The Factory St. Pete 2020 in the Warehouse Arts District will be home to Keep St. Pete Lit, Daddy Kool Records, Black Crow Coffee, Barley Commons and Fairgrounds, an immersive art project.
Keep St. Pete Lit classes stimulate the creative juices. You can attend a poetry open mic the last Wednesday of the month at Studio@620 or a silent reading and writing event at The Metta Center of St. Pete on the 2nd Tuesday of the month. The non-profit transforms the Sunshine City into a celebration of words daily.
Grand Central boasts some exciting boutique new eateries. Orlando-based Valhalla Bakery started in Baum Market and should be open in December, featuring cinnamon rolls, chocolate chunk cookies and cakes. Lucy’s Vegan Corner is also coming to the same hood, joining Curated Heat. Poppo’s Taqueria’s homemade tortillas and classic carnitas taco and black bean/feta quesadilla whisk you back to street tacos in Ensenada. Bueno! Also on the horizon is Grand Central Brewhouse due to break ground this month.
Intermezzo Coffee & Cocktails will once again transform into the Miracle at Mezzo, delivering holiday-centric cocktails and treats as well as hosting the Thursday Royal Palm outdoor market. Tuesday 12/10 is the Miracle Holiday Karaoke and 12/19 it’s caroling around the Christmas Tree with J.T. Brown.
Love Central Melt’s gooey grilled cheese concoctions? They are launching two pop-up kitchens, with dishes for delivery only via Uber Eats: Eddies’ Empanada and Wingin’ It. Another online delivery and take-out restaurant, Calabash, just opened as well, featuring seafood, crab cakes, fried Gulf shrimp and more.
Want more holiday cheer? Boozy dessert kings Beans & Barlour team will be at Tropicana Field’s Enchant Christmas event thru 12/29 featuring a massive Holiday Lights Maze, a Christmas Market, an ice skating trail, and Santa himself, ready to hear your wishes and make them true. You can also sample Kahwa Coffee’s Fa La La Latte– the events signature drink.
Kahwa’s Fa La La Latte is the quintessential holiday beverage with a hint of sparkle inspired by Enchant – Kahwa’s signature espresso poured over creamy white chocolate, followed by a swirl of peppermint mocha which is topped off with pearlized gold sugar crystals. The tasty holiday drink will be available inside the Christmas Market at Enchant, located at Tropicana Field and at all 15 Kahwa Coffee locations throughout Tampa Bay area.
The ferry isn’t the only thing crossing the Bay this year. Tampa’s Armature Works will be creating a new concept at The Sundial, replacing Locale and FarmTable Cucina and expanding into other spaces. The Hall on Franklin is developing a similar food concept on Central Ave. for 2020. St. Pete restaurants have done well in Tampa (The Mill, Noble Crust) and now boisterous cocktail bar Copper Shaker will open in Ybor City next year.
The Edge District’s rising star also includes the 161-room Moxy Hotel, the 12,000 square foot Hall on Franklin and a co-working space run by Station House. Bodega, the Latin hotspot for the ultimate Cuban Sandwich, is expanding to a new location in Mis En Chic antiques store.
Looking for the ultimate brunch downtown? Enjoy Stillwater’s Tavern’s Smoked Salmon Benedict, Cinnamon Bun Pancakes and Chicken & Waffles plus the new Bloody Mary Bar.
Mix art and culture with Sunday brunch at The Dali. Mimosas & Masterpieces: Brunch at The Dalí every Sunday (11am-2 pm) at Café Gala. Chef Chuck Bandel creates specialty items based on seasonal ingredients, so each week’s menu varies. Order at the counter, choose a seat indoors or out, enjoy a Catalan-inspired brunch and raise a glass to surreal Sunday.
In addition to Wordier than Thou’s exciting holiday events, Tombolo Books indie concept is opening a brick and mortar shop near Black Crow Coffee on 1st Ave. South. Don’t miss Welcome to the Roaring ’20s: Great Gatsby Murder Mystery NYE on December 31; Eat Your Words Literary Feast at St. Pete Shuffle on January 30; and the return of Florida Bookstore Day on October 24, 2020.
We can’t wait to sample the MFA’s honey, produced from bees in their rooftop apiary. The honey will be available in The MFA Store and used in the MFA Café, with a moniker to be chosen from their naming contest.
In big news, Il Ritorno owner and chef David Benstock will join Eric Asimov, chief wine critic of The New York Times, and Arthur Schwartz, award-winning cookbook author, food editor, and restaurant critic, as a host on an immersive food and wine cruise in Southern Italy next fall. As you know, Benstock announced their salad concept, Greenstock, as well as their fast casual pasta concept in Sparkman Wharf, Semolina, all in the last six months.
Departing from Rome on October 18, 2020, and ending in Valletta, Malta, on October 25, 2020, guests will cruise for seven days on the newest Ponant ship, Le Jacques Cartier. This ship combines understated elegance with a spirit of adventure. The experience onboard will focus on the specialities of food and wine in a program titled “Epicurean Delights of Southern Italy and Sicily.”
During the cruise, Benstock will educate guests on how the cuisine and wine differ in this culturally rich region of Italy. At each port, he will collect different ingredients and prepare a private tasting for guests.
“I can’t imagine a more perfect trip for people who genuinely love and want to learn more about Italian food and culture,” said Benstock. “To be a part of this journey and in such good company is an honor, and I cannot wait to return to Italy – a country that has impacted my cooking style and career so greatly.”