By Nanette Wiser
SIP & SUP It’s beginning to taste a lot like Christmas with Bright Ice’s holiday flavors sugar cookie and white chocolate with peppermint bark. If you love breakfast at Frog Pond, Trip’s Diner and 2nd & Second, you’ll love New Jersey’s new import, Taylor Sam’s, home to some of the best brunch, lunch and pork roll breakfast dishes. Green Bench Brewing’s movie nights continue with 12/7 Jingle All The Way, 12/21 National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation and their new Coffee Pot Bayou Dry Stout.
Run, don’t walk, to Bin 6 South extraordinary eatery, tasting bar and wine cellar (330 Sixth St. S). The sophisticated resto is in a small house with twelve seats and culinary delights from award-winning chefs Freddie Gentile, a CIA graduate, and David Canady. The Tasting Bar is open 11:30am to close and requires no reservations. Seating is on a first come, first served basis as is the common table from 11:30am to 3:30pm. Reservations for the common table are for the evening only.
St. Pete Food Tour explores the beautiful waterfront of downtown St. Pete’s Beach Drive. Home to unique shops, world-class museums, and galleries, as well as amazing dining options. Just across from Beach Drive, you’ll find beautiful city parks and St. Pete’s fabulous waterfront. We meet at the BellaBrava for great Italian food and sangria. Food and wine pairings at The Birchwood, additional Beach Drive restaurants and Flute and Dram showcase great local one-of-a-kind restaurants. Cassis St. Pete is the finale with dessert and coffee. Check out Tampa and Dunedin food tours. info@tampabayfoodtours.com
FUN Welcome to The Farm, now open in MacDinton’s space, brainchild of country star Chase Rice, and better known as WTF! Martin McDaniel crooned during opening weekend. Enjoy live bands, line dancing and lotsa whiskey or bourbon including American and Kentucky craft small batch winners, Buffalo Trace, Heaven Hill and the country classic Jack and Coke.
Enchant St. Peterburg, the world’s largest holiday-themed light event, transforms Tropicana Field and features the city’s largest Christmas tree and a dazzling installation of over 4 million sparkling multicolored lights. St. Petersburg guests will be treated to Santa’s Magic Timepiece, a brand-new maze story, where guests will receive a special passport to guide their stroll through lighted tunnels as they search for larger-than-life star time pieces. New this year will be a huge installation making the maze background of RGB lights with patterns that seem to float from one side of the field to the other. Enchant also offers ice skating through a dazzling forest of Christmas lights, Santa visits, a towering holiday tree over 100 feet tall, a unique and charming marketplace featuring over 60 local artisans along with holiday foods and festive drinks, interactive games, and live music on stages throughout the event. Enjoy national sponsor Hallmark Channel Holiday House, special photo opportunities throughout the event and a bar inside the maze where guests can try the popular Hallmark Channel wines. enchantchristmas.com
On Dec. 18 2-7pm, the Artist Enclave and Neighborhood of Historic Kenwood debuts “Winter In The ‘Wood,” a delightful festival with exhibits and performances by enclave artists, activities for children and adults, a visit by Santa (3-4:30pm), delicious food, live music, and last-minute holiday shopping opportunities from local arts and crafts vendors. Bring your lawn chairs, or blankets, and plan to spend a festive day. Following the festivities in Seminole Park, Historic Kenwood invites you to walk around the award-winning neighborhood to enjoy the outstanding holiday lights and decorations adorning the homes (2900 Third Ave. N).