In This Issue
1. Food News: Get Greece-y. Moon Waxes. Bistro Wanes.
2. Davis Islands Dog Park Scheduled For Grooming
3. Walk into Ybor’s Secret Past
4. Seminole Heights Bicycle Club's Hub-Grub Bike Ride
5. Ride A Dragon - Tampa Dragon Boat Races
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
UC Tampa - Feb 2010 Edition Part 2
In This Issue
1. Food News: Get Greece-y. Moon Waxes. Bistro Wanes.
2. Davis Islands Dog Park Scheduled For Grooming
3. Walk into Ybor’s Secret Past
4. Seminole Heights Bicycle Club's Hub-Grub Bike Ride
5. Ride A Dragon - Tampa Dragon Boat Races
Food News: Get Greece-y. Moon Waxes. Bistro Wanes.
The Bungalow Bistro of Seminole Heights will soon be home to The Refinery.
Seminole Heights ‘Bistro’ gets Refined
The Bungalow Bistro of Seminole Heights (5137 N. Florida Ave.) has been sold to Greg and Michelle Baker of Cooks-n-Company (a personal chef service). While currently still being operated under the “Bistro” moniker and menu, Greg stated the couple is planning to launch an entirely new restaurant, The Refinery, and menu by March 2009.
Click here to read full story.
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China Moon shines on Heights & West Tampa
China Moon New York Style Chinese Food is now open at 1900 W. Dr. Marin Luther King Jr. Blvd. for take out and delivery to residents of West Tampa, Wellswood, Seminole Heights, Riverside Heights and other nearby areas.
Click here to read full story.
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Shout Out for Channelside’s new Taverna Opa
Following UC Tampa’s exclusive story of Taverna Opa coming to downtown’s Channelside Entertainment Complex, the Greek restaurant is now open in the former Grille 21 location (underneath the old Margarita Mama’s).Davis Islands Dog Park Scheduled For Grooming
Davis Islands' famous dog park about to get a makeover.
DAVIS ISLANDS - Every dog has its day - so why not spend it at the beach?
The narrow strip of beachfront with magnificent views of downtown Tampa was made available a decade ago through an easement from the Hillsborough County Aviation Authority, which assured the dog park would not interfere with operations at nearby Peter O. Knight Airport.
The 1.9-acre fenced site, however, has lost beach sand through the years. The city plans to replenish 200-plus feet of the sandy coastline, but not before erosion safeguards are in place.
Read full story here.
Walk into Ybor's Secret Past
Walk into Ybor City's secretive past.
To read full story, visit www.uctampa.com.
Seminole Heights Bicycle Club's Hub-Grub Bike Ride
Event Flyer
SEMINOLE HEIGHTS - The Seminole Heights Bicycle Club invites all to tour the neighborhood's restaurants via bicycle. At each stop, riding participants will have the get the chance to check out some of the area's favorite haunts and munch on a quick snack before heading off their next destination.
February 27, 3-5:30pm
Read full article here.
Ride A Dragon
Dragon Boat Racers (2009)
DOWNTOWN - Tampa’s Dragon Boat Races will take place in downtown Tampa’s Garrison Channel, May 1, 2010 and the Tampa Independent Business Alliance (TIBA) is forming a race team to participate in it and the 2011 World Dragon Boat Races (also hosted by Tampa).
Monday, February 15, 2010
Celebrate the Bungalow - 2010 Hyde Park Home Tour
Historic Hyde Park Home Tour taking place March 6. See article's entire photo gallery here.
HYDE PARK – Many residents of historic Hyde Park will open their doors for the neighborhood’s 8th Annual Home Tour, Saturday, March 6, 2010. The tour will feature more than a dozen private homes, representing numerous styles and time periods, from historic to new construction.
Included on the tour will be residences along Tampa’s famous Bungalow Terrace, a mini-subdivision of 19 houses with front porches facing each other across a sidewalk (i.e., not a road, like usual), as well as Tampa’s only example of the Bungalow Court—a popular mode of construction in California circa 1909–1930.
“Bungalow Court will highlight gracious living on a small scale,” notes the tour’s co-chair, Tami Kirchner. “This calls for innovation and—in the case of the homes we’ll tour—illustrates a true sense of style.”
In contrast, the large, stunning, newly constructed Bayshore mansion of Dr. and Mrs. Bernard Stein is also a tour stop.
The Historic Hyde Park Home Tour is taking place in conjunction with a March exhibit at the Tampa Bay History Center exhibit, titled “The Bungalow,” along with a feature film documentary that provides an overview of Tampa’s bungalows (and their social and cultural context).
For Home Tour information, contact Tami at the Historic Hyde Park Neighborhood Association: (813) 625-4141 or HHPNAhometour@tampabay.rr.com
Gimme Seven! New Restaurants Rolling into the Urban Corridor.
Old location of Big John's Alabama BBQ.
URBAN CORRIDOR – The new year appears to have brought with it a flurry of restaurants for downtown Tampa and its nearby, Urban Corridor neighborhoods. Seven dining establishments, some with names familiar to the area, some not, have either opened or are expected to open by the end of March.
West Tampa: Green Iguana Bar & Grill, a local’s hangout on Ybor City’s Seventh Avenue, is taking over the old Stadium Bennigan’s Bar & Grille location (2520 N. Dale Mabry Hwy.). This will be the company’s seventh Bay Area location with a full bar and open seven days a week for lunch and dinner. According to its website, the new location will “open soon;” however sources indicate “by the end of March.” Updates are available on the Green Iguana Twitter site: http://twitter.com/thegreeniguana.
Downtown: The Urban Cantina is set to open in downtown Tampa (200 E. Madison Ave.) by the end of February. The owner is reported to be Christopher Rivas, who is a resident of nearby SkyPoint Condominiums, where he was once reported to be opening a Mexican restaurant called Azteca. Those plans fell through, but from visual inspection of the new location, it clearly appears to be built out, fitted with tables and dining ware, and days away from opening. www.urbancantina.com
Sono Café will open February 6 inside the new Tampa Museum of Art. It will overlook the banks of the Hillsborough River and be accessible by everyone through an admission-free entrance. The café will seat 75, including waterfront tables, and offer menu items in accordance with the “Slow Food Movement.” The owners of downtown’s Mise en Place Restaurant will operate the café.
Already open is International Café, a lunchtime eatery open five days a week at 601 E. Twiggs St.
East Tampa: Big John’s Alabama BBQ is set to open at nearly the same spot (5707 N. 40th St.) as its old, demolished location (which happened because of a city road expansion project). For the many fans of the 40-year-old establishment, their wait will be over early February.
Ybor City: Gallery Rasika has opened on Seventh Avenue in the former location of L’Olivier Cabaret. It features modern Indian fusion dishes inspired from an “age old approach to dining,” according to its website. Much like tapas bars, guests are encouraged to choose a variety of appetizers and entrees and share them with their dining companions. www.galleryrasika.com
Heights Areas: Greg and Michelle Baker, the owners of Cooks-n-Company (the personal chef service), are planning to open a brick and mortar restaurant in Seminole Heights. Although a verbal agreement has been made for the couple to take over an existing “turn key” location, a contract has yet to be signed.
Once official, the Bakers hope to open The Refinery by the end of February, which will feature a large selection of small, “bigger than most tapas” plates made from locally grown ingredients when possible.
See original posting at www.uctampa.com.
A Serious Art Attack - Don’t Bypass Downtown’s 2010 Arts & Entertainment
DOWNTOWN - This year, Downtown’s long ailing arts and entertainment scene is set to receive a shot in the arm. In it will be a guaranteed cure composed of a mix of grassroot initiatives and the buds of a blooming arts district.
“I’ve no need to pine away [to be in cities like] New York, now that there’s so much happening in downtown Tampa,” says Andrea Graham, chairperson for Stageworks Theatre—which, in January, will break ground on its permanent home in the Channel District. “Downtown’s where it’s at!”
And there are literally thousands and millions of reasons for all A&E lovers to get excited.
Tampa’s urban core has nearly 120,000 sq-ft of roof-covered A&E space under construction, representing $75 million in fundraising and investment—a substantial amount of which has been directed to the new “River Arts District.”
This budding district is particularly exciting to Maryann Ferenc, chairperson of Tampa Bay & Company (Hillsborough County’s tourism corporation).
“With great energy already in Tampa, I believe that the new [construction] here will provide that energy a perfect place to coalesce,” says Ferenc.
This district includes the already well-established David A. Straz Jr. Center for the Performing Arts, which was recently renamed after entertaining more than 10 million guests for over 20 years under the moniker: Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center.
About two-tenths of a mile south of the Straz are the soon to be completed Tampa Museum of Art and Glazer Children’s Museum. The structures sit side-by-side on the grounds of the six-acre Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park, which has recently received a $15 million facelift and is a featured stop on another new downtown attraction, the Tampa Riverwalk (a 2.2-mile walkway that touches seven parks and five museum campuses).
After a more thorough examination, we see that there will be at least 25 major downtown A&E events/venues to enjoy in 2010. This is a good sign that our urban core is recovering quickly from its past deficiencies; and a clear indicator that downtown is now experiencing symptoms of a serious Art Attack…one that’s just too good for you to bypass.
#1 - TAMPA MUSEUM OF ART
Opening Feb. 6, 2010 • Curtis Hixon Park
TMA’s sad, dated little building is no more and has made way for a new, 66,000 sq-ft, cutting-edge facility. The façade of the $32 million structure will double as a public art piece and be illuminated by tens of thousands of programmed LED lights. Inside the museum, eight 1,700 sq-ft galleries will don innovative translucent fabric ceilings and polished stone floors and surrounding a 60’ high atrium that points up to 16 skylights.
The museum’s inaugural exhibit will focus on Henri Matisse’s printmaking and will display 170 of his works (including paintings and sculptures)—thus making it Tampa Bay’s first-ever, large Matisse show.
#2 - GASPARILLA FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS
March 6-7, 2010 • Curtis Hixon Park
Celebrating its 40th year, this outdoor event is nationally recognized as one of country’s best art festivals. Approximately 300 artists (carefully selected from 1,000 applicants) will compete for a share of $75,000 in cash awards, while more than a quarter-million art lovers browse and buy the showcased paintings, drawings, sculptures, ceramics, photography, prints, jewelry and more.
#3 - DRAGON BOAT RACES
May 1, 2010 • Garrison Channel
Nearly 70, 20-person teams will paddle their long, narrow, dragon-festooned boats through downtown’s waterways in a frantic race to the finish line. An accompanying, daylong festival will also take place simultaneously at the nearby Cotanchobee Fort Brooke Park and Marriott Waterside.
