…Several Florida properties, including the Gulfport Casino, have recently been listed in the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places. Located only a few steps away from the white sand beaches of Gulfport, the 10,000- square-foot Gulfport Casino Ballroom overlooking the Boca Ciega Bay provides a venue for activities: Dances, concerts, fundraisers, corporate events, seminars, trade shows, private parties, wedding receptions and community events for 50 – 700 with a dining capacity of 450.
…Fresh Markets Abound. The proliferation of local fresh markets seems like it could be part of a global trend. An article by Sophie Langley in the Australian Food News (AFN) ‘Thought for Food Newsletter’ says that 14% of responding Australians typically shop for their fresh vegetables at a farmers’ market. Following a dozen years of success at downtown St. Petersburg’s Saturday morning market, other fresh markets have sprung up in recent years on Corey Avenue on Sundays, Gulfport’s art district on Tuesdays, Madeira Beach and the “Edge District” at 930 Central Ave. on Wednesdays and Treasure Island’s Community Park on Fridays. Another beach community Sunday Morning Market quietly opened December 7 at 19305 Gulf Blvd. on the grounds of the Indian Shores Town Hall center. The Corey Area Business Association (CABA) hired Tampa Bay Markets to run the Corey market this year.
Cage free eggs direct from the farm, fresh baked artesian breads, plants, live music and a food court are just a few of the features of the new market that spans two city blocks, with a minimum of 60 booths, according to market operators, who also run markets in Tampa and Dunedin. Mr. I Got-Em is there in top hat and tails with his wonderful bar-b-q and there’s plenty of farm fresh, organic and sustainable produce available. On a beautiful final Sunday of the year, we brunched at Jackie’s Bistro, strolled the market, and wished for the sake of the great merchants that you were there.
A full-time fresh market can also be found at St. Pete Beach Produce & Deli, 6355 Gulf Blvd., with a Greek & Armenian flavor, open daily from about 9am – 8pm. Great salads & sandwiches, including a terrific Gyro for just $5.99 any day, fruits, salads and platters, Boars Head Meats and Cheeses as well as market fresh produce can be found here year-round to eat in or take out. The homemade hummus is awesome, as is the fresh Quinoa and other salads prepared daily with farm fresh produce. Odi’s deli prices are surprisingly low, often dollars per pound under big box store prices, so the good stuff is affordable. Visit his website www.spbproduceanddeli.com, or pick up a menu from the store and call in your orders in advance to (727) 564-0101.
…Everyday but Mondays, St. Pete Beach’s famous Italian bakery, Casa Del Pane, offers its homemade, fresh baked, white and semolina Italian breads in various shapes, with and without seeds, from its new location just north of Waffle House in the 7100 block of Gulf Blvd. Coffees, pastries and Italian delicacies are also offered at the counter, in refrigerators, deli cases and freezers. I’ve heard they are still renting and using the kitchen where they used to be next to Gigi’s to meet the demand at their new location.
…A French bakery also opened this year at Dolphin Village shopping center, and early in the new year, Verducci’s Italian market is expected to open on Blind Pass Road in the building that Lou’s Florist had owned and occupied for many years. Lou’s and Bayside Florists consolidated last year across the street from St. Pete Beach Produce, in front of the PCI Resort.
…TradeWinds Island Resorts just purchased the Coral Reef property at 5800 Gulf Blvd., adjacent to the TradeWinds Island Grand Resort. The parcel, known as the “Coral Reef property,” was sold by 5800 Gulf Holdings, LLC. TradeWinds Island Resorts includes TradeWinds Island Grand and Guy Harvey Outpost – A TradeWinds Beach Resort, as well as the new Guy Harvey RumFish Grill, which opened earlier this year. The Coral Reef property will initially provide additional parking for hotel employees, which will free up more parking at Guy Harvey for Rumfish Grill patrons, with future development plans yet to be determined.
…A recent Appeals Court decision that once again scuttled the city’s new comprehensive plan very likely put the property on the market at favorable rates. The prior owner/developer had reportedly signed a contract for a new 300 room hotel on \the site in 2006 or 2007 that could have been operating by 2010 as I recall from presentations. For now it is a parking lot.
