When Treva Marshall of Orlando was looking to stage a surprise party for her Tampa friend Kim Gaines, she searched for something beyond the ordinary.
Something Kim wouldn't expect.
She found it in Ybor City. Yes, amid all the smoky bars and imbibing patrons is at least one place that allows neither - Sweet Serennah.
"The concept was perfect," said Marshall, who Saturday brought an entourage of 25 to the bakery. "It's so unique. We had a surprise dessert reception, and the desserts are incredible. The deep-fried cheesecake is to die for. That and the beignets. You can't leave there without trying the beignets."
Sweet Serennah, at 1616 E Seventh Ave., is just a short walk east of Centro Ybor, but it's a long way from the traditional Ybor haunts - and not because it's one of the few black-owned businesses in the district.
Rick Thomas, who attended the Disney Culinary Institute and has worked at several bakeries, opened his place in December - in part at the behest of his wife, Floran, an accountant who had grown weary of the impact the sweet concoctions he made at home was having on her figure.
"She said all this goodness had added on an extra 10 pounds," Thomas said. "So I had to share this with somebody else."
They named the place after their daughter and came up with a concept that wouldn't conflict with their Christian beliefs.
"We wanted to have an establishment in Ybor City, the quote, unquote Sin City, where family members could come into a nice historical area and relax," Thomas said.
Coffees and espressos are available, but desserts are first. Muffins, croissants, pecan rolls and bagels fill the display cases, but the specialties are what prove to be really enticing.
Thomas serves up slices of pecan and deep apple crumb pie, strawberry shortcake, Italian rum cake and a dulce de leche named for his daughter, Serennah. That dessert is rivaled only by the Tuxedo Brownie, a multilayered chocolate work of art.
Sweet Serennah stays open late and features unique entertainment options. Thursday nights are set aside for spoken word performances and neo soul.
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The first Friday of each month offers a rapidly growing singles mixer, including speed-dating, beginning at 7 p.m.
Saturdays feature jazz artists such as Ron Ali, who regaled Marshall's group with everything from Jeffrey Osborne to Frank Sinatra.
"I'm happy to see the diversion," Marshall said. "My best friend has lived in that area for 25 years, and she had never been to Ybor City. It sort of gives them the opportunity to bring in that kind of new crowd."
Sweet Serennah is open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and starting at 6 p.m. Thursday through Saturday.
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Here are two other islands of interest to keep an eye on in Ybor City.
Owner Joe Cupolo has converted the Atomic Age Cafe into Stardust, 1518 E Seventh Ave., a restaurant that offers fondue dinners, Mexican dishes, pasta plates and gourmet burgers.
Cupolo will couple his offerings with themed music nights ranging from the 1940s to the 1990s.
Cupolo won't turn away young folks, but he readily admits he's aiming for a more adult crowd.
"We're not a nightclub," said Cupolo, who opens for business today. "We're a restaurant with good music and entertainment."
Meanwhile, Walter and Sara Romeo have converted their long-standing art and furniture store into the Studio 1515 Coffeehouse, at 1515 E Seventh Ave. It's mainly coffee, desserts, sandwiches and artwork, but there is entertainment.
An open-mike jam session is drawing raves Friday nights.
Spoken word group Poetry on the Edge meets on the first Saturday of the month, and a group of independent filmmakers gather on the second Thursday of the month.
Maybe the eclectic Ybor mix we once came to love is on the rise ... again.