#4 - GLAZER CHILDREN’S MUSEUM
Opening Fall 2010 • Curtis Hixon Park
Next door to TMA, the soon-to-open 53,000 sq-ft Children’s Museum—meticulously designed to provide a safe, stimulating and playful learning environment—will yield 175 “little hands”-on exhibits (in 12 themed areas), as well as five classrooms for workshops and family-friendly programs.
#5 - STAGEWORKS THEATRE
Opening Fall 2010 • 1208 E Kennedy Blvd
While the smallest of downtown’s arts construction projects, this theatre company has raised nearly $1 million to build itself an 8,000 sq-ft, 155-seat permanent home. It will be housed on the bottom floor of the Channel District’s Grand Central @ Kennedy Condominiums—a residential and retail development complex that has donated space for the project.
#6 - TAMPA BAY HISTORY CENTER
Opened 2009 • 801 Old Water Street
Nestled on the north bank of downtown’s Garrison Channel is found a 60,000 sq-ft, still-new, hub of history. Inside, visitors interact with exhibits and view maps, photos and film, as they travel 12,000 years into the past to meet the prominent people, places and events that shaped Tampa into the city it is today.
MORE DOWNTOWN A&E
Institutions
07 Henry B. Plant Museum
08 University of Tampa Scarfone/Hartley Gallery
09 David A. Straz Jr. Center for the Performing Arts
10 Jobsite Theatre
11 The Patel Conservatory
12 Opera Tampa
13 Florida Museum of Photographic Arts
14 Tampa Theatre
15 Tampa Firefighters Museum
16 City of Tampa Police Museum
17 TECO Public Art Gallery
18 Kotler Art Gallery at John Germany Library
19 American Institute of Architects Gallery
20 American Victory Mariners Memorial & Museum Ship
21 The Florida Aquarium
Events & Installations
22 City of Tampa Public Art – Lights on Tampa
23 Gasparilla International Film Festival
24 Clip Film Festival
25 Jewish Film Festival
Read original posting at www.uctampa.com.
Tuesday, February 02, 2010
UC Tampa - Feb 2010 Edition Part 1
In This Issue
-A SERIOUS ART ATTACK
-NEW RESTAURANTS ROLLING IN
-CELEBRATE THE BUNGALOW
-HALT! ARMORY BACK TO MARKET
-PRO BASKETBALL IN TAMPA
-NEWS & RUMORS ... and much more!
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Armory Goes To Market (Again)
WEST TAMPA/SOUTH TAMPA - Heritage Square LLC, which three years ago won the bid to develop West Tampa’s Fort Homer Hesterly Armory site into a mix-use residential and retail campus, has withdrawn from the project. Christine Duffy, associate director of corporate communications and PR for Intelident Solutions, the owner of Coast Dental Services Inc. (and primary backer of Heritage Square) refused to cite a reason.
Read More Here.
American Basketball Association announces Tampa Bay expansion
DOWNTOWN - The American Basketball Association (ABA) has announced it will add a team in Tampa Bay for the 2010-2011 season.
"This is the first of 10 ABA teams that will be owned and operated by SEP (Sports Equity Partners) in the Southeast,” stated Joe Newman, ABA’s CEO. "We are very happy to be returning to the Tampa area.”
Additional markets will be named shortly.
The yet to be named team is expected to begin play in November at a to-be-determined home court location. ABA officials have indicated their interest in building a future, permanent sports arena in Tampa Heights area (which is adjacent to downtown, on the north side of Interstate 275).
Read more here.
Survey guaging Enthusiam & Need for a Downtown Area Supermarket
DOWNTOWN & YBOR CITY - The Tampa Downtown Partnership (TDP) is conducting a survey to solicit input in support of a future grocery store to serve the people of downtown Tampa and Ybor City. Residents of – and employees in – these and their nearby neighborhoods are encouraged to complete the survey and ask their friends, neighbors and co-workers to do the same.
There are two separate surveys, one for employees in the aforementioned neighborhoods, and one for their residents. (Those people who work and reside in and near these areas are welcome to fill out both.)
Read More Here.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
We're Just Ribbon You
Centro Ybor is on its way to losing its day time, ghost town reputation. That's because within the last six months it has welcomed four new businesses into its facilties: Tribeca ColorSalon, Joffrey’s Coffee, Wear Me Out and Hamburger Mary’s Bar & Grill. Read details here.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
a FRESH look
FRESH look: The recently released film "FRESH" - a documentary about people working to provide healthy, nutrient-dense foods via sustainable practices - will be playing at Ella's Folk Art Café on Jan. 24, 2010. More info here.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Pizzaiolo Bavaro Documentary
UC Tampa Magazine just posted a new, exclusive, behind-the-scenes documentary on how the authentic Neapolitan dishes are crafted at downtown Tampa's much talked about Pizzaiolo Bavaro. Click here to see it!
Monday, December 14, 2009
Hamburger Mary’s Bar & Grille
Hamburger Mary’s (1600 E 8th Ave), a gay-friendly burger chain, is now open. Described as an “open-air bar and grille for open-minded people,” Mary’s is on the 2nd Floor of Centro Ybor in the former DISH location. 11am-11pm, M-Sun. Read more here.
Thursday, December 03, 2009
Independent Beer Hall's Grand Opening, Sat (12/5), 4pm-1am
FREE BEER/BBQ! All UC Tampa Magazine fans are cordially invited to enjoy a free beer and some BBQ at the Independent Beer Hall's (in Seminole Heights) official Grand Opening on Saturday (12/5/09), from 4pm-1am. Live music starts at 5pm! RAIN OR SHINE. See specifics here: http://bit.ly/IndieGO
Wednesday, December 02, 2009
UC Tampa Finalist for Downtown Tampa's Urban Excellence Awards
Double Time: (Urban Corridor) For the 2nd year in a row, UC Tampa Magazine has been selected as a finalist for downtown Tampa's "Urban Excellence" awards. Winners to be announced Dec 2 at the St Pete Times Forum and will be honored for: Leadership, Innovation, Hard Work, Talent & Community Spirit. Read more here.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
DID YOU KNOW?
UC Tampa Magazine serves South Tampa and five other major downtown centric areas within Tampa’s city limits. We’re also 100% locally owned and independently produced, unlike other magazines, such as South Tampa Magazine, which is produced by a joint venture that includes Virginia-based Media General (NYSE: MEG)*—the same corporate giant behind The Tampa Tribune.
So the next time you look to invest your hard-earned ad budget, we hope you’ll think “UC Tampa” first, knowing that as we promote your local business, your ad dollars aren’t headed to Virginia or the bank accounts of stockholders.
For rates and more information on how to advertise in UC Tampa, call (813) 389-8116 or email ads@UCTampa.com.
*South Tampa Magazine is produced by Rain Publishing Group—a joint venture between Media General and Fourthdoor Creative Group. UC Tampa Magazine proudly has no affiliation with either.
So the next time you look to invest your hard-earned ad budget, we hope you’ll think “UC Tampa” first, knowing that as we promote your local business, your ad dollars aren’t headed to Virginia or the bank accounts of stockholders.
For rates and more information on how to advertise in UC Tampa, call (813) 389-8116 or email ads@UCTampa.com.
*South Tampa Magazine is produced by Rain Publishing Group—a joint venture between Media General and Fourthdoor Creative Group. UC Tampa Magazine proudly has no affiliation with either.
Thursday, October 01, 2009
The Independent (10/01/09)
PHOTOS: (Seminole Heights) The opening of The Independent beer hall has been delayed slightly, but they are hoping to have a “soft” opening within the next 14 days. Its new exterior sign (which was put up today), plus the recent opening of Ella’s Folk Art Café, are undeniable symbols that Seminole Heights' FloNeHi retail & dining district is coming into its own. (For the record, FloNeHi = FLO-rida ave, NE-braska ave and HI-llsborough ave.) CLICK HERE FOR PICTURES.Saturday, September 26, 2009
UC Tampa Magazine Sept/Oct 2009
See complete version online at:www.UCTampa.com
WHAT'S HAUNTING YBOR?
The Ghostly Side of Ybor City ... Pg. 18
A HAND UP, NOT OUT
The Freecycle Network ... Pg. 06
A FAVORITE NEIGHBORHOOD HAUNT
Gaspar's Grotto Bar & Grill ... Pg. 24
NEWS&RUMORS
18 Bites of Neighborhood Gossip ... Pg. 12
FIT FOR PRINT: PART 2
The Goal ... Pg. 08
ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT
Our Fave 5ive ... Pg. 28
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Tuesday, July 14, 2009
UC Tampa Magazine July/Aug 2009
See complete version online atwww.UCTampa.com.
READY. SET. GO!
Kids In The Corridor
HEALTH&WELLNESS
Fit For Print
GREEN&EARTH
Helping Hands
FOOD&DRINK
West Tampa's Food History
ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT
The Fave 5ive
NEWS&RUMORS
What's Happening In Your Neighborhood?!
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Thursday, May 28, 2009
Kid(s) Photo Contest Ends May 31
Enter your child(ren)’s photo in UC Tampa’s (formerly New Heights) Kids Play Photo Contest by this Sunday, May 31, 2009, and you may win your family up to $450 in prizes!The child(ren) in the winning photo will also receive a professional photo shoot, courtesy of South Tampa’s award-winning Andi Diamond Photography. Plus, one picture from that shoot will be selected as UC Tampa’s Cover Photo for its July/Aug 2009 issue. Your child(ren) will be famous!
Prizes
1st Place:
* $350 Gift Certificate for a “The Little Gym” Birthday Party Package
* $100 Gift Certificate for Pipo’s – The Original Cuban Café
* Child(ren)’s Professional Photo Shoot
* Picture on UC Tampa’s Cover
2nd-5th Place:
* $100 Gift Certificate for Pipo’s – The Original Cuban Café
* Winning Picture printed inside UC Tampa’s July/Aug Issue
EMAIL YOUR CONTEST ENTRY TO: KidsPlay@UCTampa.com today!
Deadline for entries, May 31, 2009!
Winners will be notified by mid-June 2009.
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Did You Know? UC Tampa is preparing to launch multiple social networking initiatives in July! Sign up early and be the first to get our most up-to-date news, rumors and articles. Three great options are currently under construction:
1) www.UCTampa.com
2) Facebook
3) Twitter
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
UC TAMPA MAGAZINE May/June 2009 Edition
UC TAMPA MAGAZINE May/June 2009 Edition (formerly New Heights Magazine)
See complete version online at www.UCTampa.com.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
WIN UP TO $450 IN PRIZES!
Kids Play Cutest Photo Contest
Send us your cutest photo of your child(ren) and you could win up to $450 in prizes and see your child(ren) on the next cover of UC Tampa!
OPPORTUNITIES N.O.K.
The "North of Kennedy" Business Boom
GREEN&EARTH
Home Detox
FOOD&DRINK
Downtown's The Tampa Club
PEOPLE&PLACES
Working Out At The Gem
ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT
The Fave 5ive
NEWS&RUMORS
What's Happening In Your Neighborhood?!
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URBAN CORRIDOR (UC) = Downtown, Heights Areas, South Tampa, Ybor, The Islands, West Tampa & surrounding areas.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
More News & Rumors - Mar/Apr 2009
We will be adding more entries over the next few days. (So check back!) In the meantime, if you have news and/or rumors to report about your business or neighborhood, please email them to jay@uctampa.com.
[hp]
For Better and for Worse. Earlier this year, the city added several additional "No Parking" and "Residential Permit Parking Only" signs to the streets that surround the Hyde Park/SoHo business district. Enforcement of those signs began early March; which has pleased many who live in the area (and need a place to park), while upsetting some business owners who feel harder parking translates to fewer customers. Have a strong opinion about this? Share it with the decision-makers: Tampa City Council, (813) 274-8131
[wt]
Brew Bash. The NoHo Bistro and Whole Foods have partnered to host Beer Gatherings, 6-8:30pm, on the second Thursday of every month. Held at NoHo, attendees will learn about beer, its uses in cooking recipes, and how to pair it with meals. The price is $30 per person and includes plated food. Reservations required. The Bistro is also open for Easter Sunday Brunch, April 12, 10am-3pm, and for Mother’s Day Brunch, May 10, 10am-2pm. 1714 N. Armenia Ave., (813) 514-0691
[sh]
Sex-y in the City. Forever Beautiful Day Spa & Salon will host a free "Bubbles & Botox” party on April 16. The event will feature a champagne reception, free product samples and education on the do’s and do not’s of hairstyling. Botox will be available for $10 a unit. 5135 N. Florida Ave., (813) 231-3378
[sh]
More Bistro to Love: Bungalow Bistro has extended its Sunday hours (Brunch 10am-3pm and Dinner 3-9pm) and its Happy Hour, which is half-off glasses of wine and bottled beers (11am-7pm). It’s also launched a Monthly Wine Club, which meets the third Thursday of every month. 5135 N. Florida Ave., (813) 237-2000
Click here to go back to New Heights Magazine online.
[hp]
For Better and for Worse. Earlier this year, the city added several additional "No Parking" and "Residential Permit Parking Only" signs to the streets that surround the Hyde Park/SoHo business district. Enforcement of those signs began early March; which has pleased many who live in the area (and need a place to park), while upsetting some business owners who feel harder parking translates to fewer customers. Have a strong opinion about this? Share it with the decision-makers: Tampa City Council, (813) 274-8131
[wt]
Brew Bash. The NoHo Bistro and Whole Foods have partnered to host Beer Gatherings, 6-8:30pm, on the second Thursday of every month. Held at NoHo, attendees will learn about beer, its uses in cooking recipes, and how to pair it with meals. The price is $30 per person and includes plated food. Reservations required. The Bistro is also open for Easter Sunday Brunch, April 12, 10am-3pm, and for Mother’s Day Brunch, May 10, 10am-2pm. 1714 N. Armenia Ave., (813) 514-0691
[sh]
Sex-y in the City. Forever Beautiful Day Spa & Salon will host a free "Bubbles & Botox” party on April 16. The event will feature a champagne reception, free product samples and education on the do’s and do not’s of hairstyling. Botox will be available for $10 a unit. 5135 N. Florida Ave., (813) 231-3378
[sh]
More Bistro to Love: Bungalow Bistro has extended its Sunday hours (Brunch 10am-3pm and Dinner 3-9pm) and its Happy Hour, which is half-off glasses of wine and bottled beers (11am-7pm). It’s also launched a Monthly Wine Club, which meets the third Thursday of every month. 5135 N. Florida Ave., (813) 237-2000
Click here to go back to New Heights Magazine online.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
New Heights Magazine - Mar/Apr 2009 Edition
Just Released!
The March/April 2009 Edition of:
New Heights Magazine
Highlighting Tampa's Historic Urban Corridor
-----------------------------
*** Check Out The New Online Format ***
Kids at Play Cover Photo Contest
Health & Wellness: Biking for the Rest of Us
Home & Family: España en Tampa
Neighborhood Spotlight: Tampa Twilight Criterium & Festival
Heights Heighlights: Signs of the Times - Neon Tampa's Bright Ideas
Food & Drink: Long Live the Herbivores (Grass Root Organic Restaurant)
Green & Earth: Free Rain
Arts & Events: The Fave 5ive
News & Rumors: Hear it through the Grapevine.
*** Check Out The New Online Format ***
Kids at Play Cover Photo Contest
Health & Wellness: Biking for the Rest of Us
Home & Family: España en Tampa
Neighborhood Spotlight: Tampa Twilight Criterium & Festival
Heights Heighlights: Signs of the Times - Neon Tampa's Bright Ideas
Food & Drink: Long Live the Herbivores (Grass Root Organic Restaurant)
Green & Earth: Free Rain
Arts & Events: The Fave 5ive
News & Rumors: Hear it through the Grapevine.
Urban Corridor = Downtown, Heights Areas, South Tampa, Ybor, The Islands, West Tampa & surrounding areas.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Artwork Advertising Specs for UC Tampa
New Heights is a 8.25" x 5.25", full-color, high-gloss magazine. (FYI - New Heights is also available online at www.NewHeightsMag.com.) If you are designing an ad for the magazine, please send a high-resolution pdf or jpg that complies to the following specifications (all sizes are in inches):
Two Page Spread
w/bleed - 11 x 8.75
w/o bleed - 10.5 x 7.875
Back Page Ad Space
w/bleed - 5.75 x 6.25
Full Pg
w/bleed - 5.75 x 8.75
w/o bleed - 4.875 x 7.875
1/2 Pg Horizontal
w/bleed - 5.75 x 4.325
w/o bleed - 4.875 x 3.875
1/2 Pg Vertical
w/bleed - 2.875 x 8.75
w/o bleed - 2.375 x 7.875
1/3 Pg Horizontal (only)
w/o bleed - 4.875 x 2.55
1/4 Pg Horizontal
w/bleed - 5.75 x 2.325
w/o bleed - 4.875 x 1.875
1/4 Pg Vertical
w/bleed - 2.875 x 5.325
w/o bleed - 2.375 x 4.875
1/8 Pg Vertical (only)
w/o bleed - 2.375 x 1.875
Completed ads should be emailed to: ads@NewHeightsMag.com. If you have questions, please contact Jay McGee at (813) 389-8116.
Two Page Spread
w/bleed - 11 x 8.75
w/o bleed - 10.5 x 7.875
Back Page Ad Space
w/bleed - 5.75 x 6.25
Full Pg
w/bleed - 5.75 x 8.75
w/o bleed - 4.875 x 7.875
1/2 Pg Horizontal
w/bleed - 5.75 x 4.325
w/o bleed - 4.875 x 3.875
1/2 Pg Vertical
w/bleed - 2.875 x 8.75
w/o bleed - 2.375 x 7.875
1/3 Pg Horizontal (only)
w/o bleed - 4.875 x 2.55
1/4 Pg Horizontal
w/bleed - 5.75 x 2.325
w/o bleed - 4.875 x 1.875
1/4 Pg Vertical
w/bleed - 2.875 x 5.325
w/o bleed - 2.375 x 4.875
1/8 Pg Vertical (only)
w/o bleed - 2.375 x 1.875
Completed ads should be emailed to: ads@NewHeightsMag.com. If you have questions, please contact Jay McGee at (813) 389-8116.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
New Heights Magazine - Jan/Feb 2009 Edition
Just Released!The Jan/Feb 2009 Edition of:
New Heights Magazine
Highlighting Tampa's Historic Urban Corridor
-----------------------------
*** Check Out The New Online Format ***
Health & Wellness: Posed for Greatness
Home & Family: A Gothic Tampa Romance
Neighborhood Spotlight: Downtown Tampa
Heights Heighlights: A Taste of Tampa -and- Devilishly Delicious
Food & Drink: Cafe con Lech -and- Drowning with Flavor
Green & Earth: Revelations in Insulation
Arts & Events: Gasparilla Festival of Arts
News & Rumors: Hear it through the Grapevine.
Urban Corridor = Seminole Heights, Downtown, Hyde Park, Channel District, West Tampa, Riverside Heights, Ybor City, Ybor Heights, Davis Islands, Tampa Heights, The Heights, VM Ybor & surrounding areas.
Health & Wellness – Jan/Feb 2009
Posed for Greatness: East Comes North
By Raubi Perilli
For many years, yoga lovers from all corners of the Urban Corridor (UC) have made a regular trek to the west side of downtown’s Lotus Room or Yogani – perhaps Tampa’s most popular yoga studios – to practice their discipline in a class setting. The two locations are extremely popular, drawing upwards to 30 or more students for some sessions.
For those who live on the north side of downtown or prefer slightly smaller class sizes, there’s now a new option – Jai Dee Yoga and Wellness Studio. It’s located in a restored Seminole Heights bungalow, just north of the intersection of Florida and Hillsborough Avenues.
Inside the quaint studio, furniture is minimal, lights are low and shoes are banned. It’s a serene atmosphere that Jai-Dee’s owner. Gwen Hanner, says is “designed to allow for thoughtful mediation and relaxation.”
Gwen is a licensed mental health counselor and hypnotherapist who has been practicing in Seminole Heights (the neighborhood where she lives) since 1995. She’s also training at Tampa’s Prana Vinyasa to become a teacher of yoga, which she has practiced since her childhood (when she used to mimic poses she saw in her mom’s yoga pocketbook).
Gwen’s dedication to the eastern healing art grew stronger and more intimate during her college years. That’s when she began using yoga – which is recognized as a rehabilitation tool for obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure and other ailments – as a drug-free alternative to help her overcome crippling anxiety attacks that surfaced after the sudden passing of her father. With focused, regular sessions, her symptoms quickly subsided and within two years were no more.
