May 19, 2025

Beloved Japanese-inspired Shiso Crispy food truck coming to the Jannus Block in downtown St. Pete

May 19, 2025/ Veronica Brezina

Known in the Sunshine City for its handmade dumplings and Asian-fusion bowls, the popular food truck Shiso Crispy is opening a restaurant on one of downtown St. Pete’s most vibrant blocks.

Founded by award-winning chef Ronicca Whaley, a six-time contestant on Guy's Grocery Games, Shiso Crispy will debut this June on the Jannus Block at 226 1st Avenue North. The space was most recently home to T’s and Tacos, and before that, Cap's Steamer Bar & Grille and MacDinton's Irish Pub.

Shiso Crispy, named after the Japanese word shiso—which means “mint”—launched its first food truck in late 2019 to rave reviews. It went on to earn a Tampa Bay Times “Best of the Best” award in both 2020 and 2021.

May 14, 2025

Circo Pizzeria & Italian Kitchen to relocate to the Skyway Marina District

May 14, 2025/ Veronica Brezina

Circo Pizzeria Italian Kitchen will bring its fresh house-made pastas and specialty pizzas to the Skyway Marina District.

The family-owned restaurant is relocating from its current spot at 114 Pinellas Bayway South to 5035 34th Street South in the Bay Pointe Plaza.

The neighborhood pizza joint is relocating to the new location this July - one year following Portofino Italian Restaurant's closure after serving south St. Pete diners for 30 years.

Circo Pizzeria Italian Kitchen, which debuted in Tierra Verde in 2021, is known for slinging New York and Sicilian-style slices in an inviting atmosphere.

May 13, 2025

The Vinoy's new signature restaurant Elliott Aster announces May opening date

May 13, 2025/ Veronica Brezina

The Vinoy Resort and Golf Club's highly anticipated new signature restaurant, Elliott Aster, is preparing to welcome guests next week.

The restaurant, located at 501 5th Avenue Northeast inside the historic waterfront resort, is set to open on May 20th.

Elliott Aster replaces Marchand's Bar & Grill, which closed in 2020, and introduces a sophisticated Italian steak and seafood concept developed in collaboration with the Chicago-based Boka Restaurant Group. Leading the culinary team is Michelin-award-winning Chef Lee Wolen, a 2025 James Beard Award semifinalist.

May 09, 2025

New kava lounge Cozy Kava opens in the Grand Central District

May 09, 2025/ Veronica Brezina

A new bar has opened in St. Pete, but instead of shots and cocktails, it’s pouring shells of kava.

Derived from the ground roots of a South Pacific pepper plant, kava is known for its calming, anxiety-reducing effects—and it’s at the center of a growing scene in Pinellas County, where more than 50 kava bars have opened in the last decade.

This surge reflects a broader nationwide trend, as younger generations increasingly turn toward wellness-focused, alcohol-free social spaces.

Cozy Kava quietly opened last month at 2309 Central Avenue in the Grand Central District, formerly home to The MAR St. Pete, a performing arts incubator and studio that has since relocated to the St. Pete City Theatre.

May 07, 2025

Here are the first renderings of Forbici Modern Italian coming to Sundial in downtown St. Pete

May 07, 2025/ Veronica Brezina

In February, Tampa Bay restauranteur Jeff Gigante announced his popular modern Italian restaurant Forbici would take over the 12,000-square-foot Sea Salt space at Sundial in downtown St. Pete. And now we have a closer look of what the restaurant will be like.

The restaurant originally planned to move into the ground-floor space previously occupied by Locale Market but shifted its plans to the second floor space at 183 2nd Avenue North following Sea Salt’s closure on December 31st.

Forbici is part of Next Level Brands, a Tampa-based restaurant group founded by restaurateur Jeff Gigante, real estate investor Andrew Wright, and attorney Joseph Guggino.

Expected to open by year’s end, renderings reveal that the 350-seat St. Pete location will mirror the flagship Forbici in South Tampa’s Hyde Park, which opened in 2019, but with a more refined and upscale twist.