Brandon's Stein & Vine has started churning out a menu of chef-inspired pub eats inside the Coppertail Brewing Co. tasting room. Conveniently located to the left of the Ybor City brewery's bar, The S&V Kitchen quietly operated in soft-opening mode for a week before its debut was formally unveiled on Monday — to much excitement.
As of 7:45 p.m., the Facebook announcement from Coppertail garnered more than 1,000 reactions, 150 shares and 200 comments.
CL first wrote about the much-loved beer and wine bar's on-site collaboration with Coppertail back in February. Turns out, Stein & Vine owners Ty and Lacey Mathis had already been scouting locations for their second outpost. Coppertail's Kent Bailey said a partnership with the husband-and-wife team "just seemed natural," and Lacey called S&V Kitchen "a perfect opportunity."
"You walk in and it's comfortable," she said of Coppertail. "You feel like you're walking into a neighborhood place that you can sit down and have a conversation, and that's what we wanted to create. Finding a second location, this is a perfect opportunity for us to do that."
The S&V Kitchen, which also incorporates Coppertail beer and spent grains into its dishes, opens at 11 a.m. daily. Stop in for a sandwich or some tacos, will ya?
• Over the weekend, free beer, live music and art drew locals to the two-day launch party for Burger Culture's second outpost in South Tampa. The Carrollwood flagship for Burger Culture, whose unconventional Goober burger was recognized in our 2015 Burger Issue, is permanently planted in a Harley-Davidson parking lot, and its new site is headquartered at 2304 West Gray St.
For those who haven't — or, hell, have — checked out the South Tampa location, the restaurant's inaugural brunch is planned from noon to 3 p.m. Sunday. And even better? The meal is themed around grilled cheese sandwiches. Expect grilled cheese from the regular lineup, new items, brunch sides, and complimentary Champagne and OJ.
• Bert's Off The Beach, a Seminole newcomer, launched at 5141 Seminole Blvd. late last month. Aiming to offer a little something for everyone, the full-liquor bar spotlights a regular roster of live music, with a bar-style food menu coming soon.
• Somehow I missed this, but in Town 'N Country, Petta Brown has converted her popular Thai Gourmet Market, founded in 2010, into the speedier Noodle Kitchen & Market, a build-your-own bowl concept she recently brought to SoHo.
The rebranded eatery at 5831 Memorial Highway features customizable noodle and soup dishes. Dumplings, as well as iced green, hibiscus and Thai teas, are also on hand.
• Pastries N Chaat has introduced its mashup of Indian street food and baked goods to the Bay area. Highlighting a mix of vegetarian and carnivores' delicacies, the franchise's Tampa location, the first in Florida, does everything from biriyani and create-your-own curry bowls to 25-plus kinds of freshly made pastries at 1811 E. Fowler Ave.
The chain operates nationwide, with additional restaurants in Arizona and Utah, plus others slated for Houston, Chicago and Portland, to name a few.
This article appears in Jul 13-20, 2017.