BellaBrava - Raising The Bar

BellaBrava is a Beach Drive staple. Recently BellaBrava won Best Italian Restaurant and Best Downtown St. Pete Restaurant from Creative Loafing's Best of the Bay awards. BellaBrava is a "New World Trattoria" featuring modern Italian dishes and old classics kicked up a few gourmet notches. Simply stated, BellaBrava is an authentic taste of Italy in our own backyard.

I was honored to be invited to try some of the new dishes coming soon to BellaBrava - courtesy of Executive Chef Jeffrey Jew and Chef Antonio Garcia. These dishes will make their official debut in mid-October, and focus on using locally sourced ingredients. Joined by some local food bloggers and foodie friends, we took a short jaunt to Italy courtesy of some truly delicious dishes.

These guys make some pretty good food

The star of the night was the Housemade Ricotta. The light ricotta on a slightly crisped crostini was a crowd favorite amongst our group of local foodies. My personal favorite was the Wood-Fired Traditional Margherita Flatbread. This is a perfect lunch dish if you're in the Beach Drive area!

Other dishes that will be coming soon to BellaBrava include:

Ahi Tuna Carpaccio - fried capers, pickled fennel, calabrian chili, lemon oil, and micro basil

Trattoria Nachos - house potato chips, gorgonzola & asiago fonduta, housemade sausage, basil

Calamari Fritti - rhode island calimari, peppadew peppers, pomodoro sauce

As if all of that wasn't delicious enough, then came dessert. We were treated to a sampling of Marsala Cake with Sea Salt Gelato. Heavenly! I've never had Marsala Cake but after trying this sweet dish, I would definitely order it over some of my traditional dessert choices. I ate mine up before I could snap a picture - I'm sure you can understand!

Thanks to the BellaBrava and RKC teams for a great event!

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St. Petersburg Ghost Tour

The St. Pete Ghost Tour is a walking tour of downtown St. Pete filled with storytelling of some of downtown's historic landmarks and "previous" residents." Ghost tours are a great way to learn more about a city's history - and not to be confused with "ghost hunting" tours where you actually look for these spirits - whew.

The St. Pete tour meets at 8pm at Hooker Tea on Beach Drive. With the hustle and bustle of Beach Drive, this can be a busy spot, but soon we went to a less crowded area for our first stop. Our guide, Geneva, told us tales featuring historical facts about the city, and how some of our famous landmarks, like The Vinoy, came to be.

Our tour guide

I did this same tour many years ago and most of the stories were the same. This time we actually went inside the Vinoy. We learned about the mysterious spirits that are rumored to be in the hotel, specifically room 503, while enjoying their lobby and air conditioning. The TV show Ghost Hunters actually came to the Vinoy a few years ago to film an episode.

One of the Vinoy ballrooms

Storytelling in the Vinoy lobby

Since we did this tour in August, it was extremely hot outside, even at 8pm. I would recommend taking this tour in the cooler months because you do a lot of walking and standing. Wear comfy shoes and bring a bottle of water. I think each guide does a slightly different route, so there's no guarantee you'll make any of the air conditioned spots. We spent about two hours total on the tour.

Exploring near Beach Drive

It doesn't look like any of my pictures have orbs in them - so it looks like the ghostly spirits were at bay on the night we went exploring. This tour is family friendly, but may be a little too much storytelling and not enough action for children under age 12. Be sure to reserve online to save $2 per ticket, and make sure to book in advance, especially as we get closer to Halloween.


Have you ever done a ghost tour?

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Marchand's Farm to Fork at the Vinoy Renaissance Hotel #VinoyF2F

The Renaissance Vinoy Hotel is a St. Petersburg landmark. The history and the ambiance of the Vinoy provide charm that you can’t find anywhere else. Since the grand opening in 1925, the historic hotel has played host to countless guests, including Presidents, professional athletes, and A-list Hollywood stars.

I was recently invited to wine and dine my way through the main dining room at the hotel – Marchand’s Bar and Grill. Lucky for us, Marchand’s is open to the public - not just hotel guests.

The six course tasting dinner at Marchand’s featured locally sourced ingredients. Chef Mark Heimann and Chef de Cuisine Ross Clingman turned these locally sourced ingredients into pure food magic. At the presentation of each course, we marveled at the dish presented to us. Each course built upon the last to create a memorable dining experience that I won’t soon forget. Not only did every course look fabulous, they tasted even more fabulous.

