Michelin-starred chef heads to St. Pete, Tampa gets 'Seinfeld' bagels, and more local restaurant news

OPENINGS/CLOSINGS

Iconic 'Seinfeld' NYC bagel shop, H&H, is coming to Tampa
Decades after Cosmo Kramer famously went on strike against H&H Bagels, the company says it's now expanding to Tampa. The popular Manhattan bagel shop, which first opened in 1972, says its expanding outside of NYC, and plans to debut four locations in Florida—Tampa, Boca Raton, West Palm Beach and Jacksonville—with others to open later in Fort Lauderdale, Orlando and Miami. H&H is a staple in New York City, and has been featured in shows like "Seinfeld," "The
Office," "Sex and the City," "Entourage," "You’ve Got Mail," "How I Met Your Mother," and more. What makes its bagels so unique is that they are kettle-boiled in NYC water before being put in the oven, which gives its "signature flavor." To keep that NYC authenticity, the bagels will be boiled in New York before being shipped to Tampa to finish the rest of the process, according to Bloom Tampa Bay. No exact opening date was announced, but the first Tampa location will open at 1155 S Dale Mabry Hwy..

Michelin-starred chef opening new restaurant at St. Pete's Vinoy hotel
A Chicago-based Michelin-starred chef is headed to St.Petersburg. Today, Chef Lee Wolen, along with the Boka Restaurant Group, announced plans to open their latest concept "Elliott Aster" early next year at the historic Vinoy Resort and Golf Club, located at 501 5th Ave. NE. Wolen has worked at a number of renowned restaurants around the globe, including El Bulli in Spain, Eleven Madison Park in New York City, Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons in Oxford and the Four Seasons in Palm Beach, Florida.
However, he earned his Michelin star while at his Italian eatery, Alla Vita, in Chicago. He was also behind the popular Chi-town neighborhood spot GG’s Chicken Shop.
"I am truly honored to be opening a restaurant in St. Pete, a place that holds a special place in my heart," said Chef Lee Wolen in a statement. "Having stayed at The Vinoy with my family and experiencing its rich history and charm, it feels like the perfect setting to create something truly special. I can't wait to bring our culinary vision to life in such an iconic destination."

Florida Tex-Mex concept Tacos & Tequila Cantina coming to Tampa Bay in 2025
Tampa Bay has no shortage of quality taco options, but a popular Florida Tex-Mex chain is headed to the Tampa Bay region regardless. HMC Hospitality Group, formerly known as Hooters Management Corporation, announced plans this week to bring Southwest Florida chain Tacos & Tequila Cantina to the Tampa Bay region and the The Villages over the next few years. The chain's menu spans everything from traditional style street corn and tacos to its signature "T&T Tacos," which includes tacos made with less conventional ingredients like fried chicken, Buffalo chicken, cheeseburger toppings, pancakes, steak and American cheese, and more. Launched in Naples in 2013 by Aldo’s Italian Table & Bar founders Kelly and Aldo Musico, the chain started as a sort of side project for the couple.

EVENTS

Florida BBQ favorite 4 Rivers Smokehouse will now be open on Sundays
Sunday may be the Lord's Day for some, but it's also a chance to kneel before some savory barbecue. Today, Florida-based barbecue chain 4 Rivers Smokehouse announced that many of their locations will now be opening their doors on Sundays for the first time, starting Sept. 22."This decision was made to uphold the company’s mission to support the local community, protect jobs and ensure stability and prosperity of their dedicated team members," said the company in a press release. "The team is looking forward to welcoming in their guests all seven days of the week and smoking up some delicious food."All 4 Rivers location will begin the new Sunday hours starting Sept. 22, and will be open from 11 a.m.-7 p.m. While the outposts in South Tampa, Coral Springs and Orange Park will start offering Sunday service starting Sept. 29.

Dunedin's Sonder Social Club will become extra spooky this Halloween season
This fall, Dunedin cocktail lounge Sonder Social Club is getting a big redecoration for spooky season. Starting Sept. 27, the local club will be packed with cauldrons, cobwebs and chilling decor, to serve as a backdrop for Halloween celebrations. The cocktail bar will also introduce a new limited menu featuring fall-themed drinks and food. "We wanted to give our guests something special this Halloween, the same way we do for the holidays,” said Zachary and Christina Feinstein in s statement. "The Spooky Social Club is going to be a total Halloween takeover. Think of it like Halloween threw up in our bar, just like Christmas does in December!" In the past, Sonder was known for its other holiday redecorations, such as “Santa’s Social Club” in the winter. - Riley Benson

OTHER NEWS

Popular Florida chain Hawkers Asian Street Food files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy
Hawkers Asian Street Food kickstarted a movement of a new generation of Asian and pan-Asian restaurants when it opened in Orlando's Mills 50 neighborhood way back in 2011. The cacophonous and bustling restaurant, modeled after the hawker stalls in Malaysia and Singapore, was on the vanguard of a movement that's seen immigrant-run Asian restaurants carry our restaurant scene forward and upward and sideward. But on Sept. 15, Hawkers announced it was filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in order to "maintain operational control of the Company and preserve the integrity of its brand as to protect from an overreaching lender." According to a statement provided to Orlando Weekly, Hawkers entered into a debt capital agreement with the lender in early 2023 with the intention of growing the Hawkers brand into a household name across the United States. But in the past 60 days, Hawkers felt the lender's intentions were to gain control of the company, despite the restaurant having never missed a payment since the inception of the partnership. - Faiyaz Kara

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