Across from the historic Open Air Post Office, downtown St. Pete is getting déjà vu — Déjà Vu Café that is. The new cafe, taking shape at 401 First Ave. N., has a tentative opening of Nov. 1. According to the signage on its windows, Déjà Vu will have coffee, international pastries, frozen yogurt and smoothies.
• Nearby, Fuego Lounge celebrated its grand opening Aug. 12. The latest addition to St. Pete's culinary and nightlife scene pairs its Nuevo Latino cuisine with cocktails and live entertainment at 350 First Ave. N., allowing guests to drink, dine and dance in one casual, elegant environment.
Lunch and dinner menu items include tostones rellenos (shredded mojo pork or shrimp, plantain, avocado chimichurri), four kinds of mofongo, house-made ceviche, churrasco (skirt steak, yuca fries, avocado chimichurri, tomato-corn slaw) and Puerto Rican seafood soup.
• Looking for a fresh lunch spot in Tampa? Get to the recently launched Renée's Bistro before the crowds swoop in between 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. Opened Sept. 1, Renée's carries a varied, something-for-everyone lineup of grub. It all gets served up in a cozy, cafe-style setting at 4010 Boy Scout Blvd.
Breakfast spotlights Belgian waffles and French toast, croissant sandwiches and burritos, to name a few, while eats like specialty sandwiches, burgers and fresh salads from the 30-item salad bar are offered during lunch. Call ahead and place an order for faster service.
• Tampa's Taste of Jerusalem, which held its grand opening over the summer, is dishing specialties from one of the world's oldest cities. The restaurant at 4819 E. Busch Blvd. features a raved-about brunch buffet, as well as daily specials like mansaf (lamb, cooked in a fermented dried yogurt sauce, with rice), maqluba (an upside-down rice casserole), chicken mandi over rice, and mixed veggies with lamb stew.
• The Blind Tiger in Seminole Heights, which has relocated to 4304 N. Florida Ave., will celebrate its grand opening at 10 a.m. Saturday, and St. Pete Beach's Mastry's Brewing Co. at 7701 Blind Pass Road is set to kick off its grand opening weekend at 2 p.m. Friday. In July, Sake2Me — an "AmerAsian" restaurant and bar with a rotating sake selection — debuted in Temple Terrace with sushi, ramen, hibachi and fusion delights. And Thai Sa-Moot, previously operating as Thai Island (the name was changed to avoid confusion with Thai Island off Davis Boulevard), has brought its bold cuisine to Tampa's 5915 Memorial Highway.
This article appears in Oct 6-13, 2016.