's debut. 5232 Bridge St., Tampa. crucellars.com
Closings
The Boneyard In the heart of Ybor City amongst the clubs, pizza parlors and cigar shops lies the Boneyard at 1823 E 7th Ave.—one of the district's most beloved and eclectic dive bars. Unfortunately, there's only about three more days to enjoy its cheap drinks, pool tables and late-night bar fare, since Boneyard announced its imminent closure on social media this week. “It’s with a heavy heart we announce that this will be our last weekend…After nearly three decades in Ybor we will be closing our doors for good this Sunday night.” Boneyard wrote on Instagram. Its farewell post doesn't name any of the reasons why Boneyard is shuttering doors for good. The beloved dive bar will be open its regular hours of 7 p.m.-3 a.m. for the rest of the week until its closure on Sunday, July 16. Its farewell celebration will feature jello shots, cheap drinks and a ton of regulars bonding over their favorite drunken nights at the Ybor City institution. Boneyard is known for its cheap, yet stiff drinks, walls filled with photos and memorabilia, as well as its late-night menu of beer-friendly eats like chicken tenders, giant hot dogs wrapped in bacon, mozzarella sticks and jalapeño poppers. 1823 E 7th Ave., Ybor City. @therealboneyardybor on Instagram
Caddy’s Gulfport & St. Pete Beach A popular Tampa Bay hospitality brand just closed two of its waterfront bars. According to signs posted on the bar and restaurant last Thursday night, Gulfport’s Caddy’s at 3128 Beach Blvd. S has officially closed its doors. WTSP says the note on its door read: “Caddy’s Gulfport has closed. It has been a pleasure serving the Gulfport community. Please visit us at our other locations: Bradenton, Treasure Island, Madeira Beach, John’s Pass and Indian Shores.” It didn’t explain any of the reasons why the popular bar and restaurant suddenly shuttered its doors overnight. Caddy’s Gulfport is also listed as “permanently closed” on Google.
What the farewell note failed to mention is Caddy’s St. Pete Beach location, which patrons on social media have been speculating is also closed. Caddy’s St. Pete is no longer listed under the “locations” tab on caddys.com, either. An employee from Caddy’s Treasure Island confirmed that the brand’s St. Pete Beach location at 5501 Gulf Blvd. is no longer open and that a new owner has taken over the space—although there is no sign on the door like on its recently-closed Gulfport outpost. It’s unsure exactly when Caddy’s St. Pete Beach shuttered its doors. caddys.com
Rock Brothers Brewing Live music just died on another corner of Ybor City. Last week, Rock Brothers Brewing and its second story music venue The Attic announced their closure via social media. “We give thanks to the many guests, artists, employees, and everyone else who made this little corner of Ybor City a special place,” Rock Brothers wrote. “We aren’t sure what the future holds, but for now we will say… See you soon! We will miss you all!! ” The last day of operation was last Sunday, and phone calls to the brewery and its general manager have not been returned. It's unclear if there will be any farewell events or festivities. Located at the corner of 8th Avenue and 15th Street, The Attic opened in 2016. Rock Brothers Brewing opened in 2017 and quickly gained a reputation for its music-themed beers and upstairs venue, which was hands down the best listening room in Hillsborough County. Six shows were on The Attic's live music calendar, but the venue said it was “issuing refunds which will be credited back through Eventbrite in the coming days and weeks depending on when the show was scheduled.” 1901 N 15th St., Ybor City. —Ray Roa
Events
Eggs & Kegs Every brunch pop-up that Loko Cuisine hosts always features a variety of different foods from around the world—and this weekend’s Eggs & Kegs is a spread of Asian-fusion fare. Loko Cuisine's next Eggs & Kegs brunch happens on Sunday, July 16 at 11 a.m. at Deviant Libation. Filipino rice porridge arroz caldo–typically topped with shredded chicken, hard boiled eggs, fish sauce and scallions—will be served alongside a Vietnamese-style shrimp salad and coconut Thai tea-flavored French toast. These hearty fusion eats are joined by a spread of Deviant Libation’s sour ales loaded with refreshing flavors like cucumber, pink peppercorn, ginger, tangerine and lemon. Tickets to this weekend’s brewery-hosted brunch includes one beer, wine or cider as well. Chef John LoScalzo and his business Loko Cuisine have been hosting Eggs & Kegs brunches at breweries across Tampa Bay for an entire decade, often popping up at local businesses like Green Bench Brewing and Common Dialect, in addition to this weekend’s host—the newly-opened Seminole Heights taproom Deviant Libation. 3800 N Nebraska Ave., Tampa. Lokocuisine.com
