Calida Kitchen and Wine to join growing Crescent Heights neighborhood in St. Pete

A chef-driven wine bar with global cuisine is set to debut next month in St. Petersburg’s Crescent Heights neighborhood.

Calida Kitchen & Wine will be located at 2909 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Street North.

Dayna Bennett, owner of Calida Kitchen & Wine, says the menu will feature sharable plates, a few entrees, and some specials that will rotate in and out.

Beef ribs served in a bone broth and topped with a pickled chili and endive slaw

The restaurant’s opening menu will contain starters like beef and chorizo empanadas with French salsa verde and lemon crème; and beef ribs served in a bone broth and topped with a pickled chili and endive slaw. Entrees will include options like Chow Noodles with market vegetables, fresh ginger and garlic, tamari, sesame oil, and chili flakes; and Branzino with carrot soubise, chili oil, potato, and market vegetables.

Calida’s Executive Chef, Ian Florence, will be bringing with him decades of experience in the kitchen. Florence was born and raised in St. Pete but moved to California where he worked at numerous high-end restaurants. Now he’s back in the Sunshine City to helm the kitchen at Calida.

“One of my main goals is to create memorable food and flavors,” says Florence. “We both want to serve food here that people will think about long after they leave.”

Dark wood tables and chairs, white-washed brick walls, and royal red wallpaper and curtains decorate Calida Kitchen & wine.

Calida also plans to serve wines that aren’t commonly available in the area and “varietals most people have never tried before. I really love it when I go into a place and they give me a wine I’ve never heard of,” says Bennett.

Sherry, for example, is a type of wine that Bennett plans to serve. She developed a fondness for it while in Spain and says it’s not available at many places in St. Pete. After-dinner vermouths are another type of wine that the establishment will feature.

The wine menu will also include lesser-known varietals such as Garnacha blanca, Godello, verdejo, mencia, and Austrian pinot noir. Bennett, whose grandmother is Middle Eastern, says she would like to source some Lebanese beer and wine, as well.

Despite the carefully curated food and beverage experience, Bennett says Calida Kitchen & Wine will have a casual atmosphere.

Pan fried potato with herbs, garlic, and lemon chili aioli

“I do envision people dressing up for date night and coming in,” she says, “But it’s also Florida, so if someone came in off the beach, that's fine. It’s OK to wear flip-flops.”

The restaurant will be quaint, offering around 25 seats in a cozy and eclectic atmosphere. Dark wood tables and chairs, white-washed brick walls, and royal red wallpaper and curtains decorate the space.

Bennett developed a love for trying different types of food at a young age.

“My grandma is Middle Eastern,” she says, “and she would always say, ‘You are what you eat.’ And if you know any Middle Eastern ladies, food is the center of their life. My dad was in the movie industry, he traveled all over the world, and he just loved eating and loved restaurants. So, from the beginning, restaurants were a big part of my life on my dad's side, and home cooking was a big part on my mom's side.”

Chef’s choice of cheese & charcuterie, port fig jam, bauette, and accompaniments

Calida Kitchen & Wine will open this March at 2909 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Street North. Hours of operation will be Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from 5:30 pm to 9:30 pm.

Follow Calida Kitchen & Wine on Instagram for the latest food specials, wine offerings, and grand opening plans.