Photo via Yard House/Facebook
The Bay's first Yard House location set its opening date, a year after it was originally announced.
Shuckin’ Shack Oyster Bar Tampa Bay's debut Shuckin’ Shack Oyster Bar opens at 25026 Wesley Chapel Blvd. sometime in September, although its grand opening was originally slated for next month. The North Carolina-based restaurant is known for its menu of seafood favorites like po’boys, shrimp and grits, lobster grilled cheeses and shrimp, snow crabs, mussels and clams by the dozen or half-pound. Family-style options include its "Low Country Boil" of steamed shrimp, sausage, potatoes and corn and its "Saul T Steam Pot" loaded with oysters, clams, snow crab legs and shrimp. And since oysters are the star of the show, they can be ordered raw, steamed or charbroiled at Wesley Chapel’s soon-to-open Shuckin’ Shack. A full menu of specialty cocktails—including raw “oyster shooters”—joins its spread of casual, seafood-heavy fare. In addition to Wesley Chapel’s upcoming Shuckin' Shack, there are other locations of the North Carolina-based company opening in downtown Ocala and the greater Space Coast area. Florida’s only Shuckin' Shack restaurant has been open in Ocala since late 2021. The opening of Wesley Chapel's new 4,162 square-foot oyster bar—complete with an outdoor patio—was announced last fall. 25026 Wesley Chapel Blvd., Lutz. @shuckinshackwesleychapel on Instagram
Coming Soon
Streetlight Taco Chef-partner Michael Brannock tells Creative Loafing Tampa Bay that his debut restaurant, Streetlight Taco, will open its doors sometime this fall—hopefully September. Located in South Tampa’s Palma Ceia neighborhood, this “hyper-traditional,” 2,500 square-foot restaurant will boast a capacity of about 100. Brannock's partners in Streetlight Taco are Jack Murray and Nick Reader, two of the managing partners of Rocca, the modern Italian restaurant that took home one of Tampa’s first Michelin stars earlier this year. In terms of the menu future customers can expect when Brannock's restaurant opens this fall—tacos will obviously be the star of the show—but will also be joined by a variety of other traditional dishes and vegetable-based sides. Bright green chorizo verde sausages, cactus fried rice, Pueblan-style cemitas sandwiches and carnitas cooked in the traditional copper pot are all travel-inspired dishes that Brannock will feature on his menu. Customers will be able to witness Streetlight’s wood and charcoal-fired grill in action, as well as masa being ground and tortillas being pressed. This particular grill requires a special hood system—one of the many details of Brannock’s open-air kitchen. 4004 Henderson Blvd., Tampa. @streetlighttaco on Instagram
Yard House Downtown Tampa is finally ready to go Yard. Yard House, a long awaited addition to Water Street, has set a tentative opening date, according to its website. Originally announced in March 2022, Tampa Bay’s first Yard House—located at 450 Channelside Dr., right across the street from the Amalie Arena—has set its opening date as Oct. 9. Yard House is a concept from Darden Restaurant Group, who also owns Olive Garden and LongHorn Steakhouse, and has over 80 locations nationwide. The closest location to the Bay area is in Icon Park in Orlando. The inaugural Tampa location will feature bar bites, vegan dishes and over 100 on-tap beers, with a modern industrial interior and outdoor seating area. 450 Channelside Dr., Tampa. yardhouse.com—Gracey Davis
Closings
Freya’s Diner The ‘Burg is about to lose one of its many plant-based concepts. Freya’s Diner, located in the Grant Central District, took to Instagram this week to announce the imminent closure of the vegan lunch and dinner spot. Sunday, Aug. 6 is the restaurant’s last day in operation. “We want to take this time to thank everyone for their support this last year and for weathering so many changes that came our way. Unfortunately, St. Pete is seeing its slowest season to date and has left us with no other option but to close our doors,” its Instagram reads. “We’ve spoken to so many others that are feeling the effects of today’s economy. We aren’t the first to close this season, and we definitely won’t be the last.” This eerie farewell message ends with Freya’s Diner encouraging its patrons and community members to support other small businesses throughout St. Pete, stating that “June and July have been the slowest months in retail/dining on Central since we can remember.” Although Freya’s closure comes at the plant-based community’s dismay, the unfortunate news isn’t a surprise to some, considering the diner’s Central Avenue space has been for sale on loopnet.com for quite some time now. 2462 Central Ave., St. Petersburg. freyasdiner.com
Events
PeePaw's Deep Fried Taco pop-up A few months ago, Tampa food truck This Little Pig hosted a Cinco de Mayo pop-up in honor of Ybor City’s long-lost Mema’s Alaskan Tacos. Well, the food truck’s customers loved the concept so much that they requested another fried taco pop-up, and its second iteration heads to Ybor Heights next Sunday, Aug. 6 from 4 p.m.-9 p.m. “Obviously fried tacos are delicious, so we're going to run with that; But there will be updated recipes and more menu items to offer,” This Little Pig writes on social media. "John wanted to do things a little more his way this go around. A little more thoughtful with ingredients and the way proteins are cooked and seasoned," Lynsey Thompson, co-founder of Three Little Pigs, told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay. "We are also offering more than just tacos." Newly-opened brewery Deviant Libation hosts next weekend’s pop-up and beers like its lemon-ginger Crate Digger sour ale will surely compliment This Little Pig’s spread of fried tacos. 3800 N Nebraska Ave., Tampa. @thislittlepigfoodtruck on Instagram ICYMI: Bites from the Tampa Bay dining scene
Chef Erik Youngs discusses annual ‘Voodoo Bash’ food fundraiser, which returns to Ybor City next month Erik Youngs aka “Voodoo Chef” has spent the last 25 years as a Culinary Educator in Hillsborough County Public Schools, helping kids further their education through a variety of sponsorships and local events. “The Voodoo Chef Foundation is what I call my full-time part-time job—It’s my goal to directly support our community through food education and awareness. We’re coming up on a weekend-long run of events that we do every year: the Signature Chef Progressive Dinner and Voodoo Bash," Youngs told CL. His annual Signature Chef Progressive Dinner happens on Friday, Aug. 18 and the 2023 rendition of Voodoo Bash takes place on Saturday, Aug. 19—both inside Ybor City’s Cuban Club at 2010 North Avenida Republica de Cuba. Friday’s event is a fine dining-style, five-course tasting dinner from various Tampa Bay-based chefs (complete with live entertainment), while Saturday's main event is a quest to find the “best burger in Florida." Shaners Market, located at 2000 Pass A Grille Way and a neighborhood favorite for almost three decades, has sold, but a press release says the buyer, Orange Fuel, LLC, “will continue on with much of the same staff and products.”
