Downtown Concierge By Nanette Wiser
April brings the launch of Al Lang Live’s Concert Series – Santana April 18th, Tampa Bay Blues Festival & 5th Annual Sunlit Festival to Downtown St. Petersburg.
It’s also Earth Day downtown, and from St. Pete Eco-Village to Brick Street Farms and multiple festivals, this really is the sweetest (and not too sultry) month of the year.
I drive by 1601 Central daily, my jaw gaping at the transforming landscape on both sides. This block will house Hilton’s Tru concept hotel plus apartments, retail, restaurants and commercial space. Tru caters to millennials at work and play, with a lounge for work and playing games, sipping cappuccino and mingling. There’s a 24/7 Eat & Sip Market for local gourmet snacks and single-serve beer and wine, and wired alcoves and collaborative spaces for impromptu meetings and local murals create a sense of the city.
Stopped in the other day to Red Mesa’s Mercado for probably the best chicken burrito in the city. Next to Green Bench, this mecca of craft brews and California-style Mexican street food and fresh tortillas is a Saturday haven, complete with activities for the family and live music.
Check out Webb’s City Cellar’s two-story, adults only-tasting room which hopes to showcase Webb City antiques from the St. Petersburg Museum of History, which also helped transformed Flying Boat Brewery.
Everyone knows downtown is pet-friendly, from the Dog Bar to hanging at Black Crow Coffee’s newest location on 1st Ave. S or Old Northeast with the pups. But what about our feline pals? Sunshine Kitty is coming to downtown, a coffee shop where you can visit with cats from local shelters, and with hope, take a forever meowster home.
Vegan fare rocks DTSP, from The Mill and Cider House Café to Amigo’s Tortilla Bar. Let’s be frank, we can’t wait for the tasty vegan hot dogs from Nah Dogs stand where the soy dogs and vegan sausage and chili will tempt even the meat eaters. Brass Bowl Kitchen & Juicery offers a gluten-free kitchen and cold pressed juice on Central’s 600 block.
Other newcomers include Flatbread & Butter, soon to be joined by Pete’s General market offering local and Florida potables and comestibles. May is the launch of our Tampa fave, Datz’s kooky American comfort food, heavy on the BACON and sister to Dr. BBQ, the brainchild of the culinary wizards Suzanne and Richard Perry.
Pizza Week is behind us, but it’s still lingering on my hips as I sampled some new places around the burg. I loved the Filetto at Bavaro’s, made with fior de latte, heirloom tomoato, basil, garlic and EVOO (no tomato sauce). Paul’s Chicago Pizza made me drool, especially the spicy Italian over on 4th St. N. For a change of pace, I nibbled white pizza at Fabrica Pizza, made with fresh mozzarella, shaved parmigiano, gorgonzola, sautéed white onions, oregano and garlic.
My last stop was a Locale Market in the Mall at Sundial where I ate the South Side of Italy, a mélange of shredded mozzarella, parmesan cheese, ricotta cheese, pepperoni and calabrian chili. Perfecto!
Kalamazoo Olive Company is now open at 1010 Central, serving the fig or espresso balsamic vinegar we can’t live without! No salad is complete without their specialty olive oils, olives and tasty concoctions. Sorry to hear the old location hiked their rent, but happily they are in a great new location. Grand reopening was March 30th!
Have you been to Saigon Blonde, with its 60s-era Vietnam tiki décor and one of the coolest bars in town? Theme bars seem to be popping up, with Intermezzo’s clever theme nights and Hawthorne Bottle Shop’s kooky events (Robe In!). Dive décor is all the rage at No Vacancy and The Canopy at the Birchwood often feels like a scene from Sex & The City, especially on Wednesday nights.
With spring, it’s time for graduation and weddings, but where to host them? We love Steve and Nancy Westphal’s restaurants, particularly 400 Beach for special occasions and the atrium or grand ballroom at the Duke Energy Center for the Arts – Mahaffey Theater is a fabulous waterfront venue. FarmTable Cucina has a lovely private room, perfect for a wedding shower as does The Hangar Restaurant.
French food aficiandos adore The Left Bank and Cassis, but Christophe Guillot has delivered the French Riviera at Bacchus, with charcuterie to dine in or take home.
Rumor has it that Ford’s Garage downtown is opening a second location in the former Outback Steakhouse near Bay Pines, which moved to Seminole in March 2019. And downtown’s The Mill opened in Tampa’s old Ceviche Space.
Finally, happy birthday to The Hideaway Café, a music lover’s paradise. Their 10 Year Celebration “X Fest” features live music, craft beer, localista goods and a street party with stage, outdoor bar and noshes from URBAN Brew and BBQ plus a kids’ game station. Bring your family, bring your pet and bring your blue suede shoes.
Nanette Wiser (727) 560-6209 iser86@gmail.com
Journalist – Writer/Editor – Blogs, print, digital, social media, web content, research, SEO. PR/Media/Marketing – Communications, Branding, strategic plans; B2C & B2B. PN