Two St. Petersburg natives have started putting their sweat equity into a downtown St. Pete gastropub where guests will gather to eat and stay to drink.
Pete Boland and Ian Taylor, who met while wrestling at St. Pete High, are transforming 27 Fourth St. N., a space previously home to Reno Downtown Joint and Primi Ristorante Italiano, into The Galley. The duo says they feel an obligation to the city to help it grow while continuing to build the local culture they started at Courigan’s Irish Pub.
"The idea is to help clean up the corner near William's Park and be part of the solution for this neighborhood and William’s Park," Boland says.
To do so, Taylor and Boland are pressure washing the alleyway just outside their new gastropub and plan to illuminate this path to Ruby's Elixir and Cask & Ale with string lights.
With a capacity of 85, The Galley will offer a welcoming environment for families as well as a sense of community. A nautical theme is set for the 2,000-square-foot space, due to Taylor's time in the Navy, and the dark wooden bar top and booths will add to its timeless feel.
Eating here won't be a consequence of drinking. The Galley's galley will focus on nutritious, fresh food, including vegetarian options. Chef Ian Carmichael, formerly of Cask & Ale and Safety Harbor-based Parts of Paris, is at the helm of the gastropub's Tampa Bay cuisine with a twist.
"We want to give guests the true experience of what it's like to grow up here," Boland says. "Think grouper sandwiches and Cuban sandwiches, both traditional and Ybor-style. Buffalo shrimp, key lime pie, and stone crabs when they’re in season, too."
According to Boland, Carmichael won't skimp on quality or take shortcuts.
"Cheap is not the solution. Quality is going to be the solution," he says.
For drinks, The Galley will spotlight St. Pete brews, a three-tiered wine list, whiskey, scotch and fine aged rums. Boland and Taylor also aim to become a Guinness-certified pub with the perfect pour; it's a top priority for the local proprietors who will toast to their opening around the beginning of December.
The Galley will be open 11:30 a.m. to 3 a.m. daily, with the full food menu available until 11 p.m. A late-night lineup will then kick in until closing time.
