A friend emailed me a link to an April 26, 2011 article in the New York Times Dining & Wine section by John T. Edge, In Tampa, the Street Food That Crawled From the Sea, and asked if I’d ever eaten at the Brocato’s reviewed in the article and, if not, did I want to go try it.

Well, as it happens, I’ve eaten dozens and dozens of Brocato’s sandwiches at parties I’ve been to, but I’ve never been to the restaurant itself, nor have I ever had their crab cakes, so there was no hesitation in my saying yes. Although Joe Brocato is an acquaintance–I was once a consultant on the design and purchase of one of the many, generous philanthropic gifts he has made to the community–I don’t really know him well. However, I have a good friend who knows him extremely well, so she and my other friend and I made plans to go eat there. Even though it’s a 50 minute, one way, drive for me, it was worth it. Brocato’s crab cakes, pictured below, are gourmet crab cakes. They are so far beyond any other Tampa crab cakes I’ve had–and I’ve had many–they deserve some additional name to distinguish them from all other Tampa crab cakes.

One of the first things you’ll notice about a Brocato’s crab cake is its size. A typical Tampa crab cake, is only about the size of a hardball but squished to have pointy ends so it resembles a 19th Century submarine. But, a Brocato’s crab cake is the size of a large softball and only slightly flattened. They’re huge!

Secondly, when you cut into a Brocato’s crab cake to douse it with Crystal hot sauce, you’ll notice what really sets them apart the most: there is almost no breading. What breading there is, is only about an eighth of an inch thick, whereas run-of-the-mill Tampa crab cakes typically have at least a half-inch, or more, of breading with just a little crab mixture in the center. The Brocato crab cake is 95% crab filling with just a skin of breading.

Thirdly, the crab mix itself is uniquely delicious. I can’t tell all of what’s in it, but I detected what I believe were small, soft bits of red and green sweet peppers scattered throughout. I suspect they were what lends the slightly sweet taste to the mix. Nevertheless, the main ingredient is clearly high quality, real crab meat.

If you are a visitor to Tampa, say for instance someone attending the Republican party’s nominating convention here next year, get yourself to Brocato’s Sandwich Shop, 5021 E. Columbus Dr., Tampa, FL 33619, 813-248-9977, fax 813-242-4191. It’s not far, at all, from the convention center by car or cab and you’ll not be disappointed. You’ll be eating the finest example of an archetypal Tampa food. If you’re a local, then you know to go there already!

Their hours are Monday through Friday, 7:30am to 5:00pm, Saturday, 7:30am to 3:00pm, closed Sunday. You can fax your order if you want. Unfortunately, there’s not an online menu to which you can refer, so pick up a fax order form and a take-home menu when you go.

While you’re there, try one of their papas rellenas (stuffed deep fried potato balls), another uniquely Tampa food. If you’re not a crab cake fan, try one of their sandwiches; I can personally attest to their quality. I recommend getting two of the crab cakes and taking one home. They refrigerate well and they microwave very successfully.

Brocato’s is very popular so it will be crowded, just accept that; but the line moves quickly, and there is plenty of seating inside and out. One taste, and you’ll know why it so popular. Brocato’s get the maximum number of stars on almost every travel site with user reviews.

The Leroy Selmon Crosstown Expressway (map) is a toll road that stretches from Gandy Blvd., on the lower peninsula of Tampa, just north of MacDill Air Force Base, across the top of Hillsborough Bay, on to Brandon, a bedroom community to the southeast of Tampa.

The purpose of the Crosstown Expressway, which was ridiculed when it was first built as going “from nowhere to nowhere,” is to get you from point A to point B as quickly as possible. It’s also a thing of beauty, I think, with its long swooping concrete curves that always make me think of those old, old, old Flash Gordon movies from the 30s, with Planet Mongo and Ming the Merciless.

But, even better are the beauties that the Crosstown gives you the opportunity to see from its elevated position, especially along the top of Hillsborough Bay.

From the Crosstown you can see The Big Boats in drydock. It’s amazing. I wish the designers of the Crosstown had realized the beauty they were spanning and had built in some Scenic Pulloffs from which people could pause to appreciate what they’re zipping across.

