Sticks of Fire: a Tampa blog

Crime in Drew Park?  That’s how it goes.

Crime in Suitcase City?  What do you expect?

Crime in Ybor City?  Such is life.

Crime in South Tampa?  OMG!  This is horrible!  Send in more cops!  Raise my taxes!

Tampa Tribune Community Columnist Buzz Kelly writes an opinion piece that is sure to be well-received outside of Palma Ceia.  Buzzy K says crime is out of control in South Tampa, and your Tampa Police Department needs to increase patrols:

…it’s increasingly clear we need more protection. The weekly crime reports are rising - vandalism, robberies, car thefts, home invasions. This once idyllic part of Tampa is changing. We need marked cars cruising the streets, patrolling, watching, checking. I’ll say this: If South Tampa is becoming Baghdad, and if my taxes have to go up so Humvees can guard us, I’ll pay it.

Good Grief! The last thing we need is a bunch of cops driving Hummers. But what about this rising crime in South Tampa?  I haven’t read that anywhere. It must be true, because his victimized friend agrees:

Telling me about it later, she said, “This is South Tampa, a safe neighborhood … things like that aren’t supposed to happen here!

How many stories do you read in the papers and see on the news on a daily basis?  But Buzzy K is not concerned with crime until a personal friend of his is a victim.  The best part is that he already is convinced that TPD prefers South Tampa anyway:

“South Tampa has the fastest police response time in the city, usually less than 10 minutes…

C’mon, now Buzzy!  That’s ridiculous.  Do you really believe that TPD pays more attention to SOK than the rest of the city?

I asked TPD PIO Andrea Davis about that. She told me that there are no statistics to back up Buzzy’s claims, and suggested Mr. Kelly check out the TPD website.

We did it for him.

A quick glance at the Tampa police crime activity maps shows steady crime rates throughout South Tampa (priority 1 and priority 2 crimes) across the last six months - no rise in sight.

As for response time, according to the 2008 budget, TPD has an average response time of under 7 minutes for priority 2 crimes.  For the entire city.

This is the sort of thing that feeds the reputation that those who live in South Tampa are nothing but selfish brats.  But we know plenty of South Tampa folks who do not feel this way.  Based on this and a couple of his previous columns,

• When we vacation, we’re rich enough to afford an animal lady to care for our pets.  You should too.
• The recession is great!  Poor people are desperate and will work cheaper!

perhaps this is the closest his posh life has been to crime, and he’s just a little freaked out.

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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A quick mention for you furniture depleted value seekers out there. The Sticks and Stuff on Gandy in Tampa just east of Manhattan is having a store closing sale. The site is being sold off to Wal-Mart and for once nobody is arguing against the giant retailer. It is as if folks don’t like the big furniture warehouse/peep show theater that occupies the land now.

If you are thinking “Oh god South Tampa traffic!” remember that the construction on Manhattan is now completed and you can enjoy its four lane landscaped splendor on your way to pick out your “French Country” bedroom set made of balsa and foam.

If you are asking yourself “why is Jason being so down on Sticks N Stuff?” I am not, cheap furniture is awesome. In fact I once furnished a whole house for $499. I went to Sticks N Stuff.

This post is a bit overdue, due to limited Net access until just days ago, but I thought some of you would still be interested in how our last two weeks of dining in Tampa went before our move up to Gainesville.

The weekend before last, we decided to stop into Castellano & Pizzo Italian Gourmet Foods on Henderson one last time. This time, instead of bringing my parents, we went with Traci’s dad. In addition to enjoying another pressed Cuban sandwich, we also ordered dessert this time from their bakery, too. Mazzaro’s is the king of local Italian markets/delis, but I will still miss Castellano & Pizzo.

We hadn’t been to Interbay Meat Market in several months, but were looking for a cheap and quick meal one night that was close by and thought of Interbay. On our previous visits, we had stuck to deli sandwiches, but on this visit we went with some of their cafeteria-style Cuban food. It’s hard to beat a big serving of ropa vieja, black beans and yellow rice for five bucks (and no, I don’t want to think about how long that food may have been sitting there). No frills and good food always works for me.

Speaking of no frills, we also stopped into El Taconazo aka “the Taco Bus” on Hillsborough in Seminole Heights one day for lunch. While I didn’t love the place after my first visit maybe a year ago, the Taco Bus has grown on me with each subsequent visit. The “specials” for lunch - two soft tacos with refried beans and rice- are a good deal. The tacos are small but tasty (you do have to be a fan of cilantro to like ‘em) and the thick green hot sauce on the table makes things taste even better. The Bus will be missed.

On our last week in town, in a break from packing, we hit Mel’s Hot Dogs on Busch one day for lunch. I ordered a “Reuben” dog and Traci went with a “Chicago” dog. Mel’s is a cool little place full of history and I’m glad that multiple readers suggested we visit Mel’s before we moved. Mel himself unfortunately wasn’t there when we stopped in, which, from what I understand, is part of the unique experience.