It’s Gwen’s first-hand experience that continues to encourage her to embrace not only yoga’s mental philosophies, but its physical philosophies as well.
“While yoga helped me through an anxious, difficult point in my life, it’s been a wonderful, low-impact way for me to stay physically fit,” says Gwen.
The physical aspect of Yoga is achieved by positioning the body in asanas (i.e., postures), which are designed to strengthen, tone and align the body. Each posture promotes healthy blood flow by directing and pushing it to the tissues of organs and glands.
"I particularly like Halasana or the Plough pose," says Gwen. "It's a very calming pose and the thing I love most about it is how I can feel it warm up my kidneys with oxygen rich blood."
The mental portion of Yoga relies heavily on breathing techniques and meditation. It subsides thoughts, encourages clarity of the mind and evokes body awareness.
There are many types of yoga: Iyengar, Jivamukti, Bikram, Kundalini, Ashtanga Yoga and more. But while each comes with its own set of poses and benefits, they all end one way.
“Savasana, or corpse pose, is the finishing touch of the yoga practice,” explains Gwen. “It’s an important relaxing posture designed for rejuvenation.”
“Many people, including myself, have had Savasana bring about a deeply joyful or blissful meditative experience where the mind becomes empty and expands to a non-dualistic state of consciousness,” she continues. “There are no thoughts; only an experience full of mind-body joy.”
This is a state of mind some students take years to achieve. To be able to “let go” of your thoughts takes practice, but as Lao Tzo, the father of Taoism, stated, “the journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step."
Gwen believes that first step to clarity for many locals will be Jai Dee, as it’s the first yoga studio to open in its area. She’s also brought in the expertise of over 10 experienced yoga instructors to help it happen.
For first-timers, Bari Ruck’s “Introduction to Basic Yoga” class is likely the wisest choice. Bari takes her time to provide a simple (yet detailed) step-by-step overview of basic poses and postures, as well as the history of yoga’s multi-layered world. The 10-year vet does it with a calm demeanor that makes learning easy, comfortable and – most importantly – fun.
More than Yoga
From Buddhist Chanting to Tai Chi, Jai-Dee Yoga & Wellness Studio offers much more than yoga. To find out more about upcoming classes and workshops, or to read bios about Jai-Dee’s instructors, visit www.JaiDeeYoga.com.
Where It's At.
[sh] Jai Dee Yoga and Wellness Studio
5803 N. Florida Ave.
(813) 231-2311
www.jaideeyoga.com
Where Are Others?
[hp] Lotus Room Yoga Studio
1101 W. Kennedy Blvd.
(813) 254-6777
www.yogalotusroom.com
[hp] Yogani
1112 W. Platt St.
(813) 251-9668
www.yogani.com
Try Something New!
[sh] Living Harmony Healing Center
4203 N. Central Ave.
(813) 892-6909
www.myspace.com/livingharmony
[sh] Urban Fitness
4705 N. Florida Ave.
(813) 232-5952.
www.urbanfitnesstampa.com
Story Side Bar: The UC Explorer
Raubi Perilli graduated from the University of Tampa's Writing Department and has lived in the UC’s downtown, Davis Islands and Hyde Park areas. She recently joined the New Heights staff as an Explorer and will be touring the places in the UC that you’ve always wanted to try, but have yet to do so.
Watch for Raubi’s first-hand stories in upcoming issues and if you’d like her to visit an unusual or unknown type of business or event, please email your suggestions to editor@NewHeightsMag.com.
Read More at www.NewHeightsMag.com.
By Raubi Perilli
For many years, yoga lovers from all corners of the Urban Corridor (UC) have made a regular trek to the west side of downtown’s Lotus Room or Yogani – perhaps Tampa’s most popular yoga studios – to practice their discipline in a class setting. The two locations are extremely popular, drawing upwards to 30 or more students for some sessions.
For those who live on the north side of downtown or prefer slightly smaller class sizes, there’s now a new option – Jai Dee Yoga and Wellness Studio. It’s located in a restored Seminole Heights bungalow, just north of the intersection of Florida and Hillsborough Avenues.
Inside the quaint studio, furniture is minimal, lights are low and shoes are banned. It’s a serene atmosphere that Jai-Dee’s owner. Gwen Hanner, says is “designed to allow for thoughtful mediation and relaxation.”
Gwen is a licensed mental health counselor and hypnotherapist who has been practicing in Seminole Heights (the neighborhood where she lives) since 1995. She’s also training at Tampa’s Prana Vinyasa to become a teacher of yoga, which she has practiced since her childhood (when she used to mimic poses she saw in her mom’s yoga pocketbook).
Gwen’s dedication to the eastern healing art grew stronger and more intimate during her college years. That’s when she began using yoga – which is recognized as a rehabilitation tool for obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure and other ailments – as a drug-free alternative to help her overcome crippling anxiety attacks that surfaced after the sudden passing of her father. With focused, regular sessions, her symptoms quickly subsided and within two years were no more.
It’s Gwen’s first-hand experience that continues to encourage her to embrace not only yoga’s mental philosophies, but its physical philosophies as well.
“While yoga helped me through an anxious, difficult point in my life, it’s been a wonderful, low-impact way for me to stay physically fit,” says Gwen.
The physical aspect of Yoga is achieved by positioning the body in asanas (i.e., postures), which are designed to strengthen, tone and align the body. Each posture promotes healthy blood flow by directing and pushing it to the tissues of organs and glands.
"I particularly like Halasana or the Plough pose," says Gwen. "It's a very calming pose and the thing I love most about it is how I can feel it warm up my kidneys with oxygen rich blood."
The mental portion of Yoga relies heavily on breathing techniques and meditation. It subsides thoughts, encourages clarity of the mind and evokes body awareness.
There are many types of yoga: Iyengar, Jivamukti, Bikram, Kundalini, Ashtanga Yoga and more. But while each comes with its own set of poses and benefits, they all end one way.
“Savasana, or corpse pose, is the finishing touch of the yoga practice,” explains Gwen. “It’s an important relaxing posture designed for rejuvenation.”
“Many people, including myself, have had Savasana bring about a deeply joyful or blissful meditative experience where the mind becomes empty and expands to a non-dualistic state of consciousness,” she continues. “There are no thoughts; only an experience full of mind-body joy.”
This is a state of mind some students take years to achieve. To be able to “let go” of your thoughts takes practice, but as Lao Tzo, the father of Taoism, stated, “the journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step."
Gwen believes that first step to clarity for many locals will be Jai Dee, as it’s the first yoga studio to open in its area. She’s also brought in the expertise of over 10 experienced yoga instructors to help it happen.
For first-timers, Bari Ruck’s “Introduction to Basic Yoga” class is likely the wisest choice. Bari takes her time to provide a simple (yet detailed) step-by-step overview of basic poses and postures, as well as the history of yoga’s multi-layered world. The 10-year vet does it with a calm demeanor that makes learning easy, comfortable and – most importantly – fun.
More than Yoga
From Buddhist Chanting to Tai Chi, Jai-Dee Yoga & Wellness Studio offers much more than yoga. To find out more about upcoming classes and workshops, or to read bios about Jai-Dee’s instructors, visit www.JaiDeeYoga.com.
Where It's At.
[sh] Jai Dee Yoga and Wellness Studio
5803 N. Florida Ave.
(813) 231-2311
www.jaideeyoga.com
Where Are Others?
[hp] Lotus Room Yoga Studio
1101 W. Kennedy Blvd.
(813) 254-6777
www.yogalotusroom.com
[hp] Yogani
1112 W. Platt St.
(813) 251-9668
www.yogani.com
Try Something New!
[sh] Living Harmony Healing Center
4203 N. Central Ave.
(813) 892-6909
www.myspace.com/livingharmony
[sh] Urban Fitness
4705 N. Florida Ave.
(813) 232-5952.
www.urbanfitnesstampa.com
Story Side Bar: The UC Explorer
Raubi Perilli graduated from the University of Tampa's Writing Department and has lived in the UC’s downtown, Davis Islands and Hyde Park areas. She recently joined the New Heights staff as an Explorer and will be touring the places in the UC that you’ve always wanted to try, but have yet to do so.
Watch for Raubi’s first-hand stories in upcoming issues and if you’d like her to visit an unusual or unknown type of business or event, please email your suggestions to editor@NewHeightsMag.com.
Read More at www.NewHeightsMag.com.
Home & History – Jan/Feb 2009
A Gothic Tampa Romance
By Maureen J. Patrick
As Valentine’s Day approaches, New Heights sought to offer its readers Tampa’s most famous tale of love in the Urban Corridor. To narrate the piece, we once again reached out to the President of the Tampa Historical Society, Maureen J. Patrick. Without further ado, we introduce you to love story that has transcended racial bigotry and the grave: the saga of William and Nancy Ashley.
During the 1870s, Tampa fit right into the grim landscape called “the Florida frontier.” By the last third of the nineteenth century it had survived – barely – four yellow fever epidemics, all three Seminole Wars, two storms (that virtually wiped the settlement off the map) and the complete dismantling of its civic infrastructure by Reconstruction. It had taken three tries to incorporate a town government and make it stick. The municipal treasury was so small a group of locals reached into their own pockets to furnish the Town Hall. (Purchased were a small table, six chairs, an inkstand, two candlesticks, some record books, and a sandbox for the tobacco spitters.)
Tampa had no rail service, no paved roads and no buildings over three stories in height. The only way to cross the Hillsborough River was either a single-plank footbridge or a ferry, so the town clung to the east bank. Sand was ankle deep everywhere and almost none of the buildings were painted.
It was the least likely place for a classic romance to bloom, but one did. It had all the traditional elements, too: a man of power and prestige, a woman far beneath him on the social ladder, a loyal friend, a lingering deathbed scene and a relic of lost love. Let me start from the beginning. Once upon a time …
… there was man of power and prestige: William Ashley. Ashley was one of Tampa’s most illustrious pioneer citizens. The Virginian had come to Tampa in 1837, at age 42, and began clerking for the Army trading post at Fort Brooke. Ashley, a go-getter, became prominent enough that by 1847 a street was named after him. (Yes, he’s that Ashley.)
Elected Clerk of the City in 1856, Ashley participated in many of the town’s important civic and social affairs. His first house along the River was blown away in the Hurricane of 1848, but Ashley rebuilt what was, for the time and place, a grand home.
Like other power brokers in early Tampa, William Ashley was wealthy and white. And like many others from that era and social class, William Ashley was a slave owner.
