Drayage Brokersin Tampa, FL

The Tampa Bay Lightning wrapped up the 2023-24 season Wednesday morning with exit interviews at AMALIE Arena.

Aside from recapping the regular season and postseason, much of the discussion surrounded Bolts captain Steven Stamkos, who enters the offseason in need of a new contract and is set to become an unrestricted free agent July 1.

“Obviously, Steven Stamkos needs a contract, and we want him to be part of that group,” said Lightning general manager Julien BriseBois. “You all saw how from the trade deadline on, Stammer elevated his play, which was incredible to see.

“For someone who you could say has already earned his Hall of Fame plaque, has accomplished so much already and has been accomplishing so much for so long, for him to play arguably the best two months of hockey of his career, because it started around the trade deadline and he carried it all the way through the series against the Panthers, for him to do that at the time when our team needed it most was incredible.

“You were all able to see how he lead on the ice. What’s hard to see is how he also elevated his leadership game off the ice. Last summer, for various reasons, a lot of leadership left our team and nobody in our group raised their leadership more than Steven Stamkos did to fill that void. That’s harder for all of you and even for me, because I’m not in the locker room and not there all the time, to see. But that’s the case.

“We have a saying in our organization. I think it was coined by our CEO Steve Griggs. I’m going to give him credit regardless. We strive for excellence with humility.

“Steven Stamkos has always represented excellence with humility and never more so than these past few months. The aim is for him to continue to play on a contending Tampa Bay Lightning team going forward.”

GM Julien BriseBois's 2023-24 NHL Season Exit Interviews

At the start of the season, BriseBois said contract talks with the Lightning’s all-time leader in games played, goals and points would be put on hold until the offseason.

Stamkos didn’t let that affect his play, finishing the regular season with 40 goals and 81 points before leading Tampa Bay in goals during the playoffs, scoring five in as many games.

“When you don't have control of the situation, I think you just have to come to terms with that,” Stamkos said Wednesday morning. “For sure, there were times throughout the year when you think about those things and in private conversations with friends and family and mentors and things like that.

“But, for me, I tried to leave that at home and, when I came to the rink, it never crossed my mind. It was just go out there and play and try to help our team, just like I've always done.

“That was something that I told Julien at the beginning of the year, when we said that there was going to be no contract talks, that you won't have to worry about that affecting how I prepare or how I play or that coming into the locker room. I said what I needed to say at the beginning of the year and that was kind of it.”

Over the past few years, when Stamkos has reached milestones such as 1,000 career games and 500 career goals, he has talked about the importance of achieving said milestones with one team. On Wednesday, he reiterated his desire to play for one organization throughout the entirety of his career.

“For sure,” Stamkos said. “I've talked about it before. My perspective hasn't changed. I'm hopeful that something obviously works out here because I do love it here and I still think that we have a chance to win with the group of guys that we have here.

“We'll see what's in store the next couple weeks, but my philosophy hasn't changed.”

Since beginning his career with the Lightning in 2008, a lot has changed for Stamkos and the city of Tampa, as well. Whether it’s all the development on Water Street or the growth of the fanbase sparked by consistent excellence on the ice, Stamkos has seen it all. And it’s something he appreciates and cherishes.

“This city means a lot,” said Stamkos. “That was my 16th season here. It's crazy to really think about it. It certainly doesn't feel that way from a physical or mental perspective because I still love coming to the rink every day and I love interacting with the fans.

“Everything that is hockey in this city is amazing and I love it. Everyone's been great to me and my family over the years.

“To start something from where we were my first year to where we are now, it's almost night and day in terms of what this city and hockey mean to each other. It's been fun to be part of that and see it all the way through and, like I said, hopefully more.”

A main priority for Stamkos has always been winning. With two Stanley Cup rings in his trophy case, the Markham, Ontario native remains hungry for more. Thankfully for Bolts fans, he firmly believes that opportunity to win is still very much alive in Tampa.

Steven Stamkos | Exit Interview 2024

“I think, at the end of the day, winning is still what fuels me,” explained Stamkos. “Being a big part of that culture fuels me. Obviously, certain things have changed now. I have an amazing young family that has put roots down in this city and I really enjoy living here and playing here.

“From that perspective, the decision is more than just me now. That's something that is amazing for me to be able to have that and be in that situation.

“There's different factors than there were last time (I was at the end of my contract), but nothing's really changed in terms of my mindset and where I wanted to be and play and that was here. That certainly hasn't changed.”