…Last month we announced the planned opening of a Slice of New York, the new pizza place going where the German Bakery used to be. Craig Munroe said the opening date slipped about a month and asks pizza lovers to watch his website for his Grand Opening FREE Cheese Pizza Celebration. Visit www.SliceOfNewYork.net.
…Gulf Beach Masonic Lodge #291 donated $150 to adopt Ms. Skelton’s Kindergarten Class at Madeira Beach Fundamental School to aid and assist with classroom expenses. Gulf Beach Masonic Lodge is proud to be a part of this worthy program and encourages other organizations and individuals to do the same in their community. The Lodge will also donate a new American flag to fly at the school. Anyone interested in Freemasonry and Gulf Beach Lodge in particular are invited to visit the Lodge’s website at www.gulfbeachlodge.org. All masons and their families are invited to enjoy breakfast at the Gulf Beach Masonic Lodge, 14020 Marguerite Drive in Madeira Beach from 8:30 – 10:30am the first Sunday of any month.
…The 2015 Hubbards Marina Fishing Schedule is available on their website or in any of our online Hubbard’s Fishing Reports. You can join a bunch of other enthusiasts on a party boat for as little as a 5-hour half day trip to a 19-hour, 44-hour or 63-hour trip into deeper water with more time to fish. Call (727) 393-1947 or visit www.hubbardsmarina.com.
…The Deck of Indecision, a Margaritaville inspired tiki bar, celebrated a ribbon cutting for its grand opening in John’s Pass Village. Owners of the bar, Jim and Charlotte Hunter, are no strangers to John’s Pass as they own and operate Wild Time Caribbean Trading Company, a retail boutique selling Margaritaville and Life Is Good merchandise for over 30 years. Jim and Charlotte, as an authorized Margaritaville retailer, felt that it was a natural fit to have a tiki bar featuring Land Shark Lager and a selection of “frozen concoctions” right next to their retail store. The name Deck of Indecision was inspired from a Jimmy Buffett song and the Hunters thought the name fit the bar’s Margaritaville theme as well as the vibe that is John’s Pass Village and Boardwalk.
…Greater Pinellas Democratic Club, the largest Democratic Club in the county, invites all to its monthly meeting, Thursday, January 8, to meet County Commissioneers Janet Long, Pat Gerard, Charlie Justice and Ken Welch. Find out what will be happening in Pinellas County in 2015. Also on the program, Robert Vicari, Principal of Lakewood High School, discusses the problem of homeless children and their school attendance. Meeting at our new location, Banquet Masters, 13355 49th St. North (corner 49th & Ulmerton). Come for a great Buffet Dinner at 6:30. Cost is only $15. For reservations or more information, call Betty Morgenstein, (727) 360-3971.
…Pinellas County: January to March…Environmental Education Centers A permanent, hands-on educational exhibit. Learn how natural Florida has changed over time and the ecological footprints left by those changes. Experience the life of a gopher tortoise; see animal, insect and reptile skins, and skeletons that have been preserved.
– Brooker Creek Environmental Education Center, 3940 Keystone Road, Tarpon Springs. Open 9am – 4pm (727) 453-6800; http://brookercreekpreserve.org/.
– Cultural & Natural History Center at Weedon Island Preserve reveals the area’s history. Weedon Island Preserve Cultural and Natural History Center, 1800 Weedon Drive NE, St. Petersburg. 9am – 4pm, Thursday – Saturday. Closed holidays. (727) 453-6500; http://www.weedonislandpreserve.org/.
…Lawn & Garden Help Desk: Extension Pinellas County, 12520 Ulmerton Road, Largo. Walk-in hours are Monday through Friday, 8am 5pm, excluding holidays.An almost daily schedule of activities is planned for January – March at these facilities and Heritage Village, the county’s historical buildings collection. For example, as part of the Speaking of History Lecture Series, the Pinellas County Historical Society presents the history of the Florida State League. On Jan. 18 at 2 pm. Free. Heritage Village, 11909 125th St. North, Largo. (727) 582-2123; http://pinellascounty.org/heritage/.
