Openings & Closings
St. Pete’s Red Mesa Cantina abruptly closes after parent company files for bankruptcy
Downtown St. Petersburg’s longtime Tex-Mex spot Red Mesa Cantina announced its immediate closure Tuesday morning, just one day after its parent company filed for bankruptcy protection.
New Mexican restaurant La Victoria opening in downtown Tampa this fall
“Coastal Mexican” restaurants apparently want to be near the Tampa Riverwalk.La Victoria plans to open in September at 105 W Tyler St., just a block away from Matilde, which hopes to open next year. The 3,800-square-foot La Victoria will be on the ground level of the Ave (stylized all-caps) Tampa Riverwalk apartment complex, just a block away from the Straz Center. La Victoria replaces the former Melting Pot Social, which closed in March 2025 after two years in business.
Food & Drink events
Brooksville Watermelon Festival returns next week
The festival is celebrating all things watermelon, with watermelon-themed snacks, as well as art, jewelry, and other handmade goods, plus line dancing and contests. There will also be a kid zone and petting zoos.
Creative Loafing releases new ‘Breaking Brews’ beer to fund public records requests, launches local bar tour
Corner Bar in Tampa hosts the first “Tips For Tips” next week. At the new monthly local bar tour, editors and reporters guest bartend at neighborhood pubs to hear from readers about stories, coverage and what matters most to Tampa Bay residents. Since current events are best discussed over a cold one, Creative Loafing has also launched Breaking Brews, a new journalism-focused tangerine lager made by Channelside Brewing that promises “Great Taste, More Filing!” All proceeds from Breaking Brews and all tips to CL bartenders at Tips For Tips events will go directly to funding locally-based public records requests, which often cost a publication hundreds and even thousands of dollars per month.
More Food & Drink events
The Art of Coffee: A Tasting Journey featuring Mission Grounds Coffee Friday, June 5. 10 a.m. Sold out. Imagine Museum, St. Petersburg
Luncheon with Teddy and Edith Roosevelt (impersonators) Friday, June 5. 11:30 a.m. $35. Tampa Rough Riders, Ybor City.
10th Annual C&C Lemonade Factory Childhood Cancer Fundraiser Saturday, June 6. 10 a.m. No cover. Gallagher Residence, St. Petersburg…