The start of a perfect meal

Here is a look at the dishes we tried:

Florida avocado, crisp prosciutto, pickled radish, duck egg, rocket greens, buttermilk dressing

Not your mama’s typical lettuce and tomato salad! This salad was a great way to start the meal, and a tasty preview of the meal ahead.

Spiny lobster cake, celery seed, chipotle-lemon grass remoulade

Before the dinner, I saw a tweet hinting at this glorious spiny lobster cake. I was looking forward to this because I love lobster. What could be better than a bunch of lobster meat stuffed together to form this tasty cake? Mmm. And see those little black squid-ink croutons? They were unique and so tasty. A return trip to Marchand’s would be in order based on this dish alone.

Braised veal cheeks with cabernet linguini, escarole, bronzed sweet onion, pecorino

Lots of firsts for me on this dish. Veal cheeks? Cabernet linguini? They both sound intimidating but were both super delicious. The veal cheeks were melt-in-your-mouth tender. The cabernet linguini was fresh and not too bold or too heavy.

Lake meadow’s game hen, orange-honey crust, charred cabbage, saison beignets

I’m not sure if the best part of this dish was the orange-honey glaze or the saison beignets. I could have easily had a few spoonfuls of the orange-honey glaze and a few saison beignets and been happy. Together, this dish was spectacular. And then…

Fried flounder, corn spoon bread, Andouille stuffed peppers, jalapeño butter

Save the best for last! Just when we thought the meal couldn’t get any better, out came this stunningly delicious (and adorable) plate. The flounder was fried to crispy perfection with a light batter. The corn spoon bread tasted like a spoonful of Southern happiness. Then I tried the Andouille stuffed peppers - a mini bite of sweet heat and the perfect way to wrap up the savory portion of the meal.

Plant City strawberry cannoli and banana cream pie duo

Dessert is always a requirement for me. Marchand’s dehydrated local strawberries and turned them into this cannoli shell and stuffed it with a smooth creamy filling. This duo also contained a deconstructed banana cream pie. Both mini desserts were refreshing and light. This was the perfect ending to a perfect meal.

Along with every course we had a pairing from Marchand’s in-house sommelier. As if the food wasn’t enough, here’s what we enjoyed sipping on throughout the evening:

Chardonnay – Hahn SLH Estate, California

Sauvignon Blanc – Starmont, California

Malbec – Trivento Amado Sur, Mendoza Argentina

Jai Alai IPA – Cigar City Brewing, Tampa

Key West Sunset Ale – Florida Brewing, Melbourne

Prosecco – Mionetto, Italy (does this place know the way to my heart or what?!)

You can have your own Chef's Surprise Tasting dinner at Marchand's (with or without wine pairings) or try these dishes a la carte. There are lots of other dishes on the current menu I'd love to try, like the Lobster and Oxtail Ravioli Duo and the Sea Scallops. 

Another awesome feature of Marchand’s is the new tabletop sommelier. This iPad feature has the full bar/wine menu, suggested pairings, and other nifty features. You’ll even be able to save and send yourself notes on the drinks you enjoyed so you’ll be able ask for them again at a return visit or purchase them to enjoy at home.

After this exquisite dinner, Marchand’s is moving up to the top of my list for go-to special occasion dining. There’s no need to spend lots of money on a chain steakhouse when you can have locally sourced gourmet fare for practically the same price. To top it all off, you can’t beat the charm of The Vinoy for any celebration. And even when not celebrating special occasions, Marchand’s is perfect for your next date night, girls night out, or whenever you’re in the mood for a delicious meal.

PS: Marchand’s also has weekend brunch, sushi on select nights, and a special prix fixe menu. I can’t wait to try these soon.

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Chihuly Collection

Downtown St. Pete has a lot of gems. A gem that sparkles extra bright is the Chihuly Collection on Beach Drive. Dale Chihuly is the master of glass. The glass art featured in this collection will have you marveling at just how impressive a bunch of glass can be. Whimsical, creative and magical are some of the terms that come to mind.

The Chihuly exhibit goes with the approach of quality over quantity. The Collection is not a full museum, and it certainly does not take long to explore. You could walk through and see everything in as little as 10 minutes, but because you will be stopping, staring, and awing at the art, you will likely spend 30 minutes or more inside. In fact, you may even want to go back through and see it all again. It's really that impressive. There is also a brief film you can watch before or after you explore the art. The film gives you a behind the scenes look at how Chihuly and his team work their magic.

