New Japanese spot. Now open on Franklin Street. Sounds pretty damn good. Read about that—plus more local foodie news—below, and make sure to bookmark cltampa.com/food to get these updates in real time.
Now open
Haiku The Instagrammable space, filled with lush greenery and neon, is located on the bottom floor of downtown Tampa’s Element apartments. Inside, Chef David Reyes created a creative menu focusing on Izakaya-style food (Izakaya is a “type of informal Japanese bar that serves alcoholic drinks and small plates” according to a press release—think Japanese tapas). It’s a no-brainer that shareables are the star of the Asian-fusion menu: duck bao buns, hamachi crudo, and tebasaki wings. But there are plenty of entrees for anyone who’s bad at sharing like pork belly fried rice and umami glazed salmon. Plus various wood fired Yakitori, sushi and market price toro. There’s an impressive bar menu too, with a lychee smoked old fashioned and a stacked sake menu. Legit. Devoted foodies might remember that the space was supposed to open as a different Asian fusion and cocktail bar called Shibui, which was part of a partnership between Nocturnal Hospitality Group and celebrity chef Fabio Viviani’s Viviani Hospitality Group. But then all that Nocturnal Hospitality Group bullshit happened, leading Viviani to the pull out of the partnership and related projects. A rep for Haiku told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay that Haiku has no affiliation or ownership ties with Nocturnal group. "[Haiku] was bought by new owners: Asad Yusupov and Kevin Stowe, Phoenix Hospitality Group," the rep wrote in an email. "They’re also the new owners of Eden (formerly Franklin Manor) that will be opening at the end of March. Chef Fabio is not involved either." 808 N Franklin St., Tampa. haikutampa.com
Hyatt House and Hyatt Place It’s two hotel concepts under one roof, and it’s now open in downtown Tampa across from City Hall. For now, the hotel’s drinking and dining option is the lobby-level Corazon Bar and Restaurant which offers “regionally inspired lunch and dinner” items like a cuban sandwich, fish tacos, and crispy yucca with avocado crema. Guests can also hit the H Market for grab-and-go snacks and groceries 24/7, but buried in the grand opening news was the announcement of a Junmai Station, a new concept from the owners of Seminole Heights’ Ebisu Sushi Shack. In a phone call with CL, Ron Simmons said his wife Akemi, who is from Kobe, Japan, wanted to open a more traditional Japanese concept less focused on sushi (although Junmai will have some sushi bowl options). The spot will open on the Kennedy Boulevard side of the double Hyatt and feature onigiri—aka stuffed rice balls—as its signature dish. Onigiri is a staple food in Japan, and Junmai's versions will lean more western-style suffings like tuna mayo or Spam, and Ron expects the menu to evolve over time. 325. N Florida Ave., Tampa. hyatt.com
Coming soon
22 South The Historic Manhattan Casino is bringing a full-service food hall concept to South St. Petersburg’s Deuces neighborhood. St. Pete Rising says 22 South Food Hall will consist of seven concepts serving sushi, Cajun, Jamaican, American, and barbecue. Chef Melly from popular food truck Three Generations Food Truck is confirmed as a vendor. Space for private dining, an extensive wine list with wines from around the world, and a sangria bar will also be inside. The only other eatery that used a full-service menu in a food hall setting was The Hall on Franklin, which was located beneath Creative Loafing Tampa Bay’s Tampa Heights office until it closed late last year. Although an exact opening date on 22 South is TBA, the Historic Manhattan Casino is scheduled to open mid-March. 642 22nd St. S, St. Petersburg. @22southfoodhall on Facebook
Buddy Brew In early January, after Union by Commune + Co. announced its closure at Armature Works, Creative Loafing Tampa Bay asked PR reps at Buddy Brew to confirm a rumor that the locally-owned chain would open a new location at the Tampa Heights food hall. “I spoke with the Wards, and no, they cannot confirm this,” the rep told CL. But on Monday Buddy Brew—which has locations on Bay to Bay and in Hyde Park Village, Oxford Exchange, Tampa International Airport and downtown Sarasota—announced plans to move into the food hall, with co-founder Dave Ward writing, “Armature Works is a special place that has so much architectural and cultural history, and it was a perfect fit for Buddy Brew’s latest expansion.” The space, which PR reps said will indeed live in the former Union by Commune + Co. stall, will serve coffee products as well as “a full breakfast and lunch menu, including Buddy Brew’s signature avocado toast with poached eggs.” Tampa Bay Business Journal reported Monday’s news ahead of the press release and said wife-and-husband team Susan and Dave Ward have a relationship with Armature Works co-founder Chas Bruck, whose company SoHo Capital owns Buddy Brew's Bay to Bay Boulevard cafe and its production facility on West Cass Street. Dave Ward did not disclose costs for opening the 450 square-foot Armature Works location—which could open as soon as the end of this month—but did tell TBBJ that "It was a very fortuitous deal,” adding that "From a sales per square foot perspective, [the new location] should be the best performer by far.” 1910 N Ola Ave., Tampa. buddybrew.com
Pye Road Meadworks Owned by husband and wife Matt and Debbie McDonough, the mead brewery wants to open this month and will operate—for now—at a little over half-capacity inside (outdoor seating is available, too). Located in the Hillsborough County sector of Odessa, Pye Road also offers craft beer for those not interested in drinking mead. “Our focus will be on both the big, fruited sweet meads and lighter, carbonated, lower ABV meads suited for a hot summer day in Florida,” Matt McDonough told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay. 8533 Gunn Hwy., Odessa. pyeroad.com
Whole Foods St. Petersburg’s Suncoast Fitness has shared plans to move out this summer and make room for its landlord to build a Whole Foods. The location, close to the Old Northeast neighborhood, would be the first Whole Foods for St. Petersburg, and would live just a few blocks from the corner where two Publix markets are across the street from each other and just a mile from Fresh Market and Trader Joes. 203 38th Ave. N, St. Petersburg. wholefoodsmarket.com
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