Ashley’s only slave (that we know of) was Nancy. In the fashion of slaves elsewhere, she took her owner’s surname, and was generally – and legally – known as Nancy Ashley. In most cases, the practice denoted ownership and little more, but in the case of William and Nancy Ashley, the story was far more complex than the legal records display.
For Nancy, it was a story that began and ended with her owner. That was common for slaves. Once removed from Africa, they and their descendants often became anonymous features in the New World landscape. They labored on the plantations, in the cities, on the farms, bridges and railways that gave the American dream physical form, but their names and histories were more often than not buried – along with their used, broken bodies – in the land they built.
Even so, not every slave owner was viewed as a demon in the era. Master-slave relationships were frequently complicated and unconventional – none more so than the relationship of William and Nancy.
In slave inventories before and during the Civil War, Nancy is listed in Ashley’s household as a slave. After Emancipation, Nancy’s location remained the same, but census lists record her occupation as “cook.”
William never married. After a long illness, he died. There is some debate about his death date, but reliable data places it at 1871. He was interred at downtown’s Oaklawn Cemetery (Morgan and Harrison Streets.) Nancy died a year after William. In death, she was probably – to most locals – no more than she had been in life: a woman of no importance. The Ashley deaths, like their unconventional domestic arrangement, caused no public stir in what was then a growing, busy and increasingly unromantic Tampa.
Enter the loyal friend. Throughout his time in Tampa, William Ashley’s best friend was John Jackson. Jackson, an Irish immigrant, had been assistant city engineer of New Orleans before coming to Tampa in 1843.
As successful as Ashley in his new environs, Jackson made the city’s first formal survey and plat, had a street named after him (yes, he’s that Jackson), and – like Ashley – lost his first house in the Hurricane of 1848. Jackson later served under the Deputy General of the U.S., John Westcott, in surveying much of Central Florida, which was then mostly wilderness populated by mosquitoes, snakes and militant Seminole Indians.
John Jackson – Dublin native, industrious pioneer, daring surveyor, wealthy Tampan – was also William Ashley’s executor. And as unusual as the request was for the era, upon Nancy’s death and in accordance to his friend’s instructions, Jackson opened the Ashley grave at Oaklawn Cemetery and placed Nancy’s body within.
We must reconstruct the scene in imagination, since no written record of the event survives. Was it done surreptitiously; sadly, in the half-light of dusk? Or done boldly, in sunshine and vindication? Whatever the tone of the action, it was done.
The end? Not quite. There was no point then – just as there is no point now – in rehashing the tortured political issues surrounding William and Nancy’s life and love. The law said that for some number of years William owned Nancy, that she was his property, as much and as little as a horse or a gun or a chair. But when you stand at Oaklawn and read the couple’s epitaph, you may say, as they did, that love owns the heart.
Here lies
Wm. Ashley and Nancy Ashley
Master and Servant
Faithful to each other in that relation
In life in death they are not separated
Stranger consider and be wiser
in the Grave all human distinction
of race or caste mingle together
in one common dust.
To commemorate their fidelity in each other
This stone is erected by their Executor
John Jackson
1873
Find Out More History!
[uc] Tampa Historical Society
www.tampahistoricalsociety.org
[uc] Historic Guides
www.historicguides.com
[uc] Tampa Bay History Center
www.tampabayhistorycenter.org
[wt] West Tampa History (1892 -1925)
www.socialtampa.com/westtampa
[yb] Ybor City Museum
www.ybormuseum.org
Read More at www.NewHeightsMag.com.
By Maureen J. Patrick
As Valentine’s Day approaches, New Heights sought to offer its readers Tampa’s most famous tale of love in the Urban Corridor. To narrate the piece, we once again reached out to the President of the Tampa Historical Society, Maureen J. Patrick. Without further ado, we introduce you to love story that has transcended racial bigotry and the grave: the saga of William and Nancy Ashley.
During the 1870s, Tampa fit right into the grim landscape called “the Florida frontier.” By the last third of the nineteenth century it had survived – barely – four yellow fever epidemics, all three Seminole Wars, two storms (that virtually wiped the settlement off the map) and the complete dismantling of its civic infrastructure by Reconstruction. It had taken three tries to incorporate a town government and make it stick. The municipal treasury was so small a group of locals reached into their own pockets to furnish the Town Hall. (Purchased were a small table, six chairs, an inkstand, two candlesticks, some record books, and a sandbox for the tobacco spitters.)
Tampa had no rail service, no paved roads and no buildings over three stories in height. The only way to cross the Hillsborough River was either a single-plank footbridge or a ferry, so the town clung to the east bank. Sand was ankle deep everywhere and almost none of the buildings were painted.
It was the least likely place for a classic romance to bloom, but one did. It had all the traditional elements, too: a man of power and prestige, a woman far beneath him on the social ladder, a loyal friend, a lingering deathbed scene and a relic of lost love. Let me start from the beginning. Once upon a time …
… there was man of power and prestige: William Ashley. Ashley was one of Tampa’s most illustrious pioneer citizens. The Virginian had come to Tampa in 1837, at age 42, and began clerking for the Army trading post at Fort Brooke. Ashley, a go-getter, became prominent enough that by 1847 a street was named after him. (Yes, he’s that Ashley.)
Elected Clerk of the City in 1856, Ashley participated in many of the town’s important civic and social affairs. His first house along the River was blown away in the Hurricane of 1848, but Ashley rebuilt what was, for the time and place, a grand home.
Like other power brokers in early Tampa, William Ashley was wealthy and white. And like many others from that era and social class, William Ashley was a slave owner.
Ashley’s only slave (that we know of) was Nancy. In the fashion of slaves elsewhere, she took her owner’s surname, and was generally – and legally – known as Nancy Ashley. In most cases, the practice denoted ownership and little more, but in the case of William and Nancy Ashley, the story was far more complex than the legal records display.
For Nancy, it was a story that began and ended with her owner. That was common for slaves. Once removed from Africa, they and their descendants often became anonymous features in the New World landscape. They labored on the plantations, in the cities, on the farms, bridges and railways that gave the American dream physical form, but their names and histories were more often than not buried – along with their used, broken bodies – in the land they built.
Even so, not every slave owner was viewed as a demon in the era. Master-slave relationships were frequently complicated and unconventional – none more so than the relationship of William and Nancy.
In slave inventories before and during the Civil War, Nancy is listed in Ashley’s household as a slave. After Emancipation, Nancy’s location remained the same, but census lists record her occupation as “cook.”
William never married. After a long illness, he died. There is some debate about his death date, but reliable data places it at 1871. He was interred at downtown’s Oaklawn Cemetery (Morgan and Harrison Streets.) Nancy died a year after William. In death, she was probably – to most locals – no more than she had been in life: a woman of no importance. The Ashley deaths, like their unconventional domestic arrangement, caused no public stir in what was then a growing, busy and increasingly unromantic Tampa.
Enter the loyal friend. Throughout his time in Tampa, William Ashley’s best friend was John Jackson. Jackson, an Irish immigrant, had been assistant city engineer of New Orleans before coming to Tampa in 1843.
As successful as Ashley in his new environs, Jackson made the city’s first formal survey and plat, had a street named after him (yes, he’s that Jackson), and – like Ashley – lost his first house in the Hurricane of 1848. Jackson later served under the Deputy General of the U.S., John Westcott, in surveying much of Central Florida, which was then mostly wilderness populated by mosquitoes, snakes and militant Seminole Indians.
John Jackson – Dublin native, industrious pioneer, daring surveyor, wealthy Tampan – was also William Ashley’s executor. And as unusual as the request was for the era, upon Nancy’s death and in accordance to his friend’s instructions, Jackson opened the Ashley grave at Oaklawn Cemetery and placed Nancy’s body within.
We must reconstruct the scene in imagination, since no written record of the event survives. Was it done surreptitiously; sadly, in the half-light of dusk? Or done boldly, in sunshine and vindication? Whatever the tone of the action, it was done.
The end? Not quite. There was no point then – just as there is no point now – in rehashing the tortured political issues surrounding William and Nancy’s life and love. The law said that for some number of years William owned Nancy, that she was his property, as much and as little as a horse or a gun or a chair. But when you stand at Oaklawn and read the couple’s epitaph, you may say, as they did, that love owns the heart.
Here lies
Wm. Ashley and Nancy Ashley
Master and Servant
Faithful to each other in that relation
In life in death they are not separated
Stranger consider and be wiser
in the Grave all human distinction
of race or caste mingle together
in one common dust.
To commemorate their fidelity in each other
This stone is erected by their Executor
John Jackson
1873
Find Out More History!
[uc] Tampa Historical Society
www.tampahistoricalsociety.org
[uc] Historic Guides
www.historicguides.com
[uc] Tampa Bay History Center
www.tampabayhistorycenter.org
[wt] West Tampa History (1892 -1925)
www.socialtampa.com/westtampa
[yb] Ybor City Museum
www.ybormuseum.org
Read More at www.NewHeightsMag.com.
Neighborhood Spotlight – Jan/Feb 2009
Downtown Tampa: Busy Winter Ahead!
For residents and visitors of Tampa’s Urban Corridor (UC), this winter is an excellent time to be downtown. From unique retailers to mainstream sports, from arts and concerts to stage shows, from motorcycle ice racing to parades, you can enjoy as many wonderful experiences as you can handle.
The fact that two of the city’s biggest 2009 events – the Super Bowl and Gasparilla – will be happening within the same week is only amplifying the excitement!
Even though the Feb. 1 NFL championship game at Raymond James Stadium is just to the west of the Urban Corridor, the UC is Super Bowl Headquarters for the NFL and the national media (with downtown being of particular note).
You can find all the Tampa Bay Super Bowl Host Committee’s official event listings at www.TampaBaySuperBowl.com, but the following are our top selections for downtown winter fun:
At “Lights on Tampa” (www.lightsontampa.org), which is running until Feb. 2, artists have set up large-scale light installations for free night viewing at five sites in south downtown. “Lights” kicked off with a public shindig Jan. 10 and will shine every night of the event until 12 a.m.
“NFL History from Getty Images,” a 30-photo collection of iconic NFL images, is being held Jan. 22-Feb. 28 at the Florida Museum of Photographic Arts, 200 N. Tampa St., Ste. 130 (www.fmopa.org; $4). On Wednesday, Jan. 28, 8:15 p.m., FMOPA is also hosting a four-course dinner ($84, 813-229-6028) at The Tampa Club, 101 E. Kennedy Blvd., Ste. 4100. Mario Prosperino, Getty sports league manager, will speak and several random attendees will receive photos at show’s end.
