Welcome to the Tampa lifestyle blog!  As Tampa natives, we look forward to sharing with you all the great things to do and see in the Bay area so that you can get a little taste of life in Tampa.

From where to get the best Cuban Sandwich, to where you can find the finest Cigars, let us be your guiding light for all things Tampa. If you have any pressing Tampa related questions or issues you'd like to bring up, such as "What's the best way to get from Swann to Gandy on a rainy day with out a kayak?" or "Who is this elusive Jose Gaspar?" feel free to ask, we're here to answer.  

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In the meantime, we look forward to filling you in on life here in Tampa Bay so stay tuned for some great tips!

If you have some time this afternoon, stop by the USF Recreation Center where an event called Hoops of Hope will be taking place. This event is a part national movement where participants shoot basketball free throws in an effort to help children orphaned by AIDS. 

Hoops of Hope was started four years ago by Austin Gutwein who shot 2,057 free throws on World AIDS Day to represent the number of children who are orphaned daily from parents who die of AIDS. Oh, and did I mention that he was 10-year-old at the time? Since then, he has been traveling the country to inspire people to participate.

If you want to help support the cause, you can register at the door. The program will go on from 4:00 p.m. until 10:00 p.m. tonight.

Firstly, Kudos to fellow blogger 'Jerm' for the title on this one.

Now the christening of the Title by Jerm was preceded by a little info on
an event in Tampa Bay the likes of which I’ve only rarely come across, and no, it’s not just a light show. It’s a huge compilation of award winning artists, and art installations that emphasize technology and education, from all over the world. This is a biennial event and this time around it starts on January 10th, 2009, and goes on till February 2nd, 2009, charging up Super Bowl fans.

The installation locations include, “The Tampa Convention Center and Riverwalk, USF Park, Cotanchobee Park, and Fort Brooke Parking Garage. Community members, and visitors will celebrate the opening of Lights On Tampa 2009 through a pedestrian-friendly public event in order to experience each of the destinations.” The show is dedicated to giving everyone a “multi-sensory experience” with interactive experiences including ‘Shared Virtual Experiences’ like a Cell-phone engagement and podcasts.If your looking for some quick general info, go to www.lightsontampa.org.

Come January, I predict a possible overall rise in blood-pressure around Tampa, with footballs fans practically foaming at the mouth, men giving coats to shivering women, and of course breaking of New Year resolutions! Well no matter what your condition or schedule, make sure you check out every single exhibit at Lights on Tampa Bay.

Mark your calendar and put your mothers’ picture next to it, cus this baby is not gonna be delivered again for another two years. So I, will see you there!

We recently got a chance to get out of the office and go and check out Lowry Park Zoo, this past Tuesday. I must admit that it is really sad that I haven't been out there before and have lived in Tampa for seven years now, as I didn't know what I was missing.

Lowry Park is a pretty sweet place, never really realized how big the place was and how much they have to offer. Since we were in the midst of the Rays being in the World Series, it only made sense that we stop by "Sting Ray Bay" and see what the this town's other Rays were up to. There was actually a group of elementary kids there as the stingrays are very friendly and allow you to touch and feed them. 

Right across the way were two Southern Bald Eagles, and I believe we had just caught them having breakfast as one of them one was feasting on a small mouse. Beautiful birds, and it was also good to see that I actually did have more hair than someone else! Wow that really was a cheesy joke...

It was on to the manatee area, which was really anxious to see, because I had never seen one before...yes I know I live in Florida, but we should all know by now that Jerm does not get out much. Amazing creatures these west Indian manatees are and they are so gentle. I didn't realize how large they actually were, as they are like tiny little mini-whales. These awesome creatures are often the victims of injuries in the wild and need be cared for, which is the reason Lowry Park Zoo also houses the David A. Straz Jr. Manatee hospital that opened in 1991 where they house and treat injured manatees.

I could go on for hours about my adventures at LPZ, but I especially want to make note and send a big shout out to my boy "Boris the Giraffe." I had the opportunity to meet Boris and his family and even hand feed them crackers! Watch out though as boris is a bit of a cracker hog and will try and lick your arm off. If you make it around to the Afirca portion of the park be sure to stop by the penguin tank and get some pictures, and of course my favorite area of the entire park... THE MEERKATS!!! 

Jerm is a big fan of the Discovery Channel's Meerkat Manor, so I was delighted to see these little guys up close and personal. We were were lucky enough to catch them out and about wrestling and throwing dirt in each others face...such active little creatures they are! 