I’m really not sure which of the following shipyards I’m looking at or are pictured in this post–International Ship Repair & Marine Services, Inc. (Google place page), Tampa Ship, LLC (Google place page), or Gulf Marine Repair Corporation (Google place page)–but it doesn’t much matter; the visuals are magnificent.

There’s something about seeing such huge machines cradled within the embrace of even larger machines that’s awe inspiring in a way that’s not unlike being in a massive cathedral. One is dwarfed by something bigger than oneself.

A little farther downtown, not quite visible from the Crosstown, is the Tampa Port Authority. That website has a great aerial photo in its header. I recommend going there just for that, but there’s plenty of other goodies there, too.

A port I remember well from my childhood which is still an important shipbuilding port is Pascagoula, Mississippi (also see Port of Pascagoula). I’ve never been quite sure what there is I like so much about Pascagoula. Part of it’s simply the sound of the word and how it feels in my mouth when I say it. The other part, maybe, is its history of legendary UFO sightings (see MUFON). It could be the many quiet marinas with the gentle sounds they make. Probably, it’s also the memories of fishing there with my father.

I know the Pascagoula shipyards are still quite active and build military ships, but I don’t know–and couldn’t quite suss out from online material–if the Tampa shipyards still is a boat building center. At one time is was, but I seem to remember that that function diminished with time, leaving only the cruise ships and boat repair businesses.

Regardless, the views from the Crosstown are magnificent. I highly recommend that ride from “nowhere to nowhere.”

A friend tipped me off that she had won an honorable mention at the Florida Museum of Photographic Arts Member’s Show. I was very pleased for her and wanted to see her picture. Plus, I was very curious about this museum. I’d not heard of it at all.

The Florida Museum of Photographic Arts is at 200 N. Tampa Street, Suite 130, Tampa, Florida 33602; 813-221-2222. That’s near the corner of Jackson Street and Ashley Drive, right downtown. This particular exhibit closes on September 4th. That’s only 10 more days. I hope you go. It’s worth every bit of the effort.

You won’t be disappointed. All of the pictures have something to offer but there are some very stunning photos, absolutely stunning photos. Of course, the official winners, listed below, are extremely good. The judges must have spent many an anguished hour trying to decide the winners because so many photos were deserving. Here’s the official list from the museum’s website:

Best of Show
Rory Brennan, Cancer Ward, Paraguay
Members’ Choice
Chris Hoyer, Sweet Dreams, London
Documentary
Roy Rodriguez, The Conversation
Travel
Kirk Ke Wang, Passage of Time
Portraiture
Jim Reiman, Jason
Nature/Landscape
Robin Dana, Water Lilies
Details
Melissa Harris, Pinned Glass
Creative Mediums/Processes
David Audet, Fan, Fur: La France
Honorable Mentions
Judith Hall, Travel, Under the Bean
Michael Schuhmann, Portraiture, Captain Love
Andrew Malbin, Nature, Scar the Whale and His Family
Katherine Stetson, Details, In Memory of My Mother
Jennifer Mace, Creative Mediums, Vine

But, I have my own “winners,” too! Who wouldn’t. There are always going to be photos that speak in a special way to each viewer. I think, in my case, my “winners” were photos that demonstrate techniques I wish I could execute.

If you go to the museum, and I hope you do, compare your own list with mine. I’m curious if you agree. Here, in addition to the official winners, and in alphabetical order, are my own favorites:

Color
Ashes to Ashes, Steven Gregory
Broken Door, Randy Van Duinen
From the Well (of Life), Ugo, Mazzarolo
Going Green, Michelle Wilson
Halloween Pennant, Don Moyer
Look Beyond, Amy Rigsby
Lotus Zen, Catherine Hammer
Sweet Dreams, Chris Hoyer
Times Square, Allan Alexander
Town Center Winter, Lynn Wiezycki
Trees in the Fog, Ernest Gudath

Black & White (or mostly Black & White)
Door to Salvation, Jose Suro
Electric Rhythm, Amy Bird
Elephants March, Bob Demchuk
Lobsterman’s Credo, Terry Hayden
Survival, Marshall Seider
The Beginning, Stephanie Parke
Untitled, Peter Lapin
Wondrous View, Heather Papolos
Ybor City Trolley, Robert Boice

(Note: I can’t always read my own handwriting. If you notice a misspelling of someone’s name, please let me know so I can correct it.)

