The Oyster Bar’s last day at its flagship St. Pete location is this Sunday, Aug. 20. Credit: OysterBarStPete / Facebook

Openings

Pepper’s Island Piping hot plates of Caribbean food are once again a thing on the corner of East 4th Avenue and N 17th Street in Ybor City. Trinidadian restaurant Pepper’s Island— located in the space that formerly housed the beloved Cephas Hot Shop— officially debuted last weekend. During its soft opening phase, Pepper’s Island will be open from 7 p.m.-1 a.m. on Fridays, 11 a.m.-1 a.m. on Saturdays and 11 a.m.-6 p.m. on Sundays—with a DJ bumping Caribbean music each night. At its opening weekend, the restaurant dished out entrees and small plates to be featured on its slightly-limited, soft opening menu—including classic Trini dishes like curried chickpea-filled doubles, aloo pie stuffed with spiced mash potatoes and pholourie fritters served with a side of tangy tamarind sauce. In addition to these street food-inspired a la carte items, Pepper’s Island also offers curry goat, chicken and beef on different days of the week. On social media, Pepper’s teased expanded operating hours and a full menu rollout sometime in September, adding dishes like stewed chicken, curry duck, and paratha aka “Buss up Shot” to its daily offerings. Owner Rodney Dhanraj tells Creative Loafing Tampa Bay that starting next month, Pepper’s Island will be open seven days a week, but specific hours will be “subject to change depending on customer traffic. 1701 E 4th Ave., Ybor City. @peppers_islandrestaurant on Instagram.

Sprouts Over the last few years, Sprouts Farmers Markets have been, well, sprouting up all over Tampa Bay, and next month we’ll see one more spring out of the ground. According to sprouts.com, the boutique grocer chain’s newest location will officially open Friday, Sept. 15 at 2150 E Fowler Ave., within the Rithm multi-story, mixed-use neighborhood development near University Mall. The new 23,000-square-foot Uptown store will open its door at 7 a.m., and the first 200 customers will score a free usable bag with samples, and the first 400 customers will receive a free long stem rose courtesy from Falcon Farms Floral. The grand-opening celebrations will run through Sunday, Sept. 17 and will feature kids activities, food samples, and more. The Arizona-based grocer is known for having a wide selection of natural and organic foods, which includes produce, vitamins, packaged groceries, seafood, deli, baked goods, dairy products and frozen foods. Sprouts has been aggressively growing in Florida. If you’re keeping track, the new Uptown location will be the 15th Sprouts in the Tampa Bay region and store No. 44 in Florida. 2150 E Fowler Ave., Tampa. sprouts.com—Colin Wolf

Cass Street Coffee Company The newly-renovated Floridan Palace Hotel is finally ready to debut its latest hospitality concept: the Cass Street Coffee Company. The new coffee shop—located on the ground floor of the Floridan Palace Hotel at 905 N Florida Ave.—will host a grand opening reception on Wednesday, Aug. 16 from 9 a.m.-11 a.m. The event will feature complimentary tastings and a ribbon cutting ceremony with Tampa Mayor Jane Castor and the Tampa Bay Chamber. Downtown Tampa’s latest coffee shop will serve coffee and espresso-based drinks from Philadelphia’s La Colombe Roasters and sweet treats from Local Mini Donut Co., in addition to oatmeal, yogurt parfaits and other grab-and-go bites. Anyone who attends Wednesday’s grand opening can indulge in free coffee and breakfast, courtesy of the hotel. After this week’s debut, Cass Street Coffee Co. will be open from 6 a.m.-3 p.m. seven days a week. The Floridan Palace Hotel, which has undergone several renovations over the past few years, also opened its new signature restaurant The Dan just a few months ago. Cass Street Coffee Co. will soon join the ranks of other downtown cafes like Caffeine Roasters, Buddy Brew, Blind Tiger and the newly-opened Little Tina. 905 N Florida Ave., Tampa. @cassstreetcoffee on Instagram