In closing, I think you get the point, as I left out allot of my day just to stop your eyes from glazing over as I ramble on, but I invite you to go out and experience it for yourself. I wanted to, but didn't get the chance to ride a camel so I need someone to do it and come back and tell me all about it!

Well I didnt get much sleep last night...how bout you? If you are like me then you were up in the wee hours of the morning watching game 3 of the World Series last night.Rain delays and not so pretty weather put the start time of the game back to right around 10 p.m. eastern time, so it was a bit of a late start. 
You can never doubt the fighting spirit of those Tampa Bay Rays can you! Staring down the barrel of a 3 run deficit in the late innings of the game, our Rays fought back to tie it up, only to fall to the Phillies by a score of 5-4.

Garza didn't have his best tuff on this evening giving up a few runs early on in the game, but the Rays battled back and tied the game when B.J. Upton singled, stole two bases and subsequently ended up at home plate while stealing third, the Rays were back in the game and had the Phillies on their heels. In the end though it wasn't to be as the Phillies pulled it out late in the bottom of the ninth, and took a 2-1 lead in the series.

On the mound tonight for our Rays is Andy Sonanstine as the Rays look to get back into the series in the 2nd of three games in Philly before they head back to the trop to close out the series! Exciting times so all you Rays fans had better be out at your local watering holes tonight supporting our boys!

My son Skylar and I hit ZooBoo tonight for the first time.  We’ve been members of Lowry Park Zoo for about three years.  My son’s practically grown up there, learning about animals and interacting with them. I remember the first time we went to Lowry Park, he was petrified of the goats.  Visit after visit, he warmed up to them and now they can’t get away from him.  So with him being 4 years old and very into trick-or-treating, I thought we’d hit the Zoo at night for some Halloween fun.

The entire way Skylar was asking me, “Daddy, why are we going to the Zoo at night? Aren’t the animals sleeping?”   He had a point, but that launched us into a discussion of nocturnal animals and reminded him of his latest animal fascination: Bats.  Upon arriving we walked in and immediately saw two Owls on the arms of zookeepers. Sky loved them.  We scored a colored strobe light to hang around his neck and forged into the night.  The main street of the Zoo was like a Halloween Christmas with lights and decorations that made the whole place glow. We hit the carousel and Sky was happy. 

We opted out of Gator Falls because we didn’t want to walk around wet all night, but we were very tempted.  After getting some popcorn Sky and I hit a couple of haunted walks.  I thought they were a blast, but I think a few of them are a little much for a 4 year old.  My advice for parents of young ones is to stick with Wallaroo station and save the bigger ones till next year.  We made it through three of them before he was begging to leave.

All in all, it was a fun night.   Lowry Park makes it easy because it’s so kid friendly. It’s not overly scary, but still gives you the haunted feel in a cool, safe atmosphere. Even though Sky negotiated that I’ll only take him to the Zoo when the sun is out, I think we’ll go to ZooBoo next year…only in full costume.

Alright, alright, alright Phillies Phans, so you got the leg up on us in Game 1 last night!  We didnt have our "A" game last night but don't sleep on us for one minute, as I will remind you that the Red Sox also took the first game at the Trop and look how that worked out for them!

Just for the sake of me getting through the work day, I will not pay attention to certain historical statistics that that say the team winning the first game has captured the Series 63 of 103 times. Instead,  I would rather focus on that stat that says the team with home-field advantage has taken 18 of the last 22 titles, so be on the lookout Philly Phans, it ain't over!

On the mound tonight for our AL East champs is James Shields, and believe me he is pumped for tonight, so I am going to make a prediction that we take tonights game and even up the series before we hop on a plane to Philly and take two more games!

Plenty of places to hunker down and catch the game tonight so if you can't make it out to Tropicana field, then check my previous blog post for a few bars and restaurants to watch the game and enjoy some food, fun, and baseball!

So if you are as amped up about tonight's Game 1, as I am then you are already making plans about where to go and watch the game, if you couldn't get a ticket. I've done my homework and wanted to try and point out a few bars and such for everyone to go out and support the Rays tonight as Kazmir takes the mound to shut out the Phillies tonight! 

