Sticks of Fire: a Tampa blog

When’s the last time you took a leisurely drive down Bayshore Boulevard and ate at the Colonnade Restaurant?

It’s been said that people often see less of the attractions in their own home town than tourists do. I know - it’s hard to think of just driving down a street with beautiful houses and stopping at an area restaurant in your own home town as an “attraction” - but try this sometime on a Saturday or Sunday evening just before sunset. When the need for a vacation crops up but isn’t possible, this will help.

Or, maybe you live on the Clearwater/St. Pete side and don’t know about this.

Head south on Bayshore starting from downtown Tampa. On your right are blocks full of spectacular, sprawling houses ranging in design from Victorian to 1960’s ranch-style homes. Drink in the rainbow range of colors, textures and landscaping (the only unfortunate thing is the skyscraping condos going up inbetween. Try to ignore them!).

To the left is one of the longest walking and jogging paths in the United States, and beyond that the gorgeous waterfront view looking back at downtown, with its pink and smoked glass buildings glistening in the late afternoon sun.

Securing the path from the waterfront is an elegant white stone architectural wall, about waist-high so as not to block the sightseeing. For Civil War tourism buffs, it’s all very reminiscent of Battery Row in Charleston, South Carolina, with its antebellum mansions strategically placed to overlook the water as the ships would come in. 

Just when it seems this mini-tour is coming to an end, you’ll spot a rustic looking restaurant on the right called The Colonnade. PULL IN! You are in for a treat. Mentioned briefly in a 2007 Sticks column by Judy Hill, the Colonnade Restaurant has been a Tampa mainstay for the last 70 years, yet seems to remain a secret from many residents who don’t live in that particular area of Tampa.

The Colonnade boasts fresh seafood daily and another unbeatable waterfront view from almost anywhere you sit, although the window tables are to die for. And if you arrive there by 5:00, it’s a good bet you’ll get one. Sitting here, you can almost imagine being on someone’s yacht 10 miles offshore in the Gulf. In fact, you may see some skimming by. When it’s a clear day, the sun shimmers on the water like diamonds.

If there’s a wait for a table, go into the long hallway leading to the seating and look at the pictures of Bayshore Boulevard’s historical past.

Be very hungry or plan on taking boxes home! A favorite special of mine, often featured on the Colonnade menu, is the unique almond and corn flake-coated grouper with outstanding coleslaw. But on a regular basis you can get fried catfish that doesn’t taste like catfish anywhere else. The batter recipe is unique to this establishment, and the fish is smooth and mouth-watering. To me, the sign of a good piece of cooked fish is whether the leftovers warm up well the next day, and this certainly does. Try the fried green tomatoes as an appetizer or side.

The best part is that many of the Colonnade’s entrees are very reasonably priced, almost at rollback prices, and still served with a salad at no extra cost – a practice many restaurants are now charging for. And the service is excellent, too.

Before leaving the parking lot, grab that camera you keep in the glove compartment for impromptu shots, and stand your party against the walkway railing with the city and the water in the background. It’s a keeper. 

Haven’t had enough? Drive back toward downtown and you are 8 minutes from Channelside Bay Plaza, one of Tampa’s latest rejuvenation projects. Have a coffee and dessert, stroll the shops and boutiques,  listen to music outdoors and scope out a restaurant for next weekend’s dinner. 

Or, head the other direction and check out coffee in the South Howard area now known as Tampa’s own “SoHo“. 

You’ll go home wanting to start a vacation scrapbook.

Sunday was a glorious Tampa day. The breeze was blowing, the jasmine was blooming, and the temperature was a perfect 74 degrees. To me, there is nothing better than spending as much time outside as possible on such a day. But, wait. What about breakfast?

I’ve not had a lot of breakfast luck as of late. In fact I have almost given up on the entire concept of going out for breakfast, one of my favorite outings. So in a last attempt to revitalize my belief that good breakfast does exist and it doesn’t have to be just bad diner food, I headed out for Pach’s Place.

I’ve heard a lot about Pach’s Place (pronounced Patch’s Place). Some really, really good and some just okay. I had to see for myself.

I was warned there would be a line, so upon my arrival to the almost corner of Bayshore Blvd and Bay To Bay, I wasn’t surprised when I saw the line of people staggering out of the door. That’s always a good sign, in my book.

The concept is that you wait in line until a table is open with the exact number of people you have in your party. It was a little odd for me, when I was sat before the three 105 year olds, but that’s the way it works.

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Sticks of Fire reader Taylor sent this to us recently:

A group of Tampa residents headed by Mimi Conneely are pushing for a crosswalk at the north end of Bayshore. Currently there is no safe accommodation of foot, bike or wheelchair traffic to or from Davis Islands, leaving S.O.L. anybody without a car who needs to get to or from Tampa General Hospital, or any Davis Islands public or private amenity. Not to mention kids who live on Davis Islands and go to Gorrie, Wilson or Plant. Website is very preliminary for now, there is a petition going…

Actually, there is a footbridge to cross Bayshore, as part of the automobile bridge to DI. But then we heard from Mimi, who says that bridge is only accessible by stairs.

