New LGBT Club Opening in GaYBOR
The new Mist Martini Lounge is set to open this week. GRAND Opening is this Friday at 6 pm.
The new owners are David Shortino and partner Daniel Campbell. The redone dining room portion of the old Laughing Cat Restaurant have the new entrepreneurs opening the quieter more quaint and an after dance and music scene martini get-a-way spot in Ybor.
They are now accepting applications for friendly bartenders and security. http://mistmartinilounge.com/
Next to Mist is the new proposed new Coffee & Tea Shop in the main part of the old Laughing Cat Restaurant facing the streetcar line. Work is continuing on the build out with no announced opening date
What Else We Can’t Wait To Try, ‘CIDER & MEAD’
The Cigar City Cider and Mead is a unique brewery. It is part of Cigar City Brewing Company owned locally by Joe Redner, Jr. The local Tampa craft beer was named “#3 Best Brewery in the World” by RateBeer.com in 2010 out of 10,000 breweries. It is opening in the old Roosvelt Building on 15th Street. Big stainless steel brewing vats are being set up and the building progress is seen daily.
We can’t wait for the highly rated brew stop to open in the next couple of weeks. www.cigarcitybrewing.com https://www.facebook.com/CigarCityCider
People Are Talking
Check out the new lunch buffet at Cristino’s Italian Coal Oven Pizza… Every Mon, Tue & Wed. While we were at Cristino’s what arrives but 6 ton of coal from Pennsylvania. Now that is a lot of coal. The coal comes in 2-3 times a year we were told. This Italian eatery is famously known for their best ever Italian pizza cooked in their coal ovens. Yumm https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cristinos-Coal-Oven-Pizza-Restaurant-Ybor-City/581786438532980?ref=br_tf
Yborites Rich Kerin, Mike Olds and Scott W returned after a month in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. They really wanted to check out the gay scene thoroughly. The smiles they have on their faces they must of achieved their mission. Welcome back guys! Mark & Carrie entertained 3 nieces the last couple of weeks. Wisconsin nieces Nikki & Karmen and Satellite Beachster Miss Natalie. Oh, the fun they had in GaYBOR and the St. Pete beaches.
Margaret Murray, Exec Director from TIGLFF returned from San Francisco film festivalwith many new GLBT movies put on the schedule for this years 25th Anniversary Gay Film event at Tampa Theater October 3 – 11.
The TIGLFF 25th Anniversary Launch Party is set at the Tampa Museum of Art, September 4th. www.TIGLFF.com It will be a ‘Fabulous Movie Festival Season’ again in Tampa Bay.
A lot of land has changed hands in the last 2 months in Ybor City. The new land acquisitioner is local resident, Daryl Shaw from Pearl Veterinarian Services. He has purchased many Ybor buildings, Ybor City vacant land, the old Blue Ship Building on 7th, Underground Church Bldg, old Olivia Cigar Factory, Barbarella Building (old Frankies Patio Bldg) and the Don Vicente Historic Hotel. He said that he wants to add more residences in Ybor City. Many locals and leaders were talking in wonder. But new housing and residences, What a relief!!! Now how about a grocery store?
Comic Con was last weekend with 45,000+ family members attending the Tampa Convention Center to see a wide variety of characters and dress up as their fantasy comic heroes. This weekend is the infamous “Fetish Con” with visitors and couples in fetish attire walking downtown Tampa and Ybor City. Visitors come from around the world to be a part of this long Tampa convention tradition show. Well as witnessed in past years, some leather dressed slaves and latex attired mistresses might not be walking!!! Headquartered at the Hilton downtown it opens your eyes to new possible play out fantasies and adventures…
GaYBOR Monthly Meeting
The next GaYBOR District Coalition Meeting is Thursday, August 14 at Game Time in Ybor City at 6pm. Many new wonderful community ideas and networking opportunities.
GaYBOR is happy to participate in the “Back To School Back Pack” program associated with East Ybor City Civic and Neighborhood Association, ‘ help the school kids out program.’
Many of the upcoming August primary election candidates will be in attendance. www.gaybor.com
Chris Sullivan, Local Artist Celebrity
Local artist Chris Sullivan has been selected by Acura (luxury division of Honda) to debut his art work along with their newest model, August 21st in Houston Texas. This Friday, Aug 9th 5-8:00 pm will be a Premier Showing at the (Our Favorite) The Hollandar Hotel in St. Pete. The event will feature 14 of his painting. A portion of the sales will benefit The Metro Wellness and Community Center.
Tampa PRIDE Returning to Tampa
A Tampa PRIDE Meeting will be held Tuesday, August 12th at Don Vicente Historic Inn on 9th Ave. at 5 pm.
Updates on the planned weekend will be discussed. Committees members are needed and will be setup. Volunteers are asked to sign up at TampaPride2015@gmail.com.
Sign Up and “Like” for your support of Tampa PRIDE also on Facebook at Tampa PRIDE!
Please tell your friends to help make this new historical Tampa PRIDE event one of the Best PRIDES in Florida!
R.I.P. Helen Chavez
The always out spoken Helen Chavez passed away in Tampa this week at the age of 89. Serving her community on Tampa City Council 1979 – 1987 she fought for women’s rights, Tampa historic preservation and an early advocate of glbt equality even though she was a Republican! Was famous for being a critic of ‘ shirtless men’ at the Buccaneer football games calling the shirtless, ‘primitive’.
She was also the owner of the popular, “Chavez at the Royal “ restaurant, which we had visited often on South Howard Ave and ‘Tea Room’ in Old Hyde Park plus other Tampa restaurants.
She greeted you at the door with a large smile and was very welcoming. Helen will be missed.