My First Friday

Another First Friday has come and gone in beautiful downtown St. Petersburg! Here is the play by play of my night:

Wood Fired Pizza 
344 1st Avenue South
Our server must have been new to the serving profession. She wasn't familiar with the menu (drink or pizza) and didn't have the best attitude. The pizza was ok, but not as spectacular as I was expecting. I am a cheese lover when it comes to pizza and was disappointed with the amount of mozzarella on our "Michelangelo." The pizza is described as "san marzano tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, caramelized mushrooms and onions, pepperoni, organic herbs, pecorino romano." We got the larger size which had 8 slices. The biggest disappointment of all? Canned mushrooms! ugh. If I am paying for a premium pizza, I want fresh mushrooms! More than likely, I will not be returning to Wood Fired Pizza.

MacDintons
242 1st Avenue North
We missed the open bar from 6-8 for just $10. The place was extremely crowded before 8 (obviously) but died down after open bar. The bathroom lines were long, and the bathrooms were not pretty. They played 3 Bruno Mars songs within 30 minutes. Not very Irish if you ask me. The view to the stage at Jannus Live was pretty good. Plenty of security was on hand to make sure that the path from MacDintons to Jannus was only used by those paying to use it.

Ale and The Witch
111 2nd Avenue NE
32 American craft brews on tap. The courtyard is a mature alternative to the crowds on Central Avenue. The mature audience enjoys their craft beers and wine from neighboring Wine Madonna. Live music, plenty of seating, and lots of 4 legged friends around.

Vue 19 Nightclub
200 Central Avenue - 19th floor
The secret is out. Crowds form in the bottom of the Bank of America building, waiting for their chance to get in the elevator that will send them to the hottest new spot in St. Pete. The dimly lit space is elegantly decorated, accompanied by a huge bar and 2 outdoor rooftop decks. No drinks allowed outside. The bar staff could use some additional work. They were out of champagne, and the bartender gave me a STRAW to sign my receipt! The bathroom lines were long, but kept clean. The outdoor decks are worth a trip up, but not nearly as big as the rooftop deck at Push.

Vue 19 Sushi
200 Central Avenue - ground floor
My favorite part of the night was the half price sushi at Vue. The "Surf & Turf" roll was amazing! This is described on the menu as "real lump crab meat, scallions, asparagus, covered with filet mignon, then torched." I couldn't tell you the other 2 rolls we ordered because of all the wine consumed at the previously mentioned locations. I can tell you it was all delicious, and I can't wait to go back!