“I think the window is certainly open when you have some of the premier players at every position,” Stamkos added. “You look at all the teams that have won the Cup in the last five years. You talk about really good defensemen, an elite goalie, elite forwards. We have all that.

“You need complementary pieces for sure and you need some depth. Looking back, I thought guys that needed to step up, especially during that stretch of trying to make the playoffs, did.

“Guys are going to continue to grow. You look at Hagel and you look to Paul and those guys and the roles that they've come into this team. You look at the back end and how many guys played their first NHL game this year. The goaltending situation, Jo carried us those first 20 games before Vasy came back.

“There is a lot of things that, I think as you progress, guys gained a lot from this year too. That's what allows that to keep that window open too.”

Lightning fans know, Stamkos’ best friend throughout his career in Tampa has been Victor Hedman, who will enter the 2024-25 season on the last year of his contract, unless a deal gets done this summer.

Victor Hedman | Exit Interview 2024

Speaking to the media, Hedman admitted the legacy of playing with one team is certainly something he thinks about. Additionally, he touched on wanting to play his entire career alongside Stamkos.

“Absolutely,” Hedman said. “Like I said earlier, this is all we know. We've been here from day one. I've been here for almost half my life. I couldn't picture anything else.

“But it's a process. It's a business. Just moving forward here, my thought process is on next season and hopefully I won’t be in the same position as Steven, but you never know. Hopefully we can get something done in the summer. My plan is to retire as a Bolt and hopefully that will come true.

“It would be tough to look at this team without him here. Obviously, the way he's handled the whole situation and the way he's played has just been phenomenal. He's led this team, especially in the playoffs. Five goals, some big-time plays, the physicality, the speed that he played with, it was fun to watch.

“Obviously, that's great news that they'll try to get something done here soon.”

BriseBois told media he already spoke with Stamkos after arriving back in Tampa following the loss in Game 5. The next day, he was chatting with Stamkos’ agent.

BriseBois says he’s “very hopeful” for a deal to get done, as are every one of Stamkos’ teammates that spoke Wednesday. Of all those teammates, Brandon Hagel may have said it best.

“When I look at Stammer, I believe he's a Bolt for life. That's just the vibe I get from him.”

The Lightning and Stamkos have plenty of time to hammer out a deal over the next two months. Now, we wait.

TAMPA, Fla. - A Tampa restaurant is getting national attention by being named one of the top places to have brunch in 2024, according to Yelp.

Psomi earned the ninth spot on Yelp’s Top 100 Brunch Spots 2024 and is one of two Bay Area restaurants to make the list.

The upscale Greek restaurant, which literally means ‘bread,’ opened in 2019.

According to Psomi’s website, chef and owner Christina Theofilos is a second-generation Greek who was born and raised in Tampa.

She says the restaurant is a true family effort and each dish is "thoughtfully curated, tweaked, and elevated in order to showcase my appreciation and passion for my family and Greek heritage."

READ: Restaurants in Tampa, St. Petersburg among Yelp’s top 100 places to eat

Theofilos won the 2023 Michelin Young Chef Award and is a rising culinary star. Psomi also earned Michelin Bib Gourmand status.

According to Yelp, the most popular/most photographed dishes at Psomi are Bougatsa French toast (Greek custard-stuffed brioche), pork gyro, bread basket, chicken souvlaki, and grilled octopus horiatiki.

Across the Bay, Noble Crust in St. Petersburg took the 48th spot.

Toasted Gastrobrunch in Las Vegas was named as the top brunch spot in America.

While Psomi and Noble Crust are the only Bay Area restaurants to make the list, several other Florida eateries made the list:

To determine the best brunch spots, Yelp identified businesses in the ‘Breakfast and Brunch’ category with numerous reviews that mention ‘brunch’ and ‘Mother’s Day’ and ranked those spots using several different factors, including the total volume and ratings of reviews mentioning those keywords in the past 3 years.

If a business with multiple locations was on the list more than once, Yelp only included the highest-rated location. TYelp states it limited the number of businesses per state per geographic diversity.

Yelps adds that, when available, all businesses on the list needed to have a passing health score as of February 2024.

Click here to see the entire list of Top 100 Brunch Spots 2024.

TAMPA — The wait is finally over: Ten Rooms, Ybor City’s highly anticipated restaurant, bar and retail hub, is now open.

