{"id":403968,"date":"2026-09-18T21:34:10","date_gmt":"2026-09-18T21:34:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/403968\/"},"modified":"2026-09-18T21:34:10","modified_gmt":"2026-09-18T21:34:10","slug":"safety-harbors-the-tides-gets-some-nyt-love-la-la-sangria-bar-says-goodbye-and-more-in-tampa-bay-food-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/403968\/","title":{"rendered":"Safety Harbor\u2019s The Tides gets some NYT love, La La Sangria Bar says goodbye, and more in Tampa Bay food news"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"ExteriorThe Tides Market in Safety Harbor Credit: The Tides Market\/Facebook<\/a><\/p>\n

OPENINGS\/CLOSINGS<\/p>\n

Taco Dirty\u2019s Riverview location is now permanently closed<\/a><\/p>\n

Popular South Tampa Mexican eatery Taco Dirty expanded to Riverview about a year ago, but abruptly closed this week. The Riverview outpost, located just off 301 at 10460 Stelling Drive, was the fast-casual concept\u2019s second location from parent company Ciccio Restaurant Group (CRG).\u00a0\u00a0Jason Brunetti, CRG\u2019s director of operations, told the\u00a0Tampa Bay Business Journal<\/a>\u2018s Madalyn Blair that despite investing over $1 million into the Riverview location, it was never profitable and lost \u201cup to $20,000 a month.\u201d \u2014Colin Wolf<\/p>\n

Tampa\u2019s La La\u2019s Sangria Bar closes in Channelside District<\/a><\/p>\n

After a little more than six years, La La\u2019s Sangria Bar abruptly closed its doors last weekend.\u00a0 The Channelside District watering hole took to\u00a0social media<\/a>\u00a0on Sunday, Sept. 13, to announce that both La La\u2019s Sangria Bar and the La La\u2019s Sports Lounge would officially close that evening. \u201cWith heavy hearts we\u2019re saying goodbye,\u201d wrote La La\u2019s. Located at 203 N Meridian Ave., La La\u2019s\u00a0opened in the fall of 2019<\/a>, just before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and specialized in house-made sangrias made with all-natural ingredients and no added sugar. No reason was given for the closure. But La La\u2019s did file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection back in 2024 to reorganize more than $1 million in debt, citing inflation and rising supply costs\u2014two issues referenced by a slew of\u00a0local restaurant and bar closures in 2026.<\/a> \u2014Colin Wolf<\/p>\n

WEEKEND FOOD EVENTS<\/p>\n

Appy Hour Cooking Class \u2013 Pasta Fresca\u00a0Friday, Sept. 18. 4-5:30 p.m. Foodie Labs, St. Petersburg.\u00a0thefoodielabskitchen.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Ballroom & Bubbles \u2013 Champagne Guest Party<\/a>\u00a0Friday, Sept. 18. 7:30 p.m. No cover. The Real Ballroom Dance Studio, Tampa.\u00a0therealballroom.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Emerald City (Oz): High Tea<\/a>\u00a0Saturday, Sept. 19. 10 a.m. $65. Jekyll, Hyde Park<\/p>\n

Oktoberfest\u00a0Saturday, Sept. 19. 1 p.m. No cover. 3 Daughters Brewing, St. Petersburg.\u00a03dbrewing.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Oktoberfest 2026\u00a0Saturday, Sept. 19. 12 a.m. No cover. St. Pete Brewing Company, St. Petersburg<\/p>\n

Pawtoberfest 2026\u00a0Saturday, Sept. 19. 12 p.m. No cover. Pinellas Ale Works, St. Petersburg.\u00a0pawbeer.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Tarpon Springs Wine Walk\u00a0Saturday, Sept. 19. 4 p.m. $35. Sponge Docks, Tarpon Springs.\u00a0exploretarponsprings.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Cocquito Pop-Up Sunday, Sept. 20. 8 a.m.-noon. No cover. Lara in Ybor, Tampa <\/p>\n

See the full weekly food events list here.<\/a><\/p>\n

FOOD NEWS<\/p>\n

Safety Harbor\u2019s The Tides Market listed among \u2018America\u2019s Best Restaurants\u2019 by New York Times<\/a><\/p>\n

The New York Times released its annual \u201cAmerica\u2019s Best Restaurants<\/a>\u201d list today, and local seafood favorite The Tides Seafood Market & Provisions was the only Tampa Bay restaurant to make the cut.\u00a0 Tin Tin in Miami was the only other Florida restaurant featured.\u00a0Located at 305 Main St., The Tides is no stranger to praise. In 2025, the half grocery store and half counter service spot was listed among Michelin Guide\u2019s recommended restaurants, and remained on the list again in 2026. Well, apparently, the New York Times loved it too.\u00a0The unranked list, which covers the publication\u2019s \u201c50 favorite places in America right now,\u201d was released this morning, and was cobbled together by 16 Times writers, who scoured the country looking for restaurants that have \u201cthat feeling.\u201d \u2014Colin Wolf<\/p>\n

FOOD FEATURES <\/p>\n

Five Tampa gas station restaurants that are worth the pit stop<\/a><\/p>\n

Gas station restaurants are nothing new. They first sprouted from roadside \u201cfilling stations,\u201d offering simple snacks, cold drinks, and barbeque to weary travelers driving long distances. The Great Depression made way for entrepreneurs like Harland Sanders (of Kentucky Fried Chicken) and Gus Belt (of Steak \u2019n\u2019 Shake) who famously began selling their greasy goods directly at or adjacent to gas and service stations. And later, in the Jim Crow era, filling stations with eateries served as vital, one-stop shops and safe havens for Black patrons at a time when mainstream restaurants refused them service. Today, lots of folks love a good sit down restaurant with linens when the time and occasion allows, but there\u2019s something to be said for getting really good convenience store food that hits the spot while filling up the car for the next errand. Two birds, one stone. There are plenty of great gas station food spots right here in Tampa Bay. Here are five great spots in the 813 serving up hot plates and taking names, giving Tampa folks the best bang for their buck. READ THE LIST HERE<\/a>. \u2014Annalise Mabe<\/p>\n