Tampa Bay Ice Cream Festival The best way to celebrate National Ice Cream Day happens in downtown St. Pete this weekend, where the forecasted high is 91 degrees. The Tampa Bay Ice Cream Festival takes over the St. Pete Pier at 600 2nd Ave. NE from 11 a.m.-8 p.m. on Sunday, July 16. This weekend’s foodie event is both dog and family-friendly and free to attend. It will feature over two dozen local and national ice cream vendors, in addition to kids activities and live entertainment. Ice cream will be served rain or shine. The festival's full lineup can be browsed on tampabayicecreamfest.com and includes vendors that sling traditional flavors to unique food trucks that specialize in shaved ice and other frozen desserts. Some of its vendors include businesses like Astro Craft Ice Cream, Kona Snow, Sweet Island Snow, Great Heights Creamery, Mammamia Gelato, Whit's Frozen Custard, Ben and Jerry's and many more. tampabayicecreamfest.com
Tampa’s “Ocky Way” pop-up Even off-the-grid folks that steer clear of TikTok have probably heard of the social media company's viral “Ocky Way” videos, where a New York-based bodega owner creates wild sandwiches with everyday snacks at his customer's request. The man behind these viral videos, Rahim Mohamed or “General Ock,” is hitting the road and bringing his "Ocky Way"-style eats all the way to Tampa Bay this weekend. Seminole Heights’ Ology Brewing hosts its “Ocky Way” pop-up on Saturday, July 15 from noon-7 p.m., where local foodies can get a taste of this viral chopped cheese. There are no tickets or attendance fees for this weekend's event, but Mohamed will dish out his beloved bodega fare on a first come, first serve basis. Mohamed— who has a loyal Tik Tok following of 4.4 million fans—will be dishing out wild sandwiches, since he often utilizes popular bodega snacks like Pop Tarts, potato chips, mozzarella sticks and pancakes in his whacky culinary creations. We’re not exactly sure what he’ll be cooking up for his Tampa fans next weekend, but can only hope that a bacon, egg and cheese on a Honey Bun is on the menu. 6401 N Florida Ave., Tampa. @ology_tampa on Instagram
ICYMI
From Punch Room pop-ups to killer oyster deals at Water Street Tampa, here are 10 essential bites from the Bay area food scene Creative Loafing Tampa Bay recently launched its "Bites" roundup, which showcases all of new menus, specials, grand openings and food-related events happening in Tampa Bay in cute, bite-sized blurbs. Our first listicle features The Pearl's new oyster happy hour, Melting Pot Social's fondue giveaway and much, much more. Tampa baker Dawn Konofaos makes stunning sweets, and shares her secrets, too When people think of the work of Dawn Konofaos, the fine sweets artist and baker behind local baking company Alèvri & Co., they may think of the commonly seen descriptors in the comments section of her Instagram: “Stunnnning!!!" or “GORGEOUS!!” These are pretty accurate, and newbies to her work may be shocked to find that everything she makes is vegan, the flowers are edible, and she’s been featured in the New York Times (twice). Locals have a chance to experience it when Konofaos does a special cake-by-the-slice pop-up on Saturday July 15 at Black Radish grocer in V.M. Ybor. “I started Alèvri with doughnuts,” Konofaos tells Creative Loafing Tampa Bay. “First it was just small orders for friends, for parties and such. Then I made some doughnuts for my friend Mara’s birthday, and through that made some more connections.” One of those connections got her an invitation to a local event called Crowned, specifically for Black creatives and makers, which marked a pivotal moment for her.—Annalise Mabe
Lionel Messi’s signature chicken sandwich has landed at Tampa’s Hard Rock Cafe It was inevitable. The greatest athlete to ever touch a soccer field already has plans to play for Major League Soccer’s Inter Miami, and of course he has a signature sandwich. Yesterday, Hard Rock International announced its new project with the hotel and casino chain’s global brand ambassador, Lionel Messi: a Messi Chicken Sandwich that’s now available at the Hard Rock Cafe at Tampa’s Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. And it’ll only cost you $18.95, which is nothing compared to a ticket to see Messi play in the MLS. A press release says the “Made For You by Leo Messi” menu item was inspired by one of Messi’s favorite Argentinean dishes, the item is “a crispy Milanese-style chicken breast topped with melted provolone cheese and an herbed aioli” completed with fresh tomatoes and arugula. 5223 Orient Rd., Tampa. Seminolehardrocktampa.com—Ray Roa
Subscribe to Creative Loafing newsletters.
Follow us: Google News | NewsBreak | Reddit | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter
