After 18 months of careful planning and preparation, Pacific Counter has finally opened their doors to the public. The eatery is the latest addition to the 600 block of Central Avenue, adding poke bowls and sushi burritos to an area of town becoming increasingly known as a culinary destination.

But lets back up for a second. What is poke? By definition, ‘poke’ means ‘to cut’ in Hawaiian and it refers to diced raw, marinated fish that is tossed with veggies and umami-loaded sauces and then served over a bed of rice. You can think of it as deconstructed sushi. Or if the trend continues to rise in popularity, you could consider poke the future of sushi in America.

Pacific Counter is the brainchild of three heavy hitters in the Tampa Bay restaurant scene — Tanner Loebel, Chitthasack Noythanongsay (known as Chef Tock), and Eric Bialik. And although poke and sushi burritos are available at a few Tampa Bay restaurants, the partners at Pacific Counter take these chef-driven dishes to an entirely new level.

We were heartbroken last month when KINGS Street Food Counter announced plans to close their modern-style diner in Downtown St. Pete’s EDGE District. The eatery premiered three years ago at 937 Central Ave amid much fanfare thanks to a menu of creatively crafted grilled cheeses and hot dogs.

At the time, owner Stephen Schrutt was taking a big risk by opening KINGS in the EDGE District, which hadn’t yet gained the popularity it has today. The restaurant did well, but was ultimately overshadowed by Schrutt’s other Downtown St Pete concepts — theAvenue and Park & Rec.

If there is a silver lining to the end of KINGS, it is what comes next. We can now confirm that a brand-new restaurant and bar concept by the Hunger + Thirst Group will be opening at 937 Central Ave — No Vacancy. Get ready to soak in those vintage Florida vibes because No Vacancy is brining everything but the sand to Downtown St. Pete!

Back in May, the owners of Nitally’s took to Facebook to announce the closure of their popular Thai-Mex fusion restaurant at 2462 Central Avenue in Downtown St. Pete. News traveled quickly thanks to Nitally’s cult-like following. After all, where else in town can you go to get a green curry burrito or panang mole?

Owners Nit Jintaseranee and Ally Valdez have spent the last 10 years building an audience for their own brand of cuisine. But unfortunately for them, the decision to shut down was out of their hands. Their building had been sold and the new owners chose to go in a different direction.

I might be in trouble. Two of my favorite indulgences are about to make a head-on collision — ice cream and alcohol. In a first for Tampa Bay, a brand new craft coffee bar and dessert lounge is bringing alcohol-infused ice cream to Downtown St Pete’s Central Arts District.

Beans & Barlour (yes, Barlour) will be located at 538 1st Avenue North, flanked by St. Pete Brewing Company and Angelo’s Grill and Bar. The new restaurant concept is being brought to life by Story Stuart, former owner of Story Brooke Craft Coffee Bar in the Old Southeast, and business partner Steve Bliven.

“The food scene downtown is booming right now with new restaurants opening on what seems like a weekly basis,” says Stuart. “We saw a huge opportunity to compliment them with a dessert concept that is brand new to the Tampa Bay Area.” 

The 600 block of Downtown St. Pete continues its transformation into a foodie destination. Amigos Tortilla Bar, a Mexican restaurant that bills itself as the “Home of the Square Taco” will occupy two parcels located at 681 Central Avenue that have sat vacant for nearly a year and a half.

Owners Jack Anderson, Jesse Anderson and Eric Sindone opened up the only other Amigos location in Key West in 2010. The trio had always wanted to expand, but decided to patiently wait for the right opportunity. That opportunity presented itself when former Amigo's manager, Samuel Haverl, moved to St. Pete three years ago. Haverl will share ownership in the St. Pete location.

“We’re all very excited to see what’s happening in this city and are very much looking forward to being a part of it,” says Haverl. The St. Pete location will only serve lunch and dinner at first, but breakfast may be offered down the road.