If that seems like a long list of personal winners, let me assure you: the exhibit is LARGE! I had no idea there was so much photographic talent locally. I’m very impressed and eager to learn anything I can from this community in order to become a better photographer myself. (I’ve joined as a Senior; I recommend you donate or join is you can. See Membership Drive.) It would be very gratifying to have the skill of any of the members in the exhibit.

I wish the little cards identifying the titles and artists, and prices when for sale, also listed more technical information. I would have loved to have known the different kinds of printing processes, the different kinds of cameras used, whether digital or film, the type of paper, etc. One photo had that kind of information, but none of the others did. I would like to have known that. Such information would help us fledgling photographers.

Please go to this exhibit and please support this museum. You won’t regret doing so.

Can there be any doubt that the mix of family, friends, and food is one of life’s greatest pleasures? One look at the pictures accompanying this article should be proof. Those smiles are deeply felt. Joined in common cause, these families and friends celebrate their Filipino community while preparing their culture’s foods.

“Backstage” is where all the most intimate and exciting photographs can be taken. That’s mostly what you see here. That’s where huge woks and enormous vats of hot oil, open flame grills and all-day barbeque smokers, contribute their heat to the intensity of the festival food preparations. Elbow to elbow everyone works to prepare for Philfest 2010.

Philfest (www.pcfitampa.org/philfest/philfest.html)–the annual Tampa Bay Filipino festival–is held at the 5-acre outdoor facility, called “The Village.” It is part of the Philippine Cultural Foundation (http://www.pcfitampa.org/home.html) Philippine Cultural Enrichment Complex and adjacent to its Bayanihan Arts & Events Center (www.bayanihanartscenter.org/bac_2006_home.htm). The Arts & Events Center houses a 9,900 sq. ft. convention, exhibit, and event hall, called the Grand Sampaguita Hall.

The Philfest grounds have had recent improvements, particularly concrete walkways that make experiencing the festival more enjoyable. The backdrop of the performance stage is an immense mural by Jonathan Jennings (see photo at end of article) that captures the essence of the land and peoples of the Philippines. That stage was the setting for numerous performing acts throughout the festival. Packing every remaining square inch of the site were dozens of booths offering Philippine crafts, souvenirs, and food!

Many non-Filipinos are unfamiliar with Filipino cuisine simply because there’s not that many Filipino themed restaurants in the mainland USA. Notice, the word, “mainland,” in that sentence. In Hawaii, Filipino restaurants abound because of the history of immigrants to the islands working on the plantations.

Here are a few websites that have information on Filipino immigration to Hawaii, in particular, and the U.S. states, in general (note: Canada, also, has a large Filipino immigrant population):

• Asian Nation (www.asian-nation.org/filipino.shtml)
• The Philippine History Site (opmanong.ssc.hawaii.edu/filipino/)
• Filipino American History (www.csuchico.edu/ncpaso/filipino.htm)
• Filipino American (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filipino_American)

One more list: some good websites with information about, and recipes for, Filipino cuisine. Give them a try. Filipino cuisine is rich and flavorful. Asian, but with a unique quality, and definitely the food of an island nation.

• Philippine cuisine (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_cuisine)
• Pinoy Recipe (www.pinoyrecipe.net)
• Pinoy cook (pinoycook.net)
• Filipino Food Lovers (www.filipino-food-lovers.com)
• Filipino Mix–Recipes ( www.pinoymix.com/recipes/)

Throughout this article and the website links, you’ll see the word, “Pinoy.” This means Filipino. It also means Filipino male (female is pinay).

