HOLIDAY WINTER 2018-2019 Florida’s #1 Visitors GuideTM DESTINATIOlNTM FLORIDA TOP TABLES The Best Places to Eat, Drink & Party Hoggetowne Faire + Dozens of Other Fun Happenings TRIBUTE A Great Ol Gator Goes Home TAMPA ST. PETERSBURG CLEARWATER SARASOTA GAINESVILLE OCALA CEDAR KEY DestinationFlorida.com • 4, 5, 7, 8, 10 & 14 day cruises Tampa leads the way with an engaging variety of • New Western, Eastern and Southern things to do and see before and after the cruise, THIS CLOSE Caribbean itineraries including Cuba from Busch Gardens, Ybor City, and Downtown TO AMAZING • Fast, Easy, Congestion Free Tampa to the beaches of St. Petersburg/ • More than 4,000 safe and secure parking Clearwater. And that’s just the beginning — your spaces steps from the cruise terminals cruise ships are less than an hour from the world- • North America’s second-best airport and fifth renowned theme parks in Orlando. in the world in customer satisfaction1 1Airports Council International Get face-to-face with thousands of captivating creatures, ranging from huge sand tiger sharks to playful otters and adorable ring-tailed lemurs. Kids will love The Splash Pad, our expanded rainforest themed wet and dry play area, while parents enjoy our Fins Cantina. Take fun to a new dimension at our 4-D theater and even go on a Wild Dolphin Cruise* where we search for dolphins in Tampa Bay. fl aquarium.org | 813.273.4000 *Reservations and additional fees required. Weather permitting. 1101 CHANNELSIDE DRIVE, TAMPA, FLORIDA 33602 WWW.PORTTB.COM | 800-741-2297 p 8-16 What’s Up p 17-23 Xplore p 26-40 Good Eats DESTINATIOlN what’s inside... FLORIDA TAMPA • ST. PETE • CLEARWATER 6 - 7 Concierge’s Top Picks 32 A Must See SARASOTA • GAINESVILLE The best of Tampa Bay, St Petersburg, Surprising St. Pete OCALA • CEDAR KEY Clearwater and Gainesville 34 Everything Under The Sun Founder 8 - 16 What’s Up Clearwater CEO Fun happenings, special events & Mark L. Wodlinger theater 36 Bite A Signature Recipe from Bascom’s CO Director Of Marketing 9 Gypsies, Knights And Magicians! Chop House Marilyn B.Wodlinger 33rd Annual Hoggestowne Medieval Faire 37 Where Nature And Culture Meet Creative Director Gainesville Pamela Childs 12 A Tribute And Return Home To A Loved And Great Ol Gator 38 Small Town Charm In Gainesville Art Director Marsha Michaels In Celebration of Mark L. Wodlinger Haile Village Contributors 17 - 23 Xplore 40 A Taste Of Old Florida Jenna Carina Unique attractions for all ages Cedar Key Hunter Jonathan Elizabeth McFarlane C. Stone 21 Waves Of Wonder 41 America’s Happiest Seaside Town J. Christ The Florida Aquarium Sarasota M. Louis 24 So Much to See And Do! 42 - 43 What’s On The Menu? Published Tri-Annually Tampa At A Glance Sample menus from some of our favorite restaurants Online Edition @ DestinationFlorida.com 25 Local Flavor Hyde Park Village 46 - 49 Getting Around To become a Marketing Partner Local area maps or to order complimentary copies 26 - 40 Good Eats for your lodging property, please Cool spots to eat, drink and party contact us at [email protected] The official in-room visitors guide for the top lodging properties in Maps Produced by: Creative Force Maps, creativeforce.com Greater Tampa Bay, St. Petersburg, Clearwater, Sarasota Gainesville, Ocala and Cedar Key. ABOUT THE COVER Also distributed at local Chambers, Destination Tampa Founder, Mark L. Wodlinger played Left End for the Florida restaurants, attractions and other Gators from 1940-42 and at the age of 96 years old, was believed to have been the popular locations. oldest living former UF football player before his recent passing on July 17. Please Copyright 2019. All rights reserved. see who’s who in the world to learn more about this wonderful great gentleman!! 4 DESTINATION FLORIDA BEST OF BROADWAY Concierge STRAZ Center If you love Broadway musicals, the STRAZ Center is just the ticket. This extraordinary 335,000 square foot performance center stages TOP PICKS some of Broadway’s greatest hits Including Cabaret, Wicked, An American In Paris, and other Tony Award-winners, as well as grand BEST ATTRACTIONS DEAL opera and a variety of concerts, performances and events. With five Tampa Bay City Pass halls, three restaurants, a coffee shop and the Patel Conservatory, it’s the second largest performing arts center in the U.S. Find it With the Tampa Bay City Pass, you can save at 1010 N.W. C. MacInnes Place, Tampa. Info 813-229-7827; a whopping 53% off combined admission strazcenter.org. to Busch Gardens Tampa Bay along with four additional attractions in the Tampa Bay area including The Florida Aquarium, Lowry Park Zoo, Clearwater Marina Aquarium BEST SUSHI WITH A VIEW BEST CIGAR EMPORIUM (home to Winter, star of the popular