Article by Nanette Wiser
With bars closed, and restaurants forced to offer delivery or take out only, we can still support the hospitality industry AND be healthy and safe at home. Kudos to 3 Daughters and St. Pete Distillery for pivoting from craft beers and artisanal liquors to making hand sanitizers.
Set The Mood: Stock up on good wine (Vino Simpatico, Bella Vino, Symposium, Lolita’s, Hawthorne Bottle Shop and others.) Spiff up the table with linen, fresh flowers and a candle, ask Alexa to play Buble and enjoy a spring night alfresco.
Signature Cocktail: May we suggest 400 Beach’s RASPBERRY COSMOMOSA – Raspberry Vodka, Fresh Lime and Orange juice, Cranberry juice, Simple Syrup. Kissed with Sparkling Wine.
Beyond Netflix: After dinner, take a virtual trip with Google Earth to national park treasures or here at home! Just go the website or Facebook pages of these local attractions.
- Visit St. Pete Clearwater’s beaches and attractions youtube.com/watch?v=z_zE1YI9K8M.
- The Florida Aquarium is going live with their #SEASPAN programs on their website flaquarium.org/sea-span or Facebook page facebook.com/floridaaquarium.
- The Dali Museum lets you view Dreams of Dali and exhibits online thedali.org/exhibit/dreams-of-dali-in-virtual-reality.
- Watch Clearwater Marine Aquarium’s turtle release from twitter.com/VSPC/status/1240718671057739776?s=20.
Dine & Dash Options: Here are ten ways to dine at home at dozens of your favorite eateries from St. Petersburg to the Gulf Beaches. Be sure to call ahead and order; some offer online or fax order capability. (Be sure to call ahead; offers, menus and more may change after presstime.)
- Buy a restaurant gift card from your favorite establishment online, even if it’s closed (like Sea Salt St. Pete).
- Order pizza delivery with a gourmet twist from Slyce or Redington’s new Coastal Pizza Kitchen or go old school with New York Pizza or Gennaro’s. Want something more substantial? Order ahead from Da Sesto Italiano or Portofino Italian Ristorante. Il Ritorno offers a take-out meal for two.
- Many delivery services are waiving the delivery fee during this time. Check with uberEats, GrubHub, Bite Squad, DoorDash and others.
- Stock up on gourmet meats and seafood from Bayway Country Store and Butcher Shop, Key West Shrimp Company and Shaner’s.
- Pick up breakfast and delectable fresh baked breads from Custom Café & Catering, 2nd and Second in DTSP or Keke’s Breakfast Café.
- Check out your fortune cookie with a pick up at New China in Dolphin Village, or curry favor at Basil Leaf or get your sushi and favorite Asian dishes Nori Thai, Pacific Counter and Hawker’s Asian Street Food in St. Petersburg offer curbside options.
- Add a little spice to your life. Get in the Mardi Gras spirit with a pick-up at Bayou Market & Café or spice up your day with Pipo’s Authentic Cuban Cuisine.
- Get a little extra for your pick-up order from restaurants like Nueva Cantina in DTSP. This offer may be limited and change; call ahead to verify.
- HEW Parlour & Chophouse at the Fenway Hotel, are offering discounts for curbside pick-up order. HEW also will give those who pick up curbside a $25 voucher toward a future visit to the restaurant. A $1 donation from every order also goes to support Feeding Tampa Bay.
- Bella Brava’s limited menu offers a great deal, BOGO pasta entrees with pickup. Cassis St. Pete is offering 25% on all take-out orders.
- Ferg’s is offering to-go food orders only with new hours 11:30am-7:30pm. You can call your orders in or just stop by, they will have someone available in their parking lot to take orders.
- Greenstock offers take-out curbside pick-up and delivery with a $5 gift card with every take-out order.
- Sunday Brunch (400 Beach) and buffets (Mango’s) are temporarily off the menu, but 400 Beach is doing delivery and take out.
- Pre-packaged meals from Publix, Winn Dixie, Trader Joe’s, Fresh Market and other grocers are one way to go. There are local ethnic groceries, such as Ippolito’s or Mazzaro’s, that can help you stock up your freezer. Although entry may be limited to a few people at time at places such as Trader Joe’s, it helps to have prepared foods at home.
Also open for delivery and take out in DTSP are The Big Catch, Buya Ramen, Hollander Hotel, Buya Ramen, TRY WINE, Tropez, CD Roma, The Galley, Datz, Trophy Fish, Pipo’s Cuban, Grand Hacienda, Trips Diner, Metro, Burger Monger and Red Mesa Cantina plus Habana Cafe in Gulfport.