So many places to choose from, but I have complied my list of favorite places to hang out as well as a few that were reccomended to me.  Game starts tonight at 8 p.m. so you better have your bottom planted in a bar stool at one of these places with a blue mohawk and the biggest cowbell you can find! I need more cowbell baby!

• Macdinton's Irish Pub - Irish pub and restaurant with delicious food and friendly Irish staff. Happy hour (2 for 1) 11:30am-7pm every day but Friday. Friday 6pm-8pm, $10 ALL YOU CAN DRINK. Patio, big screen TV, darts, pool, golf, ample parking and specials every night.
• Rock-n-Sports Bar & Grille - Upscale sports bar and grille located in Centro Ybor. Outside seating available, open seven days a week for lunch and dinner specialties: ribs, seafood, burgers, wings and 25 draft beers. Private catering available for meetings, parties and sports events.
• Champps Americana -Champps is a unique, upscale casual dining and socializing experience. We differentiate ourselves by offering a fun, upbeat environment, a wide variety of food prepared from scratch and access to international, national, and local sporting events via state-of-the-art audio visual equipment.
• Ferg's Sports Bar & Grill - Ferg’s is the ultimate spot to watch the Rays because of how close it is to Tropicana Field. You get to enjoy the same atmosphere before and after the game as all the people with tickets but you get the benefit of all the camera angles and replays on TV during this big series. No matter when you show up, Ferg’s is the place to be before, during, and after each Rays game. 1320 Central Ave., St. Petersburg. (727) 822-4562, fergsonline.com.
• Champion’s Sports Bar (Marriott Waterside) -Root for your team in front of the big screen TV while you enjoy light fare and your favorite beverages. Champions is casual, so you don't have to "dress up to dress out." Located across the street from the St. Pete Times Forum. Meet your friends before hockey games and events!
• The Press Box - The “Box” as the locals call it has just recently upgraded all the big screens in their establishment making it one of the best places to actually sit down and really enjoy the game. Just ask any Buccaneers fan and they will tell you that the Box has got a very friendly staff and the wings speak for themselves.  I would recommend The Press Box any day of the week to anyone that likes sports. 222 S Dale Mabry Highway, Tampa. (813) 876-3528, .
• GameWorks - GameWorks is a casual dining experience that features entertainment guests cannot duplicate at home.
• Giordano's - Pioneer of the famous Chicago stuffed and equally renowned thin-crust pizza. Pastas, soups, sandwiches, assorted fresh salads and desserts. With several locations in Florida to serve you, we are open for lunch and dinner with a full service bar. Dine-in, carry out, delivery and catering available.
• Green Iguana Ybor City -Voted Tampa Bay's Best Bar & Ybor's Best Club. Unique restaurant with Florida/ Caribbean style menu. Open seven days a week, serving lunch, dinner & late night menu items. Catering on/off site. Live entertainment nightly. Never a cover. Sidewalk cafe available. Private banquet room also available.
• Splitsville - Bowling, billiards and dinner lounge featuring gourmet appetizers, sushi, and classic retro entrees.
• The Rec Room - Rounding out my short list is The Rec Room, a new sports bar located in BayWalk in downtown St. Pete. I have heard a lot about the Rays watch parties that have been going on throughout the playoffs, so I would expect this place to be jumping come World Series time. You can watch the game on any one of the 11 plasma screens and enjoy the company of many other local Rays fans. 121 Second Ave. N, St. Petersburg. (727) 822-4413.

So get out there and enjoy all the food fun, and what I am sure will be numerous drink specials as our Rays, hope to get the series off toa  good start tonight!

Usually the buzz around town time this time of year is for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and rightfully so. But for the first time in team history the Tampa Bay Rays have made it to the World Series! Needless to say, it’s not surprising that there will be a huge party tonight for the Rays at the St. Petersburg Pier from 5:30 p.m. to about 9.

The free fan rally will have plenty of entertainment from a live band, to video games, and even face painters. But for all of you die-hard Rays fans that haven’t had the courage to support your team via your hair-do; tonight is the night! There will be a place to get your very own Rayhawk tonight at the rally, giving you another thing in common with your favorite players like Evan Longoria, and BJ Upton.

The weather has been great here lately so come early and make a night out of it as all of the local bars and restaurants will be open for business. Parking is limited at Pier lots and additional parking is located throughout downtown and the BayWalk parking garage.

Come out and celebrate the RAYS and visit the Tampa Bay&Company website for more game info as we receive it!!!