The Collection contains the famous Chihuly chandeliers (my favorite), as well as other stand alone art pieces. Some of the pieces hang from the ceiling, and you could easily touch them but I wouldn't recommend it. (Who would want to be responsible for breaking a beautiful piece of Chihuly artwork? Not me.)

My favorite piece

Yes, this is all glass

Hours for the exhibit are 10-5pm Monday-Saturday and 12-5pm on Sundays. Too bad they aren't open weekend nights because this would make a perfect date night. A dinner on Beach Drive and a leisurely stroll through the Chihuly Collection sound like the perfect evening to me. Whenever you go, you'll be lucky to have an up close and personal view of some amazing art. For an extra Chihuly fix, head over to the Vinoy Hotel and check out the Chihuly piece in their lobby.

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Cupcakes, cupcakes, and more cupcakes

Today the Morean Arts Center hosted their 3rd Annual Great St. Pete Cupcake Contest. This event allows amateur and professional bakers to compete for the title of the best cupcake. I was happy to participate this year by sampling as many cupcakes as I could handle. In lieu of a normal lunch, I sampled sweet cupcakes, savory cupcakes, traditional cupcakes, gourmet cupcakes, and everything in between. Here are some highlights of the event:

Chocolate Oreo Cheesecake

Blood Orange Creamsicle

Cannoli Cupcakes (Parisian raspberry to the right)

Snickerdoodle

Caramel Apple

The Elvis

Lemon and Pomegranate

My favorites were:

Red Snapping Turtle

Can't go wrong with Chocolate and Peanut Butter

I'm looking forward to next year! Go hungry and leave happy.

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Girls Night Out with the Tampa Bay Rays

Grab your best girlfriends and head out to Tropicana Field. The Tampa Bay Rays are hosting a Girls Night Out on Thursday August 15th. $25 dollars will get you a lower level reserved seat, a Rays wine tumbler, and a voucher for a Chardonnay or Cabernet Sauvignon. (Psst- Did you know the Rays started serving wine this season? Pretty cool.) Head to this link to buy your ticket and use promo code GIRL3 to get in on this deal. Hurry, because you must buy your tickets by August 14th!

This Rays wine tumbler can be all yours!

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Enjoy Arts & Tastes St. Pete

Celebrity chefs are often found wondering around in Tampa Bay. Emeril Lagasse, Robert Irvine, and Wolfgang Puck have been known to dine at their favorite local eateries like Cassis and Cafe Ponte when they are in town. While I personally haven't been lucky enough to spot Emeril strolling down Beach Drive, I know others who have. Soon enough, famous chefs like Masaharu Morimoto and Ming Tsai will not only be in town, but we will all have a chance to dine on the culinary creations we've only seen on TV.

The Enjoy Arts & Tastes Festival will be happening in St. Pete this November. As a huge fan of culinary cooking shows, I am super excited to have the chance to get to see these chefs in person AND taste their dishes! All of the major chefs at the Enjoy Arts & Tastes Festival have names you'll recognize from your favorite culinary channel or TV show. This will be the largest gathering of celebrity chefs ever assembled on Florida's Gulf Coast. And, the best news is that all proceeds benefit Florida ProStart. Florida ProStart is a 501(c)(3) organization that sponsors high school students interested in the restaurant and foodservice industry.

Who can you expect to see at Enjoy Arts & Tastes St. Pete? Donatella Arpaia, Scott Conant, Todd English, Lorena Garcia, Duff Goldman, Ingrid Hoffman, Masaharu Morimoto, and Ming Tsai!

I am happy to present you with the lineup of events:

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 15^th

SENSE IMMERSION DINNER HOSTED BY TODD ENGLISH & DUNCAN MCCLELLAN

A kick-off to the festival weekend, this dinner will combine culinary arts with fine arts through teams of celebrated chefs and artists. Teams will present a one-of-a-kind menu inspired by the sensibility and style of each artist, accompanied by fine wines and spirits. Seated dinner. Location: Museum of Fine Arts, 255 Beach Dr. NE, St. Petersburg, FL

Time: 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm

Ticket Price: $200 (includes all food & beverage)

NOCTURNAL CRAVINGS HOSTED BY DUFF GOLDMAN

A late-night dessert tasting party that celebrates Salvador Dali’s art, and plays on his delicious lithograph, Les Pios Nonoches. The evening will feature notable regional pastry chefs and chocolatiers offering an array of desserts inspired by the artist’s work. A selection of fine wines and spirits will be served. Walk-around tasting.

