Caught @ Steam Fridays @ The Honey Pot

GaYBOR Bar Crawl
 
    The Annual GaYBOR Holiday Bar Crawl started the night at Gaspar’s Grotto with a warm welcome or was it just a hot drink? Thanks to Sheri and the pirates gang for the starting inspiration to the bar crawl. Mama lead the procession down Ybor’s crowded avenue. Other shot stops included Reservoir Bar, Hamburger Mary’s Bradley’s on 7th, R Bar, Liquor Cage, Liquid and final stop G.Bar!
A very colorful fun adult beveraged night.
People Are Talking
    In Washington with the passing of the voter-approved state law legalizing Gay Marriage, 279 Gay Marriage licenses were issued in Seattle the first 6 hours. Domestic Partnership Registry’s are growing in West Coast of Florida cities and now counties. More expanded rights is coming to tampa. We hear the good news of Al & Chuck  of AlandChuck.travel got engaged on the recent RuPaul Drag at Sea Cruise out of Miami. Congrats guys!! Carnival Cruise Lines will have to offer a better “I’m sorry Gay people.” for the comments they made in an email to all passengers going on this same cruise. The e-mail stated “…no one can be dressed in drag aboard the ship except for entertainers in the theatre.” Later with pressure coming from all over the press, the president of Carnival rescinded the emails remarks.
    The list of performing stars was released for the 2013 Plant City Strawberry Festival. Always a wild and tasty time!!!

Caught @ Steam Fridays @ The Honey Pot

Dishing with Mark & Carrie 11-7-12

Happy Veterans Day Nov. 11th
There are 1,000’s more Photos of the Week at www.MCFilmFest.com
 
