Last month I was lucky enough to have the chance to attend the TECHmunch Tampa Food Blogger Conference in Ybor City. TECHmunch is a series of conferences in cities around the United States designed to help food bloggers gain the hands-on digital media, marketing, and business skills they need to make their blogs more personally and financially rewarding. BakeSpace.com Founder, Babette Pepaj, started the conferences to further her mission to help communities grow and to provide a personal conference where bloggers can learn from panelists who have found success and have valuable information to share.

The event spanned two days and started with a mixer at Sono Cafe at the Tampa Museum of Art in Downtown Tampa on a Friday evening. We enjoyed some Hors d’oeuvres from crostinis to paninis and a bar as we met our fellow Florida food bloggers and panelists and learned about the many things that we all have in common as well as our specialties. It was an enjoyable evening and we stayed well past the end of the mixer and continued chatting with our new found friends into the night. The best part was that we all have a message or story we want to tell and we were all excited to learn the tools of the trade at this conference.

Sono Cafe is a great place to have a mixer with an outdoor view of Curtis Hixon park and the beautiful University of Tampa. I would recommend it to anyone looking to plan a professional mixer. Here are some photos of the great food we enjoyed:

Checkout a recap of our night via tweets here: http://storify.com/carloseats/techmunch-tampa-pre-mixer

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The next morning we woke up bright and early and headed to the Roosevelt 2.0 (which also hosted Real Food Real Joel earlier in the week) for the food blogger conference. The Roosevelt 2.0 hosts many great local events and the room was a nice backdrop for yet another rally into Tampa’s rising food scene. Check out some of the tweets from the opening here: http://storify.com/carloseats/techmunch-tampa-opening

Datz Deli served us with an excellent breakfast with biscuits, fresh strawberry jam, and Nutella – all which were fantastic. In addition, they also prepared their iced coffee which kept us all wired for the entire day of food blog learning. It was my friend time having some food from Datz Deli and I loved it! I cannot wait until I finally have the chance to visit Datz in the future.

TBO Food Critic, Jeff Houck, opened up the event as our local organizer and expressed his desire to see the local food community grow and for Tampa to become a leading food city in the U.S.A. I completely agree that it is possible if we come together as a community and support our local businesses and work together. TECHmunch was a great start for that.

The first panel was “Tapping and Leveraging Food Trends in Tampa Bay”. Todd Sturtz from Tasting Tampa, Julius Mayo Jr. from Droolius, Brian Roberts from Roosevelt 2.0, and Eric from TV Fanatic shared their experiences and plans regarding food trends. Todd and Julius have been very involved in the rising food truck trend that has swept over most of Florida and been leaders in embracing the movement. Tampa is normally a few years behind food trends, but it also has to do with coverage and Tampa’s attitude about food. Without the support of the people it simply cannot thrive to the levels of other popular cities. I made sure to record all the tips from each panel and you can read a recap on the first panel tips here: http://storify.com/carloseats/techmunch-tampa-panel-1

The second panel was “Developing, Organizing, and Syndicating Multimedia Content”. The hosts were Sara O’Donnell from Average Betty (checkout her awesome YouTube channel), Merry-Jennifer Markham from the Merry Gourmet, and Sandy McKenna from Midlife Road Trip.  They shared their technical tips in addition to tips for dealing with a busy blog schedule and how to set your blog on a path to success. Read their great tips here: http://storify.com/carloseats/techmunch-tampa-panel-2

The third panel was truly a treat and was “Down and Dirty about SEO Food Writing” by Josh Unseth, an SEO expert from The JAR Group. I think one of the toughest things about having a blog is learning the SEO tips behind it. There is so much information out there and so many articles about how to increase your followers or get subscribers and many of them actually share little information. Not the case with Josh! He shared many tricks of the trade and facts/websites that I have never heard about prior to this conference. I was so grateful to him for providing so many tips. #TECHmunch also started trending in Tampa during this panel which was awesome! I made sure to tweet plenty and save the tweets for you guys to get the SEO tips of the trade! Read them here: http://storify.com/carloseats/techmunch-tampa-panel-3

After our SEO enlightenment lunch arrived with the Tampa Taco Bus paying us a visit in the food truck with Mr. Rene himself! He told us some of his history with restaurants and food before lunch came. They served us tostadas and two tacos with rice and beans. All were great! I thought it was appropriate and truly a great thing to have one of Tampa Bay’s most popular and quickly growing restaurants as a part of the conference.

Mmm.

All this great food left us stuffed!

The fourth panel after lunch featured the topic with “Pitching Your Brand: Lessons from the Pros”. I was excited to finally meet Jaden from Steamy Kitchen (I followed her blog long before starting my own) and also got great advice from Ray Lampe from Dr. BBQ, Laura Baddish from The Baddish Group, and Jeff Houck from the Tampa Tribune. They shared advice on how to get noticed and how to get involved with PR, Media, and how to get value from your brand. Great advice from food insiders was provided. Read some tweets about the panel here: http://storify.com/carloseats/techmunch-tampa-panel-4

The fifth panel was about “The Future of Food Content…The Digital Kitchen”. We learned about making apps and some of the challenges and rewards that await you should you choose to explore this new technological path that is being increasingly used everyday as our society makes shifts to smartphones and tablets. Babette shared many of her own experiences in developing applications. In addition, Steve and Tom from Grilling Companion shared their story of how they became involved in this new technology. Checkout some of the tips here: http://storify.com/carloseats/techmunch-panel-5