I also re-visited another reader favorite, the Tampa Bay Brewing Company, one day for drinks after work. To me, the Brewing Company’s new location in Centro Ybor doesn’t have nearly the charm of their previous location a few blocks away, but the beer selection is still great (I’m a light beer wimp and like their True Blonde Ale the best). The outdoor bar and patio area at the new location is a good addition.

We also couldn’t leave town without having going-away drinks out night at Kahuna’s, our neighborhood dive bar on Gandy across from Derby Lane. The food at Kahuna’s can be dicey, but the drinks are stiff and priced right. People that think this place has a rough crowd probably spend too much time in SOHO.

Finally, we went ahead and splurged with a Sunday brunch at the Don CeSar Hotel on St. Pete Beach. While the Vinoy and Oystercatcher’s may have better brunches, we have a warm spot for the Don since Traci grew up in South Pasadena/St. Pete Beach and we used to spend a lot of time in the area. For me, the fresh seafood selection was the highlight of the brunch. Traci liked the made-to-order pasta station. We were also able to get a table near the window with a direct view of the beach and the gulf.

There’s lots of additional local restaurants we would have liked to hit before we moved, but we ran out of time. While some of the criticism of the Tampa Bay food scene is justified, the area certainly isn’t starved for good food and good local restaurants either - if you know where/how to look. Granted it does take time, effort, experimentation (you can’t find “hits” without being willing to eat at a fair share of “misses” as well), talking with your friends and neighbors, and just keeping your eyes and ears open.

Again, I’ve greatly enjoyed contributing to Sticks over the past year and sharing local restaurant reviews with you. Thanks again for reading and for all of the restaurant suggestions - that’s all for me!

The Friends of the Library of Tampa-Hillsborough County, Inc. and the Development Committee invite you to meet author Ted Hull. You don’t know Ted Hull? Check it out:

“Mr. Hull, I think this is fate. It’s as if this were divinely guided for a reason! We need a tutor to travel with Little Stevie Wonder and you’re going to be perfect!”

The woman speaking to me on the phone said she was Esther Gordy Edwards, vice president of Motown Records. I got the call in September 1963. Not surprisingly, I’d never heard of her. But I’d also never heard of this “Little Stevie Wonder.”

Hanging up, I turned to my long-time friend, former college roommate and now my boss, Don Cardinal. “Have you ever heard of some kid named Stevie Wonder?”

“Are you kidding?” Don looked at me in disbelief. “You’re the guy with the song writing contract and you don’t know the number one song in the country? Fingertips is all over the radio. That’s Little Stevie Wonder. And he’s blind.”

The above excerpt is from his book, The Wonder Years - My Life & Times With Stevie Wonder. More on the author:

Ted Hull, who is legally blind, is a motivational speaker and lecturer on the “Wonder Years”. He is an expert witness on disability issues relating to the education and employment of persons who are blind or visually impaired. Ted has spent his career working to better the lives of individuals who are blind. For fifteen years, he administered Florida’s West Central Region of the Division of Blind Services. During the growth of Motown, Ted spent six years shaping Stevie Wonder’s life, as his private teacher, advisor and road manager. Since leaving Motown, Ted has appeared occasionally on Stevie’s behalf at functions, including the 1976 American Music Awards. In May 1996, he was an “alumni” at ceremonies opening the Motown Historical Museum. In 2003, Ted was presented the “Man of Motown” award for his contribution to Stevie’s education and to Motown.

You read it right - “Florida’s West Central Region of the Division of Blind Services.” Ted Hull is a Tampa resident, and he’ll be at the Jan Platt Regional Library (South Tampa) to sign his book and chat with you on Tuesday, May 15 at 7pm.

Light refreshments will be served. Books will be available for purchase and author signing. No reservations needed - just show up. You know he will have some great stories to tell.

Related links:

• Motown Museum
• Motown Records

Thanks to Cappy’s Pizzeria on Bay to Bay in Palma Ceia for being rude to us this past Friday evening. If it wasn’t for you, we wouldn’t have stumbled upon little Vino E Pasta on Gandy instead.

Our original plan for dinner on Friday had been to try out Cappy’s again. This time we planned to order Cappy’s New York style pizza. The place was crowded when we got there with folks standing around for tables, which was fine and what we expected. We put our name on the list at the front door and helped ourselves to beers from the cooler. After waiting a few minutes, we noticed that one of the tables on the small deck outside had opened up. We were pretty sure we had been told on a previous visit that outside was “open seating.” Just to make sure, Traci asked one of the guys behind the counter if outside was open seating. He said it was indeed seat yourself so outside we went to the table.

Within a minute of us sitting down, the server told us that, sorry, we had to leave. I asked why and she said she had promised the table to another group. I explained that we had asked at the counter before taking this table (i.e. we didn’t just “steal it”) and she told me the guy “didn’t know what he was talking about.” Next, a guy who I assume was the manager, walked up after we had already exited the table and were walking out. Instead of being apologetic or offering us another table or letting me explain things, he tell us “just leave” and walks off. Wonderful. The service was mediocre previously, and I didn’t like their Chicago style pizza, so shame on me for giving the place a second chance. Never again.

