Let's Talk with Cheryl Hollon
Let’s Talk with Cheryl Hollon
July 8, 2021
New eateries in St. Petersburg
by Cheryl Hollon
Things are opening up quite a bit here in St. Petersburg. My husband and I have both been vaccinated and find that we’re comfortable with outside dining. We have tried a few new places. One is called Bier Boutique. They specialize in scratch-made food, a fine selection of craft beer, inventive cocktails, and fantastic service.
We walked over, and my husband ordered a Peanut Butter Russian while I had a draft brown ale. The starter was a heavenly bowl of candied bacon – precisely heaven. We enjoyed our meal, the setting sun, and the best fish and chips I’ve eaten in a long, long time.
Another new place for us is La V Vietnamese Fusion. We are dedicated fans of Soft Pillow Buns stuffed with grilled shrimp (his favorite) or avocado (my favorite). They also come filled with tofu, pork belly, and chicken. Pairing these with a bottle of NIgori cold sake is a perfect small plate meal. When the weather cools in November, I look forward to chicken pho soup.
Our third favorite new place is called DalMoros Fresh Pasta To Go. They make fresh pasta to eat in or to go. You can watch them making it in the front window. There’s no outside seating, so I order one of their fresh pastas covered in an in-house sauce with toppings on the side. It’s served up in a little takeaway box, and along with a salad, is a perfect evening meal for the two of us.
I think that my Webb’s Glass Shop characters will need to stop in for a meal in these new places. I know we’ll be back.
Do you have a new favorite restaurant?
If you’re looking for a tropical read, my Webb’s Glass Shop Mysteries are all set along Central Avenue in St. Petersburg, Florida. My characters spend a lot of time discussing the case over meals. Independent bookstores need your help during this challenging time. Buy Local.
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We’re out in the boonies so we have to drive a decent distance to reach anything other than fast food joints. And the hubster prefers chain restaurants. I mostly get to check out new and interesting spots when I travel alone. But as we just finished a complete kitchen remodel, I guess technically I can say that my new favorite restaurant is Chez Diane!
I hope you have great success in your new favorite. Chez Diane sounds perfect for adding to my list of restaurants to include in my books. Thanks!
We’ve been sticking to tried and true outside dining where we know precautions have been taken or takeout picked up curbside. I ate indoors for the first time this week…and I can’t help but look how close I am to anyone else. Will be trying a few more next week… In the meantime, I think all three you mentioned sound like ones I’d like to try. Next time in St. Pete.
We’re seeing a surge in outside dining setups in what used to be street parking. The city is trying to decide what to do to keep these a permanent addition to our local eateries. Fingers crossed that this will stay.
We don’t have much of an international dining presence in our small town. Most places offer seafood, barbeque, sandwiches, salads, pizza, and some house specialties. The challenge for us is to vary from our favorites of fried or grilled fish and shrimp. Our thoughts usually run along the lines of “why mess with perfection?”
Hi Maggie, We have the same situation. There are so many places with a perfect favorite dish, we’ve started a list of new places to try. The rule is one new place alternated by one favorite place. That seems to be working as we’ve been to two new venues this week.
These places all sound wonderful. We, too, have been trying new restaurants since moving to the north Orlando area. We like a lakeside grill, an elegant Italian restaurant on a lake, and a New Orleans-style place, among others. However, I’m gaining weight so I’d better counteract these excursions with more walks.
Those places sound wonderful. Those puffy things look great. The Peanut Butter Russian sounds very interesting. I’ll have to give them a try the next time I’m in St. Pete.