Official World of Beer opening on Friday

To add to my post last week, World of Beer will open its door Friday at 5526 4th St. N, St. Petersburg. Beer and wine starts at $4. There will be a grand opening celebration early in December, stay tuned.

Says co-owner Philippe Theodore, “When I first stumbled upon WOB some 2 and a half years ago I was intrigued, the founders had re-created the ambiance of a local European pub or tavern and added a distinct American twist- live acoustic music and a seemingly unlimited and instantly accessible assortment of  domestic micro brews and beers from across the globe.”

With 40 taps rotated weekly, and 500 beers from around the world, World of Beer 4th Street is for the discerning beer connoisseur and the casual drinker alike. The smoke-free and comfortable locale boasts an outdoor area, several flats-screen TVs, a private loft  and a staff of  knowledgeable beer experts.

Primi Urban Cafe changes hands

After three and a half years, Irene and Arno Waltsleben have sold the charming Italian downtown St. Petersburg restaurant to Saverio Macaluso, an Italian from Rome. George (Irene and Arno's son) is still cooking, Chris and the serving team are still the same. Macaluso's aim is to keep the atmosphere and vibe the same, but plans to add a range of new wines to the list.
  
"Primi Urban Cafe is an excellent restaurant and it will continue to be," the new owner says. However, he is planning to add "more delicious dishes to an already delicious and affordable menu." Look for daily specials that will lean toward traditional Italian dishes like lasagna and amatriciana and an improved wine list featuring Brunello di Montalcino and Barolo. His plans also include adding flat screen televisions, a piano and live entertainment on the weekends.

Rebuttal: Things Customers Should Never Do

I'd like to thank reader Thomas Taggart for reminding me about this most excellent New York Times piece several days ago by Bruce Buschel entitled 100 Things Restaurant Staffers Should Never Do (Part 1). It's a compendium of all of servers' most egregious sins, many of which could be boiled down simply to "the customer is always right, even when he or she is an @#%%#."

I agree with many items on the list, but it got me thinking back to my own table-waiting days and how often, in fact, customers could be @#%%#. Here are some of the things customers should never do.

1) Fine, I'll never interrupt your conversation, but when plates are coming in for a landing, please stop waving your arms around so that demi-glace stays off your shoes and mine.

2) Don't have a big, steaming gob about who is paying the check, leaving me to stand there like a dolt. Let's say the fleetest of foot gets the check, not the meanest or loudest.

3) Don't get all embarrassed about the crumbs on the table. I'm cleaning them up right now, no big whoop. Relax. And if you spill a little, same thing. We're washing the tablecloth anyway.

4) Send a wine back if it's corked or oxidized or funky. But if it's just not what you expected, tough.

5) A scenario: You can't decide between the rabbit and the duck. You order the duck. When the plates arrive, you misremember and say, "I ordered the rabbit." REMEMBER WHAT YOU ORDERED. And friend of the forgetful, if you heard what they actually ordered, help a sister out.

6) Salad dressing. Some people like a lot, some people like a little. It's OK to express your feelings on the subject when ordering a salad, but don't get all uppity. Strangely, it's a subject people have strong feelings about, all of which are more or less valid.

7) If you want another glass of wine (or the chocolate cake), don't say "Oh, I shouldn't...." and drift off, leaving the server to play the role of little-red-devil-on-the-one-shoulder or angel-on-the-other. Wear your big-girl pants and make the decision yourself.

8) Get off the phone, especially if you're one of those super-loud phone talkers. (And a pile of cell phones in the middle of the table is gauche. Really.)

9) If you need the meal to be paced quickly, tell. If you want to drink a full cocktail before you even consider ordering, tell. Servers read cues, but it helps if you just express your needs using your nice voice.

10) I love girls' nights out. Everyone's having a good time, there's usually juicy eavesdropping for the server. But ladies, the designated bill-tabulator at meal's end needs to be firm and to have keen arithmetic skills. Too many people in this situation round down to figure their own contribution.

I could keep going. Maybe I will keep going. But I'd like to hear from some servers, or former servers, out there.

Zoofari on Nov. 7

Bring a herd to Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo and graze on delicious dishes, desserts and drinks at the Zoo’s 23rd annual Zoofari fundraiser from 7 to 11 p.m. on Saturday. The Baldwin Connelly “Rhino Club” (VIP-level ticket) returns with a new home -- the Safari Lodge, the Zoo’s new 17,000-square-foot indoor events facility. For one ticket price, guests can dine around the Zoo, sampling food from more than 60 of the Bay area’s best restaurants and enjoying open bars. Participating restaurants include GrillSmith, Ceviche, First Watch, Longhorn Steakhouse, Sonny’s Real Pit BBQ, G. Elliot’s Brunchery and Catering, Giordano’s, Perkins Restaurant & Bakery, Datz Deli and more.

The Zoo welcomes Florida favorite Sister Hazel on the main stage whose best-known tunes include "All For You," "Change Your Mind” and “Best I’ll Ever Be.” Five additional bands -- Jason Young, Nate Najar, Alan Darcy, Grupo Havana Swing and The Vodkanuts -- will entertain throughout the Zoo.

