The interior of Ponte, one of the three Tampa Bay restaurants recently added to Florida’s Michelin guide. Credit: Ponte Modern American / Facebook

Openings

Calida Lovers of fine wine and globally-inspired cuisine now have a hub in St. Pete’s Crescent Heights neighborhood. “Chef-driven wine bar” Calida is now open for dinner Thursday-Saturday. Although Calida is a ways away from the bustle of downtown St. Pete, its eclectic menu and curated wine selection certainly make it a destination for foodies across The ‘Burg. One of its more popular dishes is chow noodles, loaded with ginger, garlic, fresh vegetables, tamari, sesame and lime. Calida also offers a rotating charcuterie board, empanadas, baked polenta and decadent weekend specials—like its spiced ahi tuna with sesame ponzu, radish, and garlic chips. The intimate, 25-seat eatery is now open in St. Pete’s Crescent Heights neighborhood from 5:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m. each Thursday-Saturday. 2909 Dr. MLK Jr. St. N, St. Petersburg. @calidastpete on Instagram

Boulon Bakery Boulon Brasserie’s bready companion is now open in the Water Street District. The bakery is located within restaurateur Jeff Gigante’s Boulon Brasserie and is open Tuesday-Sunday 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Inspired by traditional French cuisine, Boulon Bakery offers a variety of pastries, breads and sandwiches, including blueberry corn muffins and Impossible sausage and egg sandos. There’s also coffee and teas from Drink Katy’s. During a site visit last January, Gigante beamed with pride over the bakery, pointing to the small, sun-lit room, saying, “we’re gonna have all the beautiful sweet little sandwiches , coffee and espresso, all of that, right here.” Directing the kitchen is Summer Bailey—former leader of the pastry program at Bern’s—who will also oversee the pastry program at Union American Kitchen, which also made its debut this week. 1001 Water St., Tampa. boulontampa.com

Closings

Pizzeria Gregario After years of teasing its closure, owner and one-man-show Greg Seymour decided to shutter his esteemed Safety Harbor pizzeria last month. Pizzeria Gregario served its very last customers on Saturday, March 11. Seymour opened Pizzeria Gregario in May 2013, and his dedication to high quality ingredients and from-scratch dough helped build a reputation for some of the best za’ in Tampa Bay. While the last iteration of his menu was a bit scaled down, favorites like the “Fungus Among Us”—loaded with toasty mushrooms and artisan cheese—still garnered busy weekends at the Safety Harbor gem. He plans to return to Tampa Bay before the winter, stating on Facebook that he’ll “be back to practice my craft in November—location to be determined.” Only time will tell if he’ll continue popping up at Tampa’s Sweetwater Organic Farm with his portable pizza oven. 400 2nd St. N, Safety Harbor. Pizzeria Gregario on Facebook

Events

Over 20 Tampa Bay restaurants offering Easter specials, dinners and brunches this weekend It’s Easter in Tampa Bay once again, and whether you’re a church-goer or not, chances are you’ll still eat some holiday grub with your loved ones. From Sunday brunches and loaded buffets to adults-only parties and fancy pre-fixe dinners—here are over 20 Tampa Bay restaurants offering Easter specials this weekend. All events take place on Sunday, April 9 unless marked otherwise. And if you’d rather participate in an egg hunt than a brunch buffet, there are tons of non-food Easter events, too—including Boyd Hill’s adult egg hunt, the Humane Society’s Easter Extravaganza and St. Pete Pier’s Spring Fest, taking place next weekend.