After the fifth panel, TBO shared an announcement about their upcoming changes to their website. You can see their new Food section layout here and I am so grateful to them for linking to Carlos Eats! http://www2.tbo.com/life/food/

Our final, but certainly not least, panel was about something essential to sharing food experiences: “Top 10 Tips to Boost Your Site’s Photography” by Susan Filson from Sticky, Gooey, Creamy, Chewy. She shared many tips with us about how to improve our photography and also many websites and tools that can boost photo quality. I saved all ten tips and you can read them all here: http://storify.com/carloseats/techmunch-tampa-panel-6-7

After the panel ended, we chatted with all our new friends about all the great information we had learned. It had been a weekend filled with knowledge and tools for us to improve our blogs and reach new heights. I am very thankful to Babette Pepaj, Jeff Houck, and to all the great panelists for executing such a fantastic event in Tampa! It was great connecting with bloggers from new to experienced and I look forward to continuing this blogger community growth and to the future growth for Tampa food blogs and restaurants!

Thank you so much to everyone and thank you TECHmunch for the great experience.

40 restaurants are getting together on Saturday, May 26th for Tampa’s first Cuban Sandwich Festival at the Ybor City Saturday Market from 10:30am-4:30pm. Ybor City Streets will be closed in honor of the Tampa Cuban Sandwich (it’s official)! The event is FREE and presented by Latin Times Media, although patrons are encouraged to help support baby Emberlynn, a 6-month miracle baby who has been born with Congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH).

Current competitors for Best Cuban Sandwich include: Alessi Bakery, Mata Monchies, Mr. Empanada , La Teresita, Stone Soup Company, Gaspar’s Grotto, Franks & Subs, Cacciatore Brothers, Danny’s All American Grill, Cafe Masaryktown – Hernando County, Silver Ring Café, Cuban Guys – Broward County, NY Cafe- Pinellas County, Ofelia’s Café, the Floridian and MORE!

A Kid Zone will be at the event with clowns, jumpers, face painting, and more so be sure to bring the family to this event. Live music will be provided by Hansel of Hansel y Raul (more information here) in addition to other live performers, entertainers, and Zumba. Judges for the competition include Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn, Tampa Chief of Police Jane Castor, Richard Gonzmart of the Columbia Restaurant, and more.

I don’t know about you, but I am excited for this great upcoming event and look forward to trying all the great sandwiches on May 26th.

See you there

Event name: Cuban Sandwich Festival

Date & Time: May 26th, 2012. 10-30am-4:30pm

Address: 1800 E. 8th St. Ybor City, FL

Contact for Exhibit and Sponsorship: Jolie@Latin-Times.com or Vpadilla@Latin-Times.com (813) 407-6866 or (813) 407-719.

Facebook link: https://www.facebook.com/events/284524998285527/

If you’re trying to find out where the fiestas in Tampa Bay are occurring this weekend for Cinco de Mayo, here is a quick run-down of events and specials I have found at local restaurants that I would recommend.

Casa Tina – Enjoy and inside and outside street party in this Dunedin favorite on Cinco De Mayo. Cirque performers will be present in addition to a 22′ puppet parade and a lantern parade after dark. Mexican singer Lily Cortes and salsa band Orquest Infinidad will provide live music at the event and basic salsa dance lessons will be provided by Simone Salsa. There is much more to come at this great event this weekend. Event link 365 Main St. Dunedin, FL 34698

Luna’s Mexican Restaurant – This Brandon Mexican restaurant will be offering 5 for $15 mix and match buckets for Cinco de Mayo in addition to $3.50 12 oz bottles of select Mexican beers such as Corona. If you’re out on this side of the woods you may want to check out Luna’s. 5924 Providence Rd. Brandon, FL 33511

Miguel’s Mexican Seafood and Grill – Live music will be keeping the party going at Miguel’s this weekend from May 4th-May 6th. $3 Coronas will be available on Cinco de Mayo. Live music guests include Shaun Hopper, Betty Fox, Razing Stone, and Drunk Monkey’s. 3035 W. Kennedy Blvd. Tampa, FL

Red Mesa Cantina – Their 4th annual Cinco de Mayo Fiesta Week will feature Jeremy Thomas band from 4-8PM  and Roberto Debourg and The Flats (9pm-close). Five complete bars, live bands, tented and open-air plazas for non-stop Cinco de Mayo fun. Don Julio Shots $6, Cadillac Margaritas $8. Event link 128 3rd St. St Petersburg, FL 33701

Vallarta’s Mexican Restaurant – My personal choice for some great tacos de carne asada will feature a live DJ and Happy Hour specials this weekend for Cinco de Mayo. 13731 N. Dale Mabry Hwy, Tampa, FL 33618

Good luck out in the town at these great fiestas this weekend!

