Bay Area Visit
 

Brings Home Ideas for Ybor

While I might prefer to have our daughters live a bit closer, I love to visit them in their adopted states, Texas and California.  This holiday season Mag came to visit us at
"river house" and Nik invited us out to see her new place "red barn."  You know you have arrived when your kids start making your dreams come true. 

Maggie & Dave brought Shepherd to visit Nanna & Daideo for Christmas in "our Bay Area" - we wandered through Ybor and Downtown, visiting the "fishies" at the Florida Aquarium along the way.  Michele and I flew out to see Nikki in "her Bay Area" for New Years and she provided us with a "culinary holiday" worthy of a Food Channel episode. 

Nicole, as she is known by her Nor Cal friends, really knows her way around the culinary business.  Me, I had only two items on my agenda:  try abalone and Dungeness crab. 

Itinerary Bay Area:  Pescadero, Duartes - Abalone Sandwich; Sam's Chowder House, Miramar; whole Dungeness crab; Ferry Building Market, San Francisco - sampled vendor's wares for lunch and bought artisanal cheese, cured-meats, bread and wine for dinner (note to self: suggest to Lynn that she expand the food vendors at the Fresh Market); and Pasta Moon, Half Moon Bay - gourmet pizza (note to self: tell Jason at Bernini about the fonduda topping). 

Itinerary Wine Country:  Sonoma, La Salette - Portuguese tapas; Healdsburg, Zin Restaurant - Rubin with homemade pastrami.  And, that does not even include the sampling rooms, the wineries of Imagery and Château St. Jean or our stop at Greystone, the Culinary Institute of America's west coast base in the Napa Valley.

We have our own unique cuisine in Ybor City and while Florida doesn't have much of a wine industry, in Ybor we make the most of our Latin food traditions.  The Cuban sandwich, deviled crabs, black beans & rice (with onion), seafood paella, flan, café con leche, sangria and a full-range of tapas, antipasti and meza that represent the Mediterranean from one end to the other.  Join us "foodies" in Ybor City - it's the best place in "our Bay Area."  - Tom Keating

Get Some Exposure!

Register your business, non-profit or academic institution for Winter Ybor Expo: Business Showcase Tuesday, February 8^th.  A sell-out for the last two-years, Expo is the best business to business marketing opportunity we have in Ybor City.  If you provide a valuable service to businesses, you need to be there.

Ybor Expo allows you to "showcase" your business by demonstrating what you can do for your colleagues in the community.  Don't just talk about what you do - show them!  This table-top Expo lets you "show your stuff" through display photos, brochures and demonstrations.

Join our sponsors Bright House Networks, the Hampton Inn & Suites and the Tampa Tribune for this twice-a-year Ybor City business event.  Contact Anna Ramos at 248-3712 x22 or aramos@ybor.org

Chamber Happenings

January 20- PM Networking Event at The Bricks, Thurs. 5:30-7:30PM- Grab a handful of business cards and do some networking  to kick-off the New Year! Share some noshes and libations with not only your colleagues at the Ybor City Chamber, but also with the Ybor City Rotary Club and check out one of 7th Avenue's trendiest new spots. Plan now to come out, and don't forget to bring a friend or a prospect to join you.

February 8- Winter 2011 Ybor Expo: Business Showcase, Tues. 11:30AM- 2PM-

The Ybor City Chamber of Commerce will be hosting its Winter Business Expo at the Columbia Restaurant in lieu of its regular luncheon. This is a great way to promote your business to other Ybor businesses and let them know what you do. A third of the exhibits are already reserved.  Be sure to reserve your space before they run out by contacting Anna Ramos. 813.248.3712 x 22

February 26- Fiesta Day, Sat. 11AM- 6PM- Celebrate this annual

tribute to the Spanish, Cuban, Italian, Jewish and German immigrants that came to Ybor City in the late 1800's. This free eventpays homage to Ybor's forefathers through the observance of cultural art and cuisine in a street festival format.  And to add to the day's events, the Ybor Saturday Fresh Market will once again be hosting Flan Fest in Centennial Park. 813.241.8838

 
January 19- Bright Star Senior Talent Show Auditions, Wed. 9:30AM- 1:30PM- Bright House networks is looking for solo or duet acts to audition to be a finalist for their annual Senior Star Talent Show. Participants are asked to bring their own instruments, audio equipment and any other accompaniment to the audition. 813.635.8179 or 813.436.2296

January 21& 23- Battle Fest & the Alcalde Ybor Naval Invasion 2011, Fri. & Sun.- Come out and take part in an Ybor tradition as corrupt politicos open the waters of Tampa Bay to pirate invaders. Friday at 6:30PM join in on the offical invasion Kick-off party aboard the American Victory Ship for $20.  The fun continues Sunday at high Noon as revelers toss cuban bread and get sprayed with water canons, opening our ports for scout crews of Gasparilla to take over the town. The cost is $10. 1.866.468.7630

February 9- Campus President's Community Advisory Council at HCC Ybor, Wed. 5PM- 6:30PM- Join Dr. Shawn Robinson and discuss campus highlights, community comments and partnership opportunities.  RSVP by calling 813.253.7754 by January 20th.

February 21 & 23- HR Certification Classes at the HCC Collaboration Studio, Mon. 8:30AM- 4PM- Let HCC's Center for Continuing Education help you meet your company's HR needs.  Certification classes are limited to 25 participants. Call 813.259.6508 to learn more about this opportunity and to register.

Tre Amici Now Hosting Event Nights- It seems as a New Year's resolution, the good folks at the Bunker have new themed event nights to share with Ybor.  Give them a call to see what is happening tonight. 813.247.6964

Get Your Flan On- The Ybor City Saturday market is looking for contestants in this year's Flan Fest.  This event now in its 8th year is the place to be crowned Top Flan of Tampa Bay. 813.241.2442

Concierge Marketing Meeting- Mark January 27th on your calendar because that will be the day the Bay Area Concierge Association will be touring our historic district.  Let everyone know what traditional Ybor hospitality is like everyday of the week in your National Historic Landmark District! 813.274.7917