Sticks of Fire: a Tampa blog

I’d heard rumors that a restaurant was going to occupy the abandon gas station at the corner of Platt and S Boulevard. Then, while attending a City Council hearing, I heard of a new restaurant going by the name Smoke. I thought it was very clever, the name, Smoke. The lawyer, representing the owner’s of Smoke, declared it would be a barbeque restaurant unlike anything Tampa had seen. I made a mental note and filed it away, “try Smoke.”

Running errands, I found myself at this very corner today and remembered the buzz. Suddenly, I had time for lunch.

From all corners of Platt and S. Boulevard, one can see the red circle Smoke sign hanging from a chain. It reads: Smoke Barbeque and Grill

I rolled into the gravel parking lot and saw a few men sitting outside at the patio tables. It was just quarter past 11 A.M. They were sitting at a table, lined and ready for a large party. The patio was very nice, well kept. It felt kind of sheik, but this is BBQ isn’t it?

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“Free is for me!” is and has always been my motto.

I like to cut coupons and look for bargains all day long! In a sense, this is the only reason we get to do what we do and not owe thousands in credit card debt.

On weekends I like to keep busy but I don’t want to hand over my entire paycheck to do so. I have gone on wild weekends and spent a small fortune but then the regret kicks in on Sunday night. Of course, there have been a few exceptions where we had so much fun it was worth every dime!

With all that being said I scour over many different lists of things to do in the Bay area to find the ones that look fun and will not cost a ton. This week we have the little one - and our niece to keep busy as well - so we are looking for kid friendly. No, not martini hour!

I already knew about the Rays Fan Fest (free) so that is on the agenda and I found two more free events to run by as well. Here’s all the information, enjoy and have a great weekend!

The Rays Fan Fest is Saturday, February 23 from 10am-5pm at Tropicana Field and has free admission and free parking. A team autograph session will take place throughout the entire event and the Rookie, Jim Morrison will be present. You can tryout to star in a Ray’s commercial; I have two of the cutest kids so this should be a shoe in! Kids and adults will be able to run the bases and there will be several other on the field activities for everyone. You can go to the Rays website for all the details on the event and of course how to purchase season tickets at a discount during the event. http://tampabay.rays.mlb.com/tb/fan_forum/fan_fest.jsp

Ybor City’s Fiesta Day is also on Saturday, February 23 from 10am-6pm in Ybor City. I think I can do both of these if I start real early! First to Gunn Hwy to pick up the niece, shoot over to St. Pete for the athletic portion of the day. Then on the way home stop off in Ybor for a free sample of Spanish food for dinner then home! This event looks like a lot of fun there will be a parade of flags from Cuba, Germany, Italy and Span. There is an annual flan fest to determine who makes the best flan, the contest begins at noon and winners will be announced at 2:30pm. Complimentary Cuban bread, Spanish Bean soup and Cafe Con Leche will be given out to visitors! There will be music, children’s activities and the fresh market place will be huge this week with vendor’s, artists and more! Stop by the CC Event Productions website for all the details at http://www.cc-events.org/fiestaday

Olde Hyde Park Village is hosting their 19th annual art festival this Saturday and Sunday, Feb 23 & 24 from 10am-5pm. Thank goodness it is on Sunday too, because I want to go again this year. I always enjoy strolling around Hyde Park for their festivals. There will be a lot to look at with all the artists displaying their work of sculptures, paintings, ceramics, photography and much more. The shops will be open and nearby Kate Jackson Park has one of the nicest playground areas for the children. You can look at Howard Alan Events website for all the information on this event and others they promote at http://www.artfestival.com.

Whatever YOU do, I hope you have a great weekend!

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?

With the economy tanking, the writer’s strike taking over TVland, and local leaders once again plying taxpayers with ambitious dreams about the Godzilla of sports stadiums, where can a girl go to get some cheap art?

This Friday, the answer is The Wine Exchange in Hyde Park, where eleven/17 will be holding its own art show complete with wine and different forms of paintings and sculptures by local artists. The showing starts at 7 p.m.

Rob Haskew, the man behind the scenes, said many of the pieces will be under $100. He’s never seen anything go for more than $1,000.

