Today we have agreed on taking the walking food tour of Ybor City, a tiny ethnic community in Tampa. OY! Tampa traffic is horrendous! But Bill navigates and Larry drives and somehow we manage to get there on time. After telling Julie and Bill about the wonderful experiences we had on New York walking food tours, we hope to impress them with this, their first one.
Fantasy vs Reality 1) Our tour guide will introduce us to all the important things to see in Ybor City vs Our tour guide tells us in heavily accented English that this is only her 2nd food tour and hopes we do not mind if she doesn't speak too well.
After a very informative film on the origin of Ybor City, we head to our first food tasting.
Fantasy vs Reality 2) The restaurant will know we are coming and be set up for us. vs We arrive at the Tampa Brewing Company at a little after noon to sample their nod to the German influence in the city, beer battered chicken. The restaurant was not expecting us until 2pm and had nothing prepared. It is a 15 minute wait. However, the chicken is worth the wait! Very tangy!
Just an odd aside - The original cigar factory building is now the Scientology home for the area - go figure.
Another odd aside - Larry has met his second wife - shown here in the black with purple jacket tied around her waist. I have to say she's almost perfect for him, having just returned from the Boston Red Sox fantasy camp. She has gone every year for the last 25 years. So I guess everyone on his list of future wives has just moved down a number.
Larry enjoying the art at the second restaurant - a pizza place.
Fantasy vs reality3) Our food will be unique. vs the pizza! New York Pizza Place is pretty ordinary by any standard.
Hold your horses - the cuban sandwich arrives at our next stop! I have been wanting a cuban sandwich ever since I saw the movie "Chef". This one is supposed to be the best cuban sandwich in Tampa. (For the intellectuals reading the blog, the cuban sandwich was invented in Ybor City! Always happy to pass along important information!) It is wonderful but unfortunately all cubans come with mustard so Larry has to decline this experience.
On we go, walking through the city. As we pass this table, I notice that everyone seated is smoking a cigar - it must be a cigar club - or the no wives club! You can smell it a block away but these gentlemen seem so proud to produce this odor,
Fantasy vs reality 4) Everything on the food tour will be tasty. vs After much walking and too much talking, we arrive at our next destination Gaspar's for some authentic cuban black beans, rice, cheese, onions, and tomatoes! Ay Chihuahua! Thank goodness it was served with water! Way too many raw onions! I notice everyone has a polite bite and passes on.
Fantasy vs reality 5) The food tour will be thoughtful and considerate. vs Our tour ends with a slice of Key Lime pie that we are to enjoy with coffee at a cafe/cigar bar. Yikes, they are smoking cigars in the cigar bar! Nooooo way we can sit inside this place and enjoy food! We take our Key Lime pie and head across the street to sit in the sun and devour yet another take on this dessert! It's fantastic - tart and creamy. No one leaves a crumb.
But we leave Ybor thinking what a fun day we shared with Julie and Bill!
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