Let GaYBOR Help Make Your Holiday Parties FABULOUS
    Make Your Reservations NOW!!! The Restaurants, Clubs and Hotels across GaYBOR are filling up fast this Holiday Season. Now is your time to make your Holiday Reservations. This year many GaYBOR Members are also offering Luncheon Holiday Parties. All the Clubs & Bars are offering VIP and Bottle Services. Many at early discount prices. Dinner, Shows, Clubs there are 1,000’s of combination at all price ranges…
 .
Bradley’s on 7th
Bricks
Beaune’s Wine Bar / West Palm Wines
Bernini of Ybor
Centro Cantina
Centro Ybor 20 Muvico Theaters
Cristiano’s Pizzeria
Crow Bar
Cuban Club
Don Vicente Historic Inn
Florida Entertainment Group
Gaspars’s Grotto
Green Iguana Bar & Grill
Hamburger Mary’s
Hampton Inn & Suites Ybor
Hilton Garden Inn
Italian Club
JJ’s Cafe & Bar
King Corona Cigars
La Terrazza
Laughing Cat Restaurant
New York New York Pizza
Queen & I Thai Restaurant
Row Boat & R Bar
Sheraton Riverwalk Hotel
Skye
Stone Soup Company, The
Taverna Opa
Ybor City Wine Bar
.
Vist www.GaYBOR.com for more details & links.
 .
THE GaYBOR/ Ybor City Chili Cook-Off
    This past weekend there was Fierce and HOT Competition in the Annual Bradley’s on 7th Chili Cook Off Competition. 9 contestants vied for the right to be the Honorable Chili Chef Guru in GaYBOR/ Ybor City. A wide variety of chili recipes were made for the over 300 sampling votes tallied.
    On consensus in the very close race the top winners were; 1st Place winner was smiling Jake Zils, 2nd Place Samantha from Reservoir Bar, 3rd bartender Bradford from Bradleys on 7th, and 4th Place winner Joel.
    Last years winner was TEACUP (Mark Bias-MC FILM) with his white warm chili winning presentation. The next level is at Cityside Lounge which is a Chili Cook Off Charity Benefit put on by the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence and a chosen charity.
    Start now for next years very competitive Chili Cook Off where you can claim bragging rights for your recipe.
 .
Fall Comfort Foods… Umm Garlic
So many different ways to make garlic spreads for dipping, spreading and marinating. Our gathered Homemade Aioli recipe is one we think you will enjoy. We have two simple but very flavorful recipes for your comfort zone.
Mom Peaton’s Aioli Recipe
    4 Garlic cloves pressed or crushed and minced
    1/4 tsp salt
    1/4 tsp cracked pepper
    2 egg yolks
    3/4 cup virgin olive oil
    1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
    In a bowl add the first four ingredients whisk and slowly add the virgin olive oil. Whisk together until thick then finally add in the fresh lemon juice. Refrigerate and serve on bread, crackers or sandwiches.
Roasted Garlic Butter… Fall Simple
    1 Whole bulb garlic
    3-4 tbsp Virgin olive oil
    Turn on oven and set at 350 degrees. Cut of 1/4 top of garlic bulb. Put in an oven proof dish. We have a garlic pottery that we use. Pour over the garlic the olive oil. Put in oven for 20 minutes.
    Each roasted clove is a great spread on bread, meats or flavorful accents in vegetables. Always yummy!
 .
Important Fun GaYBOR District Meeting this Friday.
    Like to meet new friends, network in the historic and Tampa Bay area with busiesses and help your LGBTA Community all while having a great time??? Then you will want to be at the GaYBOR District Coalition meeting this Friday. Be first to learn all the exciting details about the upcoming GaYBOR Events. Help decorate GaYBOR/ Ybor City Streets for the Holidays,The GaYBOR 5th Annual Holiday Party, the over the top Annual GaYBOR Holiday Bar Crawl, Parades & more.
     Everybody is welcome to the FREE GaYBOR meetings. join us this Friday at the Hilton Gardens Inn, 1700 9th Ave., Ybor, Starting 4PM.
 .
Sunday FUNdays!!!
    The Sunday FUNdays in GaYBOR are just plain WILD & CRAZY!!!! Starting at 11AM Shop, Dine & Bar Hop at all the GaYBOR members. NEW this past Sunday FUNday at Hamburger Mary’s, on the only balcony in GaYBOR/Ybor with full liquor, is “Tea Party with Tea Cup” Starting every Sunday at 4PM.
     Enjoy Cocktails,Appetizers, Dinner with Friends & Tea Cup. Watch the sunset and the historic lights turn on over 7th Ave.
 .
Santa Speedo Run Ybor City, A Benefit for A.S.A.P.
Sunday, Dec 9, 2012
ON SALE Now Red Speedo’s @ MC Film
.
How Big was it, Chucky???
 .
Tea Cup & Friends
 .
Art on 7th
 .
Fun Times @ The Crowbar
 .
Stone Soup Company
 .
School Tours of Ybor
.
Wild Nights at NY NY PIzza
.
Obama Volunteers
.
Alley Art
.
Carne Chophouse Ybor
.
Steve with Friends @ Lucky @ AJA
.
Caught @ Hamburger Mary’s
.
Caught @ Steam Fridays @ The Honey Pot
.
Caught @ Bradley’s on 7th
.
Caught @ The Social
.
Caught @ G.BAR
.
Caught in Ybor City
.
Caught @ MC Film

