There’s a NuMex Brunch in Town

St. Pete is definitely a brunch kind of town, and there's lots of brunch competition. To compete, a restaurant can either go the bigger, better route—biggest buffet that you'll never be able to eat all of the items you're charged for, and the biggest, cheapest bottomless mimosas that have way too much orange juice, and…

It's been a year and two months since the original announcement of Flûte & Dram opening on Beach Drive. Now they are finally open with packed crowds spilling out onto the sidewalk. There's no other place in St. Pete that has a selection of caviar like Flûte & Dram. The only place in the Tampa Bay area…

Beach towns are often associated with tourist traps, kitschy souvenir stores, and overpriced seafood restaurants. St. Pete Beach has its fair share of all that but there are several gems that exist among the more stereotypical establishments; you just have to find them. In particular, Café Solei, the French bakery and cafe is quite literally…

Bavaro's Begins Weekend Brunch (Sat & Sun 11am - 2pm) this Saturday, April 7th When we heard that Bavaro's was going to begin serving brunch I thought how will a pizza and pastaria restaurant create a brunch menu? Will it be creative and innovative or will it just have the same offerings we can find elsewhere?…

We had been hearing how amazing Selene is for around a year now, and we finally got to go a couple of weeks ago. They definitely lived up to their reputation. The space used to be a Village Inn, and what a far cry from that since owner Nick Skiadiotis transformed it in January 2016.…

Maple Street Biscuit Co. - Act Local - Cook Fresh & Homemade Here's my one word review of Maple Street Biscuit Co. DAMN! This is the celebrity rock star of fried chicken and biscuits, plus other hug-your-belly-and-kiss-it comfort food. As we reported earlier, Maple Street Biscuit Co. opened yesterday on the 600 block of Central…

Caserecce with Swordfish, Fried Eggplant, and Mint

BellaBrava's Cooking Competition Finale à la Master Chef Raise your hand if you like to watch cooking shows. Me too. Actually, Master Chef is my favorite. It was quite exciting and fun that BellaBrava conducted the finale of their Numero Uno recipe contest in the fashion of a cooking show. Bravo to Debbie Reid for winning with her…

Right away, the name Swah-rey sparks curiosity because it’s quite obviously the spelled out pronunciation of the word “soiree”, a word associated with a fancy social gathering. That’s exactly what you get at Swah-rey except no need to dress up (unless you want to) - the desserts and accompanying beverages will make you feel plenty…

Do you miss great southern comfort food? I know I sure DID...we shall be deprived no more with the latest addition to our growing St Petersburg restaurant scene. Callaloo, located in the historic Manhattan Casino building at 22nd St and 6th Ave S, just on the south side of the Grand Central district of St…

There's nothing wrong with doing tequila shots and munching on tacos, chips and guacamole ... but that's not what this tequila dinner was about. Unfortunately, that's how too many people solely think of tequila, but there's more to it than that. [caption id="attachment_9958" align="alignnone" width="2048"] IL Ritorno's Famous Focaccia Bread[/caption] This spirit is strictly from…

Anybody that pays attention to the downtown St. Pete food scene knows that 2nd & Second really had the crap kicked out of them with bad reviews in the first few months that they were opened. Then, there were the defenders that said it's not fair to review a new place until they have at…

To celebrate the combined birthdays of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln on President's Day, February 19, 2018 we decided to brunch it up at The Galley with four friends. Thank you presidents #1 & #16 for giving us a reason to drink on Monday morning - instead of #45 for a change. (Sorry, I couldn't…

We love The Lure in downtown St. Pete. It's set up to be a fun space with whimsical murals, pool tables, (that you can play for free), and an eclectic menu of sushi and tapas that defy a single categorization as a restaurant. The service is cheerful and friendly. If you know the owners, Tom Golden…

Recently Kevin and I went to Three Birds Tavern on 4th St at lunchtime and met with owner, Robin King. Besides the food, it is always intriguing to get the story of how restaurateurs end up in this business. The Kings moved to St Petersburg from Ohio after raising their family and Jack’s decision to…

IL Ritorno is back! Actually, they've been back since December 27th, but we finally got a chance to check out the new space on Valentine's Day. They closed during the last quarter of 2017 to expand, nearly doubling their size, adding two more dining areas, an open kitchen, chef's bar, and full liquor. More details…