“What a journey” says Ruthie, owner at Chill!
It has been a full 7 years since the little coffee shop, “Steam” broke through the wall to open up a full service ‘tapas’ restaurant on the corner of Gulf Blvd. & Corey Ave. At the end of August it will have been 3 years since the move 2 blocks east to their current location in the heart of Corey Avenue in St. Pete Beach’s downtown district.
“Seems like yesterday and a lifetime ago,” Ruthie says. Ruthie was beaming with excitement when she told me about her new Chef, Gary Moran. He started in mid-July, and while the transition is always a rough one, she says “growth needs change and change requires growth. I had an old Pastor who used to say, there’s always an ouch before the hallelujah!” Amazingly, 2018 has been Chill’s best year ever, and Ruthie said she thought some “real leadership and finesse would carry us into the next phase of our success.” Chef Gary Moran is a 25-year veteran of some of America’s finest restaurants. He studied culinary arts in London at Westminster College. Upon completion he secured a position at Wolfgang Puck’s flagship restaurant, Postrio in San Francisco.
He moved to NY and worked at America’s best seafood restaurant, La Bernadin. He also got to work with Chef David Bouley at his 4-star rated Bouley and eventually became the Chef de Cuisine at the world famous Tavern on the Green, overseeing an enormous staff and producing 1,500 meals daily. Gary spent some time doing corporate catering and then returned to Tampa, his hometown, in 2008 and took over highly rated Datz in Tampa. He left Datz to open his own restaurant, which received a Silver Spoon Award!
Now, through mutually challenging and serendipitous circumstances, Ruthie & Gary met and timing was right for both Chill and Gary. The last few weeks Gary and his team have been protecting and perfecting Chill’s favorite menu items as well as running out Gary’s Chef’s specials daily. “I have been so excited to eat Gary’s specials!
In fact his new Salmon Sabyon special has tempted me to eat it twice in the same day,” Ruthie exclaimed. “Not to mention the Ahi Tuna over Grilled Romaine with green goddess dressing, topped with bacon jam. This is FABULOUS food, just perfect for Chill and its loyal clientele.”
Gary also holds a Level One Sommelier certification. Look for more improvements in Chill’s wine list and dinner pairing suggestions. Ruthie wants all our favorite clients to meet the new Chef, so she is offering three unique, elegant Wine Dinners in August at $75pp These will be Tues 8/24, Wed 8/25 and Thur 8/26 in the VIP room. Seating is limited to 20 and the Chef will be providing a wine and culinary experience through France, Northern California, and a South American/ Caribbean journey. Details of these wine dinners can be found on Chill’s website at www.chillstpetebeach.com.
Chill is famous for presenting live music. The addition of jazz/blues band Betty Fox, the increased presence of Gloria West and Tony Castellano are fueling the fame. Ruthie and Steve are also working on a monthly dueling piano gig, which should be a tremendous night of fun each month. The Beach’s favorite piano man, Carl, a fixture here Thursday through Saturday nights, will be vacationing in September, as always, so the music scene will spice up with a wide variety of different entertainment. Ruthie insists she is keeping up with the website and marking all these musical acts on the calendar. See you there! PN