Event proceeds benefit animal care and education programs at Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo, a private nonprofit organization. Zoofari general admission tickets are all-inclusive – discounted to $75 in advance online at LowryParkZoo.com (until 12 p.m. Fri., Nov. 6), $80 in advance by phone at 813-935-8552 ext. 276 (until 5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 6), or $85 the night of the event at the front gate. 

Size matters. Or at least breaks records.

  

Turns out Matthew Mitnitsky, owner of Nonni's Italian Eatery in Concord, N.H., set the world record on Sunday with his 222.5-pound meatball. Which, I guess, makes me wonder why the world needs a super-jumbo meatball. I guess because the world's tastiest, prettiest, healthiest or most intriguing meatball would be a matter of much debate.

[photo: AP]

Food historian Andy Huse to cook up delicious tales Wed. at USF

A food historian couldn’t ask for a better subject to study and write about than Florida’s oldest eating establishment, which also happens to be the world’s largest devoted to Spanish cuisine. That job fell to Andy Huse who wrote about the iconic Tampa landmark in The Columbia Restaurant: Celebrating a Century of History, Culture and Cuisine. He’ll provide a behind the scenes glimpse of his experience at the University of South Florida Nov. 4 from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. in the Grace Allen Room at the USF Tampa Library. Light refreshments and snacks will be served at 2 p.m.  

First annual “A Taste of Culinary”

Chamberlain High School’s Culinary Operations Academy held its first annual “A Taste of Culinary” fundraiser on Oct. 13. This Iron Chef-style event paired COA students with local restaurant chefs and culinary schools to form 10 teams. The chef teams were asked to create tasting portions for approximately 150 to 200 guests. Guests judged each team on taste, booth presentation and customer service by leaving a tip that best reflected their overall experience. The team with the most moola was declared the winner. (All of the proceeds benefited COA.) Participating restaurants and culinary schools included Carrabba’s Italian Grill, Outback Steakhouse, Hula Bay, Johnson & Wales University,
The Art Institute of Tampa, The Melting Pot, Sakana, Sweet Bay and Wayl of a Time Catering. Here were the challenge winners.

Mezzaluna opens in New Port Richey

Michelle Filippou relocated recently from Atlanta to New Port Richey (she has family in these parts), opening Mezzaluna at 5749 Main Street (at the site of the defunct Main St. Grill) on October 1. She's holding a grand opening gala on Nov. 10, hoping neighbors will come out for free tastings and live entertainment. The menu is a straight-up Italian mix of pizza, calzones, stuffed shells, grinders and salads. For more info, call (727) 264-8980.

Free celebrity author series at The Venue in St. Petersburg

On Wednesday, November 4 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., the public is invited upstairs at The Venue's VIP Room (2675 Ulmerton Road, St. Petersburg, (727) 571-2222) for an event with Florida’s Seaside Publishing. This first one includes an appearance by model Ro Martinez and the release of her new book: Modeling at Any Age by Ro Martinez, as well as appetizers by executive chef Robert Uzzillia from the Venue’s two restaurants, Viaggio and Takara.

Interview with Tim Zagat

I enjoyed Zagat's answers to restaurant industry questions posed by Jennifer Mastroianni for a story on CantonRep.com. Here are the best ones:

Q. From your perspective, how is the restaurant industry doing in the present economy?

A. It’s doing less well than in the heyday of 2005 to 2007, but it’s doing better than most people may imagine. There are more openings of restaurants than closings this year. Of course, people are very price-sensitive. They are going to less-expensive restaurants, and the $100 bottle of wine is history, maybe the $70 bottle, too. People are more careful. But the fact is we still have stomachs and throats and need to eat. And some of the very best restaurants are still affordable.

Q. What do diners say they are most looking for?

A. Value above all else right now. Value is really an equation of cost divided into the quality of what you get. It depends on both factors.

Food-wise, more than any other type of cuisine, people want Italian. Italian gets 27 percent of the vote, American 16, French and Japanese 11, Mexican 10, Chinese is 6 and Thai is about the same. We’re very eclectic, but Italian is the favorite food.

Q. What is a top trend you are seeing in American dining?

A.  I call it “BATH.” or “better alternative to home” restaurants. Diners are seeking little, inexpensive, homey, hearty restaurants. They are the casual places, whether Vietnamese or pizza, or hamburger places. There are all sorts of these and they are basically competing with your ability to shop, cook and clean for yourself. I think this is the largest segment in terms of growth in the U.S., other than fast food.

Q. What is the No. 1 dining-out grumble?

A.  Service, service, service and service. As long as we have been surveying, the principal complaint has been service; 58 percent of comments relate to service. Cumulatively, all the other problems only amount to 32 percent — parking, noise, food quality, cleanliness, everything else. Service is the weak link of the industry. There are virtually no schools for front-of-the-house personnel. I think the area that needs to be put through professionalization, like chefs get, is the front of the house.