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Food is a natural talking point, so cooking classes are a great way to meet new friends who share your love of food. Worst case scenario: you get to eat and learn how to make something delicious!

Strangely, Tampa is lacking established cooking class businesses or classes featuring local cuisine. For example, we can’t find a cooking class on Cuban sandwiches, any kind of grouper, or key lime pie— not just in South Tampa— but anywhere in the Tampa Bay Area. Seems like a business opportunity!

But for classic dishes, Sur La Table in Hyde Park hosts cooking classes every day. I once enjoyed learning how to make laminated croissants and kouign-amann there. There are also a few classes from someone on Viator who hosts them at Woven Water Brewing Company in Tampa and a few on TripAdvisor. If you’re looking for a way to get outside of your social bubble and learn something new, give cooking classes a try!

➡ Are you selling a unique property in South Tampa? We’d love to share it! Please reply to this email for details.

Have you ever eaten pizza and thought, “You know what would make this taste better? Dill pickles!”

Yeah, me neither! But when I read the menu description of dill pickles with rosemary, ranch, balsamic, mozzarella, Parmesan, and extra virgin olive oil, I realized this might be a genius combination of sour, salt, and savory flavors.

I can confirm it is one of the most deliciously unique surprises in all of South Tampa! It’s at the new Belle’s Pizza Kitchen on the corner of Interbay and Westshore. It’s named after their young daughter and run by the whole family in a cute, pink interior design. Don’t judge it by the bars on the windows!

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July 26 will be 118 years since the cornerstone was laid on Henry B. Plant’s iconic Tampa Bay Hotel, now museum. But when we went looking for a photo of said cornerstone to put in this section, we discovered the stone does not exist!

But the building is still there, so where is its cornerstone?

According to the Sunland Tribune, newspapers of the time reported the cornerstone was laid by the mayor on July 26, 1888. It was apparently a big event with hundreds of citizens attending and probably the stone masons, too.

You might think someone could just look at all the corners on the building to figure out where the cornerstone should be, but that leads to another problem: the building is curved. It doesn’t have any exterior corners for a cornerstone!

The Sunland discovered part of the hotel was torn down and rebuilt, so perhaps that is where the cornerstone once was. But it is still an unsolved mystery of history, and there might still be a $100 reward if you find it!

➡ If you capture a great photo of this full moon, please reply to send it to us for a chance to be featured next week!

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When there’s peak heat outside, the best thing to do is stay inside in the air conditioning. But not at home! Instead, get out and live like a tourist by visiting the Museum of Fine Arts in St. Petersburg.

This weekend, July 26, is your last chance to see their special exhibit of Yvette Mayorga’s giant pink horse drawn carriage outside and more eclectic art inside. Plus the usual art from all periods.

Roundtrip time away from South Tampa: 3.5 hours

You probably know of a few hidden gems in the parks of South Tampa, while people who live on the other side of South Tampa might have never been to your favorite park. We want to gather your collective knowledge and profile South Tampa parks in future editions. So let’s help each other discover great places!

Results of the previous poll: We asked for your favorite coffee shop in South Tampa, and it seems there were too many good choices for anyone to decide!

Create a More Enjoyable Community: Our mission is to help you live your best life in South Tampa by creating a more fun and connected community. If you like this idea, there are several free and paid ways you can support it:

Independent & Transparent: The Scroll is independently owned and operated by a South Tampa resident. Positive mentions can’t be bought. We only include things we have personally tried or trust the person who did doesn’t benefit from mentioning it. We do not include links to businesses, unless they are not-for-profit or paid sponsors we have vetted and noted. Clicking on asterisked items (*) may provide us with affiliate compensation, which helps fund us to keep creating for you!

Your Local Writer & Founder: Danielle is a lover of food, craft cocktails, wine, travel, nature, and history. After living in Ohio, Dallas, New Zealand, and 37 countries as a digital nomad, Danielle decided South Tampa was the best place to settle in 2022. She blends a world’s worth of experiences with local expertise as a Meetup event organizer and marketing director to ensure The Scroll is always worth your read!