Location: The Dali Museum, 1 Dali Blvd., St. Petersburg, FL

Time: 10:00 pm – 1:00 am

Ticket Price: $85 (includes all food & beverage)

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 16^th

GRAND TASTING

The centerpiece of the festival, the Grand Tasting will feature top regional culinary talent who will present tasty portions of their signature dishes, both savory and sweet. To top off this gourmet experience, fine wine and spirits will be poured.

VIP tickets grant access to HSN’s VIP tent, where guests get a chance to mingle with celebrity chefs who will stop by throughout the day.

Location: Tented area at The Mahaffey Theater Plaza and Albert Whitted Park, Bay Shore Drive SE, St. Petersburg, FL

Time: 12:00 pm – 5:00 pm

Ticket Price: $95 General Admission/$125 VIP Access (includes all food & beverage)

CULINARY DEMONSTRATIONS BY GUEST CELEBRITY CHEFS & PERSONALITIES

An exciting array of interactive culinary demonstrations led by guest celebrity chefs and personalities who will reveal their tricks of the trade. Demonstration-only, no tasting.

Location: Mahaffey Theater at the Progress Energy Center for the Arts, 400 First St. S,

St. Petersburg, FL

Time: 11:00 am – 6:15 pm

Demonstration schedule will be available on the festival website

Ticket Price: $50 per demo

SIP, SAVOR & SWING HOSTED BY INGRID HOFFMANN

A Latin-inspired celebration featuring tastings from regional and guest celebrity chefs. Fine wines and spirits are not the only accompaniment - lively music will set the mood at the Vinoy Renaissance’s grand Palm Court Ballroom. Featured chefs will be on hand to present their dishes and interact with guests. Walk-around tasting.

Location: The Vinoy® Renaissance St. Petersburg Resort & Golf Club, 501 5th Ave. NE, St. Petersburg, FL

Time: 6:30 pm – 10:00 pm

Ticket Price: $225 (includes all food & beverage)

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 17^th

BATTLE OF THE ‘BURG HOSTED BY DONATELLA ARPAIA

Enjoy burgers at this afternoon poolside party, featuring St. Pete and the Bay Area’s most popular chefs and restaurants. Celebrity judges, including HSN, Inc. CEO Mindy Grossman and host Donatella Arpaia, will crown the Best ‘Burger, and attendees can cast their vote for a People’s Choice award winner. Music will make this a lively finale to a great weekend. Walk-around tasting.

Location: The Club at Treasure Island, 400 Treasure Island Causeway. Treasure Island, FL

Time: 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm

Ticket Price: $75 (includes all food & beverage)

Tickets for Enjoy Arts & Tastes went on sale today! Tickets are available at http://www.enjoyartsandtastes.com/

Special shoutout to those making this event possible: Bill Edwards Presents, HSN, Visit St. Petersburg/Clearwater, and Florida ProStart.

Which event would you most like to attend? 

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St. Petersburg Pier - the final days

I am proud to be born and raised in the beautiful city of St. Petersburg. The colorful inverted pyramid that sits on our gorgeous downtown waterfront has been a source of many memories for me and millions of others - tourists and residents alike. This May, the St. Petersburg Pier as we know it will be closed forever. It is a bittersweet feeling for me and my peers who have known nothing else in that spot.

1973-2013

I am making a big push to remind everyone to get out to the Pier and see it one last time before it's gone. What better way to do that than to make a toast to the St. Pete Pier! While almost all of the food at the Pier is forgettable, the sights of our beautiful city are not. Each of the 3 main restaurants at the Pier have a gorgeous view. I encourage you to get out there, grab a drink, make a toast, and enjoy the view!

The 3 dining destinations at the Pier:

Jonny Reno's is a surf themed restaurant on the first floor, with indoor and outdoor seating, and a full bar outside. Sit outside and watch the bikers, rollerbladers, and couples strolling hand in hand around the perimeter of the Pier. This is a good place to grab a drink with friends.