This Friday, May 4th is the first Burger Showdown in Downtown Tampa at Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park from 6:30-9:30PM. Restaurants will battle to decide who has the best burger in Tampa Bay. The event is a benefit fundraiser for The Tampa Riverwalk. There will be live music at this great event as well. Restaurants competing include Burger 21, Square 1 Burgers, Stacked Burgers, Lee Roy Selmon’s, BGR, Ashley Street Grille, Danny’s All-American Diner, Green Iguana, Datz, Marriot, Aramark, and Chili’s. I get hungry just looking at that list. Tickets are $35 in advance, and $55 at the gate. You can buy tickets here: http://burgershowdown.org/tickets.html

More information on the event: http://burgershowdown.org/

I had the great opportunity to attend the Real Food Real Joel farm-to-table event at the Roosevelt 2.0 in Ybor City on April 19th. Chipotle and the Tampa Urban Food Forum invited me to the event (normal tickets were at least $100 and it was sold out as well) which starred farming celebrity Joel Salatin as a guest speaker and was supported by at least 40 local organizations and businesses. I wasn’t quite sure why Chipotle was involved with this event, but learned much about Chipotle and about the local farming and growing Slow Food movement in Tampa Bay. Chipotle chose to send me because of my status as a USF student and the event organizers were actually live-streaming the event to promote the event to students as well.

A gift from Chipotle which is currently growing in my home. Chipotle sponsored an essay contest on real food and the top essays were compiled into the booklet below the gift.

I will admit I was a little nervous about how the food would taste. Taking on this event was a jump into a new territory of food for me and I am happy to say that all the food severed was phenomenal! I never knew fresh farm grown food could taste as crazy good as it did. Local chefs and farmers came together to create a beautiful product at this dinner and Joel Salatin is truly an eloquent speaker as well. He has many fans locally in Tampa and a painting drawn at the Roosevelt 2.0 of Joel earlier in the evening sold at $950 for auction to benefit the local farming community in Tampa Bay.

The artist a few minutes before the event as he worked to complete this work of Joel Salatin.

Dinner was served before Joel took the stage. The first course started us with two salads.

This salad was a warm-up and fresh as can be – packed with goat cheese. I loved the cheese and ate it up before the first creation came.

This salad consisted of Sezchuan miso eggplant, grilled bok choy, chili picked radish, sake anise soaked oranges, and bottagra. Chef Ferrel Alvarez from Cafe Dufrain was the master behind this creation. I have to say I have never tasted such amazing oranges (maybe it is time to start soaking my oranges in sake?). Everything was great and a great introduction for the next course.

Now this course simply swept my feet away. A Vietnamese style porchetta with chile-cinnamon butternut squash, lemongrass-salt, pepper peaches, and coriander fingerling salad. Greg Baker from The Refinery presented this dish…man I have never tasted pork so tender and so packed with flavor with what appeared to be simple. By looking at it you just cannot grasp how great this course was. I cannot even give it justice in words, I just hope I can someday experience this dish again.

This final course was the perfect finale to the meal. It was created by Byron Gabel from the Grand Hyatt Resort. It is a blueberry goatcheese flaugnarde with sweet basil ice cream and crispy tuille. What was really interesting was when I took the first bite of the exterior, I wasn’t sure what was inside this dessert. The inner layer then hits the palate just right and provided a flawless ending to this great meal I experienced at Roosevelt 2.0 for Real Food Real Joel. Before Joel had even taken the stand to speak, I was already ready to hear more about the Slow Food movement and local food after experiencing these great dishes that were all made using local farmers, food, and ingredients.

The head of the Suncoast Food Alliance opened the floor for Joel Salatin. What was really great about this event was learning about the local push for locally-grown products and one fact relayed during this speaking event was that “Every dollar spent within the community is turned over 7 times”. During these tough times for Tampa Bay after the real estate crash, we have to start brainstorming new ways to keep the community thriving to help makeup for the growth we have lost as a community. We watched a short video produced by Chipotle with the beat of Coldplay’s “The Scientist” set to the discussions of the evening called “Back to the Start” – you can watch it here.

After the video, Joel Salatin took the stage and began his list of things he hopes to see. He discussed the issues with the way our current food industry runs and his hopes for a better food industry and for a better appreciation by the people who decide what they will consume. Joel rejects the notion that some people say he is an elitist for promoting local food and farming that can in some cases cost more, but he brought up the excellent point that people should value what they put into their bodies.

He told us about how his pig farm became involved with Chipotle as Chipotle has made steps to move in the direction of slow food and to support local farming. Chipotle expected to use more than 10 million pounds of produce from local farms in 2011. Chipotle is still in the process of trying to find the best profitable way to make this work, but they are trying their best as a national restaurant chain to own up to providing their customers with quality items and have worked with Joel in the past and found that customers reacted extremely well to the local farming products and demanded more (just as I did earlier tonight). I agree with Joel that it is great to at least see Chipotle trying, while many of their competitors won’t even consider exploring the option.

Joel shared some of his beliefs including that he believes it is better to eat food first available before 1900 to avoid many of food issues you find today and his belief that farmers should be more appreciated by our society than is currently the case. It’s true – as food has become mass produced by large corporations – farming has lost its focus in society. Joel went through the rest of his list and I really thought about how much little information I knew about this prior to this event.

The farm-to-table was very educational, but I wanted to know more and I think for more people to get involved it is important to branch out of the group and reach a bigger audience. I was happy to pickup a copy of The Local Dirt which was started by Ferrel Alvarez from Cafe Dufrain with that mission. Browsing through the pages you can learn all about your local farms and this food movement. I think local publications like this can be a great way to connect with people. While it is true that we do live in a fast-paced society, I think what is most important is just to be informed – so we can at least have the choice in making the decision that is part of our values. You can read the magazine online for free so I would invite anyway interested in this post to check it out and tell some friends and family about it. I thank all these great people involved in this evening for making me more aware and for hosting such a great event.

