With cheese, burgers and craft beer — oh, and peaches — what more could you want out of a weekend what-to-do?
Taste your way around Hard Rock Cafe's new limited-time lineup of World Burger Tour patties on Friday. More than 160 burgers were sampled by Hard Rock's culinary crew, but the crowd favorites — Seminole Cattlemen Burger (bacon-infused hearts of palm coleslaw, fresh tomato, Tupelo-breaded gator tail, Seminole wing sauce), Tango Salsa Burger (andouille sausage, Certified Angus beef, salsa criolla, garlic aioli, Monterey Jack, fresh arugula, fried egg) and Tennessee BBQ Burger (barbecue dry-rubbed Certified Angus beef, pickle slices, Memphis slaw, pulled pork, pig sauce, crispy onions, Cheddar) — made the cut. Locals can try each, paired with fries, through June 25. 5223 N. Orient Road, Tampa, 813-627-7757.
Italy and Spain drive Cheese Please's latest eight-course cheese tasting. The event, titled Italian vs. Spanish Cheeses, is set to showcase manchegos, pecorinos and a variety of goat cheeses from 7 to 9 p.m. Friday. Call for reservations, as seating is limited. $35. 3225 S. MacDill Ave. #103, Tampa, 813-766-0060.
Ten local breweries, including Tampa Beer Works, Dunedin Brewery and Rock Brothers Brewing, go head to head in the All Children's Hospital Guild's battle royale: Craft Beer Clash. From 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday at the Rialto Theatre, guests use their Brew Passport to track all the fan-favorite beers they down throughout the evening, then vote with their token to determine who lands the title of the Bay's Best Brewer. Food, live entertainment and a silent auction are planned as well. Proceeds go to the Guild's $1,350,000 pledge to support the Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital Nursing Excellence Program and the purchase of a new pediatric ambulance. Find tickets online. $50 in advance, $55 at the door. 1617 N. Franklin St., Tampa.
Take a stroll downtown during the three-hour Safety Harbor Food and Art Tour, which kicks off at John Wilson Park. Participants stop to sample tasty local fare, starting at 1:15 p.m. Saturday, while discussing the "Jewel of Tampa Bay's" history and one-of-a-kind public art. Available online, tickets must be purchased at least 24 hours in advance. 401 Main St., Safety Harbor.
And like our A&E editor Cathy Salustri says, make the drive to Keel & Curley Winery between 7 a.m. and noon Sunday and go pick some friggin' peaches. It's a wonderful way to spend the day outside, and get "Peaches & Cream" stuck in your head. 5210 Thonotosassa Road, Plant City, 813-752-9100.
This article appears in Jun 1-8, 2017.