’Tis the season! Not only are Christmas decorations beginning to appear in stores, but a new Christmas-themed pop-up bar, Xmas Bar, is opening this weekend at 260 1st Avenue North. The new holiday-themed bar is another concept from Forward Hospitality Group, which also created Goodnight John Boy, the 1970s-themed nightclub at 16 2nd Street North.

“We wanted to bring in another place where people can unite, that crosses all age boundaries and provides a great guest experience,” Michael Schwartz, CEO of Forward Hospitality Group, told St. Pete Rising. “And who doesn’t love Christmas?”

The owner of German Knodle, an authentic German-cuisine eatery at 951 Central Avenue, is trying his hand at Mediterranean food with Branzini, a new restaurant slated to open by mid-November at 6800 Gulf Boulevard, in St. Pete Beach.

According to Muntaz "Tazo" Musabegovic, Branzini is going through final inspections and an official opening date should be announced soon.

“We are ready to open,” he told St. Pete Rising. “Everything is ready.”

Musabegovic is still finalizing the menu but said the restaurant’s cuisine will be “pure Mediterranean with a lot of garlic, parsley, olive oil, kalamata olives, and a lot of fish — maybe six, seven, eight different fishes. There will be steaks, burgers, lamb chops, ribs, filet mignon, pork filet mignon. There will be some pastas, a lot of different salads — 10 to 15 different styles, plus calamari, mussels, carpaccio, beef carpaccio, and a lot of other stuff.”