Best of the Bay 2006.

Tampa's Creative Loafing (formerly Weekly Planet.) released their annual Best of the Bay issue this week. If I owe you a phone call for about a month now, this is why. [Full disclosure, I'm the Associate Editor of the paper.] A lot of hard work goes into producing an issue like this, and after several months reporting and writing, and several weeks of long days, the paper is finally off our backs and in your hands. If you live in the Tampa Bay area, pick up a copy and check it out. "The Time Travel Issue" as it's known is loaded with picks for the best in the Arts, Food, Goods & Services, Politics and life around the Bay area in general.

Best of the Bay has already made some waves locally with TV appearances by CL staff members on local Fox and CBS affiliates this morning, and Sticks of Fire, Seminole Heights Blog and The State of Sunshine all celebrating much-deserved awards in the Blogosphere. And we're all looking forward to this Saturday's Beerfest blowout from 1-6 p.m. at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. Great bands (Auto!Automatic!! rocks!!!), God knows how many beers (dozens if not hundreds), and fun in the casino should make it a pretty exciting afternoon.

For you non-locals, check out the Best of the Bay online here.