oxcommons.com
Tampa's Current Hotel at 2545 N Rocky Point Dr. will soon be home to new rooftop bar and restaurant Casa Cami.
Wicked Cantina A Sarasota-based restaurant chain has expanded its footprint with a newly-opened St. Pete location. The ‘Burg’s first Wicked Cantina made its debut yesterday at 3650 Tyrone Blvd. N out of a former Sonny’s BBQ and is now open from 11 a.m.-10 p.m seven days a week. Wicked Cantina’s menu is stacked with expected Tex-Mex favorites like tacos, nachos, quesadillas, enchiladas and fajitas alongside a few American dishes like burgers and fish or chicken sandwiches. The restaurant offers a wide range of proteins for its various tacos and burritos, including chorizo, mahi mahi, shrimp, carnitas, brisket, grouper and shredded chicken. A selection of margaritas, draft beers, wines and other cocktails joins its expansive Tex-Mex menu. St. Pete’s debut Wicked Cantina marks the local chain’s third location in the greater Tampa Bay area. Its flagship location on Bradenton’s Anna Maria Island opened in 2014 and owners Mike and Janice Dolan opened a second restaurant in downtown Sarasota a few years later. 3650 Tyrone Blvd. N, St. Petersburg. @wicked_cantina on Instagram
Casa Cami A widely-popular hospitality group is gearing up to debut its fifth local concept, which will deliver prized views of Old Tampa Bay. Building permits show that Casa Cami is located on the 10th floor of Tampa’s Current Hotel at 2545 N Rocky Point Dr., right around the corner from the Rusty Pelican and The Rocky Pointe Cafe. Casa Cami will take the place of Rox, which opened in the same space back in 2019. The Current Hotel describes its new rooftop concept as an "authentic taste of Mexican cuisine that is as visually captivating as it is delectable." Casa Cami’s social media says that it’s slated to debut in mid-March, although an exact opening date is not yet determined. Construction plans depict Casa Cami's indoor bar, a full-service kitchen and a variety of outdoor seating on its sprawling rooftop terrace. According to its website, Oxford Commons' newest hospitality concept will offer a spread of tacos and salsas, salads, small plates of ceviche, snapper crudo, flautas and blistered shishitos alongside entrees like bistec with mojo butter, shrimp fajitas and green chili chicken over a sweet plantain hash. 2545 N Rocky Point Dr., Tampa. casacami.com
Coming soon
Ten Rooms Two learned restaurateurs are reviving one of the most storied buildings in historic Ybor City. El Centro Español de Tampa, at 1536 E 7th Ave., was originally constructed as a clubhouse for cigar industry workers back in 1891, and will soon be home to Ten Rooms, a multifaceted hospitality and retail concept and the newest addition to the Centro Ybor complex. Described as a “dining and retail hub,” Ten Rooms will consist of a 50-seat restaurant called Bar Martinez, craft cocktail hotspot Genevieve the Cat, rotating vendor and art space The Shop at Ten Rooms and The Cafe, a daytime coffee shop and French-inspired bakery. A press release states that Bar Martinez’s new American menu with "southeastern and European influence" will boast a dry-aged beef program and "culinary partnerships with farms and ranches across the state, region and country." While there's no exact opening date set in stone, Ten Rooms is expected to soft open sometime this spring. 1536 E 7th Ave., Ybor City. @tenroomsybor on Instagram
Alessi Bakery 2.0 A true local institution is expanding its culinary footprint next year, but will luckily remain a West Tampa mainstay after relocating to an adjacent parcel. According to ABC Action News, Alessi Bakery at 2909 W Cypress St. will soon relocate 500 feet away to Tampa Letter Carriers' former building at 3003 W Cypress St. The move isn’t happening any time soon since renovations on the new location are slated to finish by the end of the year, but guests will eventually be able to enjoy the bakery’s new wood-fired pizzas, variety of coffee options and cocktails alongside Alessi Bakery's classic menu. Construction plans from Tampa-based JVP Architect depict a wood-fired oven and pizza-making section, a coffee bar next to its large dining area, prep areas for catering orders and cake decoration, a deli, a full-service bar, multiple walk-in coolers and tons of room for Alessi's multiple bakery displays. Records from the Hillsborough Property Appraiser website state that the 11,988 square-foot Tampa Letter Carriers building at 3003 W Cypress St. was purchased for $3.5 million in late 2022. While Alessi Bakery has been dishing out cakes, sandwiches and baked goods in Tampa since 1912, the family-owned business has been at its current location on Cypress Street for the past 50 or so years. alessibakery.com
Closings
