Cass Street Deli
Tampa’s first true New York- style Jewish deli is now open near the University of Tampa. They’re serving up hot and cold sandwiches, matzo ball soup, bagels with lox, Wagyu beef hot dogs and a selection of pastries, all made with homemade or locally sourced ingredients from vendors like Jamison B Breadhouse and Tambuzzo Sausage Co. On the weekends, a small breakfast menu includes challah French toast, corned beef and hash, and a pastrami and Swiss omelette. Keep your eye on the deli case, where the team stocks corned beef, pastrami and turkey by the pound, plus other homemade specials (slaw, hummus and pickles have all made an appearance).
1331 W. Cass St. | (813) 609-6316 | cassstreetdeli.com
Rocca
Inspired by his travels in Italy, chef Bryce Bonsack is bringing a pasta-focused restaurant to the first floor of The Pearl in Tampa Heights. The restaurant’s Instagram is already teasing plenty of classic dishes created with handmade pastas, like rigatoni alla carbonara (with Italian bacon, egg yolk, black pepper and pecorino Romano) and a bucatini with Key West pink shrimp. Cocktails are a mix of classic and modern, with options like a negroni and a tequila-based Old Fashioned next to a milk punch with ice cream and a bramble with vodka and mulberry. Rocca is slated to open in September.
323 W. Palm Ave. | roccatampa.com
Red Star Rock Bar
The Seminole Heights neighborhood favorite recently opened a second two-story location along Ybor’s Seventh Avenue, bringing its lineup of live music and drink specials with it. Monday is a live jam night, while Tuesdays and Wednesdays feature DJs. Thursdays turn the mic over to customers for live punk rock karaoke, and local bands take the stage all weekend. Red Star Rock Bar is pet friendly and opens at 3 p.m. on weekdays and noon Saturday and Sunday.
1710 E. 7th Ave. | facebook.com/redstarybor
King State
An instant hit when it opened in early July, King State is doing coffee, in-house craft beers, rotating taps and wines. Company founder Tim McTague and Nate Young have been roasting coffee since 2015, and this location marks their first brick-and-mortar. Food options are Southern-inspired, with biscuits and gravy, a breakfast sandwich or plate, and house- made granola on deck for breakfast. Lunch and dinner sandwiches include barbecue pork, balsamic-roasted vegetables and a Reuben. King State is open daily at 8 a.m.
520 E. Floribraska Ave. | (813) 221-2100 | king-state.com
Pirate Water Taxi
The Pirate Water Taxi fleet is growing. Later this year, the company will unveil a new 100-passenger and two new 20-passenger vessels, the first new additions to the water taxi lineup since the boats debuted in 2016. The 100-passenger water taxi will include a bar, climate- controlled seating and restrooms, Pirate Water Taxi says. The 20-passenger boats will have the lowest profile of any of the company’s vessels, a feature that will allow them to reliably pass under the Beneficial Drive bridge to Harbour Island. Once these vessels join the fleet, Pirate Water Taxi plans to add a daily stop at Sparkman Wharf and a new stop at the Florida Aquarium.
Taxi stops along the Hillsborough River and Garrison Channel | (813) 390-3711 | piratewatertaxi.com
Water Street Tampa updates
Strategic Property Partners has started construction on the first office tower of the Water Street Tampa project, called 1001 Water Street. Located on the current corner of Channelside Drive and Old Water Street, the project is the first new trophy office tower built in Downtown Tampa in more than 25 years. The 20-story mixed-use building will feature 380,000 square feet of office and retail space and will connect to the new USF Morsani College of Medicine and Heart Institute via a public plaza. 1010 Water Street is expected to be complete in the late summer of 2021. That same year, a GreenWise market will open on the first floor of the residential 815 Water Street building. GreenWise is owned by Publix and specializes in natural and organic products and prepared meals. Finally, the JW Marriott became the first Water Street Tampa building to top out, completing its vertical construction in mid-July. The hotel is on schedule to open in late 2020.
1001 Water Street | 815 Water Street | 510 Water Street | waterstreettampa.com
Big Ray’s Fish Camp
The long-awaited second location of Big Ray’s is finally open at the Sail Pavilion. Part of the larger renovation at the Sail that has brought more shaded areas, seating and restrooms, the new restaurant adds another eatery to the rapidly growing Tampa Riverwalk. Big Ray’s is known for its blackened grouper sandwich, grouper Reuben, lobster corn dog and fried Key lime pie. The restaurant’s grand opening is planned for August 22.
333 S. Franklin St. | (813) 274-7778 | thesailtampa.com | bigraysfishcamp.com
Fork & Gallina
This is the newest concept at The Hall on Franklin, replacing Sorellina. From the chefs behind Fork & Hen, also at the Hall, Fork & Gallina is doing Italian-Mediterranean fusion with daily specials like pink stuffed pasta pillows and squid ink tagliatelle. Regular menu items include Sicilian pizzas, a meatball Parmesan hero, lasagna Bolognese and kebab platters, with zeppole (think Italian beignets or donuts) for dessert.