…A free Pinellas County app is now available to connect citizens to their government and make it easy to report issues and access useful resources. Pinellas County can also be found on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram. Information is available on county website, http://www.pinellascounty.org/, which features LiveChat for assistance.
…St Pete Beach Recreation Dept. is getting new floors in the Boca Ciega and Raymond Rooms. All classes held at the Community Center are cancelled January 9th – 14th.
…The Walgreens St. Pete Beach Classic Race is January 16-18th. Volunteers are still being signed up to man corners. Race registration continues until the 16th. Visit the website at www.stpetebeachclassic.com.
…After being without a hardware store for four years, St. Pete Beach welcomed a new True Value this December. The Crowder Brothers’ True Value opened to an enthusiastic reception! If you haven’t gotten to drop by this year (They gave their employees the Holidays off after all their hard work opening the store.), be sure to stop by and see all they have to offer in the New Year! See page 17 for more.
…If painting is in your plans, you no longer need to drive to Home Depot or Lowes on the mainland. You can shop at Crowder Brothers or at the new Sherwin Williams paint store on 75th Ave. a block north of the post office in St. Pete Beach. Stop in Sherwin Williams with a coupon from this issue of Paradise NEWS to get a 2nd custom color sample FREE, when you buy one. See ad on page 22 of the January Issue.
…St. Petersburg’s world famous Pier has always been a landmark for the city and a gathering place for its citizens. Since 1889, several piers have graced St. Petersburg’s beautiful waterfront, including the instantly recognized inverted pyramid that opened its doors in 1973. As the city’s structure reaches the end of its useful life, the city eagerly awaits its eighth pier as a selection process unfolds. On Monday, December 15, the City of St. Petersburg unveiled eagerly awaited eight new design concepts for the city Pier. Each team received a $30,000 stipend to submit initial design concepts, complete with reports, renderings, cost estimates and descriptions. The concepts incorporate a variety of features, such as a waterfall, lagoons, and terraces. Of the eight submissions, six utilize the current inverted pyramid structure, while the others propose an entirely new shape for the city’s landmark. The concepts will undergo a technical review to reveal any issues with cost, construction or permitting. The public will be invited to see the designs, hear from the design teams, and take a non-binding public survey, results of which will go to the Pier Selection Committee. The committee will then make its recommendation to the Mayor and City Council in March. A contract is expected by late May, with groundbreaking this fall. Images of the designs, brief descriptions and additional background information are available by going to http://www.stpete.org/newstpetepier/designs.php and downloading images and information. Check them out then join the conversation online!
…With great fanfare, the Locale Market recently opened December 17 at Sundial in downtown St. Petersburg. “The two-story, 20,000-square-foot collaboration between celebrity chefs Michael Mina and Don Pintabona was a smorgasbord of sights and smells, with 11 different kitchens going full tilt to offer an experience unprecedented in St. Petersburg.” according to Tampa Bay Times food critic Laura Reilly. Catch the video on their website and it’s almost like being there for the opening.
…Another gastronomic adventure, IL Ritorno, is celebrating its first anniversary downtown. IL Ritorno brings a new taste of fresh Italian cuisine to the community by introducing new, interesting flavors and combinations that add elegance to a traditionally rustic genre. Chef David Benstock opened Wolfgang Puck’s Spago in Colorado, worked at Michelin Star restaurant The Modern in New York City, Scarpetta in Miami and Boca in Tampa. He also traveled through Europe training under some of the best chefs in the world before making his return home to open Il Ritorn at 449 Central Avenue in St. Petersburg. With a successful and prosperous year behind them, Chef Benstock and his wife, Erica have plans for expansion on the horizon. “Turning away reservations is the greatest compliment to David and the culinary team, but we never want to turn away guests,” says Erica Benstock. “We are adding more seating to our outdoor space and our catering business has doubled in six months.”