French Fry Fest The Burg’s favorite carbo-loading fest is back for another year. 2023’s rendition of the French Fry Fest takes place at Albert Whitted Park this weekend. This free-to-attend foodie event runs from 5 p.m.-10 p.m. on Friday, April 7. Dozens of food trucks from all corners of Tampa Bay will offer their best takes on the beloved french fry, in addition to dishes that are on their regular menus. While potatoes might be the star of the festival, a wide range of cuisines—from BBQ to Asian-fusion—will also be featured. In addition to being free-to-attend, this festival is also pet and child-friendly. Attendees are encouraged to bring picnic blankets and chairs, too. A few food trucks that will sling their best french fry-infused dishes include Asian-fusion spot I Wanna Wok, Westchase BBQ, Funnel Vision, The Melt Machine, Crabdaddy’s Surf & Turf and Chief’s Cantina. 480 Bayshore Dr. SE, St. Petersburg. St. Pete French Fry Fest on Facebook Tampa Bay Empanada Festival From tacos to BBQ to french fries—Tampa Bay seems to have a foodie fest for just about any dish, and empanadas deserve their day, too. The Tampa Bay Empanada Festival takes place on Saturday, April 8 from noon-7 p.m. in the overflow parking lot of newly-opened Seminole Heights brewery Common Dialect. This weekend’s foodie event will be stacked with local empanada vendors and family-friendly fun. A few of the event’s food vendors include Stuft Gourmet Foods—that sells a prized Korean bulgogi chicken-stuffed empanada—The Empanada King, Sous LLC and Top Nada, alongside many more. Flavors of empanadas will range from traditional beef and chicken to more unique offerings, like Sous’ apple pie-stuffed empanadas and Top Nada’s bacon mac and cheese-filled dough pockets. 5023 N Florida Ave., Tampa. commondialectbeer.com In Between Days’ Cambodian New Year pop-up In Between Days’ next Supper Club event takes place on Sunday, April 16 and will commemorate the Cambodian New Year with innovative and personal dishes from Chef Silas Eng. “My mother was a war prisoner during Cambodia’s civil war and barely escaped with her life. Her fortitude gave me the life I have now and I am honored to share the dishes of my roots,” Chef Eng says about his New Year’s dinner. The six course, pre-fixe dinner will feature dishes like grilled lemongrass beef skewers, papaya salad, shrimp dumplings, Cambodian-infused NY strips and mango sticky rice for dessert. Access to Chef Eng’s Supper Club event costs $120 per person, but there’s two different dinner slots—one that runs from 5:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m. and another that happens from 8 p.m.-10 p.m. The price of admission also includes a sake pairing from In Between Days. 2340 1st Ave. S, St. Petersburg. inbetweendays.co

ICYMI

Tampa restaurants Lilac, Ponte and Noble Rice added to the Florida Michelin Guide Tampa is now home to three more restaurants good enough for the Michelin Guide. Earlier this week, the tire and travel company announced that Lilac at the Tampa Edition (stylized “EDITION”), Ponte and Noble Rice have been added to the guide as “recommended” restaurants. A rep for the Michelin Guide told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay that the restaurants will learn if they’ve been awarded specific distinctions like a Michelin Star or Bib Gourmand at a May 11 ceremony in Miami. Last summer, the guide launched its first Florida edition, with no local restaurants earning the coveted, and controversial, star designation. Three Tampa spots—Rocca, Rooster & the Till and Ichicoro—earned Bib Gourmands, deeming them a great value, with 16 more being marked as “recommended” by the Michelin guide (Bern’s, Timpano, Yummy House, Columbia, Cena and Mise en Place among them). Some Tampa restaurants may also be upgraded to Stars or Bibs at the May 11 ceremony, while others could be removed from the guide as well, the Michelin rep told CL.

Elmer’s Sports Cafe, one of Tampa’s last smoking bars, is selling its Ybor City location A few months after its South Tampa sister location had its last day of service, Elmer’s Sports Cafe in Ybor City is once again for sale. Real estate listings indicate the current owner is looking to unload the 7th Avenue location as well, for a cool $3.5 million. Elmer’s has been a staple in Ybor City for over 25 years and is one of the few spots where you can still get a strong pour and a basket of wings while never putting out your cigarette. People from all walks of life have enjoyed coming here to watch the game, shoot pool and bullshit with regulars and bartenders alike. The sale includes the attached package store business and just over 4,100-square-feet of property that is located at 2003 E 7th Ave. in between The Dirty Shame and Columbia. While the future of Elmer’s Sports Cafe remains uncertain, here’s hoping the new owners will keep the infamous “Bad Tippers” bulletin board so cheap patrons can get their payback.

Bastet Brewing pours 55¢ beers to celebrate co-owner’s birthday this weekend Most people host birthday parties, but Bastet Brewing’s Tom Ross is doing something a little different for his 55th rotation around the sun. On Saturday, April 8, the Tampa brewery—located at 1951 E Adamo Dr., Suite B—will offer 55-cent glasses of its popular blueberry lager Egyptian Blue from 3 p.m.-3:55 p.m. “Many of you know that Tom and Huston, the owners of Bastet Brewing, run the whole show at the brewery. Brew the beer. Run the business. Work behind the bar. This Saturday is Tom’s 55th birthday and we’re celebrating all day long!,” says a post from Bastet’s Instagram. There is a two beer limit per customer. In addition to its beloved blueberry lager, other popular beers that Bastet is known for include the Orange Bloody Orange citrusy blonde, Shu’s Bones hazy IPA and its bright purple, Best of the Bay-winning Ube Dube Do.