Gotta go? Our guide to Tampa Bay's best restrooms
By DALIA WHEATT
Published June 1, 2007
They say you can judge a business - particularly a restaurant - by its bathrooms. If the soap dispensers are empty, then you have to wonder if the guy rolling your sushi washed his hands. Conversely, if the restroom looks like Buckingham Palace, then it's a safe bet you won't find a fly in your soup. We scoured the area in search of Tampa Bay's loveliest loos. Check out these over-the-top public restrooms.
Grille 29
615 Channelside Drive, Tampa, (813) 221-2929; www.grille29.com
What strikes you first about the women's bathroom is its size - it's ginormous (an estimated 750 square feet), with the holy grail of ladies' room amenities - The Couch. "We felt it had to have an area where they could just sit down and relax, whether it's to bitch about their husband or complain about their boyfriend, " said Dave Manuchia, president of Restaurant Partners, Inc., which owns Grille 29. Cut-glass pedestal sinks, which cost "thousands of dollars each, " put this bathroom over the top. "We seem to always have a pretty clean restroom in there, mostly because the guests are afraid to mess it up."
Wild Oats
1548 North Dale Mabry Highway, (813) 874-9435; www.wildoats.com
If you've used the bathroom at this natural food store and still can't figure out why we included it, then obviously you didn't wash your hands. For shame! The sinks - or lack thereof - are amazing. With only a flat counter to catch the water, it looks like the floor would wind up soaked. But the counters are tipped back ever so slightly, so the water flows neatly into a trough. "Everybody wants to know who did the sinks because I guess they want to put them in their house, " said store director Jim Mason. Look for them at newer Wild Oats stores, including the one in Naples.
The Fox
5401 W Kennedy Blvd., Suite 101, Tampa; (813) 289-8446; foxjazzclub.com
News happens fast. If only there was a way to empty one's bladder without missing the latest headlines. Oh, wait - now there is, thanks to the tiny televisions over the urinals at this jazz club. Owner Ted Wheless keeps them on CNN. But ladies, don't hate just 'cause you can't simultaneously check your stocks and your lipstick. Both the men's and women's restrooms are equipped with pleasantries like stainless steel sinks, marble counter tops and The Fox logo projected onto the bathroom door. "I was just trying to make this the best place in Tampa, " Wheless said. "Bring a little of New York to Tampa."
Soho Bleu
3285 Tampa Road, Palm Harbor, (727) 789-5176; www.blueheron-soho.com
"We didn't have a lot of money, and I wanted it to be something really cool, " said Amy Grant, general manager of this tapas and martini bar. Grant was thrilled with the diamonds a friend had painted in her own dining room, so she enlisted the artist's help for Soho Bleu. The result is very Trading Spaces and surprisingly inviting for a strip-mall bathroom. There are copper and blue horizontal stripes on the men's room wall and jewel-toned diamonds on the women's (shown on the cover). A ceiling-to-floor silk curtain divides the ladies' room so one occupant can use the toilet while the other checks her makeup.
Restaurant BT
1633 W Snow Ave., Hyde Park, (813) 258-1916; www.restaurantbt.com
With a tranquil color palette, bowls of fresh orchids and incense wafting throughout, these are indeed rest-rooms. Decorative black rocks conjure up images of hot-stone massages, while the artsy photos and woven waste baskets will have you in a Zen-like state. And the ladies' room is downright lovely - slightly asymmetrical white bowls filled with sky blue. "B.T. (chef/owner B.T. Nguyen-Batley) is very in tune with style ... so of course she wanted to follow through in the restrooms with the rest of the decor, which we think's pretty cool, too, " said business manager David Tyler.
Westfield Brandon
459 Brandon Town Center, Brandon, (813) 661-5100; www.westfield.com/brandon
Anyone who's ever walked the mall with a 2-year-old will appreciate the family lounges at Westfield's Brandon, Citrus Park, Countryside and Sarasota Square locations. We scoped out one in Brandon, which houses bottle warmers, baby wipe warmers, a microwave oven and even toys and kid-friendly TV to occupy Junior while Mom feeds his new sibling in one of the - it's about time! - private nursing stations. "It's a very homey feeling, " said Dawn Richter, marketing director for Westfield Brandon. Be sure to grab a complimentary bib and rattle on your way out.
