Caught @ G.BAR
Caught @ Ybor City Wine Bar
Dishing with Mark & Carrie 2-17-13
Fiesta Day Weekend
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‘Annual Ybor Flan Fest’ Take All Bragging Rights Contest, Sat
This Saturday will be another tasty day in Centennial Park for the 10th Annual Flan Festival. Last last year I was a proud “Flan judge” sampling over 25 types of entried traditional & non traditional sweet flan recipes. Over 50 recipes were entered last year! This year ??? Thousands of people make sure they are at this delectable desert dish competition. It is the smiles and glistening eyes from the people that make the statewide famed desert match up so exciting.
The old original French word for flan, “flaon” and Spanish ” flan” is an egg custard desert served in most of the Ybor & Tampa Bay Spanish restaurants. Thus the uniqueness of the family secret desert.
The contest runs this Saturday from 11 – 3 pm and judging is at noon. A lot of other activities are also included with expanding flan contests and activities.
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People are Talking
Humm…MC Film is stocking up with white swimwear. A White Party is upcoming at GaYBOR Beach and is being planed for March 3rd. FMI contact HM Brandon. Can you say “Play Ball”! or was it “Play with softball players?” Either way it was a fun filled weekend in GaYBOR/Ybor City with the over 3000 softball players and friends here.
Mr. Eddie Edwards http://www.theedwardstwins.com/ was caught in GaYBOR this week. The identical twin brothers were performing as the dueling drag Barbra Steisand’s at, of all places, the Dallas Bull in Tampa !?!?!??
This weekend is the Annual Fiesta Day Festival in historic Ybor City sponsored by the Ybor City Chamber of Commerce. The full day Street Fest event is Free and is very Family Friendly all on 7th Avenue. Buccaneer cheerleaders and a full lineup of entertainers will be performing. LEGOLAND will have an interactive display also.
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The Laughing Cat Restaurant
The best fresh seafood in GaYBOR?Ybor is at The laughing cat Restaurant. This week Chef/Owner Franco took us into the kitchen. There were 2 huge, over 40 lbs each, Chilean Sea Bass! Franco was going to top the bass with a French sauce made with cappers, butter, shrimps & his secret spices. WOW!!! It’s easy to see why The Laughing Cat is #1!!!!
Twilight Market is a Tuesday Party
The Ybor Twilight Market is a hit! The early evening hour farm & craft market has a a great following already in its 4th week. Organic in culture the farm and everything market offers a true lineup of needed organic home grown vegetables, Buffalo cheeses, artisan breads, meats and a wide variety of other homemade items.
Open at 5 pm Tuesdays at the Roosevelt between 7th Ave & 8th Ave on 15th Street in the heart of GaYBOR / Ybor City. Inside and outdoor vendors are growing in number for another new great outdoor Tampa experience.
Rene’s Cabaret Reunion
A club that is not recognizable or familiar to many had its hey day in the 70′ & 80’s! Rene’s Club Cabaret on Kennedy Blvd (now doctor clinic & office) had an outdoor swimming pool, cabanas, large stage show area for drag performances and large bars in its 3 room divided up building to serve customers. The club was named after it’s owner, Rene Rodrigues. Rene was a diva character to say the least. Standing a tall 5’2″. Rene loved drag to say the least! The Tampa club was created and built to Rene specs. It premiered a cast of club kids & drag queens at an earlier generational era. The head of the shows was Miss Tiffani Middlesex and her hand picked auditioned drag performers.
Mark & I went there and we were young USF students. Rene liked us and gave us FREE VIP anytime passes. We still have our VIP Rene’s card (#111 & 112) in our glassed souveniers.
Saturday night Miss Joey Brooks brought back the old cast for a reunion for friends and members of the casts. Hundred packed Bradley’s on 7th. Hugs and greetings were shared by out of towners and locals that haven’t connected or communicated in years. It was a great memory lane for the packed house many. On stage was Miss Tiffani Middlesexx, Esme Russell, Dana Douglas, Apple Love and Joey Brooks.
Thank You Joey for a re-creation to the past times in present tense but remembered by our youthful years
Theresa’s Birthday Party
Every Tuesday there is a “Friends Dinner” at Carne’s Chop House in the bar area. Christian is the bartender and the $9.95 prime rib dinners with $2 martinis are a HIT!!! The party is open to everybody so it’s a great time to make new friends. This past Tuesday was special when one of GaYBOR Favorites, Bradley’s on 7th, Miss Theresa’s, was there to celebrate her 39th Birthday! Cheers to Theresa!!
You Just Can Not Make This Up
Part One – The Wildest Fight Ever!!!!
The Soviet Russia rule had just come down. The Former Soviet Union was falling apart. Our friend Edwin (aka Rita Rags) called and said he had found an incredible cheap trip 18 day package to Russia did we want to go with him. YES!!! We flew to JFK Airport in New York City then continued onto Kiev, Ukraine by Aeroflight ( the official airline of Russia). Our first clue should have been that when we went to re-ticket in the Aeroflight sign had been pulled out and reversed. Hum… As we were walking down the loading jet ramp Mark said to Carrie “There’s no plane???” Instead we were put on a mobile transport and taken to a remote corner of the JFK airport. As we were walking up to the huge Russian made plane we noticed that somebody had whitewashed over the name Areoflight. The hand painted sign on the outside of the planes had been painted “Air Ukraine “ Strange…
We then walked onto the huge cargo air vessel through a maze of containers, luggage, steam lockers, huge cargo boxes packed inside the netted sides of the plane. Once in our sling style netted plastic covered seats the attendant came by and gave us each a brown paper bag. Inside was some cheese, bread & a bottle of vodka. In a strong authorative vice she said, “You go toilet NOW!!! Limited toilet time during fight!”
We did what she said and were settling into our never ever seen before type seats when they started to bring in more cargo into the cabin and stacked it in the so called isle! OK, this all just became a nightmare in air and an adventure with unknown results!!! The plane took off for a 12 hour flight and flew over the north pole to our destination of Kiev in the Ukraine.
The last 3 hours we were flying over land and couldn’t help but notice how very close to the ground we were flying. Maybe 2 or 3,000 feet at most????? The plane finally landed we walked down the jet stair case to the tarmak.The crew opened the lower plane doors like a bus and tossed the luggage out on the ground. Farm tractors pulling hay wagon came out to the plane to pick up the luggage and passengers. Then a Polka Band came out on another tractor pulled wagon playing music. The crew started to cheer, dance & shout.
We asked the fight attendant what was going on???? She replied, “We are celebrating. This airplane is now Air Ukraine. No more Russian plane!!!” They had just stolen & comadeared the plane from the former Soviet Union from NYC!!!!! Shocked? Yes…We know we were on it!
Next week part 2 The trip to Moscow
GaYBOR Member of the Week
Ybor City Saturday Market
Almost every Saturday morning the Ybor City Saturday Market in Ybor’s Centennial Park is open and offers a great line up of farm fresh vegetables, handmade crafts, baked goodies cigar and candle makers, canned salsas and so much more.The market caters to everyone. Entertainment by different area bands, dancing troops. The market has been GaYBOR members for years. Open year round and closed Christmas week! Manager Lynn Schultz is the scheduler and champion of creative activities. www.ybormarket.com/.
Mark & Carrie’s Nephew/ Niece of the Week
Eduardo (EJ) Fernandes
EJ is one of hardest working guys in GaYBOR. Always has a sneaky smile on his face and a boyish playful sense of humor. Next visit to GaYBOR stop by Bradley’s on 7th and say hi to EJ!!!