Every Asian culture’s eggroll is different. There’s a distinctly Vietnamese eggroll, a Chinese eggroll, and a Thai eggroll; there is also a Filipino eggroll, called a “lumpia,” which is long and narrow with a unique taste, quite different from other Asian eggrolls. If you ever get a chance to sample one, don’t hesitate; you’ll be very surprised at how tasty and savory it is.

used by permission of the artist, Jonathan Jennings

• Art Around the Clock,
• Best Books & Rich Treasures,
• A Book Legacy,
• Books To The Ceiling,
• Camelot Books,
• Arthur H. Minters Bookseller,
• Miracle Estate Sales,
• Vivian Moore Bookseller,
• Old Tampa Book Company,
• Griffin Bookbinding, and Griffon’s Medieval Manuscripts, Inc., both of which were part of the Inkwatu post, Wilson’s Bookworld, and of course
• Lighthouse Books, covered in Inkwatu’s Lighthouse Books. I’m not sure of Mr. Michael Slicker’s responsibilities with the St. Pete Antiquarian Book Fair, but I suspect he’s very active in the organization.

Check out the entire list of participating booksellers at the webpage given above (floridabooksellers.com/bookfair.html) to find small, independent bookstores near you. Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble are fine and have their purpose, but these people need our support for it is they who find, restore, and preserve the gems that we can buy from them. As you look through the list of dealers, you’ll notice the abbreviation, ABAA. That stands for Antiquarian Booksellers’ Association of America (www.abaa.org).

12th to 16th Century Illuminated Manuscripts, 19th & 20th Century English & American Literature, African American, African Diaspora History, Agriculture, American Historical, American Literature, American Revolution, Americana, Americana (South), Lesbian/Gay, Anthropology, Antiquarian Theology, Antique and collectible maps and atlases, Antiques, Appraisals, Architecture and photography, Art and Print Reference, Art Deco, Art Nouveau, Art of the South, Art, Autographed books, Autographed Children’s Books, Autographs, Automotive, Aviation, Baseball, Bierce, Big Little Books, Bindings, Biography, Boy & Girl Scouts, Caldecott & Newbery Award Winners, Calligraphy, Canadiana, Cartographic Reference, Catalogues, Chess, Children’s Literature, Children’s Books, Children’s Series, Children’s Illustrated, Church History, Civil War, Civil War & Presidential Autographs & Documents, Classic Fiction, Collectible Paperbacks, Colonial Americas, Cook Books, Counter Culture, Designer Binding, Detective Fiction, Disney and Modern Firsts, Documents & Prints, Early Printed Books, Economics, Engineering, English & American Literature, Ephemera, Exploration & Voyages, Family Bibles Restored, Fantasy and Mysteries, Fine & Leather Bindings, Fine Art Books, Fine Hand Bookbinding, Fine Prints, Firearms, First Editions, Fishing, Florida fiction, Florida History, Florida Non-Fiction, Floridiana, Genealogy, Golf, Graphics, H. L. Mencken, Hemingway, History, Horror, Horse & Dog Sporting, Horticulture, Hunting, Illustrated & Color Plate Books, Judacia, Law, Leather Sets, Literary First Editions, Literature (Modern), Literature in Translation, Literature of the South, Little House Books, Manuscripts, Maps, Maritime History, Mathematics, Medicine, Methodism, Michael Hague, Military History, Miniature Books, Modern Illustrated, Modern Original, Mystery, Native American, Natural History, Natural Science, Nautical, New England History, Out of Print Scholarly, Outlaw, Periodicals on Art, Philosophy, Photographica, Photography, Photo-plays, Poetry, Polar, Pop Ups, Postcards, Press Books, Psychology & Medical, Railroads, Rare & Unusual, Religion, Science Fiction, Science, Sets, Signed & Inscribed Books, Slipcases, Small Press, Southern, Southern Americana, Southern Authors, Southern Fiction, Southern History, Southern Literature, Southern Regional, Sports, Steinbeck, Suspense, Tasha Tudor, Technical, Tennesseana, Tennis, Reformation, Theology, Tolkien, Transportation, Travel and Exploration, Typography, U.S. Coastal History, Visionary, Voyages, Western Americana, Whaling, Women Writers, Yachting, and Zane Grey.

