Chillounge Sat. night in St. Petersburg!

Looking for something to do on Saturday night? Check this out. It looks super fun, with lots of good local restaurant participating.

State BBQ Championship at Pig Jam on Saturday

Some of the best BBQ teams in the country will come to Plant City on Saturday for the seventh annual Plant City Pig Jam State BBQ Championship. What that means for the rest of us is finger linkin’ good beef brisket, pork, chicken and ribs.  From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., 70 teams of elaborately equipped cooks will serve up their award-winning meats at the Randy L. Larson Softball Four-Plex, 1500 South Park Road. The teams compete for $15,000 in cash and prizes in this Kansas City Barbeque Society sanctioned event. For thousands of spectators, it will be a down-home party hosted by the Greater Plant City Chamber of Commerce. There will be plenty of opportunities during the event to chat with cooks about their grills and pits, the wood they burn and how they prepare their meats. Admission is free; parking is $5.

Zoofari on Nov. 7

Bring a herd to Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo and graze on delicious dishes, desserts and drinks at the Zoo’s 23rd annual Zoofari fundraiser from 7 to 11 p.m. on Saturday. The Baldwin Connelly “Rhino Club” (VIP-level ticket) returns with a new home -- the Safari Lodge, the Zoo’s new 17,000-square-foot indoor events facility. For one ticket price, guests can dine around the Zoo, sampling food from more than 60 of the Bay area’s best restaurants and enjoying open bars. Participating restaurants include GrillSmith, Ceviche, First Watch, Longhorn Steakhouse, Sonny’s Real Pit BBQ, G. Elliot’s Brunchery and Catering, Giordano’s, Perkins Restaurant & Bakery, Datz Deli and more.

The Zoo welcomes Florida favorite Sister Hazel on the main stage whose best-known tunes include "All For You," "Change Your Mind” and “Best I’ll Ever Be.” Five additional bands -- Jason Young, Nate Najar, Alan Darcy, Grupo Havana Swing and The Vodkanuts -- will entertain throughout the Zoo.

Event proceeds benefit animal care and education programs at Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo, a private nonprofit organization. Zoofari general admission tickets are all-inclusive – discounted to $75 in advance online at LowryParkZoo.com (until 12 p.m. Fri., Nov. 6), $80 in advance by phone at 813-935-8552 ext. 276 (until 5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 6), or $85 the night of the event at the front gate. 

First annual “A Taste of Culinary”

Chamberlain High School’s Culinary Operations Academy held its first annual “A Taste of Culinary” fundraiser on Oct. 13. This Iron Chef-style event paired COA students with local restaurant chefs and culinary schools to form 10 teams. The chef teams were asked to create tasting portions for approximately 150 to 200 guests. Guests judged each team on taste, booth presentation and customer service by leaving a tip that best reflected their overall experience. The team with the most moola was declared the winner. (All of the proceeds benefited COA.) Participating restaurants and culinary schools included Carrabba’s Italian Grill, Outback Steakhouse, Hula Bay, Johnson & Wales University,
The Art Institute of Tampa, The Melting Pot, Sakana, Sweet Bay and Wayl of a Time Catering. Here were the challenge winners.

Spooky Halloween happenings

On Saturday, B-21 will host adult trick-or-treating from 4 to 6 p.m. Those over 21 may come to B-21 Fine Wine & Spirits (43380 US Highway 19 just north of the Anclote River in Tarpon Springs) dressed in a full Halloween costume, spend a minimum of $10 and pick a FREE item out B-21’s Witches Brew (includes mini-sized spirits, accessories and more).  Free “spirits” tastings will also be held throughout the day on Halloween.  
 
On Friday night, head to Toasted Pheasant (14445 N. Dale Mabry Hwy., Tampa) for a 3-course dinner with live music for $19.95. Appetizers include items such as butternut squash bisque, Caesar salad, Cajun crabcakes and garlic-steamed mussels; entrees like a 6 oz. N.Y. strip with a portobello sauce, chicken Tuscany with melted mozzarella, roasted duck stuffed with herbs and nuts, salmon piccata in a lemon caper butter sauce or eggplant parmesan; for dessert caramel apple tart and Grand Marnier chocolate mousse.

Thursday night, visit That's Amore Ristorante (700 Harbour Post Dr., Harbor Island, (813) 221-9889) for a spooktacular festino, with everyone dressed in their ghoulish best. Start with Elvira's Caesar salad, then Dracula's chicken parm served with spaghetti for $14.95 per person.

And things get crazy at Backwaters (1261 Gulf Blvd., Clearwater, 727/517-7383) on Saturday night during happy hour from 5:30 to 7 p.m., when customers in costumes compete for prizes and awards for the funny, scary, pretty or outrageous masquerades of the evening. First, second and third prizes awarded. 
 

Come on, Tampa Bay chefs. Represent.

The Bocuse d'Or USA Foundation is calling all talented chefs to apply to represent the United States in the prestigious Bocuse d'Or International Culinary Competition, which will take place in Lyon, France in 2011. Established in 1983 by Paul Bocuse, Bocuse d'Or is an international culinary competition in which teams from twenty-four countries compete for top honors and international acclaim.

The Bocuse d'Or USA Foundation, led by Daniel Boulud, Thomas Keller and Jerome Bocuse, is seeking qualified chef applicants who will successfully represent the United States at the global competition. Sixteen applicants will be selected to compete in the U.S. semi-finals and finals competition, which will be held from February 4-6, 2010 at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park. The Foundation will then select one competitor to serve as Team USA in the international competition in 2011.

The deadline for applications is November 30, and the application form can be found here.

Hydro Harvest pumkin patch fest

Hydro Harvest Farms holds its 4th Annual Pumpkin Patch and Boo Fest from today through the beginning of November. It's free, with loads of pumpkins, hay bales, scarecrows and an old tractor (great photo op). The Boo Fest will be on Saturday October 24th from noon to 3 p.m., with games, crafts, pumpkin decorating, face painting and contests. 1101 Shell Point Rd E, Ruskin. From Tampa take I-75 S to exit 240b towards Ruskin (west), at the 2nd light (21st St.) turn right. Go to end turn left (Shell Point Rd), the farm is ½ mile on left. From St Pete take Skyway Bridge to 75N, exit 240 and follow above instructions. (813) 645-6574.

More on demise of Gourmet

Grub Street did a great Q&A with Alice Waters (Chez Panisse) on what Gourmet meant to her and to the country. I think it's worth reading. Go here.

Sunday, Oct. 4, Corey Avenue "European Style" Market returns

With over 30 local vendors, the market has fresh produce, plants and flowers, foods and spices, arts and crafts. To mention a few: Island Time Designs, Thai Riffic Orchids, Mr. "I Got 'Em" BBQ. The street will be blocked between Boca Ciega Dr. and Blind Pass Rd. from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Live music played in the courtyard and the sidewalks provide ample shade & benches for sitting.  Local restaurants offer a wide variety of breakfast/brunch menus. For more information, call (727) 498-8778 or visit here.  

Taste of the NFL writes some big checks

Taste of the NFL is held annually on the eve of the Super Bowl in the host city, proceeds going to hunger relief organizations in America. The 2009 event took place on Saturday, Feb. 7 at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg with more than 3,000 guests. Volunteering their time and representing the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Marty Blitz from Mise en Place and Scot Brantley paired together to create and serve food.

In honor of national Hunger Action Month, Taste of the NFL distributed checks to food banks located in every NFL city across the country, including America’s Second Harvest of Tampa Bay in Tampa. Donations are a result of proceeds from the 2009 Taste of the NFL event and are equivalent to nearly 2 million pounds of food and grocery products.