Eat and Drink Local Weeks. Austin, Texas, has one. New Jersey’s got another. And New York has a couple, too.
Olga Bof of Keep Saint Petersburg Local tells CL that her nonprofit’s new Eat LOCAL Drink LOCAL Week, called Localicious, reflects the blossoming of St. Pete into “a maker community.”
She points to the city’s interest in artisanal products and community gardens, as well as the rise of breweries and farmers’ markets.
“Everything’s kind of come together this past year,” Bof says. “And we just thought it was high time to celebrate all that we ingest locally with a week.”
Starting Sunday, regionites will get to bask in locally made food and drink, and learn where and how to snag local goods along the way. There are five collaborative events for locavores spanning a number of cultural clans — including music fiends, home-chef aficionados and art mavens — whether their taste buds prefer sweets, cheeses or anything and everything marinated in beer.
In between scarfing down bites during the scheduled smorgasbords (I’ll be one of four judges at the cheesy foods chef-off), Localicious-ers who dine out during the week will find local fare on the menus of bars and eateries. Table cards will designate which offerings are locally sourced.
According to Bof, most of the participating joints are Keep Saint Petersburg Local members.
“I’m not saying we’re a foodie paradise like Chicago,” she says. “What I’m saying is that we’re getting there .”
Sunday, Oct. 12: Localicious Week Kick-Off. At this family-friendly launch party, the community is encouraged to contribute a dish to a potluck-style picnic at the Pinellas Pioneer Settlement. After lunch, jam to music by Gypsy Wind at the General Store, or walk the kids to the Print Shop for crafts and letterpress items. Tour the on-site community garden and, if you’re feeling daring, do a tree climb. Free. 11 a.m.-3 p.m. 3120 31st St. S., 727-866-6401.
Thursday, Oct. 16: Local Meltdown (Cheese-y Throwdown). Amateur chefs (mostly) will face off at this ooey-gooey recipe competition in three categories — grilled cheese, mac and anything-awesome-with-cheese — with awards going to the People’s and the Judges’ Choice. Hosted at NOVA 535, the cook-off will also feature an upstairs VIP Tasting Experience with Mazzaro’s Cheese Room and a beer release (a hoppy red ale with black pepper) from homebrewer Justin Grant and Brewers’ Tasting Room, which will add the winning dishes to its menu for a month alongside a beer pairing. Before Oct. 14: $10, $20 VIP; after: $20, $30 VIP. 6-10 p.m. 535 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. St. N., 727-821-6682.
Friday, Oct. 17: The Grand Treats & Tunes Trolley Hop. Stroll the Grand Central District or ride the Looper Trolley to score confections from The Hole Donuts and Granny Smith Kitchens, live music from UNRB and Acoustic Valley and other pop-up sounds and tastes at seven establishments throughout the evening. The trolley starts at The Burg Bar & Grill, goes down to Casita Taqueria and then loops back around. Wristbands, which get you trolley access and specials at each stop, may be purchased online or from the shops involved the day of. For more stop details, visit keepsaintpetersburglocal.org. $5. 6-10 p.m. Various stops along Central Avenue.
Saturday, Oct. 18: Local Buds: An Octobeer Farmers’ Market. More than 20 food- and drink-makers will showcase their Green Bench brew-infused products, including boiled peanuts and apple pie pops, at this late-night edible festival. Listen to eight musicians on the Green Bench grounds as you sip collaborative bevvies by the brewery and Commune + Co., Squeeze Juice Works or Mother Kombucha. Non-foodie collabs like hops-scented candles will also be highlighted. Purchase a $5 tasting glass for 20 percent off drink refills. Green Bench plans to debut its first bottled brews at noon beforehand, too. Free, money for goods. 3 p.m.-midnight. 1133 Baum Ave. N., 727-800-9836.
Sunday, Oct. 19: An Evening with Ernesto Piloto-Marquez. The final event of the week, a presentation by artist-chef Ernesto Piloto-Marquez at the Museum of Fine Arts, has been kept fairly mysterious, and Bof says she wants it to speak for itself. Running through Oct. 30, Piloto-Marquez’s solo exhibition, Evolution, at Hillsborough Community College aims to unite the fine and culinary arts. His showcase at the Localicious finale promises to do the same. Free, money for cash bar. 2-5 p.m. 255 Beach Drive NE, 727-896-2667.