Celebrated Tampa institution Bern’s Steak House reopens this week and is now accepting reservations after its temporary, renovation-related closure. While its kitchen and BOH remodeling has been completed, its lounge remains closed for further renovations. The celebrated restaurant is also bringing back its beloved wine cellar and kitchen tours, which can be booked alongside dinner reservations.
Clearwater Beach’s Hyatt Regency Hotel is offering a “Drivecation” discount for Florida and Georgia residents who can get up to 20% off their stay through Dec. 20. Use the code DRIVE5, or call the resort directly (727-373-1234). A press release says travelers must book their trip and stay at the resort before Dec. 14 in order to claim this offer.
The Market and Azure concepts at Tampa Edition—both at 500 Channelside Dr.—have launched an express lunch that hopes to get downtown denizens in and out during lunch hour. Both available from noon-3 p.m., Monday-Friday, the streamlined menus include the concepts’ most popular items. Upstairs at Azure, diners can choose between four starters (including salads and the pink peppercorn mussels plancha), four entrees (like the branzino sandwich with htipiti, shaved fennel and wild arugula) and even dessert. At Market on the ground floor of the hotel, there is a trio of antipasti, four entrees (including margherita pizza and the blackened grouper sandwich), and a pair of desserts. Two and three-course options are available at both concepts ($29-$35). And if you're more the happy hour type, the hotel's "Slices & Spritzes" afternoon special offers spritz and rose tastings along with 'za.
Tampa’s beloved “8/13 Day” is only a few weeks away, and one local speciality roaster is celebrating in a big way. Wuz Here Coffee hosts its “love letter to Tampa” event on Sunday, Aug. 13 at Seminole Heights’ L.P.C.X Café ( 6204 N Armenia Ave.) from 6 p.m.-9 p.m., complete with food specials, drinks and a slew of local vendors.
Julio’s Latin Twist—a local restaurant specializing in expansive Puerto Rican fare like mofongo and empanadas—opened its most recent location at 7815 38th Ave. N in St. Pete’s greater Tyrone area earlier this month. A second location in Gulfport is slated to open by the end of the summer, too.
St. Pete fine dining restaurant Il Ritorno (stylized as “IL Ritorno”) at 449 Central Ave. N hosts an exclusive caviar tasting dinner on Wednesday, Aug. 2. Reservations cost $235 per person and can be made via tock.com, giving guests access to six caviar-centric courses from owner and Executive Chef David Benstock, which include a squid ink capellini with caviar Lingotto and a “peaches and cream”-themed dessert.
Caddy’s recently closed both its Gulfport and St. Pete Beach locations, and the latter already has a new concept getting ready to open its doors. Waterfront restaurant Taverna on the Bay will dish out Mediterranean eats out of the former Caddy’s space at 5501 Gulf Blvd.; there’s no debut date just yet but it’s listed as “coming soon” via @tavernaonthebaystpetesbeach on Facebook.
Hosted by the St. Petersburg Museum of History, The ‘Burg’s annual Beers on the Pier event returns on Saturday, July 29 from 7 p.m.-10 p.m. The party features unlimited samples from over 20 local and national breweries, in addition to food trucks, live music and access to all of the museum’s galleries and exhibits.
One of Tampa’s most popular Chinese restaurants is temporarily closed after a fire broke out in its kitchen a few weeks ago. Beijing House, located at 1441 E Fletcher Ave., is promoting a GoFundMe campaign to help rebuild its restaurant, claiming that “insurance does not extend to cover the necessary remodeling expenses.” “Every dollar contributed will go directly towards restoring the kitchen, making it a safer and better space to continue serving you,” its fundraiser reads.
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