Dishing with Mark & Carrie 8-28-2012

RNC  SPECIAL  EDITION
    We are so very excited it’s hard to write!!! This week we are including our M&C RNC Diary  each day complete with 100’s of photos. Our interpretation input blog about the local RNC events. To read please go this SPECIAL RNC Section on our web site.    Read More   http://www.mcfilm.co/category/daily-rnc-blog/
 .
Tampa Bay’s RNC In & Outs
    What a wild ride for Tampa this week. Tampa does have a few crazy roller coasters in our city.The long planned  GOP Republican National Convention 2012 came to Tampa in force. Tidied up hotels and revamped resorts and golf courses are packed all the way to Lakeland. The anti protesters came or are still coming. An underestimated number though. The Tampa Police Chief Jane Castor is overseeing  3,000 statewide police officers converging on the security of downtown Tampa and the area bridges in Hillsborough and Pinellas Counties, What great looking light weight ‘sand storm trooper police uniforms’ they sport to the world. We commend the leadership to giving a required police crash class on “Be nice & friendly to everyone.” The event planners with groups from 100 to 50,000 are pulling their hairs out. Party locations had to be realigned for the unexpected storm. The 14,000 national and international press media contingencies merged to the West Coast of Florida looking for a slant story on the RNC event. And what appeared to possibly be disastrous to everything, a major annual gulf storm. Hurricane Isaac caused a little havoc with winds and rain to our area but moved away from Tampa to the Gulf Coast states. Lookout New Orleans! Hurricane Katrina was 7 years ago to the day.
    This is an historic time in Tampa Bay. Be it stormy rain or hot humid sunshine the party continues.The big GOP hasn’t yet had national memorable events (well they did cancel the 1st day of the convention). BUT Tampa residents are shining on all media reports. This is a very diverse and friendly city.
    What has positively happened to Tampa Bay we have all noticed. Historical Ybor City’s GaYBOR District rekindled new business and crime cleaned up. New Tampa’s expanded new suburban growth and residences, downtown Tampa being redeveloped after decades of scarred blight and controversies and St. Petersburg shining redesigned downtown is well kept manicured and prospering.
    Say what you want, we are very happy that the former Republican Chairman Michael Steele, former Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio and Investor /Developer Al Austin persuaded a conservative convention site delegation to Tampa Bay, even if Tampa is led by a Democrat governance with Mayor Bob Buckhorn at the realm. August is a traditionally dead month in almost all industries in Tampa except for the 9th largest school system in America!
    So we are all driving different routes to work or play, witnessing what looks like a police battalion scene on TV from Beirut, closed downtown city and county government business, and 400+ charter buses roaming Tampa’s streets looking for a place to let off its passengers.
    We all Welcome You All to Tampa GOP’rs !!!
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
This is just too funny!!! 
Today a big black suv stopped in front of our store. 4 Police in sexy brown sandstorm trooper outfits jumped out and ran up to our cut outs to take photos as Dorthy & Leatherman!!! LOL LOL  
Backstage
Caught @ Steam Fridays
.
Caught @ G.BAR
.
Caught @ Bradley’s on 7th
.
New Chef Scott
Caught @ Hamburger Mary’s
.
Caught @The Social
.
Caught @ JJ’s Cafe & Bar
Caught @ Centro Cantina
.
Brandon & James Joyce Pub
.
After Glow Proud GaYBOR Members
.
The Obama Flag is proudly flying over the tallest building in GaYBOR-Ybor City!!!! The old ice house behind the Hampton Inn on the streetcar line!!!
Caught @ GaYBOR/Ybor City
.
Controversial Billboard

If you or any of your readers would like a free bumper sticker of the image, please send them to our website: www.RuthsListFL.org and click on the billboard. Or, go directly to http://www.ruthslistfl.org/content/welcome-tampa-rnc-billboard-and-bumper-sticker

Special Coverage M&C’s RNC Daily Blog B-4 8-22

RNC  Diary

 

8-3-12             Put up new American & Rainbow flags and banners on MC FILM store. Getting ready for the upcoming RNC convention. The cloth American flag bunting is from a gay NYC firemen friend from his NYC fire house and from 911.

 

8-9-12             Telemundo TV (Spanish TV network) had called and wanted to do an interview and take a tour of the GaYBOR District. Host of show Grace S came with camera crew. The show will be aired to 84 Spanish speaking countries in regards to the Tampa Gay point of view of the Republican Party. Carrie did an ½ hour interview talking about GaYBOR. We directed the team to Hamburger Mary’s to interview Alexis Mateo, a drag performer at HM for ½ hour. Onto the 7th Ave for footage of Ybor City.  Social Club, Centro Ybor, El Centro Espenol, King Corona, cradle light bridges in Ybor City, Liquid Lounge and they had Spanish drag and dance night. They interviewed 2 drag queens. We left Grace &  the camera crew as they had a early morning breakfast with the RNC vice chair.

