In 2016, the landmark burger joint Goody Goody was revived in Hyde Park; and the concept has been thriving ever since. In St. Pete, chef Ed Lowery (known for popular local haunts including Iberian Rooster, Skippers and Refinery) is on a mission to bring The Belmark back to life.
The diner opened in 1945 and was run by Richard and Donna Lacey for over 40 years until its closure in 1987.
Lowery has teamed up with chef Frank Edgar (Creative Catering/Café 1001) and chef Derrick Harmel (GM Iberian Rooster) to establish a new and chef-inspired spin on The Belmark in St. Pete’s Edge District at its original location, 1001 1st Ave. N., come this February. The space was most recently home to Cafe Ten-O-One.
Lowery tells CL that the team is “projecting to turn the enormous parking lot into a public market place for street vendors and three other food concepts.” Needless to say, there will be no shortage of food.
All sauces, salads, dressings and dishes are set to be made from scratch. The beef brisket, daisy ham and turkey breast will be smoked on-site daily. Lowery tells CL that the ground round will be “fresh, never frozen, ground beef hand-pressed on the grill.” The desserts and pastry selections are going to be made in-house by Chef Frank.
The Belmark is shooting for old school diner vibes with elevated diner dishes like its namesake signature burger made up of a 6-ounce patty, cheddar cheese, mixed greens, pickled red onions and mustard sauce on grilled brioche. Other eats include loaded salads, burgers, sandos, and “smalls” like smoked gouda bacon fries and wings. Get ready to take on the Garbage Plate loaded with ground round, house chili sauce, steak fries, macaroni salad, onions, and “sticky sweet.” Or get down with the Duck Fat Nashville Hot Chicken comprised of pickle brined fried chicken breast, Nashville hot duck fat marinade and your choice of two sides. There looks to be plenty of vegetarian, pescatarian and gluten-free options on the menu as well.
The Belmark is scheduled to make its “re-opening” debut on Saturday, February 1.
The revived Belmark invites you to, “Please enjoy a journey back in time to the days of old in Downtown St. Petersburg.”
More details to come as the opening date approaches.
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This article appears in Jan 9-16, 2020.