The Columbia, St. Pete's branch of the famous Florida chain, is located on the 4th floor and features 360 degrees views. Day or night, grab a seat by the window and enjoy the view. The Columbia features Cuban food, sangria, and the famous 1905 Salad.

Cha Cha Coconuts is on the top floor (#5) of the Pier, which is also the observation deck. They have indoor and outdoor seating with one of the best views in the 'Burg. Cha Cha Coconuts serves casual Caribbean style food.

As many times as I have been to the Pier, I had never tried Cha Cha Coconuts. I can now say that I was not missing too much! The food was ok and the scenery was amazing, but for the same price I could have had a better lunch at The Columbia. I will certainly miss my local connection to 1905 Salad between now and the opening of the Lens in 2015!

Dining outdoors at Cha-Cha's

Observation deck on the top floor

What a view!

Grilled grouper sandwich 

Smothered chicken sandwich

Fish spread

The current St. Petersburg Pier will open and close for the last time on Friday May 31st. Whether you have never been to the Pier, or you've been a thousand times, everyone owes the Pier a final farewell visit. While it will be strange to no longer have our famous Pier, we can only hope that the Pier of the future, The Lens, will make us proud in the years to come!

Walking away from the Pier one last time

Cheers to the future of downtown St. Petersburg!

What is your favorite memory of the St. Petersburg Pier?

Check out the Pier restaurants on UrbanSpoon: 

Jonny Reno's

The Columbia

Cha-Cha Coconuts

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La Crêperia Cafe

Crêpes are back in the Burg! A few years ago, where The Ale and the Witch sits today, was a French restaurant and crêperie named L'Olivier. After a relatively short span, L'Olivier closed up shop and crêpes were gone. Sure there are plenty of restaurants with crêpes on the menu - usually as a dessert - but nowhere has a full menu of sweet crêpes, savory crêpes, and everything in between. Enter La Crêperia Cafe on Central Avenue... After a successful location in Ybor City, La Crêperia Cafe expanded with a second location in St. Petersburg. Have you seen that shiny silver Airstream as you've driven down Central Avenue? That's where the crêpe magic happens!  

Crêpes are actually incredibly easy to make at home, but always taste better when you get them at a real crêperie. The base of a crêpe is made with flour, eggs, milk, butter, and a touch of salt. A professional crêperie uses a large flat hot plate and spreads the batter evenly over the surface. After 1 flip and a few minutes, the crêpe is ready to be filled with whatever your heart (and tastebuds) desire. Here's a video of how the pros in Paris make a crêpe: 

Some of my fondest memories of food, travel, and life involve crêpes in my other favorite city, Paris. Happiness is a Nutella crêpe fresh from the crêpe stand across from the Eiffel Tower. And having an egg topped crêpe for lunch with a Parisian and some of your best friends at a local diner. And impressing your new boyfriend with your French skills by ordering a "Jambon et fromage crêpe, si vous plait." You get the picture!

I am happy to have La Crêperia Cafe in my backyard now, so those crêpe cravings come at a cheaper price than a flight to Europe. I recently met up with Jenn from Jenn Likes It and Nikki from SandBookWich for dinner. Even though I had looked at the menu many times before, I still had to look a few more times before I placed my order. There are just so many options to choose from. And if they don't have what you want, you can customize anything! 

 

The only bad thing about our visit to La Creperia Cafe was that only 1 person was working. 1 person to take orders and to cook orders. A little strange, and hopefully not the norm. But hey, it's a small business and sometimes those things happen. C'est la vie, right?

Anyway, on to the food! I ended up ordering the Croque-monsieur, a toasted ham and cheese sandwich topped with melted cheese. Jenn and Nikki ordered some savory crêpes, and we shared the Romeo y Julieta (banana, strawberry, and Nutella) for dessert. It is best to visit La Crêperia with friends, so you can mix and match or share your crêpes. There is a lot to choose from and you will want to try everything! We were stuffed, and the dessert crêpe shared 3 ways was plenty! There are some tables outside to dine at, or a small inside area decorated with Paris flare. 

The next time you want a different kind of breakfast, or a dessert date with your sweetheart, head down to La Crêperia Cafe. I am happy to welcome crêpes back to the Burg and I hope you are too! Bon appétit, mon ami!

Check out what others are saying about La Crêperia Cafe on UrbanSpoon:

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