The making of a Tampa Bay foodie

I blame my dad.  I know, its the easy way out.  It’s true though (at least this time).  I grew up in St. Petersburg, and one of my most vivid childhood memories was going to Stachs bakery with my father.  I remember a lot of things about these trips to the bakery.  I remember the way it always smelled of abundantly sweet baked goods and buttercream frosting.  I remember that the glass display cases with their warm comforting glow, went almost all the way down to the floor, except for about 6 to 8 inches where warm air would drift out of the bottom.  I remember that Mrs. Stach was always there.  Always!  But mostly, I remember that Stachs was our bakery, when Dad said, let’s go to the bakery, there was no question in my mind where we were going. When we arrived, we would order, Mrs. Stach would place it carefully in boxes, tied with string, and then she would ask my Dad, just like he was a child “would you like a cookie, Johnny.” That’s how long, my family had been going there and to Mrs. Stach my Dad was family.  Although I can’t speak for my Dad, every visit to Stachs was like getting a hug from grandma.

So, as mentioned, I blame my Dad for my passion and obsession with local business, but particularly how it relates to anything involving food.  There is just something so special about someone putting their heart and soul into their passion for feeding people, that demands our support.

My goal with this blog is to focus on all things local and foodie in Tampa Bay.  Focusing on favorite local restaurants, Chefs, markets, farmers.  I also want to focus on the people trying to get the ‘story’ out there, the Tampa Bay food blogging community.

I hope that you enjoy and that you will visit some of these great locations.

Jodi a/k/a tampawinewoman

http://www.letseat.at/eatlocaltampabay