09.23.2025

From our friends at

91º | 70% chance of precipitation

Sunrise 7:19 a.m. | Sunset 7:24 p.m.

Tides | Old Tampa Bay | High: 5:02 p.m. | Low: 10:32 a.m. + 10:20 p.m.

Clearwater Beach | High: 1:18 p.m. | Low: 7 a.m. + 7:05 p.m.

Full Weather Report | Traffic Report

Restaurant Roundup

Let’s make some resys

Red-checkered chairs and are tucked into tables which are lined by plush, green booths in a room with massive windows and exposed brick.

Sip on a brew or two in the sun-soaked Mad Dogs & Englishmen dining room. | Photo by Collins PR Group

Looking for the next new restaurant hitting TBAY’s food scene? Check out these buzzy places to eat and drink in Tampa + St. Pete — plus, some spots coming soon. Keep tabs on this list to stay ahead of the cuisine curve. And don’t forget to bookmark it.

Newly open

Pop-Up Bagels, Multiple locations | Bagels | Reservations: No
The “not famous, but known” chain Pop-Up Bagels offers plain, poppy, salt, and sesame bagels, tubs of schmear, and the fishy works.

Cognac, Downtown St. Pete | French | Reservations: Yes
We’ll take the mussels, caviar, and actually the whole menu. Cognac, a new French bistro from the owners of Bacchus, serves a daily happy hour brunch, lunch, and dinner.

Fisk, Tampa | Scandinavian bistro | Reservations: Yes
Michelin-starred chef Ebbe Vollmer opened a second Tampa restaurant late last year. And it’s right next door to his second concept, Ebbe. The intimate spot serves a constantly evolving menu of fish and Scandinavian dishes.

City Guides are presented by Water Street Tampa

15+ more spots

Events

Tuesday, Sept. 23

Create Your Own Bonsai Class | 6:30-8:30 p.m. | Armature Works | $80

Wednesday, Sept. 24

Thursday, Sept. 25

Friday, Sept. 26

Glow Pop-Up Pickleball | 6-10 p.m. | Sparkman Wharf | Free

Lake Street Dive | 8 p.m. | Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater | $93+

Saturday, Sept. 27

Don't waste the slightly better weather

Feature your event here, or make a bigger splash

News Notes

Sports

It’s official: Major League Baseball just approved the Tampa Bay Rays sale. The $1.7 billion deal from Stu Sternberg to a group helmed by Jacksonville-based Dream Finders Homes CEO Patrick Zalupski is expected to close in the next few days. (WTSP)

Civic

The Sunshine City is making headway on flooding mitigation projects impacting Old Southeast, Lakewood Terrace, Cromwell Heights, Bayou Highlands, and Harbordale. For example, the $21 million Bartlett Lake Salt Creek Pump Station project, includes a new pump station + floodplain and natural wetland. (St. Pete Catalyst)

Development

Clearwater’s Long Center is getting a refresh — kind of a big one. The more than 30-year-old community hub is undergoing a $12.6 million transformation featuring a new building enclosure, roof, and pool system. The popular indoor pool will reopen in Summer 2026. (St. Pete Catalyst)

Seasonal

It may not feel like it — per usual — but fall is officially here. Celebrate in an aptly TBAY way at Hillsborough River State Park’s Haunted Woods. This year’s “Beyond the Grave” features a scare zone, trunk or treat, and other scary delights from Friday, October 24-Saturday, Oct. 25 from 4-7 p.m. (That’s So Tampa)

Number

$134.9 billion. That’s how much folks deposited at 74 Tampa Bay banks over the past 12 months. That’s a 5.6% increase in deposits from the prior year. Okay, but who’s on top? (Tampa Bay Business Journal)

Show

He’s made your cackle from the big screen, now watch him rock the Ruth Eckerd Hall stage. Bill Murray & his Blood Brothers are playing the Clearwater venue with special guest Big Sky this Friday, Dec. 5. Tickets are on sale now. (I Love the Burg)

Biz

You can’t put a price on business acumen. Actually, you can. USF St. Pete just launched its Center for Executive and Leadership Education. The courses will provide mid-level and senior managers tools and coursework for advancing their skills and careers starting in 2026. (St. Pete Catalyst)

Family

$8,912. That’s how much a family of four can expect to spend on average for a seven-night trip to Walt Disney World, including meals, park tickets, and overnight accommodations on property. Vacation not in the cards this year? Much cheaper family fun awaits with these TBAY activities. (NerdWallet)

Featured

Tampa is the No. 6 best city for coffee lovers in the US, per a new WalletHub report, which used metrics like average cost and cafes per capita. Whether you order something simple or take pleasure in making baristas’ mornings more complicated, we’ve got plenty of stellar coffee shops in the Big Guava.

Listen

The Rays will head out to Baltimore to start their last road trip of the season Tuesday night. Get your Tampa Bay Rays scoop with Locked On’s daily podcasts.

Shop

Feeling fall? Us, too — that’s why we’re shopping HSN’s fall finds like this autumn tray decor set. New customers can save $15 with code WELCOME25.*

Home

Better insulation means lower bills... and we’ll take all the cost savings we can right now. This retailer is offering a buy two, get two free special on new windows — helping you keep extreme temps out, costs low, and curb appeal high. See disclaimers for important consumer information.*

The Buy

Groupon is your ticket to unbeatable local experiences — think chef-curated tasting menus, skyline tours, and spa days that melt stress away. New deals boasting up to 70% local experiences drop daily.

Explore today’s deals

Games

The fun doesn’t have to end here. After reading the newsletter, head over to our games page. Games refresh with new challenges every day at 6 a.m. from crossword puzzle to Sudoku to themed word search.

Let the games begin

Answered

Yesterday, we asked “What endangered Florida bird is this?”

A small bird sits on a branch in front of other green fronds. — No, we didn’t hide the answer in the caption.

The Cape Sable Seaside Sparrow might not be as secretive as it thinks, because 55% of readers knew exactly what it was. The endangered birds are “usually heard before they are seen,” according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

But you won’t find them around here. The teeny tiny fowl is called the “Goldilocks bird” because its “conditions have to be just right to survive.”

So, where can you spot one? The dark olive-gray and yellow bird flits around areas that are periodically burned and flooded. They can only be found in the Everglades National Park + Big Cypress National Preserve.

Now, start your birding journey

The Wrap

For those who didn’t immediately clock where I was working from in yesterday’s newsletter, the right answer was Grove Surf + Coffee in St. Pete Beach. Now that it’s reopened, we recommend stopping by the beachy spot for their fall seasonal specials + a walk over to Upham Beach.

Send us a scoop, question, or feedback

† Disclaimers and Legal | * Advertising Policy

The company may also generate commission from affiliate links in the newsletter.

Change your preferences or unsubscribe here.

P.O. Box 2505, Greenville, SC 29602