For people inclined to go to the club rather than stand around and look at paintings, there will be a DJ on hand, spinning old-school hip-hop and indie dance tunes.

On the bill for the gallery showing is a diverse group of artists. The pieces range from the cartoonish renderings of Duncan Barton to the photography of Deborah Muller.

Haskew finds artists for his shows through Myspace. He feels the site is a great place for artists to upload their portfolios and gather a following.

“I think it’s changed (the art world) for the better,” Haskew said. “A lot of artists get a lot more recognition than they would before and don’t have to spend huge exhibition fees at a gallery.”

While Haskew does charge an entry fee to cover promotional materials for his shows and takes a small percentage of sales, he says it’s still more affordable to show at eleven/17 than at most galleries in the area.

With six shows under his belt, Haskew has proven there is a need in Tampa for hip art presented in a fun atmosphere, complete with music and wine.

“Ultimately, people need to support the art scene in Tampa,” Haskew said. “eleven/17 shows are fun. You meet interesting people, and there might be that piece of artwork you’ve been waiting your entire life to buy.”

The show is also timed perfectly for holiday shopping. (Channukah is only a few days away.) It’s also a perfect place to rub elbows for a night with Hyde Park hipsters and members of the local art scene.

From Shelby Boggs, proprieter of the Tampa Artist Emporium:

Do you need an effective venue to display and sell your art?

The Tampa Artist Emporium is a fine art and fine craft gallery coming soon to Old Hyde Park Village, Tampa Florida. The gallery focuses on a combination of mature well established artists and emerging artists who are seriously engaged in an evolving study of their various media.

Starting with our grand opening in July, the gallery will hold monthly art mixers. We strive to make these popular community events providing opportunities to view the art, meet the artists and socialize with friends and neighbors.

Shelby Boggs, artist and owner of the Tampa Artist Emporium, strives to bring high-quality art to the Tampa Bay Area, while fostering the work of local artists. She also joins with various arts organizations to actively promote art education and develop community awareness and participation in the arts.

We are now accepting applications for the sub-letting of exhibition areas. If you feel you have the commitment to excellence and the talent to produce works that reflect this commitment, then you need to call us and allow The Tampa Artist Emporium to showcase your talent.

For an application or more information, call Shelby Boggs at (813) 482-5217 and check out www.tampaartistemporium.com.

Go show off your stuff.

For 17 years, the Wine Exchange has been in Hyde Park Village. With all of the changes of construction plans, it appears that they are about to close their doors with little or no notice. We feel for the owners and employees as the new owners of the Hyde Park Village continue to figure out what they are doing.

Writing for GO: AirTran Airways Inflight Magazine, Nancy Davidson says Charlie’s Wine Bar in SoHo is one of her 20 national favorite wine bars in the nation. Of course, Charlie’s is not the only nationally recognized wine cellar in the neighborhood. I’m sure you’ve heard all about Bern’s wine cellar - it’s the biggest restaurant wine cellar in the world.

110 years ago…

December 30, 1896 – A crime wave hits Hyde Park when thieves focus on the pantries of the homes in the Tampa suburb. The most recent victim was Dr. Sumter L. Lowry, who lost a “cooked ham, a chunk of roast, beef, desserts, potatoes, celery, olives” and “a big piece of ice” from his ice box. Lowry would later gain fame as a General in the Florida National Guard, leading soldiers (including many locals) in battle in Mexico, Europe and the Pacific during the Mexican War, World War I and World War II. Lowry Park Zoo is named in his honor.

Courtesy of the Tampa Bay History Center.

65 years ago…

November 9, 1941 – Police arrest the managers of The Big Orange and Valencia Gardens in Hyde Park and charge them with liquor sales in dry districts on Sundays. The managers were the first arrests in the enforcement of the Sunday liquor closing ordinance adopted by voters of five of the city’s 12 aldermanic districts in the previous week’s election. The ordinance banned sales of whiskey, beer and wine on Sundays in two districts in Hyde Park, two in Seminole Heights, and one in East Tampa.

Courtesy of the Tampa Bay History Center.