Amazing, isn’t it. My own loves are in there: children’s series (stuff like the Wizard of Oz, The Bobbsey Twins, The Hardy Boys, Doctor Dolittle, and World War II Flying Ace novels) and ephemera. Ephemera, literally, means “things that transient,” in this context, posters, illustrations, postcards, tickets, sheet music…things that are very much a product of their time. The Inkwatu post, Vintage Sheet Music Covers, has images of some in my collection and Music From Another Era has some from my sister’s collection (that link opens to her own website). The Inkwatu post, Vintage Florida Postcards presents part of the postcard collection of a good friend, Fran Sims.

If you have the chance and this kind of thing interests you, take in the last day of the Book Fair on the 14th. If you have to miss it this year, there’ll be another next year about this time of the year. And…be sure and support your local, independent bookseller throughout the year!

Every week/weekend in Tampa Bay has a lot of activities, but this weekend has more than most that fit my tastes. One you don’t want to miss is the enormous Jade Buddha for Universal Peace at the Vietnamese Buddhist temple in Town and Country (that area of Tampa on the west end of Hillsborough Avenue).

All of the pictures in this post, and the video at the end, are of my visit there yesterday. I went with a friend and we both enjoyed ourselves. It’s like stepping out of the stream of obligations and stresses, just for a little. I recommend going early in the week because the Buddha will only be there through March 14th.

I’d been told about the event by another friend who had read Jessica Balanza’s article in the Tampa Tribune. The address of this article has changed twice, so I want to quote some important information in case it disappears completely; she says:

Valued at $5 million, the precious stone has been making its way around the world to allow people to take in the size and rarity of the statue. The tour began in 2009 and is expected to last several years before the statue makes its way back to its permanent home at the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion in Bendigo, Australia.

The Buddha, which arrived Tuesday after a stop in Orlando, will be unveiled at an 11 a.m. Saturday ceremony. Other days during the stop the public can arrive as early as 5 a.m. to check out the statue. The Buddha will then head to Sugar Land, Texas, before making its way back to the Sunshine State for an April 9-18 stop in Miami.

There is detailed information about the Jade Buddha for Universal Peace, its tour, and its permanent home in Australia at jadebuddha.org.au/en/.

The people at Phap Vien Minh Dang Quang, the Town and Country Buddhist monastery that is hosting the Tampa exhibition of the Jade Buddha, are very kind, very welcoming. If you’ve never been to something like this, please don’t hesitate to go. You’ll feel comfortable–everyone there speaks English as well as Vietnamese. The Phap Vien Minh Dang Quang website, www.phapvienminhdangquang.com is only in Vietnamese, but if you use a browser such as Google’s Chrome or a translation page such as Yahoo’s Babelfish (babelfish.yahoo.com/), you can get enough English words and sentences to guess at what’s intended. (Accurate computer translation of any language has a long, long, long way to go!!!)

There is plenty of parking at Phap Vien Minh Dang Quang which is at 5607 Town N. Country Blvd., Tampa, FL 33615; 813-317-4160; map. The people of Phap Vien Minh Dang Quang are serving food, both free and for a small donation, in case you get hungry. It was the best soup I’ve ever had–no exaggeration!

Also this week (Friday, the 12th through Sunday the 14th) is the 29th Annual Florida Antiquarian Book Fair at the St. Pete Coliseum. See floridabooksellers.com/bookfair.html for all the details.

Friday, March 26th, through Sunday, March 28, there’s another “annual”: the 15th annual Philfest (www.pcfitampa.org/philfest/philfest.html and www.pcfitampa.org/philfest/philfest2010/philfest2010.html) by the Philippine Cultural Foundation (www.pcfitampa.org/. Philfest will be at the Bayanihan Arts & Events Center (www.bayanihanartscenter.org) at 14301 Nine Eagles Drive, Tampa, FL 33626; 813-925-1232; map. I’ll be there, reporting for Asia Trend Magazine (www.asiatrendmagazine.com) and Inkwatu.

Please take a second to watch the video below which is just a slow pan around the grounds of Tampa’s Phap Vien Minh Dang Quang Buddhist monastery and the Jade Buddha exhibition. Also, please check out this blog post, Illuminating the World in Peace, by friends, Say and Bee Lee, on their visit to the Jade Buddha exhibit. Their post has even more photos of more statues, some that I missed completely.