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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!

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Where to eat this weekend?

Celebrate 2 new St. Pete restaurants this weekend! 

Rollbotto
221 1st St NE
Friday and Saturday from 7pm-2am enjoy free Kirin Ichiban beer with every sushi roll purchase and raffles.
Description from their Facebook page "Rollbotto Sushi is the St. Pete's first fast-casual sushi restaurant. We give the power of choice to our customers with every roll. We offer the staples of sushi so that customers can create a virtually endless number of combinations for their customized roll. We also offer at least 20 imported beers and sakes all in an upbeat contemporary atmosphere."


Wood Fired Pizza and Nightlife
344 1st Ave S
Grand opening Friday at 11am. From 5-8pm "Your first drink and pie are on the house. After that its happy hour prices all night"
Description from their Facebook page "We serve handcrafted, from scratch authentic naturally leavened wood fired pizza, fresh imaginative salads, craft beers and signature wines for a relaxed come-as-you-are experience. Old-World Tradition. Modern Tastes. Naturally Leavened Wood Fired Pizza."

Where will you be dining this weekend?

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Taste of Pinellas 2012

Taste of Pinellas is a highly anticipated community event to raise money for All Childrens Hospital. The 2012 event will be May 4th-May 6th at Vinoy Park in St. Pete.

The headline entertainers were announced Tuesday:

Friday 5/4
Big & Rich
Joe Nichols (love!)

Saturday 5/5
Sheryl Crow
Ziggy Marley

Sunday 5/6
The All American Rejects
Dashboard Confessional

For more information check out the official website.

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Wanted: Guest Bloggers

Dear Tampa Bay Diners,

I am looking for you! If you want to be a guest blogger, please leave a comment with your contact information. Your guest post can tell us all about your favorite restaurant, the restaurant you own or work at, your favorite recipe, or anything food related. I look forward to hearing from YOU!

Sincerely,
Sweet! Tampa Bay

Image credit

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Valentine's at Bonefish

Happy Valentine's Day from Sweet Tampa Bay!

Deciding where to take your sweetheart for Valentine's Day is always a big decision. Do you go somewhere upscale and fancy for a dress up night - or choose a fun and casual dining destination?

Since Valentine's Day fell on a Tuesday, we decided to beat the rush and celebrate on Sunday evening. Where did we decide to go? Bonefish Grill! I know this is hard to believe, but this was my first trip to Bonefish Grill. We chose to dine at the 4th Street location in St. Petersburg. Bonefish actually opened it's first location in St. Pete in 2000. Today there are over 150 locations around the country, and Bonefish is owned by the parent company of Outback. (Hint: If you got an Outback giftcard for Christmas, check out the back. More than likely it is valid at Carrabbas and Bonefish too!)

Lots of tables for 2 at Bonefish

A glimpse of the nightly specials

The daily specials at Bonefish are available online to browse before your visit. I chose the Steak Lobster Duet for my meal and my sweetheart chose the Gulf Groupon with lemon butter. Since it was my inaugural visit to Bonefish, we had to get the famous Bang Bang Shrimp as a starter. We received about 15 shrimp covered in a spicy sauce. The spice was mild, just the way I like it.

Bang bang shrimp

Lobster sirloin duet

Gulf grouper with whipped potatoes

The entrees were served with garbanzo beans sautéed with onions, spinach, and ground sausage. I thought it was a pretty unique side offering for a chain restaurant. It reminded me of "Turkey Robinson" prepared by my favorite celebrity chef, Claire Robinson. My lobster was fresh, but lukewarm. The sirloin was tender, and the grouper was flavorful.

We did not receive any bread with our meal, nor was I given drawn butter with my lobster. Our waters sat empty for longer than expected. Our server was good, but I think it's safe to say she lacked attention to detail.

In preparation for all the sweets on Valentine's Day, I skipped dessert. This was partly because none of the options were speaking to me: chocolate creme brulee, coconut cake, and a few other forgettable options. Maybe next time!

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A visit to The Fresh Market

Welcome to The Fresh Market!

I drive by The Fresh Market almost every day, but somehow had never ventured inside. Located in the heart of 4th Street North in St. Petersburg, The Fresh Market is a welcome competitor to the 2 Publix Supermarkets just a few blocks away.

I decided on an impromptu visit to the Fresh Market tonight, after hearing about their great selection of prepared foods. I loved the comforting vibe of the store, the layout, and exploring everything they had to offer. I was able to snap a few pictures in between deciding what I should try for dinner.

Is that enough beer for ya?

mmm, wine

Lots of Burt's Bees products. 

A few of my options for a quick dinner

My favorite part! The cupcakes looked great

More of the bakery - yum!

So what did I end up with for dinner? Sushi and chocolate hazelnut cheesecake, of course!

I look forward to returning to The Fresh Market and trying more of their food soon! 

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