Dishing with Mark & Carrie 7-11-12

Mark & Carrie
.
NEW this Week “The Rainbow Table” by Mark & Carrie
    A friend once asked us, “What advice do you wish an older Gay person would given you when you were young?” This got us a thinking.  Here is something we would like to share.
    When you become a couple it is not about you & me anymore. It becomes about “us” or “n”  as in Mark n Carrie. We are not saying that you should loose your identity but that a third person is created “us/n”.  Life is much easier and a lot more fun if you let “us/n” do the cooking. Here is what we did. Over the years we cook back and forth for each other. Sometimes cooking old family traditions and other times new things. When we both agreed that the recipe was GREAT we would write it down in our “Best Dish” journal. All theses recipes then received the “us/n” stamp of approval.  Some times we would also write a note about the recipe too.  What fun to come home not knowing what to cook and to just pick up this book. Then to find ourselves saying, “That sounds good, we haven’t had that for a long time!” or “Remember that crazy party when…?”
    For many years we have wanted to write a cookbook for our nieces & nephews. With “Dishing with Mark and Carrie” we now have 10′s of 1,000′s of nieces and nephews across the world. Suddenly a light bulb went off. Since we already have our web site  www.mcfilm.co  why not write it on the site. Now we can share the progress weekly.  To be quite honest… by writing one or two recipes a week we actually might get the book written!!! LOL LOL  We invite you to join us on this journey of creating our book “The Rainbow Table.”
.
Where did the title “Rainbow Table” come from?
    We were at a auction with our good friend Marie Hall, a neighbor and good ol Southern Charm Mom.  A new classic Florida antique white pedestal dining room table with 6 matching chairs came up for sale. While Carrie was out getting Marie & Mark our beer soaked hot dogs, Mark bought the table. When Carrie came back with the hot dogs Marie leaned over a with a smile  laughing said, “How do you like that table Carrie? Mark just bought it!” Carrie was not amused but we took it home that night.
     The next day when Carrie came home around 5pm Mark was in the back yard with the chair seats removed and was busy spray painting the chairs. Carrie yelled, “What are you doing?!?!?”  Mark said, “You really didn’t think I like antique white chairs, did you?? 6 chairs 6 colors in the Gay Rainbow flag, it’s a natural.”  We both laughed and the chairs have been a big conversation piece ever since.
Visit www.MCFilm.co and click on The Rainbow Table.
 .
July 3rd GaYBOR Style with Mark & Carrie
After dinner we went out for a stroll down 5th Ave in GaYBOR/Ybor City.  The sun was just starting to set and the lights were coming on.  People forget how beautiful the homes are in GaYBOR/Ybor. Our first stop was at the Crowbar to see Bonnie & Tom. Out on the patio Tom was busy grilling hotdog for the big Annual 4th of July HOTDOG Contest! Inside Bonnie was looking beautiful, as always. We popped into Hamburger Mary’s to say hi. Dinning on the sidewalk was Frank Sinatra with his wife & friend. At New York New Ybor Pizza there were busy remolding. New store front & larger kitchen. Looks like they are keeping the Hot Guys!!! wink wink… At Bradley’s on 7th it looked like a Friday night.  Many groups of fun party people getting the party started.  Liquid TAMPA’s  party was “Candy Land USA” Hosted by DJ Power Infiniti. There was candy every where and we do mean every where!!! On the way to G.BAR we thought we were seeing double!!! A Flaming Orange Honda Element exactly like ours was parked next to us! G.BAR felt like a Wild Saturday Night. Dances on top of the bar everywhere. Miss Esme Russell Hosting a Crazy show and from NYC DJ Chris Cox!!!!
What a Great way to kick off the July 4th Celebration, GaYBOR Style!!!
Viva La GaYBOR
For more Adventures in GaYBOR with Mark & Carrie Visit
.
From the Tampa Bay Times
Read in the Tampa Bay Times Miss Melanie Minyon calling BINGO at Hamburger Mary’s.
Congratulations!!!!
.
Photo of the Week
Mark & Carrie’s Nephews Justin & Jarrod 
Photographer Mark Melnick
Clothing provided by MC Film
Location GaYBOR of Course!!!
.
People R Talking
A new night club is opening in Ybor City replacing the old Empire Club on 7th. It is called Dream but will it become a nightmare? The Empire Club had many shootings, 1 shooting death inside and closed last November. St Pete Pride Parade has come and gone. It is interesting to see the attendance counting from the news agencies. Fox network reported 40k there. Channel 10 CBS reported 80,000 as did Tampa Bay Times, Channel 28 ABC & Watermark magazine reported 100,000. Such a disparately in attendees.
What a wonderful surprise as our niece Natalie & boyfriend Ryan came from Satellite Bch for the weekend and surprised her uncles in Tampa. She has a lot of Uncles as she says about all the friends we have and say she is there niece too!
Is it to early to clean up Tampa for the RNC convention? Trees and shrubbery are being planted and after the storm replanted! Trees and shrubbery are being trimmed. New paving jobs are in the works on the Tampa downtown streets. Are the private building owners being responsible and cleaning up and painting their historic frontage structures? The Code Enforcement officers in Tampa told us they have been warned. The biggest convention in Tampa’s history, the GOP National Republican Convention is just 1 month away!
The only tri-lingual (Spanish- Italian English) newspaper in United States is La Gaceta located in Ybor City and is celebrating its 90th Anniversary. The newspaper started in 1922 by Victoriano Mantiega, a lecture at Ybor City cigar companies reading to the hand making cigar rollers. Congratulations to editor/ publisher Patrick Mantiega.
.
GaYBOR Member of the Week
 PFLAG-Tampa