1701 N. Franklin St. | (813) 405-4008 | @forkandhen | thehallonfranklin.com
Hockey’s back, people! The Tampa Bay Lightning play three preseason games at Amalie Arena before opening the regular season against the Florida Panthers on October 3. It’s also a busy two months for concerts at the arena, with legendary acts like The Who and Phil Collins stopping by. Twenty One Pilots are back for the second time on their Bandito tour on October 9, while The Chainsmokers bring the party on October 25. Finally, on October 24, pop-rap superstar Post Malone plays his first Tampa show since the release of his blockbuster album Beerbongs and Bentleys.
Lightning v. Carolina Hurricanes (Preseason) – September 17
Lightning v. Nashville Predators (Preseason) – September 20
Disturbed – September 21
The Who – September 22
Phil Collins – September 26 Lightning v. Florida
Panthers (Preseason) – September 28
Lightning v. Florida Panthers – October 3
Twenty One Pilots – October 9
For King & Country – October 13
Lightning v. Colorado Avalanche – October 19
Lightning v. Pittsburgh Penguins – October 23
Post Malone – October 24
The Chainsmokers – October 25
Lightning v. Nashville Predators – October 26
Cirque du Soleil presents Axel – October 31-November 3
The Straz’s Broadway season opens with Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, a new musical based on the classic book of the same name, and Spymonkey’s Hysteria, a farcical take on the gothic romance. Elsewhere on the calendar, the song that’s been haunting parents’ dreams all year comes to life in Baby Shark Live! and the daredevil Diavolo dance troupe brings a local touch to their performance, with a special piece focused on healing through movement in collaboration with Tampa veterans.
Meteor Shower by S
teve Martin – September 6-29
Heather McMahan Live: The Farewell Tour – September 7
Rhett & Link: Live in Concert – September 8
13th Annual Crack Up Cancer Comedy Show – September 14
Siudy Flamenco Intimo – September 15
We Are Two Different People Tour, Starring Danny Gonzalez and Drew Gooden – September 18
Latin Nights – September 19
Spymonkey’s Hysteria– September 19-November 3
Baby Shark Live! – October 5
Silly Sam The Music Man – October 5
Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – October 8-13
JB Smoove – October 12
Broadway Ball – October 19
Gretchen Peters – October 21
Aaron Tippin – October 22
Diavolo Dance Theatre: Architecture in Motion – October 25
The Thanksgiving Play – October 25-November 17
The United States Air Force Concert Band – October 26
Bianca del Rio – October 31
Comedians Jim Jeffries and Nate Bargatze headline the Tampa Theatre’s live entertainment lineup for September and October, while the beloved Nightmare on Franklin Street series returns beginning October 18. Exact details will be available in early September, but this year’s lineup is slated to include classic horror and cult-favorite films, family- friendly “Mummy and Me” movies, live performances and storytelling, ghost tours, Halloween happy hours, and a Rocky Horror Picture Show double feature on October 19. Boo!
Jim Jeffries -September 13
The Skyway Bridge Disaster – September 15
An Evening with Salman Rushdie – September 25
SuicideGirls: Blackheart Burlesque – September 28
Nate Bargatze – October 17
A Nightmare on Franklin Street – October 18-31
Rarely seen in its entirety, Robert Rauschenberg: America-Mix 16 showcases the museum’s portfolio of the artist’s work in its entirety — 16 photogravures of objects and vignettes Rauschenberg found during his cross-country travels. Then, opening in September, Ordinary/Extraordinary: Assemblage in Three Acts connects three separate exhibits by their use of found objects. The first focuses on two unique pieces by Jean-Michel Basquiat; the second a group of 91 works by Purvis Young from the museum’s permanent collection; and the third a selection of 20th and 21st-century Haitian Vodou flags.
Tableau and Transformation: Photography from the Permanent Collection – through October 20
Robert Rauschenberg: America Mix-16 – through January 5
Jean-Michel Basquiat: One Master Artist/One Masterpiece – opens September 12
Purvis Young – opens September 12
Sacred Diagrams: Haitian Vodou Flags from the Gessen Collection – opens September 12
Florida Museum of Photographic Arts
FMOPA’s fall exhibits take a unique perspective on the sights that surround us. In Day and Night, photographer Steven Wilkes shoots world landmarks from the same angle for 15 continuous hours, blending the shots into one photo to show the passing of time. Then in Women are Beautiful, Garry Winogrand captures women that embody the street style and attitudes of New York City in the 1960s and 1970s, documenting small moments that add up to a story of an era.
Steven Wilkes: Day to Night – opens September 1
Garry Winogrand: Women are Beautiful – opens September 1
