Plant Love Ice Cream plans a second location, Crislip Cafe closes, and more Tampa Bay foodie news

Plant Love Ice Cream Vegan favorite Plant Love Ice Cream opened its flagship location on Central Avenue in 2019, and now it's expanding with a second shop just a few miles away. St. Pete Rising says Plant Love will open its second location at 2901 Beach Blvd. S, Unit 105 in Gulfport sometime this May. Plant Love 2.0 will open out of the space that formerly housed another local business called A Friend Who Bakes. All of its artisan flavors—which range from cookie butter and toasted coconut to matcha and birthday cake—start with a base of organic coconut milk. Plant Love also offers a few candy-inspired flavors, like veganized versions of Snickers, Almond Joy, Moon Pie and Cookies and Cream. Gulfport's shop will offer 12 flavors of plant-based ice cream—half will remain permanent, while the remaining 6 will rotate throughout seasons. 2901 Beach Blvd. S, Gulfport. plantloveicecream.com

Closings 

Crislip Cafe Crislip Cafe took to social media earlier this week to announce its immediate closure. “It is with heavy hearts that Kevin and I have made the decision to close the cafe. Due to rising prices, staffing shortages, and other myriad reasons we have had to make this difficult decision,” co-owner Jennifer Schultz wrote on Instagram. Its last day open was Sunday, March 19. Crislip's owners state that its former cafe space will be used to expand their retail store The Merchant, open out of the same Central Avenue parcel. "Financially, we will be better off supporting local artists and making it the best gift shop," Crislip commented on Facebook. "High rents and so many things factored into this swift decision we made." Crislip Cafe—named after the 101 year-old open-air arcade it's located inside of—was known for its menu of specialty coffees, lattes, and teas in addition to a variety of locally-baked pastries. The Schultzs opened Crislip Cafe out of their local goods shop in 2020, while The Merchant itself has been at 645 Central Ave. since 2018. 645 Central Ave., St. Petersburg. crislipcafe.com

Events

Taste at the Straz The all-you-can-eat-and-drink party happens on  Saturday, April 1, starting at 7 p.m. and ending whenever you’re too full or drunk. Best of all is that much of it takes place in downtown Tampa, right there on the Riverwalk. A full restaurant list for 2023’s installment of Taste at the Straz (stylized "TASTE") can be found on its website and includes popular Tampa Bay eateries like The Brunchery, Bavaro's, Noble Crust, Sal y Mar, Bulla Gastrobar, Portillo's and Butter's Burgers—alongside many, many more. Tickets for Taste at the Straz, happening next weekend, are on sale now, starting at $95 for general admission. VIP tickets go for $175 each, but come with a variety of perks like early entry and access to all VIP lounges, in addition to all you can eat and drink. Funds raised from next year’s Taste at the Straz supports the theater’s various programs. As the Straz team says, “supporting the arts never tasted so good.” 1010 N Macinnes Pl., Tampa. strazcenter.org French Fry Fest The Burg's favorite carbo-loading fest is back for another year. 2023’s rendition of the French Fry Fest takes place at Albert Whitted Park, located at 480 Bayshore Dr SE. This free-to-attend foodie event runs from 5 p.m.-10 p.m. on Friday, April 7. Dozens of food trucks from all corners of Tampa Bay will offer their best takes on the beloved french fry, in addition to dishes that are on their regular menus. While potatoes might be the star of the festival, a wide range of cuisines—from BBQ to Asian-fusion—will also be featured. In addition to being free-to-attend, April’s festival is also pet and child-friendly. Attendees are encouraged to bring picnic blankets and chairs, too. A few food trucks that will sling their best french fry-infused dishes include Asian-fusion spot I Wanna Wok, Westchase BBQ, Funnel Vision, The Melt Machine, Crabdaddy's Surf & Turf and Chief's Cantina. 480 Bayshore Dr SE,. St. Petersburg. @gulftobayfta on Facebook More than a dozen Tampa Pride parties, brunches and performances happening this weekend Ybor City is called the “Gaybor District,” and that well-deserved nickname has a lot to do with the legacy of Tampa Pride. While LGBTQ+ folks have existed since the beginning of time (sorry, snowflakes) Tampa didn’t start hosting an organized pride celebration until 1982—and it was more like a barbecue. Like previous years, 2023’s iteration features a slew of drag performances, a parade through the heart of Ybor City, scantily-clad hotties and of course, booze. Some events we recommend are the official Tampa Pride diversity parade, Water Street Tampa’s Silent Disco party and Showbar Ybor’s Pride brunch and bar crawl. Philfest 2023 It's that time of the year where Filipinos from all corners of Florida flock to Tampa for its annual Pinoy celebration. This year’s rendition of Philfest runs from Friday-Sunday, March 31-April 2. Friday’s festivities happen from 5 p.m.-11p.m., then 10 a.m.-11 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m.-6 p.m. on Sunday. As always, Philfest is organized by Tampa’s Philippine Cultural Foundation and will take place at its Bayanihan Arts and Events Center, located on the western edge of Hillsborough County. According to the foundation’s website, this year’s Philfest will boast all of the expected festivities—from traditional dances and cultural exhibitions to talent shows, singing competitions, and of course, a full spread of Filipino eats. Tickets to Philfest cost $10 at the gate or $8 if you purchase advance tickets at the Bayanihan Arts and Events Center—online ticketing is not available. Since there’s limited parking at the events center, you might want to bring some extra cash for that, too. 4301 Nine Eagles Dr., Tampa. pcfitampa.org

ICYMI

Chef Eric McHugh (The Fenway, Roy's Hawaiian and Pearl In the Grove) is the new executive chef at Ybor City’s Hotel Haya, and a press release says his new menu emphasizes “a coastal Mediterranean influence, while still maintaining nods to our Cuban heritage” and includes new tableside presentations like a smoked cocktail paella and banana leaf snapper.

Old Seminole Heights neighborhood bar and cafe Corner Club celebrates its second anniversary this weekend, on Saturday, April 1 from 6  p.m.-11 p.m. This charming watering hole hosts a fish fry and live music from Same Day Delivery Orchestra at its birthday party.