BITES<\/p>\n

Soul de Cuba Cafe in Seminole Heights<\/a> is marking the Tampa engagement of Buena Vista Social Club at the Straz Center (Oct. 6-11) with a limited-time A Taste of Havana plate \u2014 Ropa Vieja, Lech\u00f3n Asado, Arroz Moro, a Beef Empanada and Pl\u00e1tanos Maduros \u2014 available through Oct. 11, plus An Evening in Havana on Sept. 19 from 7-9 p.m. featuring Cuban food, music and a chance to win tickets to the show. A press release says, \u201cMusic and food have an incredible ability to take us back to a place, a person or a moment in our lives.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wyndham Grand Clearwater Beach<\/a> has launched a \u201cYou Dine, We Donate\u201d program at its signature restaurant Ocean Hai, where proceeds from a designated four-top table are matched by the resort and donated to Give Kids The World, a Central Florida nonprofit that creates experiences for children with critical illnesses and their families. A portion of each stay is donated as well.<\/p>\n

Chef & The Baker in South Tampa launched \u201cCaliente Meets Cari\u00f1o\u201d last month,<\/a> pairing Chef Rosana Rivera\u2019s hand-folded beef empanada \u2014 made famous when she beat Bobby Flay on Food Network \u2014 with Se\u00f1or Lechuga\u2019s habanero-based .121 hot sauce, the one the Brooklyn brand created with Joe Rogan. <\/p>\n

The 1905 Family of Restaurants \u2014 which includes all seven Columbia Restaurant locations, Cha Cha Coconuts, Ulele and Casa Santo Stefano \u2014 is running its annual Community Harvest <\/a>throughout September, donating 5% of every check to a nonprofit of the diner\u2019s choosing at no additional cost to the guest. In its 29 years, the program has directed $4.8 million to Florida nonprofits.<\/p>\n

According to the Gulfport Gabber, TradeWinds Resort on St. Pete Beach is expanding its football season programming this fall with a new Tailgate on the Gulf series<\/a> welcoming visiting Green Bay (Oct. 3) and Pittsburgh (Oct. 17) fans to beachfront tailgates featuring team-themed food, live music and meet-and-greets with NFL alumni.<\/p>\n

AC Hotel Clearwater Beach opened Salt & Sky, a new rooftop bar<\/a>, last month, featuring cocktails like the strawberry hibiscus foam-topped Salt & Sky and the AC Sunset, plus shareable bites and a new 947-square-foot event space. <\/p>\n

The Tampa Edition (stylized \u201cEDITION\u201d) is celebrating Negroni Week (Sept. 21-27) <\/a>across its food and beverage outlets with two Campari-based specialty cocktails crafted by Beverage Director Nihat Cam: a Negroni ($20) with London dry gin, pineapple and coffee-infused sweet vermouth, and a Sbagliato ($18) that swaps the gin for prosecco.<\/p>\n

Go Greek Yogurt opened its first St. Petersburg location on Sept. 12 at the Mall at Sundial (153 2nd Ave. N.), bringing European-imported artisanal Greek yogurt with signature flavors like Plain Tart, Greek Honey and Chocolate, plus traditional Greek Spoon Sweets toppings like sour cherry and rose petal, according to a press release.<\/p>\n

Whiskey Joe\u2019s has become the first Tampa Bay business to receive a Tampa Bay Water Wise rebate for a commercial food-defrosting technology, installing a CNSRV system that recirculates water rather than continuously wasting it during thawing \u2014 saving an estimated 2,000 gallons a day, according to a press release.<\/p>\n

Cheeky\u2019s in St. Pete<\/a> has launched Frozen Flights \u2014 four 5-oz. pours of the restaurant\u2019s signature frozen cocktails (Espresso Martini, Margarita, Transfusion and Fros\u00e9) for $15 during happy hour and $20 during regular bar service.<\/p>\n

Island Flavors & Tings<\/a> \u2014 the Jamaican kitchen at 1411 49th St. S. in Gulfport \u2014 has launched Hot Tings, a line of three Scotch bonnet sauces (Mango Pineapple, Tamarind and Aged Rum) available at the Gulfport shop, the St. Pete Pier Marketplace rum-cake kiosk and online at hot-tings.com.<\/p>\n

P.F. Chang\u2019s is partnering with Starlight Children\u2019s Foundation through Sept. 30 on its Spirit of the Zodiac campaign, selling Bao, a limited-edition $10 horse plushie, with each purchase triggering a donated plushie to a child in one of Starlight\u2019s 800-plus partner children\u2019s hospitals nationwide \u2014 with a goal of raising $500,000.<\/p>\n

WEDU PBS is hosting an evening with grilling legend and PBS host Steven Raichlen on Friday, Oct. 23 from 5:30-8 p.m. at WEDU Studios (1300 N Blvd., Tampa), featuring BBQ, drinks and a copy of his new memoir Man on Fire \u2014 all included with the $80 ticket.<\/p>\n

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This article appears in Sept. 17 \u2013 23, 2026<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\n\tRelated\n<\/p>\n

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