The multifunctional dining, drinking and retail space opened Saturday at 1536 E. Seventh Ave., inside Ybor’s El Centro Español de Tampa.

We wrote about the hybrid restaurant space back in February, detailing the building’s historic roots (Centro Español was the headquarters of Tampa’s first social club for immigrants) and the team leading the ambitious project, including Tampa bar and restaurant consultant Ro Patel and veteran restaurateur and wine pro Zach Pace.

But there have been a lot of changes since then, and the place has really shaped up. I stopped by the restaurant for a preview a few weeks back and learned a whole lot more about the space.

There was plenty of speculation (at least on my end) as to who the team was going to tap to lead the kitchen. Following a split — and legal battle — with the spot’s initial hire, chef Ebbe Vollmer, the duo brought in San Francisco-based Parker Brown to oversee the kitchen as executive chef.

Brown’s hiring isn’t entirely happenstance: Pace and Brown worked together in San Francisco and they both helped open the restaurant Aphotic, which received the Michelin Guide’s green star three months after launching.

Brown isn’t going to be exclusively leading the kitchen, however — the chef’s primary residence is still in California, where his family lives. (He plans on splitting his time between Tampa and there.)

To help manage the operation, Vincent Brisotti is coming on as chef de cuisine. Brisotti, who is originally from Tampa, comes with an equally impressive resume, including stints at the Michelin-starred restaurant Finch, as well as Roberta’s Pizza and Blanca at Roberta’s in Brooklyn.

And last but not least, pastry chef Lorena Idrovo — who has worked at several renowned spots across the globe, including London’s The Clove Club, Chicago’s The Aviary and Sambombi in Medellin, Colombia — will be helming the spot’s pastry and dessert operations.

During the preview, I got to sample some of what the restaurant has in store, and I’m pretty excited to get back and try the full menu soon.

Explore Tampa Bay’s sights and bites

Subscribe to our free Do & Dine newsletter

We’ll serve up the best things to do and the latest restaurant news every Thursday.

Loading...

Throughout the evening, servers passed around small bites — part of a preview of dishes served at Bar Martinez, the spot’s central restaurant and bar. Dishes ran the gamut from fried olives with nduja and romesco sauce ($12) and smoked fish spread with pickled mustard seed and trout caviar ($21) to a hearty duck confit, served with dirty farro, Swiss chard and pickled okra ($35). But the standout dish that night was a plate of sweet, fried plantains ($15) served with a garlicky chimichurri, farmer’s cheese and pickled fresno peppers. (It was so good that I didn’t turn down seconds when a server came back around with more.)

A glimpse at the finalized menu showed several other dishes, including Parker House rolls with fennel pollen and cultured butter ($8), ricotta gnudi with pea varieties and pickled mirepoix ($21) and charred cabbage with scallions and roasted peanuts ($22).

For drinks, Ten Rooms boasts two separate programs: a craft cocktail list at Bar Martinez and a 20-cocktail draught program at Genevieve the Cat. On my visit, we sampled one from each — a beeswax Old Fashioned ($17) made with beeswax-washed Russell’s bourbon, and the Bramble Royale ($13), which features Gordon’s gin, Creme de Mure, lemon and sparkling wine. There are also several wines listed by the glass available at both bars, and a lengthy bottle list for diners at the restaurant.

Part of the allure of Ten Rooms is its incredible versatility and anything-goes vibes. Though Bar Martinez and Genevieve the Cat anchor the space, there’s also a bakery and an all-day cafe, a curated specialty gift shop (think Coravin wine systems and custom-engraved Champagne sabers) and plenty of room for lounging throughout.

I, for one, can’t wait to swing by again.

If you go to Ten Rooms

Ten Rooms is at 1536 E. Seventh Ave., Tampa. Bar Martinez serves dinner 5 to 10 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday. The lounge and Genevieve the Cat bar is open daily from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. The Cafe at Ten Rooms is open from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., and the shop is open daily from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Any rumours surrounding Jon Cooper's future with the Tampa Bay Lightning appeared to be put to rest Wednesday by general Julien BriseBois.

While some have wondered whether it's time for change after a second straight first-round exit in Cooper's 12th season behind the bench, BriseBois reiterated his faith in the two-time Stanley Cup-winning head coach.

"Like all the great coaches, it starts with leadership skills. Really high on leadership skills. Really high emotional intelligence. Never gets too high. Never gets too low. I think that allows him to weather the storms because there are storms," BriseBois said of Cooper. "This is a tough league. It’s a cutthroat business. The other teams are really good. They’re trying to win. We’re trying to win. It’s the elite against the elite.