Hello again Tampa Bay-philes, Reju here ! This past Friday, I had the pleasure of taking a tour of the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center (TBPAC) in Downtown Tampa.The center has ranked with some of the best theater venues in the world and the expertise of their team shows before you even step in.

Walking around the center you're sure to get in the mood for theater with soundtracks, matched with the current showing, playing in the background all around the center. There are also a number of brand spanking new flat screen monitors displaying up-to date info on current and upcoming shows, and other general information.

Turn a corner facing the east bank of the Hillsborough River and you'll find a quaint riverwalk, and maybe even a joyous crowd waiting to catch the some of the free open-air showings. Adjacent to the outdoor stage, you'll find seating and dining at Maestro's Cafe(outdoors), or restaurant (indoors), overlooking the river and downtown tampa. Visually and aesthetically, there's a great feel for culture and a very inviting ambiance here.

The TBPAC was opened twenty years ago, and four years ago was joined by the Patel Conservatory, which educates and trains students of all ages in many artistic disciplines including dance, music, theater, and even media arts. The Performing Arts Center has five distinct theaters, ranging from big name, broadway show calibre stages with opulent seating, lighting, and entertainment, to cozy, stages catering to a much smaller audience showcasing more experimental theater. The effect of this variety is that weather your a performer or part of the audience, you feel that there's a theater to fit any show, and a show to fit any audience. Three of the theaters even have infrared listening systems for the hearing impaired.

It's a shame that I hadn't visited this place sooner, and really look forward to going there again to catch an actual show. I even asked about participating in one of the experimental plays, but unfortunately for me, this is not community theater and I have a long ways to go before I can even consider, being considered. What experience do I have in acting you ask? Well, I was one of the seven dwarfs in my elementary school "Snow White" play, and distinctly remember having the coolest/creepiest looking ''walking stick''/tree branch.

So if you're in Tampa, and have not seen the TBPAC, I gurantee you it's worth the visit any day, especially if you have friends or a significant other/'s, you can take along. It's quiet something to watch a play, and when you watch a good one, you'll know why theater stood the test of time.

Hi there guys and ghouls, Jerm here! I was recently reminded by one of our loyal blog readers that in all of the grown-up Halloween hoopla, I somehow managed to leave the kiddies out of the equation.  Shame on me, especially when there are tons of things going around around the Bay for the kiddies and their parents to get into, not just trick or treating on Halloween.

It seems like only yesterday I was dressed up in my Spiderman costume (you know the one with the footies in it)! Okay so actually it was last year.  Not really, it would be weird for a 6 foot 245 lb man to be walking around in the same Spiderman outfit he wore as a kid, not to mention a bit snug!

Well have no fear Tampanian parental units, there's plenty for you and your young ones to partake in during this ghoulish like time of year.  I have scouted the internet for some local stuff going on so be sure to check these out courtesy of Bay News 9 and a few others:

• Zoo Boo at Lowry Park Zoo - Lowry Park Zoo's family-friendly Halloween event with haunted houses and trails for older zoo-goers, including new haunts this year, Project Alien and Sinister...through Fri, Oct, 31
  7:00 pm
  $17, $14 ages 3-11 Lowry Park Zoo
  1101 W Sligh Ave.
  Tampa, FL
  (813) 935-8552
• Guavaween Family Fun Fest - Ybor City's family Halloween celebration with safe trick-or-treating, Spooky Story Time, amusement rides, crafts and crafts, hands-on activities, pumpkin... Sat, Oct, 25
  10:00 am
  $5 downtown
  Seventh Avenue and nearby area
  Ybor City, FL
• Old Hyde Park Village - There are a few too many activities to list going on over there so just take my word for it and visit the site!
• Hall-O-Boo - Hall-O-Boo! is specially designed for families where the ghost and ghoul experience is less spooky and more fun! OCTOBER 24 & 25, 5 to 9 P.M.
  MOSI members receive a discounted price of $8, Nonmembers: $10
  4801 E. Fowler Avenue - Tampa, Florida 33617
  (813) 987-6000

I only listed a few here, so if you know of anymore besure to drop me a line and let me know so I can add some more to this list!

In case you hadn't heard, Tampa Bay is a premier destination for the hottest events around.  This was without question on showcase, this past Friday at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center as Randy "Jackson's America's Best Dance Crew Tour" came to town. Once again Jerm somehow managed to find a date to the event.  What makes it even better was that she was cute, and as big of a nerd as me (she majored in computer science in college)!

