Tampa food and entertainment pop-up Better Together debuts in St. Pete next month

Folks can expect a local vendor market, DJs and and a unique food menu from Better Together organizers.

By Kyla Fields on Fri, Jun 28, 2024 at 3:15 pm

bettertogethertpa/Instagram

Better Together organizers L to R: Hassan Lewis and Guillermo Quezada.

Part-food pop-up, part-indie market, Tampa-based event organizer Better Together’s mission is to unite local creative communities across a wide variety of mediums.

While its multifaceted events have only taken place in Tampa so far, Better Together is crossing the Howard Frankland Bridge for its next celebration of local food, music, art and more.

Bandit Coffee Co., located at 2662 Central Ave., will close up shop at 3 p.m. like usual, with Better Together taking over the popular cafe from 6 p.m.-9 p.m. on Sunday, July 21. There will be no cover and no tickets needed to attend.

Organizers Guillermo Quezada and Hassan Lewis launched their multi-faceted pop-up experience in 2023, and since then have brought a slew of local vendors, DJs and entertainers to popular Tampa spots like Nebraska Mini Mart and L.P.C.X. Cafe.

Next month marks the duo’s first St. Petersburg event, which taps into the pop-up’s ethos of inclusivity, creativity and well, togetherness. Lewis tells Creative Loafing Tampa Bay that July’s Better Together event will feature vendors and small business owners from both sides of the bridge, and that he and Quezada will dish their prized sandwich menu in order to “give the St. Pete crowd a chance to try it.”

Folks can expect sandwiches like their “Don Chimi” burger with a chorizo-beef patty, fried cheese, guava, mayo-ketchup, chimichurri-dressed cabbage and tomato on a brioche bun, as well as its “Katsu Sando,” stacked with piti-spiced fried chicken thigh, katsu sauce and pickled slaw on thick-cut brioche toast.

Better Together usually boasts one or two vegetarian options as well, like its vegan empanadas stuffed with roasted corn, pinto beans, piti papas, onions, peppers and more.

Head to @bettertogethertpa on Instagram for more details on Better Together’s debut event in St. Petersburg next month. Its list of vendors and entertainers will be released within the next few weeks.

Slideshow

Here are some of Tampa Bay's best food pop-ups, from bánh mì to barbecue

Taco WizardWhere to find it: Green Bench Brewing Co., CellarmastersThis St. Pete-based, “nomadic radical taqueria pop-up” nixtamalizes their own masa and makes their own tortillas, topping with gut-punching flavors like “pho birria” with short rib, oxtail, chihuahua cheese, chilis, herbs and consomme for dipping. While its menu is constantly changing, owner Mike Roberts says that the pho birria, as well as his crab tostada topped with fermented hot sauce, mango pico and guacamole, are Taco Wizard mainstays. These globally-inspired tacos aren’t slung often, so keep an eye out for its next pop-up, which will probably happen towards the end of summer.Photo by Madison Rae Photo

Alex’s KitchenWhere to find it: Friday Night Street Food Market, Saigon Summer Market, Hello Friend Market, Felicitous NIght Market. A regular at Pinellas County’s various Asian street food markets (like the Mega Night Street Food Market and Saigon Summer Market), this pop-up specializes in traditional, no-frills Laotian food like blood sausages, laab duck, grilled squid, papaya salad, beef skewers and sticky rice.Photo via alex_kitchen.fl/Instagram

BackAlley Bánh MìWhere to find it: In Between Days. @backalleybanhmi on InstagramOwner Viet Nguyen tells CL that his mother and grandmother’s cooking ultimately inspired his specialized bánh mì pop-up. “My mom is still cooking some of the best meals I’ll ever have and I’m still chasing recipes that I remember my grandmother used to make me, but could never emulate even after trying so many times. My idea was to introduce a from-scratch, highly specialized bánh mì shop where the labor of love could be tasted in every bite,” he explains. “All the recipes were my own mother’s recipes except for the bread. Bánh mì literally translates to ‘bread’ so for me, that’s the most important part and it took me years to master.” While the Back Alley menu is constantly changing with protein options like lemongrass chicken and tofu, Nguyen hopes to offer ten different banh mi options eventually—although his Đặc Biệt (aka ‘special’) with pork cold cuts and paté will most likely be a permanent player.Photo via backalleybanhmi/Instagram

The Bakery BoxWhere to find it: Pro Kitchen Hub.This to-go window in South Tampa features a rotating selection of goods from small bakeries and cottage kitchens each week, offering everything from specialty doughnuts and mini cheesecakes to cookies, lattes and pastries. From Monday-Saturday, clients that use the commercial kitchen and culinary incubator Pro Kitchen Hub (5226 S Dale Mabry Hwy.,Tampa) take over its Bakery Box window and run its own pop-up. Current tenants include: Peschel’s Cheesecakes, Sage’s Playground, The American Cookie Company and the newly-launched Flamingo Donuts.Photo via Bakerybox.tampa/Instagram

Better TogetherWhere to find it: LPCX Cafe, Nebraska Mini Mart.A Tampa-based pop-up from the minds of Hassan Lewis and Guillermo Quezada is not just about food—but showcases local artists, creators, entertainers, bartenders and more. Better Together events usually feature a range of different vendors and festivities, but Lewis and Quezada are usually in the kitchen whipping up unique sandwiches, like the “El Comi,” a modern take on the classic Cuban with thick-cut ham, five-spice and Szechuan-spiced pernil, Genoa salami, Swiss cheese, pickles and a yellow mustard aioli. While it’s been a few months since the duo has hosted one of its multifaceted events, patrons can expect Better Together to make its St. Pete debut sometime this summer.Photo via bettertogethertpa/Instagram

Calamansi Catering Co.Where to find it: Food festivals throughout Tampa BayWhile this Filipino-fusion business operates mainly as a private event caterer, it has made its presence known in the local food festival and market scene. The menu is constantly changing, but a staple is certainly its prized, Filipino-style Cuban sandwich with mojo-roasted pork, atchara slaw, garlic dijonnaise and Swiss cheese.Photo via calamansicompany/Facebook

Cipolla RossaWhere to find it: Green Bench Brewing, Dog Bar, Bandit Coffee Co., Mezzo Market, Sunday Market St. Pete, Indie FleaThis pizza shop’s oven may be on wheels, but the rest of the setup is about as DIY as it gets. The artisan pizza pop-up offers a variety of straightforward pies (pepperoni, Margherita, veggie) on fermented dough that crisps up perfectly in owner Josh Anson's wood-fired pizza oven. A crowd favorite is its “Hot Mootz” loaded with four gooey cheeses and hot honey—and this up-and-coming favorite has been dishing it out all over town. Unlike a lot of pop-ups that happen once or twice a month (if that), Cipolla Rosa is more or less a full-time operation; head to its social media where its pop-up schedule is released each week.Photo via cipollarossapizza/facebook

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About The Author

Kyla Fields

Email Kyla Fields

Kyla Fields is the Managing Editor of Creative Loafing Tampa Bay who started their journey at CL as summer 2019 intern. They are the proud owner of a charming, sausage-shaped, four-year-old rescue mutt named Piña.

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