Time to celebrate the finalists for the 2019 Best of the Bay Awards. If you’re itching to find out the winners before the issue is released, or just want to cash in on unlimited food and drink samples from joints around Tampa Bay, this event set for next Wednesday at St. Petersburg’s Mahaffey Theater from 6 p.m.-9 p.m. is a must.
King of the Coop will be there slinging snack packs with Nashville tenders on a Martin’s long roll with pickles and signature sauce. We’ll also have bites by Birch & Vine, Flames Indian Cuisine, Fresco’s Waterfront Bistro and other heavy-hitting Bay area restos.
Attendees can get a taste of Buzz of the Bay, the Best of the Bay signature brew made in partnership with TBBC; it’s an easy-drinking honey cream ale to get the party started. Plenty of other bars and breweries — including Cage Brewing, Buzz Pop Cocktails, Dark Door Spirits and Mandarin Heights — will also be on site.
Cam Parker — you know, the guy who did the Lady Gaga mural and gave Lizzo a one-of-a-kind jean jacket — is set to live paint, too.
General admission tickets are $45 and include unlimited samples of bites and booze, live entertainment and an advance copy of the Best of the Bay issue hitting newsstands around the Bay area the next day. VIP ($120) comes with access to a VIP lounge, two complimentary drinks, the opportunity to chow down on a 12-foot charcuterie board, swag, and the chance to participate in trivia by PubMasters Trivia.
Not drinking but want in on the action? Grab a designated driver ticket for $10. Just a heads up, all attendees to the BOTB Awards must be 21 and up. More information is available at botbtampabay.com.
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This article appears in Sep 12-19, 2019.