The busiest performance venue south of Washington DC is the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center, 1010 N. MacInnes Pl. The Broadway plays, concerts, local productions and other events it brings to the city draw more than half a million patrons annually. Check out the center’s schedule at www.tbpac.org.
On Thursday, Jan. 29 at 6 p.m., the “Legends for Charity” dinner (www.legendsforcharity.com; $150) will honor ESPN broadcaster Chris Berman at the Westin Tampa Harbour Island, 725 S. Harbour Island Blvd. “Boomer” Berman will receive the Pat Summerall Award during the dinner, which will be emceed by Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic of ESPN’s “Mike and Mike in the Morning.”
Downtown’s new pride and joy is its $40 million Riverwalk (on the east bank of the Hillsborough River). It’s about one-third complete, with an additional 15 percent under construction. The colorful ribbon of walkway links several parks and provides amazing views of Tampa’s riverscape. The Friends of the Riverwalk (www.friendsoftheriverwalk.com) offers free walking tours on most Saturdays.
Another “signature” for the city opened in late 2008: the Tampa Downtown Market (www.tampadowntownmarket.com). It’s held in Lykes Gaslight Square Park, at Kennedy Boulevard and Tampa Street. Open Fridays through May, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., its more than 30 vendors have reported strong sales of produce, pasta, honey, breads and other foods; as well as jewelry, soaps, perfumes, crafts and more. With tempting aromas and sweet music wafting through the downtown air, the Market is a pleasure for all the senses.
On Tuesday, Jan. 27, 7:30 p.m., the Tampa Bay Lightning take on the Montreal Canadians in just one of dozens of 2009 NHL hockey games the Lightning play before April 9 at the St. Pete Times Forum (www.stpetetimesforum.com, $15-$225), 401 Channelside Dr.
The Forum will also be hosting a series of other events, including Professional Bull Riding featuring the world’s top 45 bull riders (www.prbnow.com, $11.75-$101.75) Friday, Feb. 2, 8 p.m.; Xtreme International Ice Racing and its wild racers who circle a frozen indoor track while riding motorcycles, 5 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 8 ($12-$20); and the Harlem Globetrotters 2009 World Tour, (www.harlemglobtrotters.com, $20-$96), Feb. 27, 7 p.m.
The Gasparilla Invasion (www.gasparillapiratefest.com) has been a Tampa tradition since 1904. On Saturday, Feb. 7, the ship and rebellious crew of fictional pirate, Jose Gasparilla, will “capture” Tampa at midday, easing north through Hillsborough Bay to eventually dock at the Tampa Convention Center. It’s a sight to see, as it’s escorted by a flotilla of thousands of rowdy sailors aboard private boats.
Next comes the 2 p.m. “Parade of the Pirates,” as 130-plus units – floats and marching bands, plus Shriners on minibikes, politicians in convertibles, pirates on foot and more – amble three miles down Bayshore Boulevard and on into downtown. Hundreds of thousands of folks attend and grab beads and trinkets flung from floats by ugly pirates and their beautiful women.
On the night of Feb. 7, the Pirate Fest Street Festival takes place in south downtown Tampa, with several stages, an entertainment midway, and tens of thousands of revelers. The fest continues late into the night.
Gasparilla is more than a parade. It involves many other activities, including the Gasparilla Extravaganza; the official kickoff that’s held on Saturday, Jan. 24, noon-7:30pm on Bayshore Boulevard (www.gasparillaextravaganza.com, free). This booze-free family event includes the Children’s Gasparilla Parade and the “Piratechnic” Extravaganza (a massive fireworks show).
Also, the Ybor City Naval Invasion is at noon, Sunday, Jan. 25, behind the Florida Aquarium, 705 Channelside Dr., at the S.S. American Victory Mariners Memorial & Museum Ship (free). The faux battle pits the Ybor City Navy versus Jose Gaspar’s invading pirates. Beware the loaves of hurled Cuban bread!
If music acts are more your thing, the St. Pete Times Forum has three very big names coming. On Jan. 28, Celine Dion’s “Taking Chances” tour ($46.75-$152.75) comes to town; on Jan. 29, The Eagles “Long Road Out of Eden” tour ($47/75-$187.75) stops by; and Billy Joel & Elton John go “Face 2 Face” on March 5 ($54.25-$179.75).
And last but not least, one of the country’s premier outdoor art events – the free Raymond James Gasparilla Festival of the Arts (www.gasparilla-arts.com) – will be held Sat-Sun, March 6-7. Read more about it in New Heights’ Arts & Events section (pg. 32).
Story provided by the Tampa Downtown Partnership.
Read More at www.NewHeightsMag.com.
For residents and visitors of Tampa’s Urban Corridor (UC), this winter is an excellent time to be downtown. From unique retailers to mainstream sports, from arts and concerts to stage shows, from motorcycle ice racing to parades, you can enjoy as many wonderful experiences as you can handle.
The fact that two of the city’s biggest 2009 events – the Super Bowl and Gasparilla – will be happening within the same week is only amplifying the excitement!
Even though the Feb. 1 NFL championship game at Raymond James Stadium is just to the west of the Urban Corridor, the UC is Super Bowl Headquarters for the NFL and the national media (with downtown being of particular note).
You can find all the Tampa Bay Super Bowl Host Committee’s official event listings at www.TampaBaySuperBowl.com, but the following are our top selections for downtown winter fun:
At “Lights on Tampa” (www.lightsontampa.org), which is running until Feb. 2, artists have set up large-scale light installations for free night viewing at five sites in south downtown. “Lights” kicked off with a public shindig Jan. 10 and will shine every night of the event until 12 a.m.
“NFL History from Getty Images,” a 30-photo collection of iconic NFL images, is being held Jan. 22-Feb. 28 at the Florida Museum of Photographic Arts, 200 N. Tampa St., Ste. 130 (www.fmopa.org; $4). On Wednesday, Jan. 28, 8:15 p.m., FMOPA is also hosting a four-course dinner ($84, 813-229-6028) at The Tampa Club, 101 E. Kennedy Blvd., Ste. 4100. Mario Prosperino, Getty sports league manager, will speak and several random attendees will receive photos at show’s end.
The busiest performance venue south of Washington DC is the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center, 1010 N. MacInnes Pl. The Broadway plays, concerts, local productions and other events it brings to the city draw more than half a million patrons annually. Check out the center’s schedule at www.tbpac.org.
On Thursday, Jan. 29 at 6 p.m., the “Legends for Charity” dinner (www.legendsforcharity.com; $150) will honor ESPN broadcaster Chris Berman at the Westin Tampa Harbour Island, 725 S. Harbour Island Blvd. “Boomer” Berman will receive the Pat Summerall Award during the dinner, which will be emceed by Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic of ESPN’s “Mike and Mike in the Morning.”
Downtown’s new pride and joy is its $40 million Riverwalk (on the east bank of the Hillsborough River). It’s about one-third complete, with an additional 15 percent under construction. The colorful ribbon of walkway links several parks and provides amazing views of Tampa’s riverscape. The Friends of the Riverwalk (www.friendsoftheriverwalk.com) offers free walking tours on most Saturdays.
Another “signature” for the city opened in late 2008: the Tampa Downtown Market (www.tampadowntownmarket.com). It’s held in Lykes Gaslight Square Park, at Kennedy Boulevard and Tampa Street. Open Fridays through May, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., its more than 30 vendors have reported strong sales of produce, pasta, honey, breads and other foods; as well as jewelry, soaps, perfumes, crafts and more. With tempting aromas and sweet music wafting through the downtown air, the Market is a pleasure for all the senses.
On Tuesday, Jan. 27, 7:30 p.m., the Tampa Bay Lightning take on the Montreal Canadians in just one of dozens of 2009 NHL hockey games the Lightning play before April 9 at the St. Pete Times Forum (www.stpetetimesforum.com, $15-$225), 401 Channelside Dr.
The Forum will also be hosting a series of other events, including Professional Bull Riding featuring the world’s top 45 bull riders (www.prbnow.com, $11.75-$101.75) Friday, Feb. 2, 8 p.m.; Xtreme International Ice Racing and its wild racers who circle a frozen indoor track while riding motorcycles, 5 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 8 ($12-$20); and the Harlem Globetrotters 2009 World Tour, (www.harlemglobtrotters.com, $20-$96), Feb. 27, 7 p.m.
The Gasparilla Invasion (www.gasparillapiratefest.com) has been a Tampa tradition since 1904. On Saturday, Feb. 7, the ship and rebellious crew of fictional pirate, Jose Gasparilla, will “capture” Tampa at midday, easing north through Hillsborough Bay to eventually dock at the Tampa Convention Center. It’s a sight to see, as it’s escorted by a flotilla of thousands of rowdy sailors aboard private boats.
Next comes the 2 p.m. “Parade of the Pirates,” as 130-plus units – floats and marching bands, plus Shriners on minibikes, politicians in convertibles, pirates on foot and more – amble three miles down Bayshore Boulevard and on into downtown. Hundreds of thousands of folks attend and grab beads and trinkets flung from floats by ugly pirates and their beautiful women.
On the night of Feb. 7, the Pirate Fest Street Festival takes place in south downtown Tampa, with several stages, an entertainment midway, and tens of thousands of revelers. The fest continues late into the night.
Gasparilla is more than a parade. It involves many other activities, including the Gasparilla Extravaganza; the official kickoff that’s held on Saturday, Jan. 24, noon-7:30pm on Bayshore Boulevard (www.gasparillaextravaganza.com, free). This booze-free family event includes the Children’s Gasparilla Parade and the “Piratechnic” Extravaganza (a massive fireworks show).
Also, the Ybor City Naval Invasion is at noon, Sunday, Jan. 25, behind the Florida Aquarium, 705 Channelside Dr., at the S.S. American Victory Mariners Memorial & Museum Ship (free). The faux battle pits the Ybor City Navy versus Jose Gaspar’s invading pirates. Beware the loaves of hurled Cuban bread!
If music acts are more your thing, the St. Pete Times Forum has three very big names coming. On Jan. 28, Celine Dion’s “Taking Chances” tour ($46.75-$152.75) comes to town; on Jan. 29, The Eagles “Long Road Out of Eden” tour ($47/75-$187.75) stops by; and Billy Joel & Elton John go “Face 2 Face” on March 5 ($54.25-$179.75).
