Article By Nanette Wiser
And the DTSP beat goes on, as small businesses and people help people get through the Covid-19 siesta. Although some of this new may change by press time, here is what’s happening in downtown St. Pete. Bars closed, some restaurants opening complying to new social distancing, capacity and face mask regulation.
Grand Central District: GCD Executive Director David Foote reports on our Central Ave. friends: “From folks like Tom at Pom Pom’s donating food to healthcare workers, Mitch and Crystal at Old Key West donating to first responders and healthcare workers PLUS riding around tossing Jello shots to us shut-ins, Bill at The Burg Diner giving away pancake breakfasts, John at Hideaway providing live music streams to entertain, Kevin Milkey from Grand Central Brewhouse who donated $100,000 towards the City Fighting Chance Fund, Lillian at Fashion Scrub Depot making custom masks and Leslie-Ann at Swah-Reh donating Minis to Medics! And to each of you doing your best to make it through this like Fred and Stephanie at Dog Bar offering dog washes, Andy at Gaunce Law helping assemble a list of local businesses that are open or operating, Andy at Urban BBQ adding groceries to his take-out and delivery, and Absolutely Beautiful Flowers making deliveries. And Hawthorn Bottle Shop, Bandit Coffee, Craftsman House, Valhalla Bakery, Lucys, Floribbean, and the breweries (3 Daughters, Cage, Pinellas Ale Works, If I Brewed the World, Avid) all open for take out.”
Farm Fresh: The St. Petersburg Saturday Morning Market offers a drive-through pick-up, but customers must pre-order and pre-pay and have the ID of the person on the order with them. Check out these farmers’ websites for how to order and pick up: Trailbale Farm, Greenstock, Brick Street Farms, The Naked Farmer, Circle 6 Farm and Ranch, Little Pond Farm, Worden Farm, Life Farm and Greens ‘n’ Things Urban Farm.
Some restaurants are also operating both as markets and take-out/delivery spots, so you might find microgreens or tomatos (like I did at Salt Rock Grille in Indian Shores) as well as gorgeous steaks and seafood to prepare at home. Downtown, you can pick up groceries at Urban Brew & BBQ, The Pesky Pelican as well as at specialty markets like Trader Joe’s, Fresh Market, Mazzaro’s Italian Market, Bayway Country Store, Ippolito’s Italian Deli and Rolling Oats. For meat and seafood, check out Key West Shrimp Company and Shaner’s.
Culinary Kudos go to A Food Truck Convoy, delivering meals to families in need, and St. Pete Meals, raising money and delivering meals to healthcare workers in the city. Pacific Counter offers a gift card matching promotion; buy one and they will donate another to the hospitality industry. Tony at Gratzzi’s continues to prepare free meals for unemployed hospitality workers. Swah Rey offers mini desserts for medics while Pop Goes The Waffle offers treats to first responders. For making hand sanitizer, thanks to Bradenton’s Motorworks Brewing and Tampa’s Dark Door Spirits, 3 Daughters Brewing and St. Pete Distillery.
Dine Out @ Home: Again, the situation may change in May, but here’s what we know for now. Be sure to sign up for the eblast or check their social media for the menu.
Order from DTSP and Gulf Beach restaurants for take-out or deliver (UberEats, GrubHub, BiteSquad, Door Dash) from these faves: 2nd & Second, 4th St. Pizza, Alesia Restaurant, Annata’s, Bella Brava, Bandit St. Pete, Bavaro’s, Bayou Market, Better Byrd, The Burg Bar & Grill, Beans & Barlour, Beau & Mo, Brick & Mortar, Buya Ramen, Ceviche, Da Sesto Ristorante, Datz St. Pete, Dead Bob, Dr. BBQ, Fo’Cheezy Twisted Meltz, Fresco, Fresh Kitchen, The Galley, German Knodle, Gigi’s, Hawker’s Asian Street Fare, The Lure St. Pete, Il Ritorno, Kahwa Coffee, Mary Margaret’s, Mama G’s St. Pete, Mercado, Middleground’s Mio’s Grille, Old Northeast Pizza, O’Maddy’s, Neptune Grill, Nitally Thai, Nori Thai, Nueva Cantina (and Louie’s pop up Italian dishes), Noble Crust, Paesano’s, Pipo’s Cuban, Red Mesa Cantina, Renzo’s, Rococco, Stillwater’s Tavern, Stefano’s Italian, Stella’s, St. Pete Beach Produce & Deli Store, Stone Soup Café, Tropez, Trophy Fish, and many others. A shout out to the The Dewey’s Berkeley Beach Club pick-up and make at home family meals.
Sip Sip Hooray: Again, many restaurants are selling cocktails to go (see this month’s story) and wine, beer and liquor thanks to the governor’s special dispensation. Woo hoo! You can also pick up good deals on wine and beer at Try Wine, Hawthorne Bottle Shop, Vino Sympatico, Symposium and Must Wine. Java lovers, you can still get pick up from Kahwa’s, Kraft Café,
Intermezzo, Black Crow Coffee and other local baristas.
More DTSP Good News: St. Pete’s Agora Edge pivots from making soft goods to producing face shields and medical grade masks for AdventHealth. Local DTSP resident and leader Roger Dow, U.S. Travel President and CEO, has been tapped as part of a travel task force by the White House. The White House has named travel and hospitality as an industry group that will work on forging a path to economic recovery including hospitality, healthcare, financial services, food and beverage, retail, tech, manufacturing and others such as Carnival Cruise Line, Hilton, Hyatt, Intercontinental Hotels Group, Las Vegas Sands Corp., Marriott, Norwegian Cruise Lines, Royal Caribbean, Treasure Island Hotels and Wyndham Hotels & Resorts.
