The Zest

It’s one thing to know how the sausage gets made. It’s another thing to buy the pigs that become the sausage. But that’s what former Zest guest Andrew Tambuzzo recently did.Andrew is the founder and owner of The Boozy Pig Butchery & Kitchen in Tampa, which has locations in South Tampa and Davis Islands. In addition to selling pork products to the public, Boozy supplies meat to dozens of restaurants, hotels and other wholesale clients. To ensure the quality of his supply, Andrew recently purchased around 50 pigs of his own. They live on a farm in Pasco County.Buying livestock for your restaurant may sound extreme, but Andrew comes from a foodie family. His late grandfather Giuseppe Tambuzzo owned Tip Top Grocery Store in Ybor City, and his cousin John Barbie’s Tip Top Canning Co. was featured on The Zest earlier this year.Dalia met up with Andrew at the Boozy Pig’s South Tampa location as lunch hour was winding down. (They sat at a table that, moments earlier, had been occupied by former Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn. In this conversation, Andrew explains why buying the pigs was important to him, how pork products are made—buckle up for that!—and ways to make flavorful meals from less expensive cuts of meat.

What do the rapper Drake, basketball player Magic Johnson and countless Floridians have in common? They've all enjoyed a meal at Donatello in Tampa. The Italian restaurant was started in 1984 by the late Guido Tiozzo, a native of Venice, Italy. Today, Guido’s son Gino Tiozzo is at the helm, balancing classic Italian dishes with customers’ ever-changing expectations.On a quiet morning, Dalia stopped by the dining room to chat with Gino. In this conversation, he reflects on the restaurant’s 40-year history, reveals the one dish he’ll never take off the menu and offers advice for cooking better Italian meals at home.

Plant City, in Hillsborough County, has bragging rights as the Winter Strawberry Capital of the World. Its farms produce millions of berries each year. In fact, Hillsborough County, where Plant City is located, produces about 15 percent of the nation’s strawberries and nearly all of its winter strawberries, according to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. But this wasn’t always the case. Today, we’ll learn how a single event more than 100 years ago changed everything. I recently chatted with Jennifer Morgan. She’s a public relations and media representative for the Florida Strawberry Festival, which takes place March 3 to 13 in Plant City. Jennifer explains how strawberries—and the festival—became such big business.

Miami has Little Haiti and Little Havana. Orlando has Little Vietnam. And in Northern Pinellas County, you’ll find an ethnic enclave like no other: Tarpon Springs. In the late 1800s, Greek immigrants established the town’s sponge-diving industry. Today, visitors flock to Tarpon Springs not only to buy sponges but also to sample the authentic Greek food. Mykonos restaurant has been a Tarpon Springs institution since 1992. The Zest's Dalia Colón chats with the restaurant's founder, Andreas Salivaras, and his granddaughter, Nichole Pastis, about Greek food and being in business as a family.

He’s a little bit foodie, and a little bit rock ‘n roll. This week, we’re catching up with musician-turned-MasterChef contestant Derrick Fox.The Fort Myers native graduated from Estero High School and went on to enjoy a career as a drummer with the Naples-based rock band Later Days. After years of touring, Derrick recently put away his drumsticks in favor of his other passion: cooking. He now works as a private chef, splitting his time between Dallas, Fort Myers and Los Angeles—where he competed twice on reality cooking competition show MasterChef. In season 6, he was a runner-up. And in season 12, he tied for seventh place. While Derrick didn’t bring home the trophy, he parlayed his stint on the show into a podcast called A Bunch of Losers with Derrick Fox.On his podcast, Derrick interviews also-rans from reality TV competitions while they all drink from mugs with a FOX emoji. At the end of each episode, he puts guests through a blind taste test—because whether he’s making music, competing on a reality show or dreaming up new creations for his dessert brand, Epic Mega Cookie Company, Derrick is a foodie at heart.Dalia recently chatted with Derrick Fox, a.k.a., Derrick Peltz, about how his music career prepared him to be a chef, and what home cooks can learn from the MasterChef kitchen.

Amaris Castillo grew up around bodegas, which are small, owner-operated convenience stores.Her new book "Bodega Stories" is a portrait of the bodega her parents own in St. Pete called Orlando Latin Market. The book is part autobiography and part oral history of her Dominican-American family and the customers who frequent the store.Talking to host Matthew Peddie on "Florida Matters Live & Local," Castillo gives insight into her upbringing and how the bodega is a home away from home not just for Dominicans, but Puerto Ricans, Colombians, Cubans, Haitians and more.Thanks to our friends at Florida Matters Live & Local for sharing this conversation, which was recorded in September 2026.

For the past few months, we've been checking in with some past Zest guests. Giuliano Hazan is a cookbook author and culinary instructor in Sarasota. He is the only child of the late Marcella Hazan, who is credited with popularizing traditional Italian cuisine in the United States. Dalia visited Giuliano at his home in June 2024, and she returned for another conversation at his kitchen table this past summer.Thanks to our friends at Florida Matters Live & Local for sharing this conversation.

Tampa Bay has more awesome coffee shops than we can count. In honor of National Coffee Day on Sept. 29, The Zest’s brand manager, Alexandria Ebron, recommends a few places to find your next cuppa joe: Wuz Here pop-up at Ash Blind Tiger Coffee Roasters (Hey, Roberto Torres!) Don’t see your fave on this list? Shout out your favorite coffee shop on our Facebook and Instagram pages.

We love classic stadium food as much as the next person. But this season at Raymond James Stadium, you might want to skip the chicken tenders and nachos in favor of some one-of-a-kind culinary creations. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers Chef Series returns, inviting award-winning local chefs to feature signature dishes for purchase at select home games.In this bonus episode, The Zest’s brand manager and football foodie, Alexandria Ebron, gives us a preview.  Sept. 20 vs. Browns: Jazzy’s BBQ Sept. 27 vs. Vikings:  inbetweendays Oct. 4 vs. Packers: Tacos Las Californias Oct. 18 vs. Vikings: Kinjo Nov. 1 vs. Falcons: Taco Riendo Nov. 30 vs. Panthers: Flan Factory Dec. 6 vs. Chargers: Columbia Restaurant (Hi, Andrea Gonzmart Williams!) Dec. 20 vs. Saints: Cheeky’s (Hey, Nate Siegel!) Jan. 3 vs. Rams: Louis Pappas Which game day dish scored a touchdown with you? Let us know on Facebook and Instagram pages.

In honor of Mexican Independence Day, join Alexandria Ebron of The Zest for a tequila tasting at Lona by Chef Richard Sandoval inside the Tampa Marriott Water Street.