ST. PETE FOODIES APPROVED SPONSOR:

10 Best Mexican Restaurants in St. Petersburg FL 2024

Chicken Taquitos
Must Eat Mexican Treats in St. Pete

If you search this site for “Mexican”, you may notice that I do all of the Mexican restaurant reviews. Why? It’s because I love Mexican food so much that I could literally eat it every day for a week straight. (I actually have done that before.) Two and a half decades ago when … Continue Reading

Read more

Best Places for Sushi in St. Petersburg FL 2024

Ora Salmon from New Zealand

Having completed my Foundations of Sushi Masterclass with the Master of Japanese Cuisine Academy last year, I thought it would be a good time to update the list for the best sushi in St. Pete. Technically, sushi means sour rice that is served with raw fish. Even though this is a sushi list, we also took sashimi into consideration. Sashimi … Continue Reading

Read more

Restaurant Insider: Who Keeps the Wine Flowing and Specials Cooking at Sola Bistro?

Art-and-Tig-Featured

On this sunny Tuesday morning in late April, Tig and Art walked past the blue patio umbrellas of the Italian bakery and head straight inside, greeted like family by the owners. La Casa Del Pane is a well-loved, homey spot on St. Pete Beach for pastries, coffee, and slow coastal mornings. For Tig and Art, the owner-chef duo behind Sola … Continue Reading

Read more

10 Best Cuban Sandwiches in St. Petersburg FL 2024

Boulevard Burgers Cuban Sandwich
Best Authentic Cuban Sandwiches in St. Pete

 

Salami or No Salami?

The Cuban Sandwich, as we know it today, was invented in Ybor City in the late 1800s by Cuban immigrants with some influence from Italian immigrants (salami), as well as German newcomers (mustard). Prior to this, in Cuba the medianoche and the mixto were two sandwiches that influenced … Continue Reading

Read more

Best Pizza Places in St. Petersburg, FL 2024

The-Diablo-Pizza-Featured
Best Pizza Joints in St. Pete

In the past three years, I’ve learned more about pizza than ever, and I continue to study and make about 100 pizzas a year myself. Lori and I are also Certified Pizza Judges with the Pizza Cook-off Association, and we took a pizza making course in Naples, Italy.

We’ve also eaten at the top … Continue Reading

Read more

Best Italian Restaurants in St. Petersburg FL 2024

Oxtail Malfade - Beet, Goat Cheese, Meyer lemon Aioli, Kumquat Dust, Herbed Panko

I moved to St. Petersburg a little over 15 years ago, and it seems like we’ve had an average of two Italian restaurants open each year since then, if not more. Lately, it seems like two every few months. There’s definitely no shortage of Italian eateries to choose from here. We’re always interested in checking out the newest places, and … Continue Reading

Read more

10 Best Steaks in St. Petersburg FL 2024

Perfectly-Cooked Medium Rare Filet Mignon

Steak. Who doesn’t love a steak? It’s really quite simple. First, get the highest quality beef. Then decide if you’re going to flip it once, or flip it often. (Milk Street Cooking School says that a very thick steak cooks more evenly when flipped often, and they are right.)

Are you going to marinate it? BuzzFeed’s Tasty says to marinate … Continue Reading

Read more

Sake, Oysters and Sophisticated Vibes at St. Pete’s In Between Days

Mushroom Gyoza

It’s no secret that the food and beverage scene in St. Petersburg is getting more hip and expansive with each passing day. The Tampa Bay area as a whole has finally landed on the radar of diners, experts and critics all around the country. From natural wine bars and carefully curated tasting menus to Michelin-level restaurants – there’s no denying … Continue Reading

Read more

Best Upscale-Casual Restaurants in St. Petersburg FL 2023

Grilled Black Grouper - Beluga Lentils, Colossal Crab Meat, Coconut Curry

Being in Florida, the land of vacations, fun and casualness, the term “Fine Dining” is not a favorite of some restaurateurs here as they are concerned it might make their establishment unapproachable to some potential customers. There was one restaurant where I described the food as “gourmet”, and was asked by the owner to not use that word for the … Continue Reading

Read more

Best Taco Places in St. Petersburg FL 2023

Taquitos Tacos - Chorizo, Carnitas, Barbacoa

As I sat down to write this, the first thoughts that popped into my head were 1) Everybody loves tacos, 2) There sure are a lot of different types of tacos these days, and 3) what is the actual origin of the taco—is it really Mexican, and how close to the original are they to what we eat today?

So, … Continue Reading

Read more

Mangosteen Rolls Into Town with an Eclectic New Menu

Mangosteen Volcano Roll

Mangosteen rolled onto the St Pete restaurant scene in early November 2021 with it’s trendy, hip vibe and eclectic asian inspired menu which features yakitori, tapas, tacos, sushi, stir-fry and very creative tropical cocktail concoctions.

It is located in the space formerly occupied by The Brass Bowl. Unlike its predecessor, Mangosteen offers a full service restaurant and a full liquor … Continue Reading

Read more

Top 10 New Restaurants in St Pete, FL – Rated by Locals 2020

Eggplant Parmigiana

It’s amazing that we actually have so many new restaurants that opened in the St. Petersburg area in this insane year of 2020. We also need to congratulate all of the eateries that stayed in business, which are currently in the majority. Only a few have closed. Hopes, prayers, good vibes, positive thoughts, and any other way you can think … Continue Reading

Read more

The Farm-to-Table Concept at Naked Farmer is Exceptional for a Wholesome Meal in Downtown St. Pete

Make Your Own Bowl + Mac & Cheese at Naked Farmer

An entire meal curated from local farms in Florida is now right at our fingertips in downtown St. Pete at Naked Farmer. Their nutritious food options are farm-to-table fresh with amazing flavors and generous portion sizes. You’ll most definitely feel your best after chowing down on one of their delicious bowls.

The convenience of Naked Farmer’s pickup and delivery gives … Continue Reading

Read more

Teak at The New St Pete Pier Sets Sail For Greatness

Crab Cake - potato crusted lump crab, Big Easy style corn, seaweed tuile and celery salad

Today, Monday July 6th, Teak restaurant at the new St Pete Pier will open its doors to the public when the pier officially opens at 5pm. You need a ticket to go to the pier itself, but a reservation at one of the new restaurants also counts as a ticket in.

We were excited to be invited to one of … Continue Reading

Read more

Sola Bistro: St. Pete Beach’s Charming Wine Bar with Thrilling Cuisine

The Carbonara, Ribeye and Amberjack special

Upon cruising down Gulf Blvd, the main drag of St. Pete Beach, You’ll notice a great deal of usual suspects: standard oceanside restaurants, unpretentious dive bars, a plethora of souvenir shops, beachgoers, and so on. One spot that most would not expect to stumble into is a cozy bistro and wine bar – cue Sola.

Sola Bistro & Wine Bar … Continue Reading

Read more
St. Petersburg Foodies