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Peter Greenberg’s “Travel Detective” Features Tampa

April 25, 2016

Peter Greenberg’s “Travel Detective” Features Tampa

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TAMPA (April 25, 2016) – Intrepid travel journalist Peter Greenberg explores Tampa in his latest “Travel Detective: Hidden Gems” series, which premieres nationwide April 30 on PBS. The show will air locally May 9 on WUSF-TV and July 2 on WEDU-TV.

Greenberg found much to his liking in Tampa’s hip, urban environment: “It’s got a great culture and arts scene, a great nightlife, an amazing opportunity for sports fans, and, of course, it’s got the water,” he says in the segment opener, shot on the scenic Hillsborough River in the heart of downtown.

The PBS and CBS Travel Editor is the latest TV personality to take note of Tampa Bay’s booming food, craft beer and heritage. Chefs and restaurants recently earned praise from towering culinary figures such as Chef Emeril Legasse, who showcased several Tampa restaurants in two episodes.

Tampa boasts one of the best steak houses in the country (Bern’s Steak House), the only Florida chef to be a James Beard nominee in 2016 (Greg Baker of The Refinery and Fodder & Shine), one of the most beloved airports in the world and one with the shortest TSA wait in the U.S. (Tampa International Airport), award-winning parks and attractions (Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, Florida Aquarium, Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo) and is considered to be the top city in the Southeast to live (Money magazine). Tampa’s downtown and Riverwalk have recently been featured in TripAdvisor, Toronto Star and the Miami Herald and the city’s vibrant craft beer is regularly ranked highest in the nation.

Over the course of the show, Peter Greenberg:

  • Takes a ride along the Hillsborough River and into Tampa Bay with Tampa Water Taxi and Captain Larry Salkin to uncover some of the “best ways to discover the city.”
  • Visits Columbia Restaurant, the oldest restaurant in Florida and the largest Spanish restaurant in the world, and learns from fifth-generation co-owner Andrea Gonzmart how their famed devil crab croquettes are made.
  • Goes behind the scenes at century-old La Segunda Bakery to witness the artistry behind its authentic, airy and thin-crusted Cuban bread.
  • Learns how to weld from metal craftsman Dominique Martinez, whose Rustic Steel Creations studio has produced custom wrought railings and steel sculptures for many of Tampa’s hottest hotels and restaurants, as well as dozens of pieces of public art throughout the city.
  • Marvels at historic Tampa Theatre, which he calls “an architectural gem,” a 1926 atmospheric theatre style movie palace with a working Mighty Wurlitzer pipe, original furnishings and starry nighttime sky. It was the first commercial building in Tampa to offer air conditioning.
  • Travels on the streets of Ybor City with historian Wallace Reyes to explore Tampa’s Latin Quarter’s collage of international flavors and cultures blending harmoniously in the former cigar capital of the world. “The real history goes a lot deeper and it’s a lot richer” than it appears, says Greenberg.

 

“We are very pleased by the interest Peter Greenberg took in Tampa Bay and his enthusiasm with which he uncovered just a few of the many hidden gems waiting to be uncovered,” said Santiago Corrada, president and CEO of Visit Tampa Bay. “We invite Peter to keep coming back, he will never run out of ideas in our city.”

Peter Greenberg’s TV segment follows the radio program he aired about Tampa last December, and which he taped at Hyde Park’s Epicurean hotel. http://petergreenberg.com/2015/12/03/radio-guest-list-tampa-bay-florida-december-5-2015/

In addition to Andrea Gonzmart, guests on that show included:

  • Jeannie Pierola, Owner and Executive Chef of Edison, who talks about Tampa’s foodie culture
  • Shaun Drinkard, Executive Director of Friends of the Riverwalk, who discusses the evolution of the Tampa Riverwalk
  • Chef Chad Johnson (of Haven and Epicurean Hotel’s Élevage) who chats about the pleasures of creative cuisine.