The Sea Grapes Fine Wine and Food Festival is this Saturday, April 28th, at the Florida Aquarium in Channelside District from 8-11PM. The event benefit’s the Aquarium’s education and conservation programs including sponsored admissions for underserved youth, sea turtle rehabilitation, seahorse conservation and coral farm propagation.

Event attendees will be able to sample more than 100 wines provided by Total Wines and More, dine on cuisine from 25 bay area restaurants, bid on an auction, enjoy live jazz music and entertainment throughout the aquarium and explore all aquarium exhibits. I was fortunate to win some tickets in a contest with Visit Tampa Bay and am extremely excited to be attending this event. Photos from last year are posted here: http://on.fb.me/JGXKsb

You can purchase tickets here: https://ezticket.flaquarium.org/Events/Seagrapes2012.aspx

The official website for the event is here: http://www.seagrapes.org/

This Friday is Kaleisia Tea Lounge’s 7th Anniversary Celebration from 6:30-9:30PM. I have been visiting since about 2008 and have always had a great time there and been treated well by their employees. There will be live music, raffles, a slideshow, and FREE cake!  Special music performances will be made by Algorhythm Sky (more here). Here are some fun photos from last year: http://on.fb.me/IkvUAs

Kaleisia has always been supportive of local initiatives and student organizations and through the fundraising Fridays they have been donating proceeds to local charities and not-for-profit organizations this year. As a community supporter, I am happy that they have made it to 7 years of success and here is to many more.

Facebook event link: https://www.facebook.com/events/137647909699870/

This Thursday, April 26th, will be the first food truck pod at USF at 5:30PM. Exciting stuff for students who love the food truck action, but haven’t been able to visit one because of the lack of proximity to campus. The event will take place at Felicitous, a local coffee shop on 51st Street which is just off Fowler Avenue near campus.  Address is 11706 North 51st  St. Tampa, FL 33617.

Chef Chad Johnston from SideBern’s and Chef Eric Lackey from Flame Stone American Grill competed last week to determine who has the best steak-grilling skills in town in an event sponsored by Kingsford charcoal. Customers outside the Wal-Mart on North Dale Mabry Highway were able to sample steaks made by the chefs and then vote with their toothpick for the best steak.  At the end of the match the victor was Flame Stone American Grill which captured the votes of many passerby customers. The event in Tampa was just one of many occurring around the country and 8 chef finalists will compete in New York on May 22nd.

Kingsford has provided me with some gear sporting their brand including hats, cup holders, and a sweater. You can look for an opportunity to win those soon on Carlos Eats.

Credit: My food blogging friend Tracy Guida

The happy Flame Stone chef who will move on to New York.

The 29th Annual Celebration of Asian-Pacific American Heritage called Asia Fest will occur on Saturday, April 28th, 2012 at 11:00 AM inside  Cotanchobee Park located in the Channelside District. Entrance is FREE and there will be a number of performances and cultural shows at the event. Local Asian food vendors normally set up shop around the event and sell a variety of food to the public. The event is sponsored by Bright House Networks, Asia Trend Magazine, Asian American Journalists Association, and a number of other business organizations.

For more information visit: http://www.asiafest-tampabay.com/

Flicks and Food Trucks is next Thursday, April 19th, 2012 from 6PM-10PM at The Grand Central at Kennedy (1208 E. Kennedy Blvd 33602). Parking is available at the parking garage located at the Grand Central at Kennedy. The event is sponsored by Tampa Bay Markets. Make sure to bring cash in case some food trucks are cash-only.

10-15 food trucks will be in attendance at this event. Short films and live music will rotate every 1/2 hour and local beer will be provided by the Pour House in the courtyard at Grand Central. Rob Irie will be performing live music. I haven’t had the chance to make it out to this event yet, but hope to check it out in the future.

More information available at: http://www.tampabaymarkets.com/flicks-and-food-trucks

It would seem that almost every restaurant in Tampa Bay is having some kind of Valentines Day special for the big day of love. Here is a listing of some of the specials I have noticed, for the late-minute diner like myself. Even if you don’t have a Valentine – you might want to have a bite on some of these deals.

Bernini: This delicious Italian restaurant in Ybor City is offering 1/2 price pastas and entrees all week long until 7PM. $2 Finlandia Martinis. (813) 248-0099

BurgerMonger: Famous for its delicious Akaushi Kobe Beef – BurgerMonger will be giving away chocolate-covered strawberries to couples (while supplies last) on Valentines Day. They say the quickest way to a man’s heart is through his stomach – and a BurgerMonger burger sure does please my stomach! (813) 968-6860

Cafe Kili: Dixie Blue will play an eclectic mix of country, early rock and roll, and cajun songs for visitors starting at 7PM. Special drinks will be on the menu including the Red Velvet Frappe and Raspberry White Mocha.  (813) 988-2879

Ceviche Tapas Bar and Restaurant: The usual $4 tapas menu will be in effect Tuesday at Ceviche, in addition to two lovers specials: Mixed Grill and Mixed Fish specials for $39. First-come, first-serve basis. Numerous locations around Tampa Bay and Orlando.