My experience at Cappy’s left me in a pretty crummy mood and I wasn’t really up for waiting in another line. As we turned onto Gandy we thought of Vino E Pasta, a little Italian restaurant near the corner of Gandy and Himes that we had passed many times before but hadn’t tried. Now seemed like as good a time as any. Vino E Pasta doesn’t look like much from the outside, but inside, with its dim lighting, the restaurant was nicer than we expected. It didn’t take long to notice that this place provides a level of service and attention that is much higher than you typically get at mid-priced restaurants around town.

As the name Vino E Pasta implies, the restaurant’s fairly simple menu is built around wine and pasta. An interesting twist is that the restaurant has a fixed price wine list (all wines are around $5 per glass and $24 per bottle if I recall). We’re not big wine drinkers, but after the Cappy’s fiasco we figured why not and ordered a bottle of white. We also received a complimentary bruschetta sampler. For my entree, I went with one of the specials, a salmon stuffed with crab meat and pasta on the side. Traci decided upon a penne pasta with a marinara sauce with sausage. Each dinner came with a nice side salad.

My salmon with crab meat was excellent as was my pasta. Traci’s pasta was good too. Going all out, we split an order of tiramisu for dessert. This ended up being a pricey meal with the wine and dessert, but still a good deal. I think you could do dinner for around twenty bucks per person. This may not be the best Italian in town, but if you’re looking for a neighborhood spot where not only is the food good, but they’re likely to treat you like a regular even on your first visit, then this place fits the bill.

Bottom-line: Thanks to a rotten attitude from Cappy’s, we had the chance to try Pasta E Vino. Good food and friendly service was a pleasant surprise at this nice little neighborhood Italian restaurant.

I read an interesting article about Regency Cove in the Trib recently. For you those of you unfamiliar with South Tampa, the Homes of Regency Cove is a retirement community of manufactured homes just off of Westshore and Gandy. Though it’s NOG (North of Gandy) I vividly remember going by this place growing up in SOG. But because of the residents’ strong anti-development stance, the neighborhood will likely be one of the last trailer parks in Tampa.

The article details a recently published book about the history of the community. Founded in 1956, the community began because self made millionaire Welburn Guernsey dreamed of creating “Guernsey City.” Regency Cove, The First Fifty Years memorializes Guernsey and the community’s storied past.

While reading the article I was surprised to find out about a former resident. Harold Russell acted in a handful of films, culminating in two Oscars for his portrayal of Homer Parrish in The Best Years of Our Lives. That’s right - he was the only actor to win two Oscars for one role. The story of how he got the acting gig is even more fascinating.

If you go to a buffet restaurant thinking “quantity over quality”, you’re much less likely to be disappointed with the experience. Such was the case with our recent visit to Hao Wah, a Chinese restaurant with a buffet-focus on S. Dale Mabry. We were in the mood for Chinese this past Friday night, but didn’t feel like doing take-out or delivery. Instead, we were looking for more of a sit-down place. Hao Wah the closest place we knew of by our house so off we went.

Hao Wah looks like your typical Chinese buffet place from the inside - lots of seating and generic Chinese decorations. The interior appears well maintained, our table was clean, and our server was friendly, which is more than I can say for most of these places. I decided to go with the buffet, while Traci ordered off the menu. In addition to the normal Chinese fare, Hao Wah also has Vietnamese dishes (pho beef noodle soups, mi-egg noddles etc) available off the menu. Traci ordered sweet and sour chicken and chicken fried rice (there was only pork rice on the buffet).

For around ten bucks per person for dinner, it’s hard to argue with Hao Wah’s buffet. Yes, some of the items tasted a little dried out and had probably been sitting out for too long, but you get what you pay for. Like it or not, buffets generally require a “quantity over quality” mindset. Indeed, if I had paid fifteen or twenty bucks for the buffet, I probably wouldn’t have been a happy camper. I’ve been to Chinese buffets before with bigger selections (I still miss the Chinese buffet place near where I used to live in Altamonte Springs), but Hao Wah is solid. Based on my sampling of what Traci ordered, the food off the menu does appear to be a cut above the buffet, as you’d expect.

I’d put Hao Wah in the same category as I do Jimbo’s on Kennedy for barbecue - not a bad choice in a pinch, but not the best in town either. To Hao Wah’s credit, I did think their buffet was better than China Garden Super Buffet in Britton Plaza off Dale Mabry. We went there once a year ago and said never again. Local Chinese restaurants I’ve seen mentioned highly include China Yuan on Armenia and the more upscale TC Choy’s on SOHO for dim sum on Sundays.

So what’s your favorite local Chinese place? A chain everyone already knows about like PF Chang’s doesn’t count and no lectures please on how Chinese buffets are all a waste and unhealthy!

As a side note, I couldn’t locate a health inspection report on Hao Wah, which is probably just as well. Even well-regarded TC Choy’s had a whopping 14 critical violations on its last inspection!

Bottom-line: Hao Wah is certainly not gourmet, but if you’re in the mood for inexpensive Chinese food, this place isn’t a bad choice. The focus is on the buffet, but you can also order off a menu.