To Parents and Tax payers,

My name is Mimi Conneely, I have seen people in wheelchairs negotiating Bayshore to go from Davis Island to Publix and some who just want to wheel up and down Bayshore. There is no safe access from Publix to Bayshore or vise versa, until Howard. There is, however, an overpass for the ambulatory on the Davis Island bridge leaving the island.

We need support when we present to the Mayor. Please sign petition at, http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/bayshoreforall/

For more information, including pictures of light locations, go to www.bayshoreforall.com.

For pedestrians, just jump up those steps, scoot across the Bayshore, and head north. The walk from Tampa General to Publix is almost half a mile. But there is no way for wheelchair-bound folks to get up on that bridge; they must use crosswalks.

Going south of the DI bridges, the next crosswalk is the new one they installed at Howard Av., about two miles away, making a round trip better than 3.7 miles. So the obvious route is north. But in addition to the lack of crosswalk on Bayshore, there is no way to cross Platt without going all the way to Franklin. On the north side of Platt, there is no way to cross Ashley without going to Brorein. Yeah - it’s confusing, that’s why I made a map. You can clearly see the most direct wheelchair route is more than a mile, making a round trip 2.3 miles.

And don’t think this is just about shopping at Publix. From the residential side, wheelchair users must currently go at least 5 blocks out of the way just to get a good look at the bay.

Here are my top ten tips for successfully getting through Gasparilla Day:

1. Eat a decent breakfast. You never know where your next meal might be.
2. Pack light. Leave the coolers at home.
3. Hide a $20 in your sock. You will need it later.
4. Sunscreen. Trust me on this one.
5. Charge your cell phone the night before.
6. Bring a disposable camera. If you lose it no biggie.
7. Pace your intake of adult beverages. Mix in a water now and then.
8. Be patient. Standing in line will occur more than once.
9. Show some respect for the kids and seniors. There will be plenty of beads for everyone.
10. Just when you think you have seen it all, you will see something that makes you go WTF?

On Monday, Traci and I had a chance to try out Marc and Didi Zudar’s Deli Cafe for lunch. We had never been before, but knew that the long-time restaurant family is known for their cakes and sandwiches. This Zudar’s is not to be confused with the since closed Zudar’s Deli Cafe location near SoHo, which the couple had previously sold and then allowed the new owner to use the name.

Marc and Didi Zudar’s Deli Cafe is located in a small nondescript building on W. Platt St. next to the Publix at Platt and Bayshore and a few doors down from the Irish bar Four Green Fields (best known for its authentic thatched roof). We arrived a little after noon at Zudar’s on Monday and the place was crowded with the lunch rush. We were lucky to grab a table for two soon after walking in.

There was a number of items on the menu I wanted to try, several soups and quiches sounded interesting, but I ultimately decided upon ordering a sandwich called “the Meltdown” - roast beef, bacon, provolone, lettuce and tomato on whole wheat. Traci ordered a traditional BLT on white. Our server was quick and relatively friendly considering that she was covering countless tables.

While my sandwich wasn’t Wright’s Gourmet House caliber (still my favorite local sandwich spot), it was very good. Traci also enjoyed her BLT (notice the bacon, no chicken!). We’ll likely drop into Zudar’s again sometime as I want to try out their freshly made soups and their cakes look killer. Two of the tables around us each ordered a slice of the coconut cream pie to share. These were the kind of big slices that look like they would put you to sleep after returning to the office.

My only gripe with my sandwich was that Zudar’s uses shredded lettuce which I’m not a fan of. Also, while my sandwich was a good size, and for the price (about $16 for the two of us with drinks) it was a fair deal, it wasn’t particularly “overstuffed” either. Finally, while the sandwich is what really matters, the included bag of plain chips was small and the pickle slice was even smaller.

Other local delis that we like for sandwiches, besides the fore mentioned Wright’s, includes Castellano & Pizzo, Mazarro’s Italian Market, Schiller’s German Delicatessen, and Interbay Meat Market. We still plan to give Mott & Hester Deli a try one of these days. We’ve also done Pane Rustica before for dinner, but not lunch. What good local sandwich places am I forgetting?

In case you were wondering, there aren’t any recent health inspection reports on Zudar’s available.

Bottom-line: Zudar’s may not have the best sandwiches in town (I still think Wright’s is top of the heap, although I know some of you think Wright’s is overrated), but you could definitely do a lot worse. A good lunch choice if you work in or around downtown Tampa.

Did you know that the City of Tampa has a neighborhood department. Yup. TheCity of Tampa Neighborhood and Community Relations mission is to “bring government closer to all people by serving as the liaison between the government and community to help Tampa thrive and shine.”

