c/o Zydeco Brew Werks
Zydeco Brew Werks’ last day of operation at 1902 E 7th Ave. in Ybor City is Jan. 21, according to a statement.
Streetlight Taco A much-anticipated new South Tampa restaurant kicked the new year off the right way by finally opening its doors earlier this week. Located at 4004 Henderson Blvd. in South Tampa, Streetlight Taco now offers a contemporary menu of Mexican favorites inspired by owner and Executive Chef Michael Brannock’s extensive travels throughout Mexico and commitment to its multifaceted cuisine. Dedicated to traditional cooking techniques commonly found in restaurants, homes and street food stalls throughout Mexico, Streetlight Taco will offer a lunch and dinner menu full of unique tacos filled with wood-fired steak and fish, slowly-braised pork, brisket, chicken tinga and even vegetarian options like sweet potato and eggplant. In addition to a variety of tacos on house-made tortillas, Streetlight offers Pueblan-style cemitas sandwiches, sides like chips and salsa, salads and larger entrees such as wood-roasted half chickens or carnitas platters after 5 p.m. It’s now open from 11 a.m.-9 p.m.Tuesday-Thursday and Sundays, and 11 a.m.-10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. 4004 Henderson Blvd., Tampa. streetlighttacos.com
Chill Bros. at Armature Works Less than five years after debuting its first ice cream shop in Ybor City, Chill Bros. Scoop Shop has opened its fifth Tampa location. Chill Bros.’ newest ice cream shop soft opened inside Armature Works last week, but a press release says that an official grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony with Mayor Jane Castor will take place on Friday, Jan. 12 at 3 p.m. The locally-owned company specializes in custard-based ice cream made from “an all-natural 5 ingredient base,” often sourced from the greater Tampa Bay area. Chill Bros. joins a large list of tenants at the popular Tampa Heights food hall, operating alongside Muchachas, Kipos, Buddy Brew Coffee, Dalmoros and fellow sweet spot Bake N’ Babes. Like Chill Bros.' other locations in Ybor City, South Tampa, at the Epicurean Hotel and Water Street Tampa, its newest shop inside Armature Works will offer a solid rotation of both classic and unique ice creams, cookies, shakes, floats, vegan options and to-go pints. 1910 N Ola Ave., Tampa. chillbros.com
Cleveland Street Market On the last day of 2023, a new food hall and market celebrated its soft opening in the heart of downtown Clearwater. Cleveland Street Market at 949 Cleveland St. is Tampa Bay’s newest food hall, and its official grand opening is slated for sometime in February. Currently, Cleveland Street Market boasts five different concepts, but will eventually be home to over 20, according to its social media. Its first wave of tenants include: Deja Brew Cafe, Tap Haus on Cleveland, Top Nosh Street Food, Jersey Dogs and the second location of fusion spot The Smokin’ Cuban, which took home first place at Ybor City's annual Cuban Sandwich Festival last year. Between the handful of tenants currently open at Cleveland Street Market, patrons can indulge in everything from loaded mac and cheese and New Jersey-style hot dogs to unique Cuban-BBQ fusion dishes like smoked flan and build-your-own bowls with espresso-rubbed brisket and mojo pork. 949 Cleveland St., Clearwater. clevelandstreetmarket.com
Closings
Zydeco Brew Werks After five years of redefining the corner of 7th Avenue and 19th Street in Ybor City, a recent staple of the historic district is saying “a bientôt.” Zydeco Brew Werks’ last day of operation at 1902 E 7th Ave. is Jan. 21, according to a statement. Not getting to be with regulars and staff on a daily basis is one of the hardest parts of the closure, Zydeco brewer and co-founder Paul Rutherford told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay. Zydeco’s second location at Tampa’s Museum of Science and Industry will stay open, Rutherford added, but he’s still not sure where he’s going to make beer while he and co-founder J.Paul Pepin search for a new home for the brewhouse they built inside of a location that’s rich with relics of Ybor City past. “We’re definitely going to celebrate,” Rutherford said about the brewery’s final weeks in Ybor City. The 45-year-old who moved to Tampa from the northeast to open the brewery, brought Zydeco three medals at the World Beer Championship, including a gold for his American brett saison. While Zydeco has always been a brewery first, with Rutherford making some of Tampa Bay’s best beers right out of the gate, the corner was also known for its New Orleans-inspired menu. 1902 E 7th Ave., Ybor City. zydecobeer.com—Ray Roa
Valhalla Bakery A staple in St. Pete's bakery scene is closing its doors next month, but luckily it's not leaving The 'Burg completely. Last week, owner Celine Beltgens announced the closure of Valhalla Bakery (2462 Central Ave.) and the eventual merger with its smaller, neighboring concept Valkyrie Doughnuts at 2444 Central Ave. Valhalla Bakery will remain open four days a week until its closure on Feb. 14. After the bakery and doughnut shop merge next month, Beltgens says that it will sell popular items from both menus. Doughnuts, of course, will have a large presence on the new menu alongside Valhalla favorites like its pistachio rose bar, cake slices and cookies.
