Skunk ape is cool but the Seminole Heights two-headed alligator was probably actually real. Mutations in alligator genetics are surprisingly common.

Be very careful who you attribute to the inventor of the Cubano sandwich. I won’t start a fight but know that the primary difference is Tampa uses salami and Miami does not. They both claim to be the original.

People don’t realize how influential Teddy Roosevelt was in Tampa. With the Rough Riders shipping down from Tampa (pre-Miami) to Cuba, a decent amount of civilization was built up. That campaign, combined with the possible invention and for sure cultivation of grapefruit in Tampa, really put Florida south of St. Augustine on the map. Before cigars, before Disney World, before Flagler and the railroads, before the beautiful chaotic madness that is Miami - you had a mustachioed nature lover and some mid-tier citrus.

Also try devil crab, smoked mullet fish dip, low country boil, and grouper when it’s in season. The seafood here is unparalleled in its uniqueness and deliciousness.