Moon Mountain, an "alternative culture" bar, will debut in downtown St. Pete this September

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Moon Mountain, an "alternative culture" bar, will debut in downtown St. Pete this September

Kava and kratom bars have popped up all over St. Petersburg and Pinellas County in recent years as people seek nightlife options that don’t involve alcoholic drinks. But Moon Mountain, opening this September on the Jannus Block in downtown St. Pete, has taken a different approach — adding craft beers to its beverage menu. 

Moon Mountain will be launching at 204 1st Avenue North, formerly home to Hoots, a fast-casual restaurant by Hooters.

In case you haven’t stumbled into one of the many kava bars in St. Pete, kava is a plant from the Pacific Islands with roots that, when ingested, have a relaxing effect on the body, ease tension, and alleviate stress. The feeling is very similar to an alcohol buzz, but without the hangover. However, despite having a similar effect, mixing kava and alcohol is not recommended.

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Saturday Morning Market vendor opens Kurdish and Turkish bakery in downtown St. Pete

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Saturday Morning Market vendor opens Kurdish and Turkish bakery in downtown St. Pete

Don’t let the matter-of-fact name fool you: St. Pete Bakery is not your typical American purveyor of breads, doughnuts, and pastries. In fact, it specializes in sweet and savory treats inspired by the cuisine of Turkey and the Kurdish region of northern Iraq.

Owner Tanya Shkaki, a former hairstylist, is Kurdish. She moved to the United States in 1997, settling in Virginia, but moved back to her homeland in 2013 to be with her ailing father. Seven years ago, she returned to U.S. soil but opted for Florida over Virginia, winding up in St. Petersburg.

“When I came back, I wanted to go somewhere different,” Shkaki told St. Pete Rising, adding that Florida is better for her mother, who lives with her and passed down many of the recipes she uses daily at St. Pete Bakery, most of which came from her grandmother.  “I am really happy to share her food with the world in a nice boutique café,” she said.

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Pan-Asian steakhouse Fortu opens next month, begins hiring in downtown St. Pete

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Pan-Asian steakhouse Fortu opens next month, begins hiring in downtown St. Pete

For all the great culinary options St. Pete has to offer, I have always felt the city could benefit from having more “special occasion” restaurants.

While we have a plethora of restaurants serving pizza, burgers, and ice cream, sometimes I’m in the mood to be spoiled by a restaurant that goes above and beyond with stunning décor, impeccable service, and incredible food and drinks.

There are several restaurants in downtown St. Pete that already offer an exceptional product, but as the saying goes, variety is the spice of life. And as our city grows, so should our elevated dining options.

Enter Fortu, a pan-Asian steakhouse set to open this September on the ground floor of the Ponce de Leon Hotel at 95 Central Avenue in downtown St. Pete. The space was home to Ceviche for nearly 25 years before their move to Beach Drive last year.

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St. Pete City Council approves revised development plan for Orange Station

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St. Pete City Council approves revised development plan for Orange Station

St. Petersburg City Council voted to approve revised plans for a mixed-use development planned for St. Pete’s EDGE District. 

Orange Station was announced by Edge Central Development Partners in late 2019 in a request for proposal (RFP) process spearheaded by the City of St. Petersburg.

The project is a joint venture of J Square Developers, DDA Development, and Backstreets Capital, LLC, who have previously worked on other St. Petersburg developments like The Salvador, St. James Townhomes, and The Nolen 

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First look at Chef Chris Ponte's OLIVIA in downtown St. Pete

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First look at Chef Chris Ponte's OLIVIA in downtown St. Pete

A fresh set of design renderings have been revealed for Chef Chris Ponte’s OLIVIA, a modern Italian restaurant, debuting early next year in downtown St. Pete.

The 5,550-square-foot restaurant will be located on the ground floor of the recently completed 36-story Ascent apartment and hotel tower at 225 1st Avenue North.

