New Mediterranean-style restaurant Branzini coming soon to St. Pete Beach
/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.”
Branzini will have a full liquor bar, Musabegovic added, and it will be able to seat a total of 161 guests, including an outdoor patio that can seat about 50 people. He expects to offer live music “from time to time,” as well as some special performances such as belly dancing.
Pricing hasn’t been finalized but Musabegovic said Branzini won’t be a high-end restaurant. It will offer “middle-of-the-road” price points “because we expect people to come from the beach and have a snack,” he said. “We are going to be open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, from 8 a.m. to midnight, seven days a week.”
Branzini, Musabegovic added, will also offer a special Sunday brunch menu. The breakfast and brunch menus will also feature a strong Mediterranean influence.
Musabegovic said he has high hopes for Branzini because of its prime location at the intersection of Gulf Boulevard and Blind Pass Road and the fact that it offers something different from the usual beach fare.
“It’s a wonderful location,” he said. “We will do our best to serve our customers.”