I must admit that I have not once seen the show, as the reality TV scene lately has become a bit of a bore, but about five minutes into the program I had pretty much made the decision to tune in next season. 

Some of the things these guys and gals can do on stage simply defy words, not to mention gravity.  I mean seriously, who break dances on skates!  I can barely walk in a pair of skates, much less do handstands, back-flips, and spin on my head.  Those guys from "Break SK8" really put on a show as I would have to rate them as my 2nd favorite crew.  

I would have to give my biggest thumbs up however, to the crew from "JabbaWockeez." as words can't describe those performances throughout the night.  I was especially impressed with the tribute to the Jackson 5, as well as some old school Michael Jackson thrown in there.  Seeing some of those skills on display take me back to my youth when I was an aspiring break dancer and was glued to the television screen when Breakin first came out on beta max...yes I do go that far back!  Needless to say my break dancing career never took off unfortunately.

The Performing Arts Center's Carol Morsani Hall was packed with high school aged kids screaming their lungs out (I know this for sure, because most of them were sitting right next to me), and by the end of the night my ears were ringing!  It was truly an event to remember as the gang over there at the Performance Arts Center always bring the best entertainment to the Bay Area!

If you were there, leave me a comment and let me know what you thought!

Hello Bulls fans, K-Mart here! Three wins in a row is not catching lightning in a bottle, it’s more like mad skills. The USF Bulls football players are working their magic once again.

“Thank God it’s Friday,” were my first thoughts as I headed towards down Raymond James Stadium for the game. Seemingly everyone else in the tri-county area was heading to the game and our 3 mile drive took 45 minutes (Hint: if you go to a game, go early!). Luckily my friend/chauffer had a bubble wand to make the drive eventful. If that wasn’t enough driving entertainment  all I had to do was look out my window to see random green and gold youth leaning out of car windows circling the Bull sign and shouting “Wooooo!” all the way down Dale Mabry.

When we finally made it to the Ray Jay parking field, there was Bull pandemonium everywhere! There were painted guys, jerseyed girls and everything in between. Just about every 3rd car had a grill fired up in front it, every 4th car was blaring opposing music and every 5th car had a tent. Tables lined with red and blue plastic cups and hacky sack boards littered the field as far as I could see, and a feeling of excitement and hometown support had taken over.

The game started at 8 p.m. after a light rain shower (gotta love that unpredictable Florida weather). The game was “edge of your seat” material. We were down by 17 points in the second quarter. No one lost hope though, and our golden boy Grothe connected with A.J. Love and Taurus Johnson for 2 touchdowns and ran a 3rd in himself (34-20). Our nationally number 1 ranked defense spent all night kicking butt, yet somehow let our 14 point lead slip away in the 4th quarter (blinding flash of light that only the defense could see?? Hmm??). Neck and neck, our safety, Nate Allen, caught an interception and ran it back 40 yards. In the end our freshman kicker, Maikon Bonani, came through with a 43-yard field goal.

The crowds were pushing forward to storm the field, but the cops had brought reinforcements… their horses. Next time you’re in town, you have to check out a Bulls game. It is an unforgettable, must-see spectacle! 

Let me know if  you were at the game and leave me some Bulls love!

If any you are from around the Tampa area you've probably seen or been lucky enough to hear about, the ginormous dinosaurs that greet you as you travel on I-4 from Tampa to Orlando.    If you're not from around here chances are you haven't seen the interstate-asaurus but I can promise you, if you did, you would be just as curious as the rest of us.

So I decided to satisfy my curiosity and pay a visit to this Tampa treasure we call Dinosaur World. One Monday afternoon, I ventured into the Jurassic themed park of the south not knowing what to expect.  Depictions of dinosaurs true to their actual size? Remains of extinct reptiles?  An actual fossil dig?   Well I can tell you that you can expect to see it all here.  Witness dinosaurs in their natural habitats.  See them as you would have seen them millions of years ago.  Creeping in on their prey and sometimes even attacking!

Dinosaur World is fun for all ages but especially the little ones.  I was lucky enough to witness kids of all ages taking part in the extraordinary Fossil Dig.  Here kids can sift through the sands of time and uncover pieces of Amber, remains of extinct animals that floated at sea, coral fragments, smooth shiny stones called agates, assorted dinosaur bone fragments and last but not least shark teeth, sponges and shells!  This prehistoric treasure hunt is sure to please.  

