By Kelly Rouse
Our beloved Sunshine City, as well as much of the Tampa Bay area, is still reeling from deeply destructive back-to-back hurricanes. In this issue, we’re spotlighting several restaurants that were impacted by hurricane damage, but our entire restaurant community is hurting after a slower summer season and these storms have threatened their survival. Even if they were lucky enough to have limited physical damage to their businesses, many were without power for days and incurred expensive food losses and days of difficult lost employment for service industry staff. Please support their recovery by treating yourself to a bite to eat at one of these spots or visit websites and social media to check the current hours of your favorite establishments (or be bold and try a new place). You may even be able to make a “tip” or donation online to contribute to keeping their doors open. It’s times like these that remind us of the importance of friends, family and community. So, this Thanksgiving and beyond, raise a glass to toast the spirit of St. Pete!
DOC FORD’S RUM BAR & GRILLE – JUNGLE TERRACE
Manager Hannah Steffel of Doc Ford’s newest location in Jungle Terrace described the restaurant as “extremely fortunate” after Helene and Milton, experiencing minor water damage to their premises. However, the strong storm surge of Helene pushed five large boats into their parking lot from neighboring Long Bayou. They also lost a freezer of brand new product during the power outage. Thankfully, they were able to reopen on Oct. 16 and are now back to their regular operating schedule. I visited this location for the first time the weekend after their reopening and was very impressed by its modern interior design blended with a relaxed beach atmosphere on the exterior. Like Doc Ford’s downtown location, the menu provides a unique balance of flavors from the Caribbean Rim and the freshest of Florida seafood. Their appetizers include several flatbreads, crabcakes, the popular seared tuna, and several other tasty options. They offer an array of soups and salads, as well as the Dinkin’s Bay Shellfish Bar. The sandwich menu features shrimp and fish tacos, lobster rolls, burgers, chicken, and pulled pork. In addition to several standout seafood entrees, Doc’s serves Dry Rubbed Ribeye, Danish Baby Back Ribs and a Roasted Half-Chicken with a Cuban Chimichurri sauce. A favorite for our group was the Achiote Redfish Bowl, with hand cut redfish marinated with achiote spice chargrilled and served with black beans, yellow rice and a side of yummy plantains. I plan to go back soon to try the new Banana Leaf Grouper (the Macadamia Nut Crusted Grouper is also a Doc’s favorite). We were too full for dessert, but the banana bread pudding is still calling to me. The service was quite attentive and, after our meal, we watched a beautiful sunset over the water from their dog-friendly patio, enjoying the breeze and a much needed moment of peace.
Open daily 11am-10pm. www.docfords.com
PIA’S TRATTORIA
Opened in Gulfport in 2005, Pia’s Trattoria, with its cozy, Old Italy atmosphere and fabulous cuisine feels like an escape to an intimate and leisurely dining experience overseas. I reached out to Pia, the establishment’s owner, after Hurricane Helene and she shared with me that the storm surge and resulting flooding caused them to have to leave the restaurant as the waters were rising. She had never seen flooding like that before in Gulfport and described Gulfport’s Beach Blvd. as “one big lake.” When the water finally receded and they returned to the restaurant: “The discovery was pretty devastating and brought me to tears. The restaurant was just a disaster. Floating tables and chairs, seaweed and mud.” She then said her “amazing crew” rallied the next day with a “can do” attitude, cleaning, sanitizing, washing and restocking so that they were able to reopen just 48 hours later! But then came Milton and they were hit again, losing five days of power and sales. New equipment had to be purchased, lighting and landscaping replaced, and, of course, debris was again everywhere. And Pia worried that her restaurant and crew wouldn’t make it through the chaos. What she shared with me next truly warmed my heart: “People are mostly good in extreme situations and rise to the occasion. Businesses in Gulfport started helping other businesses. We checked in on each other. The morale was low, we needed each other. Our tight knit Gulfport community grew even closer. Restaurants giving out free food, collecting donations, starting fundraisers for folks in need. We were feeding linemen, first responders, volunteers. Every time a business opened their doors again, we cheered for them.” And as Pia reminded me, a restaurant is a family of many members: servers, bartenders, cooks, food runners, bussers, and dishwashers. Small business owners are our neighbors and they have invested in our communities and become part of what makes living here so special. Now that Pia’s is greeting guests again, and rather than recommending items from their menu (as I’ve been several times and everything has been delicious), I encourage you to visit and discover for yourself how delightful a meal at Pia’s can be – and save room for dessert!
Monday-Thursday 4pm-9pm. Friday and Saturday
11am-10pm. Sunday 11am-9pm. www.piastrattoria.com
TED PETERS FAMOUS SMOKED FISH
In 1951, Ted Peters Famous Smoked Fish opened at its current Pasadena area location, run by Ted and his half-brother, Elry Lathrop. Tilla Lathrop, known as Mom, was a “force to be reckoned with in the kitchen” and is the creator of their scrumptious German potato salad. It was Ellen Peters (with help from Betty Lathrop) who came up with the recipe for their fish spread. It is famous for a reason. Buy a pint and try not to eat it all in one sitting! This family business had served up their smoked fish and signature spread for over 70 years until they were temporarily shuttered this hurricane season. High waters from Helene rose to nearly the tops of the counters and covered drawers in the smokehouse. When I dropped by the weekend after Milton hit, they were operating with a skeleton crew and a limited menu, but the smokehouse was back in action. If you’re a fan of smoked fish, do yourself a favor and pop in to enjoy the incredible aroma of smoked mullet, mahi mahi, mackerel and salmon. They are now back to their regular hours with outdoor seating only, though be sure to get there before 6pm or so or they may sell out of popular menu items. Go support this family restaurant fixture – you won’t be disappointed! (Please note: Ted Peters is a cash-only restaurant.)
Wednesday-Sunday 11:30am-7:30pm.
Closed Monday and Tuesday. www.tedpetersfish.com
SLYCE – MADEIRA BEACH
Known for their stone-baked artisan pizza, Slyce is a Tampa Bay area-owned business with three locations: Madeira Beach, Indian Rocks Beach, and St. Pete Beach. I visited the 2017-launched Madiera Beach location on October 19, a few days after they’d reopened following Milton (at the time, their St. Pete Beach location was still closed). The manager told me that they’d faired pretty well during Helene, only losing some awnings and experiencing some minor deck damage. They did lose power for four days after Milton but had thankfully been able to bounce back quickly. The Slyce staff had been busy donating pizzas at Madeira Beach City Hall the day I visited the restaurant (community support is important to the company’s founders and they champion several local organizations and causes). The interior of Slyce Madeira Beach has a terrific bar and lots of big screen TVs for sports fans. The outer deck patio has a nice bar as well with additional TVs. In addition to a variety of appealing small plates, salads, and handhelds, you can build your own pizza with a great assortment of toppings. Their creative specialty pizzas can be made with cauliflower or gluten free crust (try the “Sunburn” if you dare!) They offer lunch specials, a happy hour on Wednesday and brunch on Sundays. Catering, event hosting and fundraising with Slyce are available, too. Now, what are you waiting for – isn’t every day a good day for pizza?
Tuesday-Sunday 11am-10pm. Closed Mondays.
www.slycepizzabar.com
Dine out and support local!
