Food and Drink
Cerealously, where's the Tropicana Crunch?
A curious market has blossomed around a new product from a local company.
- Orange you wondering what we're talking about?
Driving the news: On May 4, Bradenton-based Tropicana announced that something called Tropicana Crunch — "Cereal Made for OJ" — was "available now" via the website TropicanaCrunch.com.
- Cereal … made for orange juice.
Inflation is melting Tampa Bay's ice cream industry
An ice cream cone cost one nickel when Tony Coryn started Dairy Mix.
Flashback: This was 1948, just after the Great Depression and World War II. Tony's son Ed Coryn, who now runs the St. Pete-based ice cream mix company with his own son, was 1 year old.
- "He said, 'People, when they don't have any money, they still want a treat,'" Coryn tells Axios about his dad.
Falling for St. Pete's Tacos My Love

I got a taste of St. Pete's newest Mexican spot, Tacos My Love, at a soft launch earlier this week.
The concept: Mexican with a clubby, fine dining twist. You can get entrees in the high $20-$30 price range, or get filling tacos and fajita plates for around $15.
3 must-try rooftop bars in Tampa Bay
Did someone say rooftop? Enjoy a drink with a view while the weather is still lovely.
Why it matters: Whether you want to impress out-of-towners or find the perfect date spot, a good rooftop bar is a must.
How Ben's garden grows
The earth is magic. Last September, I tilled a 30-by-20-foot patch in my backyard and planted a garden of peas, corn, cucumbers, kale, okra and a few other things.
You're looking at the second iteration's harvest: cherry tomatoes, carrots, collards, strawberries, cauliflower and (not pictured) broccoli.
Sidle up to Counter Culture
I have to admit, the thought of going somewhere to sit at a counter does not usually excite me. I'm more of a booth girl. The plushier the better.
Yes, but: I changed my mind after a visit to Chef Jeannie Pierola's Counter Culture in Tampa.
- On a busy Sunday, a friend and I were able to get seats at the outdoor part of the counter with our backs to Bayshore Boulevard. On a pleasant spring day, it was lovely.
Flor Fina chef Nathan Hardin on what he'd eat for his last meal
Nathan Hardin is the new executive chef for Flor Fina at Hotel Haya in Ybor.
About him: A Tampa native, Hardin was previously executive chef at Armature Works' first sit-down restaurant, Steelbach, and created Butcher and Barbeque and Stones Throw.
- He previously served as the chef de cuisine at Highball and Harvest at the Ritz-Carlton Orlando Grande Lakes, and executive sous chef at Miami Beach's Yardbird Southern Table and Bar.
"Heavenly" chiles en nogada at Agave Restaurant in St. Pete
I stayed the night on St. Pete Beach this weekend and stumbled across a diamond in the beach-bland rough: the chiles en nogada at Agave Restaurant on Gulf Boulevard.
- I've eaten Mexican food in at least 29 of these United States and I've never seen this dish on a menu.
Details: Called Mexico's most patriotic dish, chiles en nogada comes from Central Mexico, Puebla specifically, and it's typically served in August and September when pomegranates come to market.
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