Coming Soon

Beacon A press release says that JW Marriott Tampa Water Street’s new rooftop bar Beacon is the “tallest public rooftop bar in Tampa” and the second tallest in the state of Florida. It’s slated to debut sometime in September, although an exact grand opening date is yet to be determined. A few specialty drinks patrons can expect when Beacon opens next month include the Zalamero complete with Don Fulano Reposado Tequila and Galliano Espresso liqueur, and a Japanese-inspired gin cocktail with notes of sesame, yuzu, pineapple. Beacon—one of almost two dozen well-known rooftop bars in Tampa Bay—will not only offer craft cocktails and tasty views of Hillsborough Bay, but also Garrison and Sedon Channels and the Ybor Turning Basin. The rooftop concept will also dish out a menu of booze-friendly shareables and small plates; a few expected dishes include housemade tartines topped with caviar, smoked salmon and crème fraiche, alongside artisanal charcuterie boards. Renderings from local design firm AvroKO depict Beacon as a sleek and vibrant space that boasts different lounge areas—including an outdoor terrace, main bar and a variety of private seating. 510 Water St., Tampa. @marriottwaterstreet on Instagram

Bavaro’s Clearwater Beach Pretty soon, there may be a Bavaro’s Pizza Napoletana & Pastaria in every corner of Tampa Bay. According to the Tampa Bay Business Journal, Clearwater Beach’s Bavaro’s will open out of a 1,800 square-foot parcel at 468 Mandalay Ave. by the end of 2023 (fingers crossed). The beach-adjacent space—which formerly housed a real estate office—will undergo about $1 million dollars worth of renovations before making its debut.Owner Dan Bavaro told TBBJ that his “company is building an infrastructure for statewide expansion,” which may include additional airport locations throughout the Sunshine State. Bavaro’s first made its Tampa Bay debut in 2009, claiming to be the “first traditional Neapolitan Pizzeria in the state of Florida.” Alongside ‘za baked in traditional wood-fired ovens, the Italian restaurant also dishes out roasted Gulf oysters, charcuterie boards, salads, soups, classic pastas and desserts like cannolis, tiramisu and Nutella pizzas. Each location offers the same exact menu with the exception of its Tampa International Airport restaurant, which features a handful of flatbreads, paninis and grab-and-go options. In addition to dining at its four locations in St. Petersburg, Tampa, Sarasota and Tampa International Airport, patrons can also purchase a variety of Bavaro’s beloved pasta sauces via Amazon. 468 Mandalay Ave., Clearwater Beach. @bavarospizza on Instagram.

