Oak & Ola
Armature Works’ second full-service restaurant is helmed by James Beard award-winning chef Anne Kearney, along with local restaurateurs John and Trudy Cooper, Chris Arreola (all co-founders of On Swann) and Andy Ganger. The menu is described as “casual yet elevated” Euro-American cuisine, with dishes like schnitzel a la Holstein, onglet steak, Spanish fire-roasted octopus and garnet beet-red wine spaghetti. Oak & Ola is now open for dinner, with brunch and lunch service slated to begin later this spring. Fun fact about the restaurant’s cocktail menu: each drink is named for a female culinary genius.
Armature Works
1910 N. Ola Ave.
(813) 773-1901
oakandola.com
King of the Coop
The sister concept of Soul Food Street Kitchen (a food truck and most recent occupant of Armature Works’ rotating stall), King of the Coop specializes in Nashville-style hot chicken and catfish. The pre-opening menu lists chicken tenders and legs tossed in your choice of spice mix (there is an official “heat hierarchy”), plus sandwich es and sides like creamed collard greens and pimento cheese hush puppies. King of the Coop is slated to open to the public April 17.
6607 N. Florida Ave.
facebook.com/kingofthecooptampa
Florida Avenue Eats
Spaddy’s Coffee owner Greg Spadaccini teamed up with Ed Fernandez, the president of a local paver company, to open this new fast-casual spot in the former Chop Chop Shop location. The focus is on lunch, with healthy bowl, wrap and salad options created by executive chef Brian Cullen (fresh off an 11-year run as head chef at Tampa’s Legends Field). Opening is scheduled for mid-April.
4603 N. Florida Ave.
facebook.com/floridaaveeats
M. Bird
Also at Armature Works, this rooftop bar and lounge is named for Florida’s state bird (the mockingbird — who knew?) and designed with a tropical mod-deco design. The cocktail menu is island-inspired with a huge selection of rums and sugarcane-based spirits, while the food menu includes options like vaca frita tostones, citrus-glazed branzino, jerk chicken egg rolls and a bite- sized version of the classic Puerto Rican dish mofongo. M.Bird is 21 and up; the bar opens at 3 p.m. daily until midnight.
Armature Works
1903 Market St.
(813) 296-2702
mbirdtampa.com
Coast Bikes
The blue bikes around downtown and Ybor City have a fresh look and new operating system for 2019. The HOPR Transit app allows users to find, reserve and unlock bikes by scanning a QR code. Bikes are now dockless, so users can lock their bike to any public rack when they finish riding for a small fee; however, users receive a $1 credit to their HOPR account for locking their bike to a Coast parking hub. A bike costs $1 to unlock and 15 cents per minute of use thereafter, with monthly and annual passes available for frequent users.
Coast Bike hubs around downtown, Ybor City and Tampa Heights
gohopr.com/tampabay
Social House
Seminole Heights’ first sports bar opened in early April. Co- owned by mixologist Taylor Caum, SoFresh vice president Ricky Coston and former NFLer Logan Payne, Social House is a more upscale take on the sports bar concept, with 22 beer taps and 10 additional taps pouring wine, bubbly and cocktails, plus pitchers and “thoughtful” American dishes. The bar is taking the old home of Mortar and Pestle, which closed in February.
6310 N. Florida Ave.
@socialhousetpa
In February, developer Strategic Property Partners outlined plans for 1010 Water Street, a 481-unit residential building. Apartment floor plans will range from studios to two-bedrooms, and the building will include 32,000 square feet of ground-floor retail space, plus shared amenities like a rooftop pool with surrounding cabanas, indoor-outdoor bar, fitness facility and a co-working space with conference rooms. SPP says 1010 Water Street is targeted to younger, “price-sensitive” renters.
1010 Water Street (corner of Water Street and Cumberland Avenue, under construction)
waterstreettampa.com
The Modern Paws
Formerly housed inside Duckweed Urban Market, The Modern Paws has opened its own storefront on the first floor of Grand Central at Kennedy. This pet store stocks natural and holistic dog and cat food, health products, grooming tools, toys, collars and leashes, accessories and other supplies. The Modern Paws also offers pet grooming by appointment and a self-service dog washing station.
1120 E. Kennedy Blvd. #144 (entrance on Madison Street)
themodernpaws.com
Amalie Arena
Summer concert season is here, and the Amalie Arena calendar is filling up with old favorites and new chart-toppers. The Millennium Tour is a reunion of some of the late ‘90s and early ‘00s biggest R&B acts, with the boy band B2K headlining. Pop superstar Ariana Grande returns to Tampa for the first time in four years on May 28, and fans should take note of a special policy: only clear bags will be allowed into the arena for Grande’s show, and each person may carry no more than one bag that measures 12” x 6” x 12” or smaller. Finally, at the end of June, comedian Adam Sandler comes to town for a rare standup performance on his 100% Fresher tour.
