This little Grand Central District bar and restaurant opened right before the end of 2017, on the ground floor of the Vintin Hotel. In addition to kick-ass happy hour specials ($3 martinis and half-price bottles of wine!), indoor murals and live local music, The Hive boasted an eclectic menu that sort of split the difference between Asian, seafood and down-home American (poke and prime rib!). Despite the somewhat cheesy paint job on the building’s exterior, everything I ate and drank there was good. But the hotel itself garnered some pretty bad reviews, and by the time April was gone, so was The Hive, and the Vintin was closed “for renovation.” Walking by the place earlier this month, it didn’t look like anything had been done, and while the location is primo enough that it won’t sit unused forever, I’m not holding my breath for the restaurant and bar’s return. 2349 Central Ave., St. Petersburg. 727-440-9846, vintinhotel.com. —Scott Harrell
Food & Drink: Feast on this massive celebration of local comestibles and imbibables.
- Runner Up: Ulele
- Runner Up: Columbia Restaurant
Eastern minimalist Asian desserts are usually too simple and underwhelming for a Western culinary sensibility. Happily, Pin Wok & Bowl’s choice to combine Banana Coins with coconut ice cream is an inspired mashup. Slices of banana are wrapped in little phyllo packets, fried till crisp and golden, then drizzled with honey and topped with a light sprinkle of white-and-black sesame seeds. House-made coconut ice cream is creamily scrumptious, drizzled with lightly caramelized condensed milk and paired with some fresh whipped cream. I urge you to try them together as we did by serendipity. It’s a match made in heaven, or at least downtown St. Pete’s version of Bangkok. 445 Central Ave., St. Petersburg. 727-575-7167. —Jon Palmer Claridge
Thuy Le’s kitchen produces nuanced plates are often revelatory, and same goes for the edamame appetizer. I don’t know about you, but I’ve had plenty of these soybean pods over the years — and they’re mostly the same: steamed, sprinkled with salt and pleasant, yet notmemorable. Asie’s version knocks me on my ass. They’re simply superlative. The spicy pods are slightly charred and in a viscous soy-garlic sauce that’s as surprising as it is delicious. As if that weren’t enough, they’re garnished with tiny bits of crispy pork belly. Don’t miss ’em. 437 Central Ave., St. Petersburg. 727-898-4300, asiepanasian.com. —JPC
- Runner Up: Clearwater Bagels
- Runner Up: Dunedin Bagels & Deli
- Runner Up: La Segunda Central Bakery
- Runner Up: Publix
- Runner Up: Bad Santa Bar Crawl - St. Pete
- Runner Up: Tampa Noles Pub Crawl - Ybor
- Runner Up: Engine No. 9
- Runner Up: Clear Sky Draught Haus