Datz: Special cocktails, entrees, and desserts will be sold for V-Day. Some examples are pink polka dot pancakes and cherry martinis. (813) 831-7000

Fly Bar & Restaurant: Open 4PM-3AM. Patio dining and rooftop deck in Downtown Tampa. Live jazz music from 8-11PM and dinner. (813) 275-5000

Origami Sushi (Hillsborough): Free dessert on Valentines Day. Happy Hour 3-7PM with $1 sushi rolls. All beverages reduced price. (813) 878-2145

Pelagia Trattoria: This hidden Italian restaurant in the International Plaza will have a special Valentines Day menu available fro 5:30-10PM. Some things on the menu include lobster bisque, veal osso buco, and Godiva chocolate cake. (813) 313-3235

The Rack: Valentines Day blues troubling you? The Rack will have happy hour all night long on Valentines Day, in addition to their regular Tuesday specials. (813) 250-1595

The Refinery: Special Valentines Day menu available at this hot spot Tampa restaurant. The steak tartare sure caught my eye. Make sure to call ahead – they may already be filled to max capacity. (813) 237-2000

Senor Taco: Lots of buzz online for this Pinellas Park Mexican restaurant lately. Taco Tuesday brings tacos to the amazing price of $1. (727) 289-7080

Soobak: This excellent Davis Island Asian restaurant is offering a 5-course Valentines Day dinner which includes salad, appetizer, sushi, choice of meat, and dessert for $35 per person (+tax). Be sure to call ahead as space is limited. (813) 258-3377.

SoHo Sushi North: USF-area SoHo Sushi will feature a $55 (+tax) special for couples featuring 2 soups, 2 salads, 2 drinks, 2 sushi rolls, and dessert. (813) 977-8744

Spain Restaurant & Toma Bar: Offering a 4-course pre-fix menu for $45 per person (+tax) includes 1 alcoholic beverage, appetizer, salad , entree, and dessert. Live romantic music from 6-9PM. Regular menu also available. (813) 223-2831

Wimauma: The current talk of Tampa Bay. Special Valentines Day menu available for $40 per person (+tax).  (813) 793-1687

The popular Chocolate Sunday event in Clearwater that I covered last year on my food blog will return this weekend, January 21-22, and is now a two-day event: Sweet Saturday and Chocolate Sunday and is once again sponsored by Tampa Bay Woman Newspaper. I can still taste the chocolate covered bacon that was provided by The Vine last year…delicious. I will be in attendance this weekend and you have a chance to win free tickets as well in my latest giveaway!

How to win: “Like” Carlos Eats on Facebook and post about your favorite chocolate vendor in Tampa Bay. You can gain 1 additional entry by sharing this post with your friends on Facebook from the fan page. I can view who shares the page from my fan page. Hurry because winners will be  randomly drawn Tomorrow, January 20th, at 5:00PM. Finally make sure you comment below so I can have your contact e-mail in case you win! If chosen, I will send the organizer your name for ticket pickup.

You can also take advantage of this $5.00 off coupon provided to me by the Chocolate Sunday organizers. I hope you’ll be enjoying the goods this weekend like I will. :]

Event Name: Sweet Saturday & Chocolate Sunday

Address: 1111 McMullen Booth Road Clearwater, FL 33759

Dates: January 21-22, 2012 – 11AM-6PM

Website: http://chocolate-sunday.com/

You can catch the Mayor’s Food Truck Fiesta at Lykes Gaslight Park in downtown Tampa this Wednesday, January 4th of 2012. There are 4 newcomers that will appear this week.

Keepin’ it Reel – NEW
Jimmy Meatball – NEW
Americanwiener – NEW (featuring “The Buckhorn”: All beef wiener with chili, cheese and pickled jalapeno)
Bollywood Cafe- NEW
Maggie on the Move
Wicked ‘Wiches
The Killer Samich Truck
Burger Culture
Fire Monkey Food Truck
The Taco Bus

2012 is certainly going to be a good year for food trucks and food lovers!

Looking for a restaurant to spend New Years Eve with friends and family in Tampa Bay? I have you covered. :] Look below for some recommendations.

The Columbia – Ybor City: 3 dinner menu options for New Years Eve: Limited Ala Carte Menu, Dinner with Flamenco Dance Show, or New Years Celebration in the Ybor Cafe. You can make reservations here or call (813) 248-4961 for more information. St. Petersburg: Pre-fixed, 5-course menu for $49.95. The Columbia Cafe: Regular menu – open until 5PM on New Years Eve.

Donatello – Offering live music from Dwight Champagne, Jerry Kenny, and a surprise guest. Make reservations at (813) 875-6660

El Puerto Restaurant & Grill – Open until 2AM on New Years Eve for some delicious Latin American cuisine. They will provide the traditional Spanish 12 grapes of luck called doce uvas for customers as well.

The Fox – Offering a 4 course dinner, champagne toast, and party favors, in addition to live jazz music for $85/person or $170/couple. Walk-ins are accepted for $50 at the door with a champagne toast and party favors only. Call 813-289-8446 for reservations

Ocean Blue Sushi – Featuring a New Years party with the usual 1/2 off beers, wells, house win, sushi, and appetizers after 10PM in addition to $60 bottles of Absolut (bottle-service available), $30 bottle of champagne, $6 on all premium liquors/$4 on all absolut vodka, $4 Ocean Blue Cocktail Champagne, $2 jello shots. DJ Bootron will be spinning until 3AM.