MercyMe – May 5
The Millennium Tour: B2K, Mario, Pretty Ricky, Lloyd, Ying Yang Twins, Chingy and BobbyV – May 11
Ariana Grande – May 28
Luis Miguel – June 25
Adam Sandler – June 29
Straz Center for the Performing Arts
Buckle up, Broadway lovers. Four musicals will run at the Straz Center during May and June, three of which are fresh from the Great White Way. Anastasia, a tale of the lost Romanov princess based on the animated movie of the same name, kicks things off, followed by the Tony Award-winning Kinky Boots (which features original music by Cyndi Lauper). In June, Come From Away tells the story of thousands of stranded Americans and the Canadian town that welcomed them when all flights were diverted and then grounded on September 11, 2001. Finally, Rock of Ages is a jukebox musical set to the hits of ‘80s rock bands that explores chasing your dreams under the bright lights of Hollywood. Speaking of ‘80s stars, actor and former Brat Packer Rob Lowe will also be bringing his live show to the Straz on June 21.
The Florida Orchestra: Mahler’s Symphony No.1- May3
The Joe Budden Podcast – May 3
Opera Tampa Grand Gala – May 4
Anastasia – May 7-12
Hedda – May 8-June 2
Rocktopia – May 14
An Evening with David Sedaris – May 15
Kinky Boots – May 17-19
PJ Masks Live!Save the Day – May 19
We Just Move On — The Songs of Kande rand Ebb – May19
Nicholas David – May 20
The Florida Orchestra: Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto – May 24
That’s the Spirit – May 30
The Southern Momma Cledus T Judd Comedy Experience – May 31
Come From Away – June 4-9
Mad Theatre Presents Man of LaMancha – June 6-23
Rock of Ages – June 11-16
Rob Lowe: Stories I Only Tell My Friends Live! – June 21
Explore two of the forces that helped shape Tampa then (railroads) and now (craft beer) in exhibits at the Tampa Bay History Center. “On Track: A History of Florida Railroads” traces how rail impacted the state’s commerce and economy, while “History by the Pint: Beer and Brewing in Tampa Bay” looks at local craft brewing’s origins in Ybor City, Prohibition in Florida, and the expansion of breweries in Tampa. For the kids, the museum is hosting weekly themed camps throughout the summer.
On Track: A History of Florida Railroads – through July 14
History by the Pint: Beer and Brewing in Tampa Bay – through August 11
Collectors’ Day – May 5 Maps and More: The History of Longitude – May 8
Tap Talks: Passion of the Heights Weight Ale – May 16
History Adventure Camp: Swashbuckling Summer – June 10-14
History Adventure Camp: American Girl-June 24-28
Florida Museum of Photographic Arts
Running throughout the summer, photographer Olivia Parker’s “Vanishing in Plain Sight” is an imaginative exploration through her journey with her husband’s Alzheimer’s disease. “As John became more and more disconnected from the world around him my photographs began to depart from what my eyes saw,” Parker says in her description of the show. Also on display is “Contemporary Performance,” which explores social identities like gender, race, class and sexuality. FMOPA will also host a number of photography and art workshops during May and June; check fmopa.org for the most updated schedule.
Olivia Parker: Vanishing in Plain Sight – through August 31
Contemporary Performance – through August 31
This combo market and eatery has what you need to make dinner yourself or take it to go. The menu changes from week to week depending on what’s fresh (though you’ll often see options like oysters, mussels panang and ceviche), but the main attraction is build-your-own poké bowls. Choose from salmon, tuna (spicy or not), shrimp or octopus as your protein and a variety of toppings and sauces, like house-cured kimchi, wonton crisps, toasted sesame soy sauce and sriracha sweet chili mayo. Stay tuned to the market’s Facebook page for updates on the seafood available in-store.
6421 N. Florida Ave.
facebook.com/heightsseafoodco
The museum is pulling from its permanent collection for two summer exhibitions, which will help kick off TMOA’s 100th anniversary celebration in 2020. “Echoing Forms” focuses on American abstract expressionism from the post-World War II period as seen in paintings, works on paper and photography. Opening in June, “Tableau and Transformation” explores “darkroom effects, distinct studio practices, and unique compositions” in the work of 20th-century photographers like John Baldessari, Chuck Close, Cindy Sherman and William Wegman.
Abstract Expressionism: A Social Revolution, Selections from The Haskell Collection – through August 11
Echoing Forms: American Abstraction from the Permanent Collection – through August 18
Tableau and Transformation: Photography from the Permanent Collection – June 20-October 6
