The laid-back backyard at Owen’s Fish Camp, complete with tire swing.
Photo by TBAY City Editor David Warner
When a restaurant calls itself a “fish camp,” what’s that mean?
Some say the term harks back to the makeshift eateries constructed in the 1920s near popular fishing spots, where proprietors would clean and cook your catch. Another theory suggests that the term derives from evangelical movements of the early 1800s, when the faithful would gather for “camp meetings” and prepare their food together.
Whatever their predecessors, the fish camps in Tampa Bay and Sarasota (many of which land regularly on lists of Best Seafood Restaurants) aim for that Old Florida vibe: rustic, relaxed and fresh.
Big Ray’s Fish Camp, 6116 Interbay Blvd. + 333 S. Franklin St. | $9+ | Chef/owner Nick Cruz drew on memories of fishing with his grandfather to open his tiny, self-described “box” in Ballast Point. Known for its blackened grouper sandwich, it now has an outpost on the Tampa Riverwalk and will be featured on The Food Network in October.
Hog Island Fish Camp, 900 Broadway Ave., Dunedin | $9+ | Hog Island is situated on busy Broadway, not by the water, but it captures the fish-camp spirit with locally sourced seafood like “Fish Camp Shrimp” in a laid-back, indoor-outdoor setting.
Mullet’s Fish Camp & Market, 3901 6th St. S., St. Petersburg | $11-$30 | The newest spot on this list has rapidly become a South St. Pete favorite. Like the haircut (but not the fish) for which it’s named, there’s business up front and a party in the back, with live music and picnic tables.
Gloria Richardson, visiting Owen’s Fish Camp from Ohio, plants a kiss on the cheek of the “old salt” statue in front of the Sarasota restaurant.
Photo by TBAYtoday City Editor David Warner
Owen’s Fish Camp, 516 Burns Court, Sarasota | $6.99+ | Owen’s is a gem, tucked away behind a banyan tree gifted to Sarasota developer Owen Burns by Thomas Edison. Listen to live bluegrass in the backyard before heading inside for fresh-caught fish and “Deviled Eggs with Redneck ‘Caviar.’”
Hankering for some seafood? Send this piece to the person you're treating to dinner.
EVENTS
Friday
Tampa Bay Theatre Festival | Fri., Sept. 2-Sun., Sept. 4 | Times vary | HCC Performing Arts Ybor City, 1411 E. 11th Ave. | Prices vary | New plays, a monologue competition, workshops on auditioning, starting a theater company, acting, and more
Rays vs AL rivals | Fri., Sept. 2-Wed., Sept. 7 | Times vary | Tropicana Field | Prices vary | The Tampa Bay Rays have been going strong, but this stretch, in which they play three games each against the Yankees and the Red Sox, could be their toughest test yet. ⚾️
Vintage Marché | Friday, Sept. 2-Sun., Sept. 4 | Times vary | Friday, $10; Sat.-Sun., Free | 2906 34th St. S., St. Petersburg | The popular monthly market opens in a new location this weekend, and vintage hounds know to get there early to snag the best finds.
Saturday
National Cinema Day | Sat., Sept. 3 | All day | $3 | See any movie, anytime, in any format for just three bucks today in theaters from Hyde Park to Tyrone, from Wesley Chapel to WestShore. 🎞️
Sunday
Cocktails for Ukraine at Willa’s | Sun., Sept. 4 | 5 p.m. | 1700 W. Fig St. | $35 | Guests can enjoy three Ukrainian-inspired cocktails for a $35 donation, to benefit a Ukrainian restaurateur. 🇺🇦
MacDinton’s Labor Day Weekend Party | Sun., Sept. 4-Tues., Sept. 6 | Times vary | 405 S. Howard Ave. | $10+ | Celebrate Labor Day at what is sure to be SoHo’s party central this weekend, with barbecues, $10 pitchers, a hot dog eating contest and more. 🌭
We have amonthly guide filled with events + activities you can plan for in advance. Click the button below to bookmark ideas for upcoming date nights, family outings, and time with friends.
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Sending light. The Sunshine Skyway will be aglow in teal this weekend to draw attention to the battle against ovarian cancer. In a recent Times column, Kerry Kriseman and Carla Jimenez said that education is key to fighting the disease, which killed 1,020 Floridians last year. (Tampa Bay Times)
Arts
Nonprofit arts exec Celeste Davis has been named director of St. Petersburg’s Office of Arts, Culture, and Tourism, and theMuseum of Fine Arts has selected Anne-Marie Russell as its new interim executive director. Russell previously held top positions at Architecture Sarasota + the Sarasota Art Museum. 🖌️
Development
Shaw things. Darryl Shaw’s 41-acre Gas Worx development is proceeding apace in Ybor, and now he’s purchased a 25-acre ship repair site at the north end of Port Tampa Bay. He plans to transform the property into a mixed-use waterfront district. ⚓ (Tampa Bay Times)
Travel
Luggage lugging made easy.Tampa International Airport decommissioned the monorail in its Long Term Parking Garage last year, and by 2023 we’ll be enjoying its replacement: moving walkways, which will take passengers from Level 4 to the entrance of the Main Terminal pedestrian bridge faster and with less effort. ✈️
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THE WRAP
Today’s edition was written by City Editor David.
Editor’s pick: Got your launch-watching spot picked out yet? If all goes as planned, the Artemis 1 moon rocket will launch from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center during a two-hour window that opens at 2:17 p.m. EDT. I’m thinking the roof of my apartment building’s parking garage would be a good perch, but we could also watch it at Space.com, courtesy of NASA.
Editorial: Bailey LeFever, David Warner, Jessalin Heins-Nagamoto, Kaylee Holland, Ashlea Hearn, Emily Shea| Send us a scoop, question, or feedback.
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