Taco 'Bout a Great Guy!

This week we honor our good friend and long time beat writer for the Rays, Marc Topkin. Through two owners, two name changes for the paper, two different names for the team and five managers, Topper's been at the center of Tampa baseball. That’s a lot of baseball and a lot of time spent in the Trop!

Topper's the guy who we always keep the kitchen open for after game. A couple of years ago his lovely wife Sue was in town and at Foley`s waiting for Marc. I asked Sue if Marc might want anything, because the kitchen was closing, but she told me not to worry that Marc had probably eaten. We closed the kitchen and 10 minutes later Marc arrived famished and dejected when I told him the kitchen was closed. So whenever the Rays are in town, we make sure that Topper is taken care of before we close the kitchen.

Marc and Sue tragically lost their son Ben six years ago. Along with Ben's sister Carlyn, Marc and Sue have created a terrific charity the Ben Topkin Scholarship Fund, to honor his memory. Every year, at this time, friends and family of the Topkins honor him with pictures raising tacos. It was Ben's favorite food. So, with that in mind that this week's stuffed burger is the Topper’s (stuffed) Taco Burger. The Burger is stuffed with a blend of Nacho Cheese and served in a flour tortilla with guacamole, sour cream, topped with shredded lettuce and tomatoes and served with rice and beans. The total proceeds of all of the burgers sold this week will go to their scholarship fund.