The Rack – $10 all you can drink special from 11PM-1AM and 50% off everything for everyone after 1AM. Call 813-250-1595 for more details.

Spanish Restaurant & Toma Bar – New Years Eve dinner including a New Years hat and favors, glass of wine/sangria/beer, choice of appetizer, specialty house salad, entree, dessert, grapes, and a champagne toast at midnight with live music and flamenco dancing. $65 per person.

Carlos Eats team member Jenn Nguyen visited GrillSmith in Carrollwood this Friday for their VIP event. Here is her post on the event.

Two bruschettas were served at the event: smoked salmon and portabello.  They both contained capers, basil, red onion, sun dried tomatoes and Parmesan cheese.  I personally enjoyed the smoked salmon much more.  It was fresh tasting and unlike the portobello bruschetta, the flavor weren’t drowned out by the accompaniments.  My guest favored the portobello one.  He personally enjoyed the fact that he could taste all the flavors in the bruschetta.  The toast was on the oily side even though it did add a nice depth to the hor d’oeuvre.

Basil made another appearance in the Caprese stack.  A jumbo grape tomato (surprisingly flavorful) with basil and mozzarella (nothing special).  The salty, creamy mozzarella played well with the crisp, juicy tomato.

The fourth sample was the Spicy Thai Shrimp, the restaurant’s successful take on Bonefish Grill’s Bang Bang Shrimp.  A nice crunch to the succulent shrimp with a hit of tang to cut the rich Sriracha aioli.  The Creative Loafing freelance writer who joined me at the table noted that this was her favorite item even though she did not like fried foods.

The final sample item available was the Crab and Shrimp Cake.  Since no utensils were provided, it was a little hard to eat.  Unlike the Spicy Thai Shrimp, this fried item was quite greasy.  I thought the construction of the item was a little awkward; the breading was only on the outside and it was quite heavy.  The jumbo lump crab was plentiful and flavorful.  The shrimp was unnecessary especially because the crab overpowered the delicate shrimp.  It did serve as a great textural contrast.  There was a small bit of Sriracha dolloped on top, but did nothing for the crab and shrimp cake.

The signature cocktail we tried was the Signature Strawberry Lemonade. Made with Grey Goose Vodka, I expected it to have that lemonade twang with a smooth finish. Yet, it was surprisingly sweet and floral.

Overall, a good tasting! A talented artist, Shaun Hopper, was there playing his acoustic renditions of popular songs. I thought the service could have been a little bit more efficient; there were times when I had to hunt down a server to get an hor d’oeuvre.  There were giving out samples of cocktails (a Bacardi spiced rum with Coke and Orange flavored Grey Goose with Cranberry Juice) which the crowd enjoyed. The chef even made an appearance and mingled with the crowd to answer any questions. All in all, I had a great time and a memorable experience, no doubt.

Restaurant Name: GrillSmith

Cuisine: American, Steakhouse

Neighborhood: Carrollwood

Address: 14303 N. Dale Mabry Highway Tampa, FL 33618

Phone Number: (813) 269-1500

Website: http://www.grillsmith.com/

The Yonsei University Mentors Club is taking 30 exchange students on a trip to Jeollanam-do today. During our trip we will attend the 18th Namdo Food Festival, known to have food from over 22 cities in Jeollanam-do. I am quite excited to visit this food festival and experience an area outside of Seoul. After we visit the festival, we will head to Boseong Tea Farm (which grows over 70% of South Korea’s green tea). It should make for some great photos and I hope we have a chance to try the green tea products sold there. I will return to Boseong during my Korean food tour at the end of the month so expect lots of coverage on this location (first brought to my attention while watching the Korean drama Summer Scent).

Food! I’m there

The Boseong Tea fields

Follow Carlos Eats on Twitter @carloseats for live updates (assuming I have phone service ^^).

When I was researching about South Korea before I traveled to study abroad I came across an interesting event: the 1st Korean Food Tour for Foreign Foodies, sponsored by The Ministry for food, Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries and the Korean Food Foundation. Applications for participants were being accepted and I was lucky enough to be chosen as a finalist to join a team of college students to be featured on this food tour.

During the first orientation I learned that I will also be on television, KBS2 (Korean Broadcasting System 2) and cameras will follow us on every step of our way through the Jeollanam-do province of South Korea. We also found out we have to plan our own trip through our province step-by-step and explain why and how we decided to pick each restaurant or location we will visit and that in the end there will be a roadmap created for future foreign visitors to South Korea looking for the best foodie destinations (I get to make a difference!). Lucky for me my South Korea travel book states “ask anyone any they’ll say the best food in South Korea can be found here [Jeolla]“.

Jeolla-do is the ancestral home of the Yi family of the Joseon family (one of the longest cultural development periods in South Korean history including the invention of the writing system called Hangul by King Se-jong) with cooking techniques handed down for centuries. Jeolla is one of the least developed areas of South Korea, which makes it a perfect place for sightseeing. Warm weather allows for large agricultural  production in the region. There is certainly much to be seen in Jeollanam-do and much to be written. Stay tuned for updates on my journey to the southwestern province of South Korea.