Events

American Cancer Society’s charity dinner The only thing better than eating a delicious dinner is indulging for a great cause—and the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (stylized as “ACS CAN”) can help you do exactly that this month. On Thursday, Aug. 31 at 6:30 p.m., St. Pete’s Brick Street Farms hosts a four course, Mexican-Italian charity dinner benefitting the organization’s mission of “promoting access to cancer prevention and early detection, treatment and follow-up care through nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy.” In addition to dinner, this fundraising event includes live music, curated beverage pairings and a “luminary display to honor every life touched by cancer.” The culinary mind behind the dinner itself is Bandit Coffee’s kitchen lead Chef Adrianna Siller. Not only did she dominate Feeding Tampa Bay’s annual Epic Chef competition this year, but also won an episode of the popular Food Network show “Chopped” in 2022 (season 51 episode 12 for anyone interested in watching.) Chef Siller tells Creative Loafing Tampa Bay that her four dishes for this month’s dinner include a corn and poblano focaccia and veggie crudo to start, and short rib chochoyotes—which she describes as a “masa version of gnocchi”—for the main course. The decadent meal will finish with a dulce de leche tiramisu, rounding out the dinner’s unique Mexican-Italian theme. 199 20th St. S, St. Petersburg. eventbrite.com Double Michelin-starred chef David Barzelay leads lineup for Rooster & the Till’s 2023 Chef Dinner Series Each year, Seminole Heights mainstay and two-time Bib Gourmand recipient Rooster & the Till welcomes prominent chefs from around the country to give Tampeños a taste of their worldly cuisine—and its 2023 lineup just dropped. Each monthly installment of the dinner series will offer a unique spread of tasting menus and experiences. 2023’s series kicks off with Chef Claudette Zepeda—winner of “Iron Chef,” a Bib Gourmand receipt and James Beard nominee—on Sunday, Aug. 27. The San Deigo-based chef is known for her “fearless style and bold approach to regional Mexican cuisine,” according to her website. Other guest chefs include popular ceramist and culinary mind Zach Meloy on Oct. 8, Tampa native and 2 Michelin-starred David Barzelay on Nov. 5, and James Beard nominee Chef Chad Colby and former Rooster & the Till sous chef Arturo Rojas—who both helm the kitchen at Los Angeles Italian restaurant Antico Nuovo—on Dec. 3. Tickets to each installment of the Chef Dinner Series cost between $250-$350 per person and can be purchased directly on the restaurant’s website. Each ticket includes a minimum of six courses paired with beverages, alongside access to a cocktail happy hour before the dinner itself and curated tunes from Tampa’s own DJ Blenda. 6500 N Florida Ave., Tampa .roosterandthetill.com ICYMI

Aldi acquires Winn-Dixie supermarkets, details plans to convert some Florida stores Florida’s second largest grocery chain now has a new owner. Earlier this week, German discount grocer Aldi announced plans to acquire nearly 400 Southeastern Grocers’ Winn-Dixie and Harveys Supermarket stores across Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana and Mississippi, according to a press release. “Like ALDI, Winn-Dixie and Harveys Supermarket have long histories and many loyal customers in the Southeast and we look forward to serving them in the years to come,” said Jason Hart, CEO, ALDI in a statement. “The time was right to build on our growth momentum and help residents in the Southeast save on their grocery bills. The transaction supports our long-term growth strategy across the United States, including plans to add 120 new stores nationwide this year to reach a total of more than 2,400 stores by year-end.” The sale price was not disclosed, and the transaction isn’t expected to be finalized until the first half of 2024, says the company. This announcement also detailed plans to convert some Winn-Dixies and Harvey’s locations into Aldis. “ALDI will operate Winn-Dixie and Harveys Supermarket stores with the same level of care and focus on quality and service, as we also evaluate which locations will convert to the ALDI format to better support the neighborhoods we’ll now have the privilege of serving,” added Hart. “For those stores we do not convert, our intention is that these continue to operate as Winn-Dixie and Harveys Supermarket stores.”—Colin Wolf

St. Pete’s Oyster Bar closes flagship Central Avenue location this weekend, ahead of relocation A 200-block favorite will soon move elsewhere in St. Pete, although we’re not yet sure exactly where. Located in downtown St. Pete’s bustling First Block, The Oyster Bar took to social media to announce its eventual relocation. “Thank you for an amazing near-25 years on the block. Our new Oyster Bar location is to be announced, but this DTSP space will be POPPIN’ very soon,” The Oyster Bar wrote. “Our new POP UP BAR will be taking over this residence; stay tuned for more details to come.” The bar and restaurant’s last day at its flagship location is Sunday, Aug. 20. The Oyster Bar’s opening date in its new space in The ‘Burg is still unknown. The Oyster Bar is owned and operated by Crafty Hospitality Group, the same company that will host a variety of seasonal pop-up bars in its former Central Avenue space. Designed by local creative director Frank Clemente, ILovetheBurg says that its first pop-up bar will open its doors on Friday, Sep. 1, boasting “end-of-summer” vibes. As fall comes around, the highly-themed concept will transform into a brand new pop-up bar at the beginning of each month, inspired by Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas. It is unsure if this rotating pop-up concept will continue in 2024. 249 Central Ave., St. Petersburg.

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