So be sure to pay a visit to this place we cal Dinosaur World.  Check this place out and be sure to tell me what your experience was like!

K-Mart here!  Looking for a hot spot in Downtown Tampa? Well look no further than the ultra chic Howl At The Moon. Located alongside the Ybor Channel in the Channel District, this small scale piano bar knows how to throw a big scale party!

The bright green walls, dark brown accents and floor-to-ceiling fully stocked bar are reminiscent of a sports bar. The building is jam-packed with small tables that seat between 4 and 6 people but trust me, if you aren’t there by 10 p.m. you probably won’t be getting a seat.

I went with a small group of girls for a bachelorette party and we were seated near the front of the bar. We were surrounded by a crowd consisting of local college frat guys, a handful of couples on their date-night and a few groups of tourists in, I have to say it, socks and sandals. The evening began with a Bucket ‘O Booze (an 86 oz. bucket filled with your choice of mixed drink) and 5 straws. It ended much the same way.

Four piano players took turns on stage dueling it out on Yamaha Baby Grand pianos. All night long, piano bar classics like “American Pie” and “Piano Man” and even the not-so-much classics like “Don’t Stop Believin’ ” and “Baby Got Back” were belted out. A little something for everyone, eh? 

Here, you can even be part of the act. Throughout the night the slightly more adventurous (and slightly more intoxicated) ventured on stage to sing and/or dance. Impromptu performers are given a complimentary “Follow Me To The Moon” bumper sticker attached to their… bumper. At one point (more specifically two Buckets ‘O Booze later), we sent our bride-to-be, and all of her bachelorette accessories, up on stage to perform “Itsy, Bitsy Spider”. It was indescribable.

 If that’s not your cup of tea, you can get your thoughts on-stage by bidding on the “Word of the Day” mirror. The highest bidder gets to choose (or invent) a phrase to be written on the mirror center stage behind the pianos. Needless to say, as the night goes on, the cost goes up and the phrases get… entertaining.

Time flew by (as it tends to when you’re having fun) and at 2 a.m. we decided to call it a night. As we were leaving, the bar was still going strong and another group ran to grab our vacant table. Make sure you grab some friends and head to Howl At The Moon for a Bucket ‘O Booze next time you want a night out on the town. You won’t be disappointed!

Hey there blogophiles, Reju here! Today's blog might not interest some of you. Who you ask? Well if your like one of our other bloggers, who "never touches" coffee, (don't know what their missing), or like some of my friends, think energy drinks are better (yeah right), then you might not care to know about Tampa's own, "Indigo Coffee".


Now, now, I know what your thinking. Maybe your thinking:
"Down with the corporations maannnn"
"Blogger please, it's just another Starbucks"
"This is all helping nuclear arms development braah"
"You can't hug your kids with nuclear arms" (fyi : family guy pun)

Well let me tell you my picture of Indigo Coffee. I enter the cafe, and yes, it did look a fair bit like starbucks in my opinion. I look at the menu, and well, that kind of looked like starbucks also. Right about now my hopes for the 'brown delicious' are dwindling. So I go ahead and get my testing coffee, the short black, 'A shot of Espresso' with a little steamed milk. I added a little bit of brown sugar and tried it. Now I could be verbose, use a lot of adjectives, and cajole you into thinking this was just short of an elixer for eternal youth. Instead, this time I'd like to say,
"You really, just - gotta - try this" !

A bit of Q & A with the staff and I found out that the beans are not roasted as much as Starbucks beans are, which gives it a different and smoother flavor. It turns out that Indigo coffee stores are only in Tampa, and has been voted the best coffee in Tampa Bay by 'Creative Loafing Magazine' and in blind taste tests.

For more info visit their website, www.drinkindigo.com, try their coffee, let me know if you liked it, and if you were able to convert any coffee-phobes into coffe-philes. To Coffee...HOO-HAA!!!

Since its inception in 1989, The Contemporary Art Museum (CAM) at USF, has house works by artists from the world over. They also host an Annual Juried Student Exhibition. This event always draws huge crowds as there's more art than you can shake a decapitated ear at (sorry about the bad Van Gough pun). This show, like most if not all shows at the CAM are free to the public, and free food and drinks are an added plus. Then there's the fact that the jury is made of famous contemporary art critics who make sure that the artwork you see is always exceptional.

The next exhibiton starts Aug 25, named 'Torolab: One Degree Celsius', it's a series of projects called 'Molecular Urbanism' developed by a Tijuana-based consortium of artists, architects and designers showcase their combined skills in a three part project. For a full discription of what the show is about you can visit the CAM website and while your there also check out 'Mash Up'. This is another show also begining Aug 25 and is ment to take you back in time and display the '' history of destruction as a creative force in visual art, and its resonance in the mass culture realm of popular music.''

Even if you've never been to an art show, don't fret, there is no need to be excessively formal or have any understanding of art. Just grab someone, don't bother changing or fixing your hair (most artist's look like hobo's anyway, I should know, being one) and slide on over to the CAM and get inspired. As always, slide back here and let me know how you like the artwork. Hopefully you'll get inspired to at least doodle when you have a minute to spare, and amaze yourself.

Gooood day readers! Reju here, with yet another dining experience to share. This time I dined at Mise En Place (pronounced Meez-ahn-plahs), a gourmet restaurant that serves modern American food.

Right off the bat you might be thinking, " Modern Gourmet Food probably means I'll have to sell my Olympic Gold medal to pay for dinner". Well that's what I thought initially, but then I discovered two facts. One was that after looking up their menus' online, I found them to be well priced around $20 a person (I mean including wine, entree, and dessert anyone?), which is actually a lot cheaper than I expected.
The second was that I wasn't an Olympic Gold medalist.

Contrary to some restaurants, the outside was understated and the inside was very tastefully designed, hinting to their birth with catering starting back in 1986 and their pride in being independently owned. In the words of Q from James Bond, "Better be smarter than you look than look smarter than you are".

Onto the food, which start to finish embodied satisfaction over gluttony. The portions were just right and my Chicken and Ravioli was singular in taste. Every main component of the dish (Chicken, Ravioli and sauce) held it's own flavor while complimenting the others. I didn't talk through the meal and that's how you know it's good.

But enough of me rambling on about it. It's not a $5 Footlong or a $100 a plate dinner with gold-leaf chicken. It's a great restaurant, famous for its food & catering, all around the bay, so if your here, check it out.

When your done impressing your friends and family with your impressive choice in restaurants, come back here and let me know what you had and how you liked it. 

p.s. Be sure to tell Mary Ann I said hello!
                             

If you’re in downtown Tampa, and want a quick bite to eat, your options are endless then Moxies is one of the best places to do so.

They have you covered from breakfast goodies, lunch specials and coffee, to salads, soups and deserts. The last time I ate at Moxies, I came away satisfied by means of devouring a delicious ‘Chicago Fire’ signature beef sandwich. Much better than a fast food joint, as the beef was fresh and succulent, crispy veggies, delicious provolone and of course, a pickle.

They also pride themselves on serving fresh coffee, roasted daily, and kept for sale for up to two days, after which it is donated to local places. That freshness is something I’m sure coffee lovers, like me, will appreciate on an especially drab morning. Ask just about anyone in downtown Tampa and they’re sure to know Moxies, point you in the right direction, and maybe even join you for lunch.

So grab a friend, or a stranger (not recommended), and shoot over to Moxies. I haven’t gone through their entire menu yet, so come back and let me know what you tried and how you liked it!

Looking for a great place to relax and enjoy a great cup ‘a tea? Well even if you answered no, I guarantee you’ll come back for more after you visit Kaleisia Tea Lounge. ‘Creative Loafing’ voted Kaleisia, the ‘Best Kept Secret of Tampa Bay’ last year, and for good reason.

Kaleisia stocks over a hundred different teas, including green, black, rooibos (red), white, oolong, signature, fruit/herbal, and decaffeinated, all double sealed and contained to deliver freshness over convenience.

They also serve Vietnamese coffee, smoothies, and vegan food. In case all this seems too intimidating, the staff is always there to understand your taste, and suggest something that will appeal to your palette. The owners of Kaleisia, Kim Pham, Lan Ha and Daniel Lee have immense knowledge and passion for tea. They’re dedication to their work shows, and the clear difference in quality helps everyone appreciate the benefits of forgoing convenience for a better beverage.

So give them a shot, and tell them ‘Rufus’ (that what they call me there) sent you. If you’d like to get more info on them you can always visit their website, preview the lounge and what they’re about.

Know of any other tea lounges or coffee shops?  Leave me a message and let me know your feedback!