Dolphin Tale movies) and your choice of Jackson’s Bistro Bar & Sushi Davidoff Of Geneva either the Museum Of Science and Industry Amazing sushi, fantastic water views With 5,000 square feet of humidified (MOSI) or the Chihuly Collection. City Pass and a large outdoor dining patio/ tiki space, this smoking-hot cigar emporium Booklets are valid for nine consecutive days bar make this happening harbor front showcases a unique collection of beginning with the first day of use. Such a spot the perfect place to click your premium cigars, must-have accessories deal! Find it at citypass.com/tampa. chopsticks and revel in an extensive and curated pieces. But what really puts BEST RESORT FOR AGES 2 -12 lineup of fresh sashimi, sushi appetizers it over the top are the added amenities BEST CLASSIC and all kinds of signature specialty which include multiple indoor-and-out Legoland BURGER rolls. Some of our favorites: the Maine smoking lounges, private lockers and If there’s anything that makes you Shula’s Steak House Lobster Tempura Roll with eel sauce an elegant full service bar with top shelf long to be a kid again, it’s this totally Everything here is outrageously good! In and spicy mayo along with the Happy libations. Yowza! Find it at the Metwest If you love Don Shula’s famous steaks, awesome 150-acre interactive theme Ocala at 53 S Magnolia (352-622-5550); Sumo Roll (blue crab, spicy tuna, cream International Shopping Center, 4142 Boy you’ll really flip over his fresh, juicy park specifically designed for kids and in Williston at 106 NW Mail St (352- cheese & cucumber topped with eel and Scout Blvd. near Tampa’s International char grilled burgers. The legendary NFL 2 -12 years old. With more than 50 528-5410). ivyhousefl.com. tempura chips - yum!). There are plenty Mall and Airport. Info: 813-513-7560; Coach raises the bar with a big beefy unique rides, 10 theme zones and all of American options, as well, including davidofftampa.com. patty that is always made fresh from his kinds of really cool attractions, it is the succulent Point Judith Calamari Rings BEST SHARK ENCOUNTER own signature blend of Premium Black absolute bomb! Lots of special events with sweet chili spicy mayo and some of Angus Chuck, Short Rib and brisket, here, too. FYI: The water ride, “Quest The Florida Aquarium the biggest and tastiest coconut shrimp perfectly seasoned and served with For Chi” is an absolute blast! Find it Ok, Ok, so maybe going nose-to- on the planet. Find it at 601 S Harbour lettuce, tomatoe, pickle and your choice at 1 Legoland Way in Winter Haven. nose with a 600 lb Great White is Island Blvd., Tampa. Info: 813-277- of cheese on a brioche style bun. Once 877-350-5346;Aw legoland.com.esome notA yourw ideaa of ai greatts day! at the 0112; JacksonBistro.com. you’ve tackled one of these bad boys, beach, especially when it flashes you’ll never suffer another “Mac-Attack” those pearly whites at you. But fear SOUTHERN COOKING again. Two locations: Westshore Grand BEST not. At Tampa’s Florida Aquarium you Hotel, 4860 West Kennedy Blvd, Tampa BEST RIB EYE Ivy On The FSquareor discountcan t actuallyick eswimts or, dive with sharks BEST FAMILY ITALIAN (813-286-4366); Hilton Univeristy of Bascom’s Chop House Southern food is synonymous with comfort as well as with 1600 other colorful Maggianos Family Italian Florida Conference Center, 1714 SW It’s hard not to love everything on food so it’s not surprisingpl thatea greatse visifisht yincludingou rsting rays, barracudas, Big portions of terrific scratch-made Italian 34th St., Gainesville (305-664-2321). Bascom’s menu. The seafood which is Southern recipes, passed down from one sea turtles and more — all without classics, along with authentic Italian recipes Info: shulas.com. delivered daily and beautifully prepared, generation to the next, are cherished and being a certified SCUBA diver! It’s all with an American twist, dominate a huge menu Guest Services Desk. is always top drawer and the center protected. And that brings us to Marjorie part of the Aquarium’s special “Shark that also features “light”versions of perennial cut prime chops are as good as they ”Mimi” Hale - the matriarch of the Swim”program — an in-water reef favorites like Chicken Piccata, Veal Marsala, get. But it’s the glorious, 16 oz bone-in award-winning “Ivy House Restaurant & experience that is truly an adventure Chicken Francese and Veal Parmesan. With the LEGOLAND.com/Florida Ribeye that has us hooked. Hand cut Catering” in Williston as well as the new, of a lifetime (must be age 9 or older “Bruschetta Bar,” you can sample an array of 1 LEGOLAND Way, Winter Haven, FL 33884 from Certified Angus midwestern grain- hip “Ivy On The Square” in downtown to participate).