"Coop, again this year, did a fabulous job. I love our coaching staff and love working with him. I feel privileged to be able to continue to work with him. I feel privileged to have been able to work with him the past 14 years going back to our Norfolk days.

"He’s a special coach and he’s the best guy for the job."

Cooper first took over as head coach of the Lightning for the final 15 games of the 2012-13 season. In his 11 full seasons since, the Lightning have missed the postseason just once and reach three straight Stanley Cup Finals from 2020-2022.

The Lightning finished with a 45-29-8 record this season, reaching the playoffs as the top wild-card team in the Eastern Conference. The Florida Panthers eliminated Tampa Bay in five games in their first-round series, one year after the Toronto Maple Leafs dispatched the Lightning in six games in the first round.

Lightning off-season outlook

BriseBois made it clear that Wednesday that he wants to re-sign captain Steven Stamkos after previously putting contract talks on hold. The general manager said he has already spoken to both Stamkos and his agent, stating he's "very hopeful" a deal can be worked out ahead of him reaching unrestricted free agency on July 1.

Other players set to hit the open market in July include trade-deadline additions Anthony Duclair and Matt Dumba. While BriseBois praised the contributions of both, he said it's too early to say whether they will be back with the team next season. Forwards Tyler Motte, Austin Watson and Mitchell Chaffee are also pending unrestricted free agents, along with defencemen Calvin de Haan and Haydn Fleury.

BriseBois has already turned his attention to getting defenceman Victor Hedman signed to an extension as he prepares to enter the final season of his eight-year, $63 million contract.

"I talked to his agent yesterday, just very preliminary," the general manager said. "We’re going to circle back once we have time to debrief here. But, obviously, we’d love to keep Victor going forward. He’s an elite defenceman. He’s one of those special, all-time players and all-time great Tampa Bay Lightning and Bolt.

"He’s still super productive and I have no reason to believe that’s not going to be the case going forward. We have a better understanding of where the cap is, at least now and next year. There is a new CBA that’s going to come in at some point. There are rumours of expansion drafts. We’re trying to factor all that in, but the plan would be to keep Victor going forward, obviously."

Hedman, 33, had 13 goals and 76 points in 78 games this season, adding one goal and seven points in five playoff games. The Norris Trophy winner in 2018 and Conn Smythe Trophy winner in 2020 has 156 goals and 728 points in 1,052 games, all with the Lightning.

Ahead of hurricane season, 10 Tampa Bay got a behind-the-scenes look at the largest flood control structure in the Tampa area.

TAMPA, Fla. — For more than 55 years now, the Tampa Bypass Canal System has been helping mitigate river flooding during severe rain events and hurricanes, preventing serious damage to homes and businesses along the Hillsborough River in Temple Terrace and Tampa.

Ahead of hurricane season, 10 Tampa Bay got a behind-the-scenes look at the largest of the 84 structures (S-160) the Southwest Florida Water Management District operates and maintains around the clock. Over the past few months, crews have been monitoring them.

“Right now the structure is in fantastic shape, well maintained, and operationally well,” Jerry Mallams, SWFWMD’s operations bureau chief, said.

When launched into action, Tampa’s Bypass Canal System, made up of five flood control structures, can safely divert billions of gallons of water from the river into McKay Bay. It's one of the first lines of defense when a hurricane or major storm hits the Tampa area.

RELATED: Shore Acres neighbors 'hopeful' city-funded upgrades will stop tidal flooding

“There's a lot of urbanization nested up very, very close to this river. So when this river comes out of its banks, it can cause a lot of damage,” Mallams explained.

The system was constructed after Hurricane Donna in 1960 caused devastating flooding in the area. When it was first built, engineers operated it out of an on-site control room built to withstand Category 5 hurricanes. Now, new tech controls it remotely.

“We have technology that is able to allow us not only to monitor the water levels to see when we have to activate but it allows us to move all those gates remotely anyplace in the world as long as we have access to the internet,” Mallams said.

Due to its age and changes to water levels, with matching grant funding from the state, more than $2 million in upgrades are underway to keep the crucial piece of infrastructure fit for the future.

“These two projects will make sure the structure is resilient for future sea level conditions, and that it continues to provide flood protection benefits to the cities of Tampa and Temple Terrance for decades to come,” Mallams added.