And last but not least, one of the country’s premier outdoor art events – the free Raymond James Gasparilla Festival of the Arts (www.gasparilla-arts.com) – will be held Sat-Sun, March 6-7. Read more about it in New Heights’ Arts & Events section (pg. 32).
Story provided by the Tampa Downtown Partnership.
Read More at www.NewHeightsMag.com.
Heights Heighlights - Jan/Feb 2009
A Taste of History: The Tampa Cuban Sandwich
It’s not just the city’s fine, hand-rolled cigars that put us on the map; there’s another handcrafted indulgence that is original Tampa – the Cuban Sandwich. By peeling back its many layers, you discover the ingredients for the spirit of the Urban Corridor (UC): rich traditions, proud families and a shared heritage. When pressed together, the combination forms a strong community with a bright future and prideful past. New Heights now introduces you to two families of artisans who (for generations) have been making history … one Cuban Sandwich at a time.
Cuba’s version of the Cuban Sandwich, by contemporary definition, evolved from “mixto” sandwiches that Cuban workers carried with them to work during the early 1900s. The mixtos were simple: basic cold cuts between two slices of bread. The concoction quickly arrived in Ybor City as Cubans migrated to Tampa for jobs and other opportunities that were created by its booming cigar industry. Once here, they mingled and shared ideas with migrants from Spain and Italy and a lunchtime Tampa original was created.
Cuban bread is to this day the foundation of any real Cuban Sandwich. Its origins are humble and stem from the late 1800s, when Cuba was fighting for its independence from Spain. With times tough – and Cuban families hungry – the country’s bakers started spreading their dough thin to create long loaves of bread that could be rationed into small slices. Though today’s bread loaves found in Cuba are more full and round, Tampa’s version is made in the same manner as it was during the sparing days of Cuba’s revolution.
On the meatier side, the roast pork on the Tampa sandwich is also of Cuban influence. Spaniards added glazed honey ham, while salami was the Italians’ contribution. It’s up for debate how the perfect double handful is finished, but the most common acceptable complements are Swiss cheese, pickles and mustard. There’s even a proper layering order between the bread bed (from bottom to top): ham, pork, salami, cheese, pickles and mustard (which is spread only on the sandwich’s top slice).
If you don’t know what’s in your perfect, authentic Cuban Sandwich, there are plenty of restaurants in the Urban Corridor to begin your search. However, many locals claim that two partnering Tampa families have found it for you. One is the Faedo’s, who serve up traditionally-made, old country loaves of Cuban bread from their Mauricio Faedo’s Bakery; the other is the Hernandez’s, who – at their Pipo’s “The Original Cuban Café” locations – top the bread with slow-roasted pork the rest of the puzzle’s eatable pieces.
It’s What’s Inside
As he dishes out steaming-hot roast pork (which had undergone 48 hours of marinating and 12 of slow heat), Danny Hernandez sings out customers’ first names across the countertop of the South MacDill Avenue Pipo’s. He follows up with questions far more sincere than the typical “how are you today?”
“How’s Donna doing, Dr. Greco,” Danny sincerely inquires. “And how about James?”
The room he stands in is full and alive with lunchtime conversation and laughter; no one bothers to be too quiet. Patrons step away from the café’s counter with heaping plates of Cuban goodness – roast pork, black beans, Spanish rice and platanos – to find their seat in the family dining room where friendly neighbors and strangers are breaking bread together.
Danny’s parents, Ramon Sr. and Sinarah, moved to the states from Cuba in the mid-1960s. Working with a friend from Cuba, they opened El Dragon de Oro in West Tampa (Armenia Avenue) – a Chinese Cuban restaurant. After selling their interests in El Dragon (1975), Ramon and Sinarah made history by opening their first Pipo’s (1979) on Town-n-Country on Hillsborough Avenue. (At home, Ramon was affectionately known as “Pipo,” an endearing nickname for “father.”) In what was the first Cuban café, the loving couple served up old family recipes and rich espresso.
Danny remembers working at that location with his family as a child; just as well as he remembers two sets of stern words from his father, Big Pipo: “Go to school,” and “Get out of the kitchen.”
Danny did just that. He served in the navy and finished school at the University of South Florida. But upon graduation, he went right back into the kitchen after buying his first store (in Countryside Mall) and converting it into a Pipo’s.
“It’s in my blood,” Danny says. “To represent my father’s name every day, while giving people a great taste of Tampa.”
At age 37, Danny has opened eight Pipo’s restaurants across central Florida and owns three of them today. Each location is distinct in character and staffed by it owner’s family members – a time-tested formula for success, as validated by loyal customers who’ve been coming back to Pipo’s since it opened its doors for business.
“People gravitate toward what they know and what makes them feel good,” Danny says. “Especially during down, economic times like these.”
“That’s why we do everything the same way we have for the past three decades,” Danny continues. “Mom and Dad are still in charge of quality control. We’re not here to mass-produce. We’re cherishing age old traditions done in my family’s name – and I refuse to cheapen either.”
Danny, with a devotion that’s intrinsic to West Tampa’s cultural fabric, has used the same vendors for many years to supply Pipo’s its recipes’ staples. He’s done so because he not only trusts the products, but he trusts the people who stand behind them. He’s friends with the son in the family who provides his stores’ rice and beans. And Danny attributes the sweet-smoothness of Pipo’s Café con Leche to the espresso blend they order from Naviera Coffee – an authentic Cuban product roasted on Ybor City’s famous 7th Avenue.
One of his most fierce product loyalties is Mauricio Faedo’s Bakery and its legendary bread. The Hernandez and Faedo families have a long history of friendship, partnership and respect for each other’s expertise. So it’s no twist of fate that the string of buildings where the West Tampa Pipo’s (Armenia Avenue) resides was once a bakery and home of the Faedos (until 2005). Danny can still remember meeting the Faedo’s back when he used to play on the streets of West Tampa as a child. (Back then, the Hernandez’s were still running El Dragon de Oro, which was just two blocks away.)
Still at the heart of that location’s kitchen can be found a gigantic, 1950s-era stainless steel oven – the very one that the bakery’s namesake, Mauricio, began his legacy. It’s the metallic mother and grandmother of more than a million bread loaves Faedo’s bakers have handmade over the years.
The non-coincidence is an example of the overlapping Tampa history that continues to inspire Danny to preserve his family’s little piece; and is what motivates him to give back to his hometown.
“It’s one of the greatest things we aspire to do here,” he says of Pipo’s. “Allow people to enjoy their meal at their leisure, and get a taste of the city’s original food and history at the same time.”
A Living Tradition
Driving into its parking lot, a crew of men who are busy at work can be seen just behind a “Hot Bread Now” sign that hangs in one of several oversized windows. The neon sign glows bright red; a clear signal to those in-the-know that warm-from-the-oven, Mauricio’s loaves are ready and waiting.
Stepping inside the 5600 sq.-ft. bakery, one is overwhelmed by an intoxicating scent of fresh baked bread; which is being gently stirred by large, overhead fans. The aroma is satisfying and comfortable.
The crew members all stand behind long tables; baking craftsmen lined up and hand-flopping, folding and rolling doughy globs into thin, long cylinders. The scene is reminiscent of what it must have been like in the cigar factories of Ybor City’s past. And like a great Ybor cigar, Faedo’s Cuban bread is pure, true Tampa.
Michelle Faedo – a Tampa native and daughter of Mauricio – remembers working in her father’s bakery when she was just nine-years-old. Michelle still works there; as do her parents, uncle, brother and sister. The business is a family affair that celebrates her dad’s Spanish roots and her mom’s Cuban lineage. And Mauricio continues to reinforce the message that the path to life’s success is paved with honesty and hard work.
“It’s a work ethic that’s proven itself from the beginning,” Michelle says. “It’s what kept my dad focused running trials on recipes until he found a delicious combination of ingredients that just can’t be beat by supermarket breads,” Michelle says. “We don’t use animal lard and we don’t use preservatives.”
The work ethic/recipe combination is likely why Faedo’s is recognized as the “bakery of choice” for more than 90 percent of the area’s eateries that offer Cuban bread. And while they deliver their taste of Tampa all over the Bay area – from Clearwater to Pasco County (and even Orlando) – their longest standing clients can be found close to where Faedo’s has always called home; the Urban Corridor.
Its popularity keeps the bakery’s phone ringing nearly non-stop with new orders. (Michelle personally takes many of them and all are jotted down by hand – a personal touch on which Mauricio insists). Walk-ins orders are brisk, too; occasionally causing lines to stretch out the front door. As for the order requests, those are varied. Sometimes people will ask for 12-foot-long loaves, but the requests for one to a hundred, standard 36-inch loaves are far more common.
No matter the order, Faedo’s can likely fulfill it. And all are usually done by the store’s standard baking process. Under the supervision of a head master baker, batter is mixed into dough, weighed per ounce and steamed for 30 minutes. Once the bread brigade members get their hands on it, they turn the dough into raw loaves and place them in rows on metal trays. As they do, they lay a palmetto leaf along the center length of the waiting loaf (it allows the dough to open properly during baking).
Full metal trays are slid into large rolling racks, which – once full – are guided into massive, walk-in ovens. These are the baking basics that have been perfected over three decades. (The made-from-scratch recipe has gone unaltered for two and a half of them.)
When asked how she would best describe her family’s bakery, Michelle looks past the dough and oven and towards the front of the store where three children could be seen outside looking in as the bakers worked away.
“It’s those big windows in the front, which allow the public to see that we’re open to them,” she says. “Everyone is invited to come by – any time of day or night – and watch our team practice its trade.”
“Faedo’s has always been this open and friendly and we’ll always welcome our community,” she continues. “After all, the Urban Corridor is not just where we are … it’s who we are.”
Where’s It At.
[sh] Mauricio Faedo’s Bakery
5150 N. Florida Ave.
(813) 237-2377
[hp] Pipo’s Cafe
411 S. MacDill Ave.
(813) 871-5252
www.pipos.com
[wt] Pipo’s Cafe
3501 N. Armenia Ave.
(813) 876-7476
www.pipos.com
Where Are Others?
[yb] Columbia Restaurant: Ybor City
2117 E. 7th Ave.
(813) 248-4961
www.columbiarestaurant.com
[wt] West Tampa Sandwich Shop
3904 N. Armenia Ave.
(813) 873-7104
Try Something New!
