ObaMazzaro’s

Plus: Battle of the Burg(er) ends, Tap House reopens.

by Arielle Stevenson

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PRESIDENTIAL GROCERIES: Mazzaro’s manager Ben DeNavarra gets a T-shirt signed by Food Network star Tyler Florence, who later cooked dinner for Obama. - FACEBOOK.COM

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PRESIDENTIAL GROCERIES: Mazzaro’s manager Ben DeNavarra gets a T-shirt signed by Food Network star Tyler Florence, who later cooked dinner for Obama.

Mazzaro’s Italian Market got a visit from the Food Network’s Tyler Florence Thursday afternoon. Florence shopped for ingredients to cook a meal for President Barack Obama, who was in South Tampa Thursday night for a private fundraiser. Florence’s pastry chef, Matt Masera, posted some of the dishes served that night: crispy fried pork belly with banana mustard, walnuts and celery; squash and quail egg ravioli; and burrata with basil, peach and berries. For dessert, Florence and Masera served up coconut shortbread with key lime and parsley curd, blackberries and vanilla lime pavlova…

The Battle of the Burg(er) is over. St. Petersburg’s Grand Central District invited the public to try eight different burgers from nearby locales and vote for their favorite. Out of many, there could be only one. The Burg Bar and Grill’s Double Grilled Cheese Bacon Burger won with 28 percent of the vote. The burger is topped with two bacon grilled cheese sandwiches (that function as the burger’s “bun”), lettuce, tomato, pickle and onion. In a tie for second place were Her Majesty’s Sliders at the Queens Head and the Georgie’s Alibi Baja Burger. New kid on the Grand Central block, Mayster’s Café, came in fourth with their hot and juicy Lucy burger. Other participants included: Craftsman House and Gallery Café, Beak’s Old Florida, Nitally’s Thai-Mex Cuisine, and Picnics & More…

After a brief stint as McAnderson’s House of Brew, Oldmar’s Tap House is back in business under new ownership. Anthony and Paula Pautauros celebrated the grand reopening of the Tap House on Sat., Sept. 15. “The purchase of the Oldsmar Tap House was an easy decision for my husband and I,” Paula Pautauros said. “Not only was it a financially sound business decision, it was also our desire to give the loyal patrons of Oldsmar their favorite local spot back.” The Tap House had been sold by original owners Tony and Karen Falso last year. Shortly after that, new owners McAnderson’s House of Brew sold the business to the Pautauros. The Tap House is the Pautauros’ fifth business in Oldsmar. They reopened as the Tap House and brought the focus back to serving beers, with an emphasis on local breweries.

“When the first owners sold, the rotation of the local craft beers reduced under new ownership and alcohol was added,” Pautauros said. “We have returned to the ‘roots’ of serving beer and wine (with a little food) only, and have 39 craft beers on tap — rotated regularly.” That’s good news for the new breweries cropping up nearby. Pautauros said they’ll be rotating beers from Dunedin Brewery and 7venth Sun along with other locals on tap…

Let your chicken-tender freak flag fly because PDQ is coming to St. Petersburg. The local “fast-casual” dining chain is opening at 4536 Fourth St. N on October 14. Owners Bob Basham and Nick Reader (of Outback and MVP Holdings) based the concept on a North Carolina chain called Tenders. Launched in South Tampa last October, PDQ’s have since opened in Wesley Chapel and Carrollwood. The name stands for two things, according to chief marketing and PR officer Jeff Kamis. “People Dedicated to Quality,” Kamis said Tuesday, “and Pretty Darn Quick.” The menu features chicken tenders, salads, and turkey sandwiches, with an emphasis on freshness. “We don’t have a freezer on site because we want to make everything fresh,” Kamis said. “Even the sauces and dressings are made fresh every day.” Kamis said PDQ branches are planned for Lakeland, Fort Lauderdale and several out-of-state locations in coming months.

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Tags: News, MAZZARO'S ITALIAN MARKET, PDQ, THE BURG BAR AND GRILL, TYLER FLORENCE, OLDSMAR TAP HOUSE, The Burg Bar & Grill