A fresh lineup of destinations is set to light up the Bay area food and drink scene throughout the summer, some as early as this month.
Cage Brewing. R Bar brewpub owner Robert Hughes plans to premiere Cage Brewing, a production facility and tasting room at 2001 First Ave. S. in downtown St. Pete, in late July or early August. Head brewer Eric Richardson has created R Bar Brewing’s craft brews for two years, and will lead the beer-making at the new Grand Central District brewery as well. According to Richardson, at least 10 beers will be offered on opening day.
Central Melt. St. Pete will get Tampa Bay’s first grilled cheesery around August, Central Melt, in an 800-square-foot space at 685 Central Ave. Diners can expect sandwich mash-ups like basil, tomato, mozzarella and garlic butter as well as wine, St. Pete beers, counter seating, a stand-and-eat shelf and a small outdoor patio. The owner is Ed Allen.
Chicken Salad Chick. Offering 15 types of chicken salad, the Atlanta-born Chicken Salad Chick restaurant will open at 2790 E. Fowler Ave. sometime this season. Owners Brad and Tammy Cochran will run the fast-casual chain’s Tampa location, the region’s first. Soups, deli sandwiches and desserts are also featured.
The Cider Press Café. July will bring more raw vegan and gluten-free fare to downtown St. Pete through the laid-back Cider Press Cafe. With Naples roots, the café at 601 Central Ave. dubs its grub “Florida-inspired, plant-based, modernist cuisine,” such as kimchi dumplings, mock ceviche and walnut-sweet potato picadillo tacos. House lemonades and smoothies, kombucha, and wine will be on hand, too.
Daily Eats/Fresh Kitchen. A side-by-side project from Tampa’s Ciccio Restaurant Group, Fresh Kitchen and Daily Eats will share the revamped St. Pete building at 4447 Fourth St. N. The 100-seat Fresh Kitchen will offer up a healthful lineup of grain-veggie-protein bowls, all gluten- and dairy-free, and Daily Eats will serve snazzy diner fare to 140 seats.
Hawkers Asian Street Fare. Around late summer, Orlando’s high-energy street food concept Hawkers will debut its Asian small plates cuisine in downtown St. Pete. With materials like raw wood and metal incorporated into the design, the eatery at 1235 Central Ave. will model “a real hawker stall in Asia,” says co-founder Kaleb Harrell. Flatbreads with curry sauce, stir-fried noodles and beef skewers will be among the dishes.
Hofbrauhaus. Downtown St. Pete’s historic Tramor Cafeteria is being transformed into a German beer haven and restaurant called Hofbrauhaus, slated to open in August. At 123 Fourth St. S., the joint will feature offerings such as imported beer from the brand’s brewery in Germany, brats, Bavarian beer cheese, and ‘kraut cakes.
Ichicoro Ramen. Currently serving as a pop-up resto at NYC’s Ramen Lab, Ichicoro, the first ramen-ya to hit the area, will introduce Japanese ramen with Sunshine State flavors to Seminole Heights at 5229 N. Florida Ave. Native Florida ingredients like gulf shrimp, corn and citrus will be incorporated into the noodle creations, which chef Masaru Takaku and restaurateur Noel Cruz plan to premiere sometime in summer.
Kings Street Food Counter. This indoor-outdoor next-gen diner from The Avenue’s Stephen Schrutt will have a classic yet contemporary feel. Opening mid-June at 937 Central Ave., Kings will serve hot dogs, poutines, ice cream sandwiches and milkshakes in disposable containers, along with a locally driven beer menu. There will also be a 27-foot-long grub counter and pooch-friendly patio.
The Mill. Two names with excellent culinary track records — chef Ted Dorsey, late of Castile in the Hotel Zamora, and mixologist Ryan Pinés, late of Edison Food+Drink Lab, join forces for The Mill, opening in late June at 200 Central Ave. in a 4,000-square-foot space once home to JoJo's in Citta in downtown St. Pete. The "rustic American" cuisine will include such items as cider-braised mussels and blue crab croquettes.
Souzou. Owned by Patrick Marston and Mike Harting, the 180-seat Souzou, which translates to “creation” or “imagination” in Japanese, plans to highlight high-end Asian fusion, as well as craft brews, international wines and craft cocktails, when it’s unveiled at 435 Fifth Ave. N. in St. Pete this season. Contemporary hot plates will feature wok-steamed mussels and Japanese-style fried chicken wings, while beef sashimi and broccoli ramen salad will be included with the cold dishes.
Our final three were listed in a CL piece on spring openings, but now they’re shooting for summer: Downtown St. Pete’s Stillwaters Tavern will open mid-June; Urban Comfort is slated to launch in downtown St. Pete that month as well; and Ybor City’s Clementine Café, which continues to await permitting from the city, could debut as soon as this month.