“We’ve begun the permitting process with the City of St. Petersburg and are in the early phases of contractor bidding on the project,” said JT Mahoney, son of Chef Ponte and Partner at OLIVIA, in a conversation with St. Pete Rising.

OLIVIA’s Tampa location debuted in 2019 and has garnered a loyal following for delivering all the authentic flavors of a traditional Italian trattoria with innovative, modern touches from the mind of Chef Ponte.

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Pinellas County Commission approves $25.2 million in funding for Dali Museum expansion plans

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Pinellas County Commission approves $25.2 million in funding for Dali Museum expansion plans

An expansion of St. Petersburg’s Dali Museum received a boost this morning with the approval of funding by Pinellas County’s Board of County Commissioners.

In May, the Pinellas County Tourist Development Council (TDC) gave its blessing to use $34 million in Tourist Development Taxes (TDT) for a major expansion of the Salvador Dali Museum in downtown St. Petersburg. The preliminary approval by the TDC required final approval of the Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners.

County staff recommended partially funding the request with $25.2 million, an increase of $7.7 million from a prior funding commitment of $17.5 million the museum originally submitted in 2019.

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Wawa set to open its first Florida drive-thru restaurant in Largo

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Wawa set to open its first Florida drive-thru restaurant in Largo

Wawa, the popular convenience store and foodservice chain, is all set to open its first-ever drive-thru restaurant in Florida.

The City of Largo recently issued a Development Order (DO) to authorize the redevelopment of a property at 2530 East Bay Drive, formerly home to a Kentucky Fried Chicken.

Wawa, founded in 1964 in Folsom, Pennsylvania, is well-known for its freshly prepared sandwiches, hoagies, and a variety of beverages, including their signature coffee blends. With over 1,000 locations across multiple states, the chain has built a loyal customer base and a strong presence in the Northeastern United States.

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Controversial apartment project with affordable housing approved for west St. Pete

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Controversial apartment project with affordable housing approved for west St. Pete

A massive multifamily development proposed for a 29-acre vacant parcel previously occupied by defense contractor Raytheon is moving forward after being approved by St. Petersburg City Council unanimously. 

Last week, City Council hosted a public hearing to review a site plan to construct eleven four-story buildings with up to 1,058 units. The plans were filed by Azalea Porter Land LLC, an entity by Porter Development, who hopes to build a garden-style multifamily development on the site.

The parcel is located at 1501 72nd Street North and fronts 22nd Avenue North. The site was purchased by Raytheon in 1995 but never fully developed because of pollution issues that led to legal action. The company embarked on a lengthy environmental cleanup process in 2008 and sold the property, which neighbors Azalea Park, in 2015.

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42-story condo tower Art House completes foundation pour in downtown St. Pete

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42-story condo tower Art House completes foundation pour in downtown St. Pete

A major construction milestone has been reached on Art House, a 42-story condominium tower under construction in downtown St. Petersburg.

General contractor Coastal Construction has announced the completion of the foundation pour for the building, which is in under construction at 235 1st Avenue South.

Art House is being developed by Delray Beach-based Kolter Group, the developer behind ONE St. Petersburg and Saltaire.

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Country bar Ride ‘em Cowboy coming to the Grand Central District

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Country bar Ride ‘em Cowboy coming to the Grand Central District

If you’ve found yourself two-steppin’ to Luke Combs in your bedroom or consider yourself a rhinestone cowboy – or cowgirl – a new Grand Central District country bar will be right up your alley.

Ride ‘em Cowboy is coming soon to 2451 Central Avenue, a 3,420-square-foot space formerly home to Mixers at Old Key West Bar & Grill, which closed its doors on June 26th.

Ownership is keeping details close to the vest, but according to a recent job posting on Facebook, Ride ‘em Cowboy will feature live country music artists and country EDM DJs. Line cooks are also being hired, which suggests the bar will also serve food.

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