[yb] Teatro On Seventh
1600 E. 8th Ave.
(813) 248-9400
www.teatroonseventh.com
[sh] Cappys Pizzeria
4910 N. Florida Ave.
(813) 238-1516
[sh] Bungalow Bistro
5137 N Florida Ave
(813) 237-2000
www.bungalowbistrotampa.com
Read More at www.NewHeightsMag.com.
It’s not just the city’s fine, hand-rolled cigars that put us on the map; there’s another handcrafted indulgence that is original Tampa – the Cuban Sandwich. By peeling back its many layers, you discover the ingredients for the spirit of the Urban Corridor (UC): rich traditions, proud families and a shared heritage. When pressed together, the combination forms a strong community with a bright future and prideful past. New Heights now introduces you to two families of artisans who (for generations) have been making history … one Cuban Sandwich at a time.
Cuba’s version of the Cuban Sandwich, by contemporary definition, evolved from “mixto” sandwiches that Cuban workers carried with them to work during the early 1900s. The mixtos were simple: basic cold cuts between two slices of bread. The concoction quickly arrived in Ybor City as Cubans migrated to Tampa for jobs and other opportunities that were created by its booming cigar industry. Once here, they mingled and shared ideas with migrants from Spain and Italy and a lunchtime Tampa original was created.
Cuban bread is to this day the foundation of any real Cuban Sandwich. Its origins are humble and stem from the late 1800s, when Cuba was fighting for its independence from Spain. With times tough – and Cuban families hungry – the country’s bakers started spreading their dough thin to create long loaves of bread that could be rationed into small slices. Though today’s bread loaves found in Cuba are more full and round, Tampa’s version is made in the same manner as it was during the sparing days of Cuba’s revolution.
On the meatier side, the roast pork on the Tampa sandwich is also of Cuban influence. Spaniards added glazed honey ham, while salami was the Italians’ contribution. It’s up for debate how the perfect double handful is finished, but the most common acceptable complements are Swiss cheese, pickles and mustard. There’s even a proper layering order between the bread bed (from bottom to top): ham, pork, salami, cheese, pickles and mustard (which is spread only on the sandwich’s top slice).
If you don’t know what’s in your perfect, authentic Cuban Sandwich, there are plenty of restaurants in the Urban Corridor to begin your search. However, many locals claim that two partnering Tampa families have found it for you. One is the Faedo’s, who serve up traditionally-made, old country loaves of Cuban bread from their Mauricio Faedo’s Bakery; the other is the Hernandez’s, who – at their Pipo’s “The Original Cuban Café” locations – top the bread with slow-roasted pork the rest of the puzzle’s eatable pieces.
It’s What’s Inside
As he dishes out steaming-hot roast pork (which had undergone 48 hours of marinating and 12 of slow heat), Danny Hernandez sings out customers’ first names across the countertop of the South MacDill Avenue Pipo’s. He follows up with questions far more sincere than the typical “how are you today?”
“How’s Donna doing, Dr. Greco,” Danny sincerely inquires. “And how about James?”
The room he stands in is full and alive with lunchtime conversation and laughter; no one bothers to be too quiet. Patrons step away from the café’s counter with heaping plates of Cuban goodness – roast pork, black beans, Spanish rice and platanos – to find their seat in the family dining room where friendly neighbors and strangers are breaking bread together.
Danny’s parents, Ramon Sr. and Sinarah, moved to the states from Cuba in the mid-1960s. Working with a friend from Cuba, they opened El Dragon de Oro in West Tampa (Armenia Avenue) – a Chinese Cuban restaurant. After selling their interests in El Dragon (1975), Ramon and Sinarah made history by opening their first Pipo’s (1979) on Town-n-Country on Hillsborough Avenue. (At home, Ramon was affectionately known as “Pipo,” an endearing nickname for “father.”) In what was the first Cuban café, the loving couple served up old family recipes and rich espresso.
Danny remembers working at that location with his family as a child; just as well as he remembers two sets of stern words from his father, Big Pipo: “Go to school,” and “Get out of the kitchen.”
Danny did just that. He served in the navy and finished school at the University of South Florida. But upon graduation, he went right back into the kitchen after buying his first store (in Countryside Mall) and converting it into a Pipo’s.
“It’s in my blood,” Danny says. “To represent my father’s name every day, while giving people a great taste of Tampa.”
At age 37, Danny has opened eight Pipo’s restaurants across central Florida and owns three of them today. Each location is distinct in character and staffed by it owner’s family members – a time-tested formula for success, as validated by loyal customers who’ve been coming back to Pipo’s since it opened its doors for business.
“People gravitate toward what they know and what makes them feel good,” Danny says. “Especially during down, economic times like these.”
“That’s why we do everything the same way we have for the past three decades,” Danny continues. “Mom and Dad are still in charge of quality control. We’re not here to mass-produce. We’re cherishing age old traditions done in my family’s name – and I refuse to cheapen either.”
Danny, with a devotion that’s intrinsic to West Tampa’s cultural fabric, has used the same vendors for many years to supply Pipo’s its recipes’ staples. He’s done so because he not only trusts the products, but he trusts the people who stand behind them. He’s friends with the son in the family who provides his stores’ rice and beans. And Danny attributes the sweet-smoothness of Pipo’s Café con Leche to the espresso blend they order from Naviera Coffee – an authentic Cuban product roasted on Ybor City’s famous 7th Avenue.
One of his most fierce product loyalties is Mauricio Faedo’s Bakery and its legendary bread. The Hernandez and Faedo families have a long history of friendship, partnership and respect for each other’s expertise. So it’s no twist of fate that the string of buildings where the West Tampa Pipo’s (Armenia Avenue) resides was once a bakery and home of the Faedos (until 2005). Danny can still remember meeting the Faedo’s back when he used to play on the streets of West Tampa as a child. (Back then, the Hernandez’s were still running El Dragon de Oro, which was just two blocks away.)
Still at the heart of that location’s kitchen can be found a gigantic, 1950s-era stainless steel oven – the very one that the bakery’s namesake, Mauricio, began his legacy. It’s the metallic mother and grandmother of more than a million bread loaves Faedo’s bakers have handmade over the years.
The non-coincidence is an example of the overlapping Tampa history that continues to inspire Danny to preserve his family’s little piece; and is what motivates him to give back to his hometown.
“It’s one of the greatest things we aspire to do here,” he says of Pipo’s. “Allow people to enjoy their meal at their leisure, and get a taste of the city’s original food and history at the same time.”
A Living Tradition
Driving into its parking lot, a crew of men who are busy at work can be seen just behind a “Hot Bread Now” sign that hangs in one of several oversized windows. The neon sign glows bright red; a clear signal to those in-the-know that warm-from-the-oven, Mauricio’s loaves are ready and waiting.
Stepping inside the 5600 sq.-ft. bakery, one is overwhelmed by an intoxicating scent of fresh baked bread; which is being gently stirred by large, overhead fans. The aroma is satisfying and comfortable.
The crew members all stand behind long tables; baking craftsmen lined up and hand-flopping, folding and rolling doughy globs into thin, long cylinders. The scene is reminiscent of what it must have been like in the cigar factories of Ybor City’s past. And like a great Ybor cigar, Faedo’s Cuban bread is pure, true Tampa.
Michelle Faedo – a Tampa native and daughter of Mauricio – remembers working in her father’s bakery when she was just nine-years-old. Michelle still works there; as do her parents, uncle, brother and sister. The business is a family affair that celebrates her dad’s Spanish roots and her mom’s Cuban lineage. And Mauricio continues to reinforce the message that the path to life’s success is paved with honesty and hard work.
“It’s a work ethic that’s proven itself from the beginning,” Michelle says. “It’s what kept my dad focused running trials on recipes until he found a delicious combination of ingredients that just can’t be beat by supermarket breads,” Michelle says. “We don’t use animal lard and we don’t use preservatives.”
The work ethic/recipe combination is likely why Faedo’s is recognized as the “bakery of choice” for more than 90 percent of the area’s eateries that offer Cuban bread. And while they deliver their taste of Tampa all over the Bay area – from Clearwater to Pasco County (and even Orlando) – their longest standing clients can be found close to where Faedo’s has always called home; the Urban Corridor.
Its popularity keeps the bakery’s phone ringing nearly non-stop with new orders. (Michelle personally takes many of them and all are jotted down by hand – a personal touch on which Mauricio insists). Walk-ins orders are brisk, too; occasionally causing lines to stretch out the front door. As for the order requests, those are varied. Sometimes people will ask for 12-foot-long loaves, but the requests for one to a hundred, standard 36-inch loaves are far more common.
No matter the order, Faedo’s can likely fulfill it. And all are usually done by the store’s standard baking process. Under the supervision of a head master baker, batter is mixed into dough, weighed per ounce and steamed for 30 minutes. Once the bread brigade members get their hands on it, they turn the dough into raw loaves and place them in rows on metal trays. As they do, they lay a palmetto leaf along the center length of the waiting loaf (it allows the dough to open properly during baking).
Full metal trays are slid into large rolling racks, which – once full – are guided into massive, walk-in ovens. These are the baking basics that have been perfected over three decades. (The made-from-scratch recipe has gone unaltered for two and a half of them.)
When asked how she would best describe her family’s bakery, Michelle looks past the dough and oven and towards the front of the store where three children could be seen outside looking in as the bakers worked away.
“It’s those big windows in the front, which allow the public to see that we’re open to them,” she says. “Everyone is invited to come by – any time of day or night – and watch our team practice its trade.”
“Faedo’s has always been this open and friendly and we’ll always welcome our community,” she continues. “After all, the Urban Corridor is not just where we are … it’s who we are.”
Where’s It At.
[sh] Mauricio Faedo’s Bakery
5150 N. Florida Ave.
(813) 237-2377
[hp] Pipo’s Cafe
411 S. MacDill Ave.
(813) 871-5252
www.pipos.com
[wt] Pipo’s Cafe
3501 N. Armenia Ave.
(813) 876-7476
www.pipos.com
Where Are Others?
[yb] Columbia Restaurant: Ybor City
2117 E. 7th Ave.
(813) 248-4961
www.columbiarestaurant.com
[wt] West Tampa Sandwich Shop
3904 N. Armenia Ave.
(813) 873-7104
Try Something New!
[yb] Teatro On Seventh
1600 E. 8th Ave.
(813) 248-9400
www.teatroonseventh.com
[sh] Cappys Pizzeria
4910 N. Florida Ave.
(813) 238-1516
[sh] Bungalow Bistro
5137 N Florida Ave
(813) 237-2000
www.bungalowbistrotampa.com
Read More at www.NewHeightsMag.com.
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