John & Nancy Desmond
(53)
    Tampa Bay has had a number of PFLAG’s (Parents & Friends of Lesbian & Gays) organizations start and close. But because of these 2 devoted individuals John & Nancy Desmond, they have started a new Tampa chapter,created, generated a great awareness to the Gay youth right here in Tampa. They have been active members of GaYBOR District Coalition and recently had booths at St, Pete Pride and the First Pride Event held at the VA Hospital in Tampa
.
Mark & Carrie’s Nephew/Niece of the Week
Natalie & Ryan
(118)
    We are proud to say that our niece, Natalie and boyfriend, Ryan are our featured nephew and niece. We just love Natalie’s go get’ em energy!  Natalie graduated from USF and stayed with us during her off times. And yes, she has hundreds of friends here in Tampa because she brings them all over to our house! Our little Space Shuttle niece was working at Kennedy Space Center and is now at Patrick Air Force Base in Satellite Beach. She is also the Satellite Beach High Swimming Coach and dance instructor at a Greek Church group in Mehlbourne. She got us passes to see the last space shuttle last summerl. She is in a High Security position! We don’t ask and she can’t tell!
.
You Just Can Not Make This Stuff Up!
The names have been changed to protect the innocent! Kinda – Sort of… LOL
“Pianos of Ybor”
(8)
    The Pianos of Ybor was a social & art exhibit. We purchased 10 pianos had them tuned and then had 10 artist paint the pianos. The pianos were the placed thru out Ybor City in public spaces. Everybody was encouraged to play the pianos. At the end of 6 weeks not one piano as damaged not even the piano beaches!! The pianos were then auctioned off and the moneys were given to charities. On the 1st day we were moving the pianos into lo actions. The pianos were on top of a moving platform. As we were moving down 15th street suddenly Stephen Moss started to play the piano. Who knew he studied class piano!!! More surprises came everyday. Dancer Mica & even the mailman were great pianists.
.
You Just Can Not Make This Stuff Up!!!
The names have been changed to protect the innocent! Kinda – Sort of… LOL
“4th of July Fireworks at the SunCoast Resort”
(7)
The fireworks at The Suncoast Resort were one of the crowds favorites. The first few times the maintenance manager would drive to Tennessee and come back with a car load of fireworks. Later after words from the city this all changed and it was done professionally. The fireworks were shot off the second floor of the parking garage. One of the first times one of the rockets went into the garbage dumpster next to the SW building. The fire department was called out to put the fire out.  The next time they started to shoot off fireworks somebody tipped off the fire department.  With sirens blazing and lights all flashing here came the BIG NEW Fire Truck. They hit the horns and told security to get out of the way here they are coming in. They went straight back to the up ramp to the second floor. Once again security tried to stop the fire trucks but they insisted they were coming in!!! Driving up on the second floor of the garage to stop the fire works.  The Suncoast management turned white and ran up to the fire chief. The upper deck of the parking garage was CONDEMEND Unsafe for small cars!!! There sat the new many ton fire tuck. Back up police & fire were called. The garage was closed with 100’s of cars packed in below. VERY SLOWLY the fire truck was backed out with dozens of firemen on radios trying to back out over supports only. Many new large cracks were made in the concrete that long night!
To read more “You just can not make this stuff up” visit
.
RNC Rejection Letter
    This week we received a media rejection letter from the Committee on Arrangements for the 2012 Republican National Convention. Last fall we applied for special press passes. We thought it would be interesting to cover the Gay Republican Log Cabin & Go Proud GLBT groups from a GLBT perspective. After filling out the online applications the RNC requested, we sent in samples of our “Dishing with Mark & Carrie” newsletter columns and advised we had been writing our column for over 16 years. We sent printouts of our on line blog  & copies of magazines that we are in. We have been kept in the RNC loop for media briefings all along though. We were told if you are in the media communications emails it looks good for you to be a RNC accepted journalist. Now 6 weeks before the convention we get this letter.     
    Several months ago on behalf of GaYBOR District we filled out the online request to use the RNC logo on “Welcome RNC from GaYBOR” posters.  We were told NO but we could purchase welcome posters from the RNC.
    Humm…….. I’m not saying homophobia, but we are not getting warm fuzzy’s here either. Actually it’s much like the same reception we receive from the Hillsborough County Board of Commissioners.
    In the past Tampa has hosted large national events like the Super Bowls.  Leading up to these events there is excitement in the air. People are looking forward to the special events and all the fun festivities. Now here comes the RNC and people are already stressed out and nervous.  It feels more like we are getting ready for a natural disaster like a out of control hurricane coming.
With Gay PRIDE,
Mark & Carrie
.
Caught at Muvico 20 Centro Ybor
.
Christian & Bobbie & the Crowbar
.
Dogs Welcome at Centro Cantina
.
Great Food & Service
@ Fresh Mouth
.
Great Pizza @ NY NY Pizza
.
Judy B. Goode @ Bad Monkey
.
Field Trip to Ybor
.
Caught @
Bradley on 7th
.
Sunday FunDay
@ Liquid Tampa
.
G.BAR
.
Cast of Steam Fridays
Party @ Steam Fridays
.
Cast of Hamburger Mary’s
Stephanie Shippae”
@ Hamburger Mary’s Every Sunday
.
Collage Night
@ the Social

