See cool furniture finds online; vote for Trinity Café; learn Columbia Restaurant secrets

The doors of Tampa Street Market may be shuttered, but owners Amy and Charles Haynie are still open for business, selling their eco-friendly furniture creations on the Internet.

"We could not rely on people walking in the shop,'' Charles said of the store at 4715 N Florida Ave. they ran for nearly two years. Custom projects helped them get by, such as the 18-foot reclaimed metal and cypress conference table they just finished for a law firm.

"We started dabbling in online sales, and what an eye-opener to see the reach of our ideas," said the daytime engineer and evening craftsman. Wife Amy handles painting and finishing.

Now you'll find the Haynies' designs on etsy.com, an Internet marketplace for handmade or vintage items, art and supplies.

"We sold more than in the store,'' Charles said, "from Maine to Arkansas." Somewhat surprisingly, Greyhound bus became the preferred shipper. Customers pick up their purchases at the nearest bus station.

On etsy.com, under the "Handmade" drop-down menu, find "Sellers" and search for Tampa Street Market as the Haynies continue to build their business out of their Seminole Heights garage.

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Trinity Café program director Cindy Davis thanks you in advance for your votes. She's not running for elective office. She's running a free kitchen serving 200 meals a day to the hungry and homeless, Monday through Friday, 52 weeks a year. That adds up to more than 642,000 meals since opening nine years ago.

Davis needs your vote to compete for a Markham Vineyards' Mark of Distinction grant. The Napa Valley winery will award $25,000 each to the two top vote-getters out of 10 finalists.

Her essay describing the dignified ambiance at Trinity Café got them this far. Two guests per table dine on chef Alfred Asti's cuisine, served by respectful volunteers on real dishes and tablecloths.

"A restaurant experience without the check at the end of the meal," she said, already envisioning the kitchen equipment the grant could buy for the cafe at 1603 N Florida Ave.

Click on MarkhamMark ofDistinction.com to cast one vote per day per e-mail address through Sept. 7.

Also in the spirit, the labels on 300 cases of two Markham wines, dubbed the Philanthropist and the Altruist, will promote the winners' missions.

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My kitchen skills are limited, I admit, and dinner reservations are my speciality. But even I can make a sandwich and toss a salad. So what makes "A Taste of History" appetizing are the stories to be told while learning how to layer an authentic Cuban sandwich and my fave, a Columbia Restaurant 1905 salad.

University of South Florida librarian/foodie Andrew Huse discovered the family secrets while writing The Columbia Restaurant: Celebrating 100 Years of History, Culture and Cuisine. He and a Columbia Café chef will spill the beans during three 6 p.m. workshops at the Tampa Bay History Center: Cuban sandwich (Sept. 8); 1905 Salad (Sept. 15); bread pudding and red sangria (Sept. 22). History Center members pay $35 per session or $95 for all three. The nonmember cost is $40 per session or $110 for the series. Call (813) 228-0097.