Petit fours, cheesecake and other dreamy offerings are getting served up at a small sweets haven in Belleair Bluffs.
Launched in December, Astoria Pastry Shop at 560 Indian Rocks Road N. features indoor seating and additional tables on its inviting patio out front.
Alongside homemade items like macaroons, pecan bars, turnovers and almond cookies, the shop offers coffee drinks and other foods like quiche.
• Another new destination for goodies, Sprinkles cupcake bakery, recently revealed its plans for Tampa.
The California-based franchise will bring a bakery and cupcake ATM, where cravings may be fulfilled at all hours, to Hyde Park Village at 1602 W. Snow Ave. Sprinkles specializes in house-made cookies and ice cream, too.
• In St. Petersburg, the region's latest Fresh Kitchen officially opened its doors Tuesday.
The St. Pete Fresh Kitchen, a fast-casual spot mainly specializing in healthful build-your-own bowls, shares the building at 4447 Fourth St. N. with another Ciccio Restaurant Group brand, Daily Eats. According to a sign on Daily Eats' door, the modern diner is slated to open April 20.
• Pei Wei Asian Diner and BurgerMonger have made progress along St. Pete's buzzing Fourth Street as well; the restaurant brands are neighbors along the 1300 block of Fourth Street North. While this is BurgerMonger's first foray into St. Pete, Pei Wei also operates a location in the Tyrone area. • A sign on the window at 923 Central Ave. is advertising a new wood-fired pizza joint called Pizza Box in downtown St. Pete's EDGE District. At 2702 W. Kennedy Blvd., Miguelitos Taqueria Y Tequilas has debuted huevos rancheros, filet mignon tacos and more casual Mexican plates to South Tampa. And according to the Platt's Pizza Pub website, the eatery in the SoHo area of Tampa at 2202 W. Platt St. "is currently closed due to some needed building renovations."
This article appears in Feb 25 – Mar 2, 2016.