Under The Influencer

This week: We take a listen to predictions made and recorded one year ago by shoppers at St. Pete’s Indie Flea for what 2024 had in store for them as we build a bingo card for the year. How many came true?

The Election. The Economy. Aliens. Bill Murray.

This week: It’s a wrap on 2024 as we take a look back on pop culture moments from the past year. Tasting Taco Bell’s viral chicken nuggies. The time when Kate Middleton went missing. JLo’s bodega order. Katy Perry's flop era. Brat Summer. The rise of Chappell Roan. Turning down a 12 million dollar NDA. The Katt Williams prophecies. Watching a 50-part tiktok. Rap battles. A tough summer for Tampa Bay. A baby on the way!

This week: It's our second annual Christmas special! The stalker tendencies of the TikTok shop. Beware the metal cat litter box trend. A sampling of holiday sweet treats. ASMR sound triggers. Infuriating grocery store layouts. Did grandma really get runover by a reindeer? Who was mommy kissing underneath the mistletoe? Grinch trauma. The most unhinged Christmas song. Mannheim Steamroller's cinnamon hot chocolate. A very Mean Girls Christmas. Hot frosty. Ornament placement politics. Max's tree of HORRORS. Keeping up with the elf on the shelf.

This week: A look back at some favorite holiday moments from the past year. Corn Pudding: revisited. Holding space for Defying Gravity in 2004. Christmas morning in St. Pete circa 1898. Going out on the town with grandma. Witnessing a Christmas miracle on US-19. The great stuffing vs. dressing debate. A rum ball incident. Grammy’s never-walk-again egg nog. Mom’s egg muck.

This week: How to act at a holiday party. Max's Christmas balls. The yoohoo house. Secrets of the Publix wine bag. Sam's poodle drama continues. Teresa Giudice comes to town. Building a party guest list. Being a "show-up" person. What and what not to bring as a host gift. The lore of Max's red salad bowl. A call to bring back birds as gifts. Getting trapped in a conversation. Finding a mutual break in talking. Treading lightly with shoe policies. Managing dietary restrictions. Circling back in January.

This week: A look at Thanksgiving traditions. Max's homemade ravioli experiment. Riffing on classics. Stop putting turkey in pillowcases. The politics of carving. The late night mystique of Emeril Live. Revisiting the refrigerator handle debate. Sam's vacuum trauma. A poll listener poll of favorite dishes. Stuffing is turkey's PR firm. We will not accept any Velveeta slander. Mac and cheese as a cult. Sam's run-in with a poodle. Turkey joints. Getting out ahead of the dark entity. Holding space for the Wicked movie. Finding a moment to enjoy the holiday. A maple pie for the soul.

This week: We take a look at Tampa Bay Times food critic Helen Freund's list of top 30 restaurants in the area. Our after school snack routines. Home Depot glizzys. Max's grievance with refrigerators and bottled liquids. How do build a top 30 list? Beach Drive’s Renaissance. Max's latest feud with a font. Chili's triple dipper. Fish places known for things other than fish. Josh wine. Is there Port Richey territory beef? Industry Night. The treasure island fun center. A quest for curry puffs. The mozz lady.

This week: Sam is serving MOTHER as we catch up on her pregnancy. Max takes a turn asking the stupid questions. Measuring age in months. What fruit is it? An update the dark entity. Round ligament pain. Weird cravings. Unhinged advice from a dental hygienist. Max's tepid relationship with dairy. Things not to say to a pregnant person. The spectacle of gender reveal parties. Going back to work after the baby. Pregnancy nose. Rubbing the belly. Accepting the "fun uncle" role. Mourning your old life.

This week: We're back after two century storms and the horrors stay persisting. Reclaiming our spooky season time. Return of the 12-foot skeleton. Helene's horrors. Flesh-eating bacteria. The chilling sounds of Milton. Opening a restaurant after a disaster. Unincorporated Pinellas Park. The Oreo spooky castle cookie kit. The dark entity that has been haunting Max all summer.

This week: We're joined by Rob Castellon, managing partner of Hi Hospitality, the group behind St. Pete's upcoming food hall Central Park. The logistical stress of opening a restaurant. The resurgence of members-only experiences. Checklists! Max's past restaurant traumas. Florida basements. Tampa Bay's close-knit bartending community. Being a B-list wedding guest. "Skunks" in the restaurant. a system for toilet paper. The surprising reputation of The Emerald Bar. The mystique of celebrity dining.