Photo credit:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/briandeutsch/2270777402/

http://briandeutsch.blogspot.com/2010/10/viewing-fall-foliage-in-and-around.html

Renzo’s Gourmet, an Argentinean steakhouse in Tampa, is hosting their 2 year anniversary event from now until Saturday. They will have a free wine tasting with Malbec, Carmenere, and Torrontes wines for visitors and free hors d’ oeuvres. You guys know I love free stuff! This is a great opportunity to go check out the food and wine menu there. Two Carlos Eats team members visited a tasting at Renzo’s Gourmet a few weeks ago and really enjoyed the food and atmosphere there (post coming soon!) and plan on making a trip back before the anniversary promotion ends. Photographing and filming of the event is allowed, the event is open to the public, and no RSVP is necessary.

Restaurant Name: Renzo’s Gourmet

Cuisine: Argentinean

Neighborhood: South Tampa

Address: 3644 W. Kennedy Blvd., Tampa, FL 33609

Phone Number: (813) 870-3606

Website: http://www.renzosgourmet.com/

This guest blog was written by a friend of mine Dena Pham. She blogs on her food blog Dena Loves Food in Tampa. As many of you know, I am currently studying abroad in South Korea and I really appreciate her writing up a post for my readers on a very important food event in Tampa. If you like what you see, like her blog on Facebook! http://www.facebook.com/pages/Dena-Loves-Food/181586071852396. Stay tuned for more Tampa blogs as many are being finalized at the moment and don’t forget to checkout The Taco Bus Wednesday on Man Vs. Food.

Food trucks have been on the rise lately, especially with Food Network’s show called The Great Food Truck Race. Tampa may be a bit behind with the new “In” but we are catching up pretty fast. Last Saturday, Tampa had their first Food Truck Rally and it went a little too well! Sponsored by 352 Media Group and Tasting Tampa, they were only expecting 1,000 people, but shockingly around 5,000 were able to experience the first food truck rally in Tampa.

Food trucks have been popular for quite some time, but what makes these new food trucks so different is that they serve legitimate food. You can get your dessert, snacks, gourmet meals and more at a reasonable price now from these food trucks. Everyday they park in a different location all around town and update their fans via Facebook, Twitter and other online media outlets.

There was around 10 different food trucks and vendors that attended the food truck rally. They all served different food for any and all taste buds. From Tex-Mex, sweets, and smoothies to seafood, bowls, sandwiches and so much more.

Here is a list of the trucks that attended: Wicked Wiches, Killer Samich, 3 Ballers, Fire monkey, Michelle Faedo’s, Coconut Bo’s, Fat Tortillas, The Cuppin Cake, Nelly Nels, and Buddy Brew Coffee.

There were massively long lines and wait times which was expected, but I was very surprised when an hour and a half went by from their opening time that many trucks have already started erasing and crossing items off their menus. Nelly Nel’s was the first to officially close their window before the 2 hour mark, but they reopened a couple hours later serving pork and chicken bowls. It was impossible to try food from all trucks so I did what I could do since each truck was a minimum of 1-2 hour wait in line.

I was able to try smoothies from Coconut Bo’s, two different crab cakes from Michelle Faedo’s and food from Wicked Wiches. The smoothies from Coconut Bo’s wasn’t great enough for me to be tempted to find where their truck is everyday, but their food off their menu looked interesting and healthy.

The crab cakes from Michelle Faedo’s truck would probably be my favorite thing I ate at the whole event. The cakes were loaded with crab meat and they were also crispy on the outside and extremely moist in the inside. Their crab cake also has a nice tangy citrus kick which made them really addicting.

The last spot I was able to get food from was Wicked Wiches’ truck. They are known for their creative twist on sandwiches and I must give them props because their food is really unique and full of flavor. I was able to try most of the items off their menu that was available at that time. We ended up ordering their Moroccan smashballs, Dr. Pepper Dancing chicken, Big Lebrowski, Cheeseburger egg roll, Sloppy Mary kota and a fried ham & cheese sandwich. I also got their Lychee Mango Limeade and that was one of my favorite drink, I never had anything like it which makes it an even more plus on my list!

Overall, the food was really good and the event was fun. There was some frustration with long lines, heat and food running out, but I’m sure the next event on Oct. 22 will be much better. There will be around 20 trucks for this next event and also many will now have some food truck rally experience to know what to expect.

Website: http://www.facebook.com/TampaFoodTruckRally

The Grand Hilton Seoul will host their annual Oktoberfest festival this weekend on September 23rd and September 24th. There is much history behind Oktoberfest festivalsand they have been held since 1810 in Munich and eventually spread around the world through various other festivals based on the original. There will be beer, traditional German food, games, and the German “Paulaner Oktoberfest Band” performing live. The event starts at 6:00PM on both nights and the price is 120,000 KW (including tax and a service charge).

Some photos from Oktoberfest 2010 at the Grand Hilton Seoul:

Ah look at all that German food!

Location: Grand Hilton Seoul

Address: 201-1 Hongeun-dong, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, 120-710, Korea

Directions (Subway): Hongje Station (Subway Line 3), Exit 2. Take Bus 01 from the station to the hotel. Hotel is about a 15-min walk from the station.

Phone number: (82-2) 3216-5656

Website: http://www.grandhiltonseoul.com

It was hard to miss Taco Bell on their Grand Opening Day in Sinchon (신촌동) last Friday. Employees walked around with signs pointing towards the restaurant and a man dressed as a taco greeted and waved at people walking through the city. Music played outside the store and employees outside gave away free tacos or soft drinks to visitors just for stopping by (this reminded me of the Panda Express grand opening at USF earlier this year). Some girls were in love with the taco bell man and the amount of buzz seemed to be marketing working its magic.