Valhalla Bakery to close St. Pete storefront and merge with sister concept Valkyrie Doughnuts. “Taking this step has been a hard pill for all of us to swallow but it’s no secret that small business is struggling like we’ve never seen before,” Beltgens wrote on Instagram. Until Valhalla’s closure next month, the bakery will be operating with reduced hours of 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Thursday-Sunday. 2462 Central Ave., St. Petersburg. Valhallabakery.com
Pesky Pelican While bars, restaurants and clubs across Tampa Bay rang in the new year, one St. Pete staple celebrated a much more unfortunate festivity. Pesky Pelican Brew Pub located in St. Pete's Azalea neighborhood served its very last customers on New Years Eve, where regulars gathered for a potluck party and drained the last of its bottles and taps. Pesky Pelican Brew Pub offered an “all you care to drink” special for $20 during its last days. Owner Dan Pemberton announced the closure on Wednesday, Dec. 27 on social media. Pemberton told St. Pete Catalyst that staggering debts related to the COVID-19 pandemic—accompanied by personal losses in his family—ultimately lead to the closure of the Pesky Pelican. The laid-back, neighborhood bar and restaurant was known for its solid tap list and casual, St. Louis-style fare like burgers, sandwiches, fried shrimp baskets and pizza, alongside its stacked event calendar of trivia nights, live music and happy hours. 923 72nd St. N, St. Petersburg. peskypelicanbrewpub.com
Events
Common Dialect’s 1st Anniversary It’s been almost a full year since longtime Seminole Heights residents Kendra and Mike Conze opened the doors of their long-awaited brewery, and the couple hosts a day-long celebration filled with good food, exclusive beer releases, live music and free-to-play arcade games courtesy of Lowry Parcade for Common Dialect’s first “beer-thday" this weekend. Tampa-based food truck Trash Panda will be slinging gimbap and other Korean treats all day-long, while musicians like Jamie McElman, Lauris Vidal and Perception turn the brewery’s kid and pet-friendly patio into a temporary music venue. And for all of the craft beer enthusiasts out there, Common Dialect also drops a special 11% Double Hazy Triple IPA collab with Cigar City Brewery, alongside an 8% Double West Coast IPA collab with Coppertail Brewing Co. Both brews are available on draft and in 4-packs. 5023 N Florida Ave.,Tampa. Commondialectbeer.com.
Ebbe’s Italian Dinner Fine dining restaurant Ebbe has been quietly occupying the former Mole Y Abuela building on the outskirts of downtown Tampa for the past seven months, and its first event of the year is right around the corner. Ebbe hosts two installations of its exclusive Italian tasting dinner on Tuesday, Jan. 23 and Wednesday, Jan 24. The only reservations available range from 7 p.m.-7:30 p.m. and can be made on OpenTable.com. Reservations cost $295 per person and also include Italian wine pairings. In addition to Michelin-starred Chef Vollmer, Italy-born Giorgio Diana, Sweden-based Mans Backlund, James Gilardi—who has worked at Ebbe since its 2023 debut—and an undisclosed Italian chef will contribute to the dinner's many courses. While the expansive menu for his dinner isn't quite set in stone yet, Vollmer says that guests can expect at least 11 different dishes from appetizers and amuse-bouche to pasta-focused plates and desserts. Each participating chef is responsible for 2-3 courses throughout the night. 1202 N Franklin St., Tampa. Chefebbe.com ICYMI
On Tuesday, Jan. 23, The Tampa Edition’s Michelin-starred restaurant Lilac hosts an exclusive, $290 “Celebration of Truffles” dinner. It will showcase “white truffles from Alba and black truffles from Périgord,” in addition to hors d'oeuvres from the fine dining concept’s champagne cart and other inventive courses from Executive Chef Chef John Fraser and Chef de Cuisine Josh Werksman.
Tampa Bay native and Noble Rice Sous Chef Jada Vidal will be featured on the popular Food Network show “Chopped” on Tuesday, Jan. 16 at 8 p.m. ET. This isn't the young chef's first TV appearance, since Vidal appeared on the cooking competition series "Beachside Brawl" in 2022 and even took home the first place prize on "Guy's Grocery Games" in 2021.
South Tampa’s Epicurean Hotel ( 1207 S Howard Ave.) has finished its $21 million dollar renovations and is currently welcoming guests into its newest addition. The Bern's Steak House-affiliated hotel recently built a four-story structure across the street from its main building, which boasts 51 new guest rooms and suites, a private lobby, meeting space, and a rooftop terrace.
Popular St. Pete Italian restaurant BellaBrava just debuted its third location at 16722 Focus Loop in Land O’ Lakes. The upscale Italian concept is known for its various pastas, wood-fired pizzas, salads and small plates like arancini, calamari, bruschetta and meatballs. BellaBrava’s flagship restaurant resides on St. Pete’s illustrious Beach Drive while its second location calls Midtown Tampa at 1015 Gramercy Ln. home.
Subscribe to Creative Loafing newsletters.
Follow us: Google News | NewsBreak | Reddit | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter
