By Laura Reiley, Times Food Critic
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Jacquelyn Smoak, 2, of Tampa gets help from her mother, Darla, tasting one of her chocolate chai coconut bars at the inaugural Tampa Food Swap at Kate Jackson Community Park Saturday. The event was organized by food blogger and attorney Gina Melton.
TAMPA
The initial trade of the day took a page out of Bernie Madoff's playbook.
At the inaugural Tampa Food Swap held Saturday in Kate Jackson Community Park in Hyde Park, the first customer was an opportunistic squirrel who made off with a chocolate chai coconut bar, wrapper and all. Event organizer Gina Melton was unfazed by the theft, chalking it up to the difficulties that often accompany the launch of something new. A Tampa food blogger, Melton got the idea from fellow bloggers and online food communities.
A concept that has gained purchase in West Coast ...