I was one of the lucky ones who won a taco and I literally jumped up and down when I won. The employees at the booth were very friendly certainly did their part to make visitors feel more welcomed.

This scene looked familiar. The menu items were a little different, but mostly just the same items you will find in the U.S.A. with different combinations of items.  I decided to order Combo #3 (called sets in Korea) for around 5,000 won, which consists of a Crunchwrap Supreme and nachos with a soda. There was an electronic television to the side showing Americans eating tacos and burritos. The turn-around time was quite short and before I knew it I was heading to the drink machine to pick my beverage. The good thing about Taco Bell in Korea is the prices are actually similar to the prices in the United States and not marked up (Burger King being my prime example).

This is a sight you will rarely see in South Korea. Most fast food places (even McDonald’s and Burger King) remove the self-serve beverage machines when they enter foreign markets. Essentially it means you get less for your buck, though it is probably healthier to have less soda. Regardless, I was excited to use this machine I had not seen since my arrival (with the exception of Shake N’ Burger in SK Global House at Yonsei – meh) and quickly poured myself some Mountain Dew. Oddly, there is no Mountain Dew Baja Blast in Korea (my favorite flavor and one of the main reasons to go to Taco Bell in the U.S.A.!). I hope Taco Bell Korea will consider bringing this flavor to Seoul if their new stores succeed.

Like most fast food chains and coffee shops in Seoul, Taco Bell is 3 stories high and has plenty of seating arrangements on the second floor that overlooks Sinchon. It makes fast food seem so much fancier when you compare it to the Taco Bell locations in the United States that are so uncomfortable that you are almost always inclined to make an order to-go. There are even comfortable booths you can relax in at fast food chains in Korea.

The taco itself tasted remarkably similar to the ones in the United States. The shell was slightly less crunchy, but the cheese tasted better. The meat and other ingredients were the same. The Crunchwrap Supreme was as tasty as in the U.S.A. and was oozing out cheese.  They supplied you with 2 sauces of your choice (I normally go with mild) and the taste was slightly different, but similar. The nachos were average and the cheese dip was satisfactory. Overall, a cheap and enjoyable fast food meal and cheaper than most competitors in Korea.

Restaurant Name: Taco Bell (타코벨)

Location: Sinchon (신촌동)

Cuisine: Mexican

Website: http://www.tacobellkorea.com/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Taco-Bell-Korea/194679020581660

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/theboldchoice

Throughout the past year I have received many hits from people searching for Taco Bus, Travel Channel, and Man Vs. Food. Later this month you can catch The Taco Bus on The Travel Channel on September 28th at 9PM EST. I am very curious to see what Adam Richman from the Man Vs. Food will say about The Taco Bus that is taking Tampa by storm. Mark your calendars and save the date.

Many food bloggers in South Korea report an increasing interest in Mexican food throughout the nation as many local chains begin to pop up around Seoul. It certainly makes sense for a popular franchise, such as Taco Bell, to expand into the country. However, Taco Bell previously failed to expand into South Korea with 2 locations in the 90s and closed down in China back in 2008. The change in interest in foreign foods and increase in foreigners visiting South Korea may also play a factor, in addition to the powerful marketing today with the use of the internet and blogs to make food trends.

Taco Bell suffered serious losses in the United States after it was falsely sued in January for only having 35% meat (the lawsuit was later dropped) though international locations did better financially. The move to Seoul is a big step with only 250 locations out of the United States as of September 2010. The price of Mexican food can be pricey in South Korea and a cheap resource like Taco Bell is certainly welcome by me. Also: Taco Bell is perhaps the only fast food chain in Korea that offers free refills on soft drinks. There are only 3 Taco Bell locations currently open in Itaewon (이태원), Hongdae (홍대), and Sindorim (신도림). The next location will have its grand opening this Friday, September 16th, in Sinchon (신촌동) by UPLEX  just a short distance from Yonsei University and Ewha University.

Website: http://www.tacobellkorea.com/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Taco-Bell-Korea/194679020581660

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/theboldchoice

Over the summer I visited Miami and had the pleasure of the attending the Biscayne Triangle Truck Roundup. Over 30 trucks meet by FIU in Miami and for someone who loves food it is simply paradise. The trucks range from Asian cuisine to grilled cheese sandwiches. I am happy to announce that the same food scene is now making its way to Tampa. TBO Food Writer Jeff Houck wrote a great piece on Tampa’s food truck scene back in July and here we are a few months later preparing for a real food truck rally.

The 1st Tampa Food Truck Rally will occur on September 24th, 2011 at the Hyde Park Presbyterian Church from 11am to 3PM. The event is co-sponsored by Tasting Tampa and 352 Media Group. There will be live music, home-baked desserts, free child care and it is even located in the shade. Some of the vendors include Wicked ‘Wiches’, 3 Ballers Traveling Bistro, and Michelle Faedo serving Deviled Crab & Cubans. A second rally is currently be planned for October as well.

Event location: Hyde Park Presbyterian Church 1309 W. Swann Avenue Tampa, FL 33609

Event time: 11AM-3PM

Event website: http://www.facebook.com/TampaFoodTruckRally and http://www.tastingtampa.com

Parking is available in the Hyde Park Village parking garage across the street.

Spread the word and tell your friends about this important part of Tampa food history