Mott & Hester Deli A sandwich hotspot with a popular catering service has quickly closed its doors after almost 42 years at its original location. Mott & Hester Deli at 1155 S Dale Mabry Hwy. took to social media last Tuesday to announce its closure, stating its ownership "has been honored to serve the Tampa community for 41+ years." While the deli didn’t explain why it chose to close its doors for good, comments under the announcement allude to the well-deserved retirement of owners Ted and Gina Kelly. Since the closing announcement caused a very busy day on Wednesday, Mott & Hester served its last customers a day earlier than expected. Ted and Gina Kelly opened the deli in December of 1982 and Mott & Hester has remained at the same strip mall location in South Tampa for the last four decades. The popular, no frills deli with under a dozen seats offered a menu of loaded turkey, meatball, Italian and ham sandwiches, New Orleans-style fare like po’boys and muffulettas, hearty pasta dishes, salads, soups and entrees like spinach artichoke casseroles and Sicilian-style roasted chicken. Its Wild Turkey sammy with sautéed mushrooms, melted pepper jack cheese, and mayo on toasted white bread was a particularly popular menu item—and even made Creative Loafing Tampa Bay's 50 Best Sandwiches list in 2017. mottandhesterdeli.com
Events
Taste of South Tampa Back for its 18th year, the annual Taste of South Tampa festival happens on Sunday, March 3 from 1 p.m.-4 p.m. at Tampa's Garden Club (2629 Bayshore Blvd.) In addition to both sweet and savory samples from dozens of South Tampa restaurants, this annual foodie event also features live entertainment, chances to win prizes, a beer garden, non-food vendors and scenic views of Hillsborough Bay. Just a handful of South Tampa concepts that will participate in this weekend'a food festival include: 7th + Grove, Luv Child, Bolay, MacDinton's Irish Pub, Sweet Soul, The Dan, Flames Indian Cuisine, Colony Grill and Florida Avenue Brewing Co. Tickets to the 18th annual Taste of South Tampa are on sale now and run between $40-50 for GA and $100 for VIP, which includes early admission, access to a VIP-only eating area and additional food and drink options. All ticketing options can be browsed on eventbrite.com. It's a cashless event, too, so make sure those debit cards are loaded up. southtampachamber.org ICYMI
Khris Johnson talks James Beard nod, Green Bench's future and more ahead of Tampa Bay Beer Week In the heart of downtown St. Petersburg in between Central Avenue and 1st Avenue North—across from Green Bench Brewing Co.’s popular turf and patio—there’s something special to celebrate amidst the many barrels and frigid temperatures of Webb’s City Cellar. Green Bench Brewing Co. at 1133 Baum Ave. N has established a reputation in St. Pete for its kid and dog-friendly courtyard and crisp IPAs and pilsners, while sister concept Webb’s City Cellar is its five-year-old tasting room counterpart that offers a more specialized experience and a funkier taplist. While Webb’s City Cellar may be the smaller concept in terms of volume, a globally-recognized hospitality organization recently gave it a nod that may put it on the map as a national destination for unique beer, cider, ales, mead and more. With an intimate, nine-seat bar and high top tables amongst its many barrels, foeders and other brewing equipment, Webb’s City Cellar offers a cool, industrial ambiance that differs from the brewery’s bright and airy space. Although Webb’s City has only been open since 2019, Johnson and his team have been releasing specialty beers under its brand since Green Bench’s inception in 2013. What originally started as a “small climate controlled closed that could originally fit about 20-25 barrels” has evolved into a unique tasting experience that just snagged a James Beard semifinalist nomination for “Outstanding Bar” last month. greenbenchbrewing.com St. Pete’s first Whole Foods at 201 38th Ave. N celebrated its grand opening earlier this week with huge crowds of eager shoppers, a DJ, and more opening day festivities. The 40,100-square-foot store—which features a full-service meat and seafood department, a wide range of organic goods and “more than 800 products from Florida”—is now open from 8 a.m.-10 p.m. daily.
St. Pete’s Foodie Labs at 515 22nd St. S, a newly-opened culinary hub and “virtual food hall" in the Warehouse Arts District—hosts the first installment of its pasta making class on Thursday, March 21. Patrons will learn all about egg-based pasta like linguini, pappardelle and cavatelli from a professional chef and can enjoy the savory creations with wine pairings at the end of class. $65 tickets can be purchased on eventbrite.com.
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