The Rainbow Table

The Rainbow Table by Mark & Carrie
    A friend once asked us, “What advice do you wish an older Gay person would given you when you were young?” This got us a thinking.  Here is something we would like to share.
    When you become a couple it is not about you & me anymore. It becomes about “us” or “n”  as in Mark n Carrie. We are not saying that you should loose your identity but that a third person is created “us/n”.  Life is much easier and a lot more fun if you let “us/n” do the cooking. Here is what we did. Over the years we cook back and forth for each other. Sometimes cooking old family traditions and other times new things. When we both agreed that the recipe was GREAT we would write it down in our “Best Dish” journal. All theses recipes then received the “us/n” stamp of approval.  Some times we would also write a note about the recipe too.  What fun to come home not knowing what to cook and to just pick up this book. Then to find ourselves saying, “That sounds good, we haven’t had that for a long time!” or “Remember that crazy party when…?”
    For many years we have wanted to write a cookbook for our nieces & nephews. With “Dishing with Mark and Carrie” we now have 10′s of 1,000′s of nieces and nephews across the world. Suddenly a light bulb went off. Since we already have our web site  www.mcfilm.co  why not write it on the site. Now we can share the progress weekly.  To be quite honest… by writing one or two recipes a week we actually might get the book written!!! LOL LOL  We invite you to join us on this journey of creating our book “The Rainbow Table.”
Where did the title “Rainbow Table” come from?
    We were at a auction with our good friend Marie Hall, a neighbor and good ol Southern Charm Mom.  A new classic Florida antique white pedestal dining room table with 6 matching chairs came up for sale. While Carrie was out getting Marie & Mark our beer soaked hot dogs, Mark bought the table. When Carrie came back with the hot dogs Marie leaned over a with a smile  laughing said, “How do you like that table Carrie? Mark just bought it!” Carrie was not amused but we took it home that night.
     The next day when Carrie came home around 5pm Mark was in the back yard with the chair seats removed and was busy spray painting the chairs. Carrie yelled, “What are you doing?!?!?”  Mark said, “You really didn’t think I like antique white chairs, did you?? 6 chairs 6 colors in the Gay Rainbow flag, it’s a natural.”  We both laughed and the chairs have been a big conversation piece ever since.