Not in public! Etiquette 101
We didn't exactly consult Emily Post, but here's the stuff that bugs us:
Mind the gap. Whenever possible, leave a spacer stall.
Let it go to voice mail. It's totally obnoxious to hear a cell phone ring followed by "Can't talk now. I'm taking a leak." Just let 'em leave a message. It's not like you're head of the NSA or anything.
Check for TP before you sit. It is not my job to spare you a square. And don't go clawing at the roll, leaving a frustrating streamer of TP for the next person. But if the person next to you does need TP, just reach under and hand them some.
Flush. The courtesy flush is your best defense against the stench.
And flush some more. When you're finished, don't assume the toilet will flush automatically. Stick around to make sure all the kids are out of the pool.
Report clogs ASAP. Call anonymously from a pay phone if you must.
Wash your hands. With soap. No excuses.
Brusha brusha brusha. We're all about the dental hygiene. Just clean out the sink and wipe off any flecks of spit from the mirror.
Tip the attendant. We agree it's slightly bogus to have to fork over an Abe Lincoln every time you need to tinkle, but the attendant we asked said $5 is the acceptable minimum. (Note: We think said attendant was thinking very wishfully - a buck is the norm.) Leave $1 more if you use any extras like perfume, tampons or breath mints.
Practice prudent parenting. It's fine to bring your child - regardless of gender - into the restroom with you. But let's all agree that by the time your kid's been bar mitzvahed, he's old enough to go into the proper bathroom by himself without getting abducted.
Ladies, take note
If you sprinkle when you tinkle... You know the rest.
Put Aunt Flo in her place. Nobody wants to see/smell/think about your used Always with Flex-Wings. Wrap it in TP and toss it in the trash.
Stiff upper lip. So you caught your boyfriend with his ex. Don't put it on blast by blubbering on the ladies' room couch. Download Carrie Underwood's Before He Cheats and dry those tears.
Go ahead. Leave a Mary Kay catalog in the bathroom. Just don't expect us to buy anything.
Guys, peep this
Back up off me. Pop quiz: There are three urinals and one stall. Urinals 1 and 3 are occupied. What do you do? Answer: Use the stall or come back later. Do not pee next to another man. To further test your men's room acumen, check out www.gamescene.com/The_Urinal_Game_game.html .
Zip it. Your mouth, that is. Women make group trips to the loo just to talk. Dudes? Not so much.
XYZ. Speaking of zipping things, check your fly before you head out.
Sources: ICEB.org, Reatha Miles, men of tbt*
Confessions of a bathroom attendant
Reatha Miles is the ladies' room attendant, or - as she prefers to be called - bathroom valet, at the Ybor Green Iguana. tbt* recently spent some time on the stool with Miles, 62.
Do you think it's okay to talk on a cell phone in the bathroom?
I don't mind it. They say they can't hear out there, so they come in the bathroom. They can hear better.
What types of conversations do you overhear?
They broke up with the boyfriend. Or they're talking to their kid - "Mommy will be home in a few minutes." Mostly men trouble. That's what they're having.
Do they ever talk to you about their problems?
Oh yeah. They'll talk to me about it. They'll tell me, "Men are no good." I say, "Well yeah, I know that. You're right about that." (laughs) I'll tell them, "I don't care what size or what color. They all are no good. Tell me about it."
Does everybody wash their hands?
Not everybody.
And what do you think?
That's carrying a lot of germs right there.
Why do women go to the bathroom in groups? What are they doing?
I really can't say. All of them (are) urinating.
Is it okay to use the handicapped stall if you're not handicapped?
I'd rather for them to use those two (non-handicapped stalls) because if they use that handicapped bathroom, they don't tip. ... There's a sink and a mirror in (the handicapped stall).
What's the most outrageous thing you've heard of happening in the bathroom?
They're having sex in the bathroom or either they're having drugs in there.
Have you seen that?
No, I haven't seen it, but I've heard of it. I heard some of the attendants say that has happened to them. But it never happened to me.