They also include a list of 104 Tampa neighborhood groups. Unfortunately, only 26 of them have a website:

• Ballast Point Neighborhood Association
• Bayshore Beautiful Homeowners Association, Inc.
• Bel Mar Gardens Neighborhood Association
• Davis Island Neighborhood Planning Task Force
• South Seminole Heights Civic Association
• Lowry Park Central Civic Association, Inc.
• Hunters Green Magnolia Chase Neighborhood Association, Inc.
• The Marina Club Of Tampa
• Davis Islands Civic Association, Inc.
• Oakford Park Neighborhood Association, Inc.
• Riverside Heights Civic Association
• The New Tampa Community Council
• Old Seminole Heights Neighborhood Association, Inc.
• Palma Ceia Neighborhood Association, Inc.
• Palmetto Beach Community Association, Inc.
• Civic Association Of Port Tampa City, Inc.
• Ridgewood Park CPCA, Inc.
• Southeast Seminole Heights Civic Association
• Sunset Park Area Homeowners Association
• Gandy/Sun Bay South Civic Association
• Swann Estates Neighborhood Association
• Tampa Heights Civic Association
• Tampa Downtown Partnership
• Temple Crest Civic Association
• The Virginia Park Residential Neighborhood Association
• Wellswood Civic Association

I grabbed them all from the city, so if there are bad links, please let me know.

Some of the condos built in and around downtown Tampa are finished. But the occupancy rate on these expensive homes are much less than first speculated. As we noted some time ago, many that bought those homes are investors (flippers). They have no intention of living there, and only want to sell for a profit.

On the bottom floor of many of these condo buildings is a bunch of retail space. Since there is no one living in the building, it makes little sense for any business to lease these spaces. It could take a decade or more to fill any one of the handful of high rise condo buildings, and who wants to pay rent for ten years in the hopes of finding a few customers in year eleven?

Because they can’t lease the space, builders are now offering to SELL those retail spaces. So if you want to get in on the ground floor (ha!) of a great opportunity, you may want to think about buying one of these building bottoms.

Don’t you wish the insurance industry had to just deal with it in bad years, as some of these developers do?

New people move into Tampa Bay all the time.  When gasparilla season rolls around, many people go down to the parade route, guessing everything will work out just fine.  And it does, for the most part.

However, the big Gasparilla parade and Invasion is this Saturday.  There will be upwards of half a million people down there, and lots of places from which to observe the spectacle.  Which leads to those people in year two to ask a tampan:

I did Gasparilla last year, but I’ve got a bunch of friends coming down this year, what’s the best way to do it? Aside from renting a boat and stocking it with Bucs cheerleaders… Last year we had tickets and sat on the bleachers. Should we just follow that plan, or is there a better way? 

Dave

PS:  what are the rules about drinking in public for Gasparilla?

Ah… the age old question.  First, we’ll answer the public drinking issue. 

It is illegal to carry an open container with even a drop of alcohol in public.  It is also against the law for women to pull up their shirts in public. But the cops probably aren’t gonna bust many folks for either of those. (however, if they do, you can’t sue me - if you are concerned, just don’t do, k?) 

Having said that, make sure you have NO GLASS BOTTLES.  Oh, and you certainly don’t want to taunt or AGGRAVATE THE POLICE.  In fact, don’t even bother them at all.  They have a tough time dealing with half a million people, many of them drunk.  Their first concern is getting the parade to pass through their station with no one getting hurt.  The last thing they need is another drunk asking them if they were on that episode of COPS.

As for the best location to watch with your friends, it depends on what you want… If you want to party party party, then get to the corner where bayshore & platt meet. Many use that area as a “home base” and stroll up & down the parade route (you’ll want a cooler with wheels, or a lil red wagon to tote your beverage of choice). Of course, this option provides the best opportunities to people-watch, and mingle, and perhaps not a great opportunity to watch the actual parade.

I have found that the downtown spots have many more children, and it’s not easy to move around (even walking) - many of the streets are blocked.

If you just want to chill and stay out of the fracas, then the bleacher seats are the way to go. You & your guests will still get plenty of beads, and you will actually be able to see the parade, and there will be less opportunities for your beverage to be knocked outta your hands.

Either way, there are a couple of “musts.”

• #1. Mentally prepare yourself for a long day. the earlier you get there, the better seating/parking situation, but the longer the day.  If you wait until the last minute to show up, you’ll curse the driving, parking, and walking.  Leaving the scene is a very, very long affair as well.
• #2.  BRING SUNSCREEN (see #1 above)
• #3.  If you are gonna drink, get a very patient designated driver.

Ok…  That’s all I can think of at this time.  Where do you go for the parade?  Are there any other rules?  Will you please help Dave with anything I am forgetting?