Perry’s Porch 600 2nd Ave. NE, St. Petersburg As part of the recent expansion at the St. Petersburg Museum of History, Perry’s Porch is an homage to the 20th century developer Perry Snell, and debuts this weekend at 600 2nd Ave. NE—a space that was most recently occupied by craft beer spot Hops and Props. “As lifelong residents of St. Pete, we’re proud to contribute to the city’s continued growth and vibrancy with Perry’s Porch,” said Ryan Griffin, co-owner of Seed & Feed Hospitality Group, in a statement. “The St. Pete Pier is an iconic location, and we’re honored to be part of its story. We’re looking forward t creating a space that feels welcoming and reflective of our city’s charm.” The menu at Perry’s Porch will center around “Old Florida classics,” says the press release, “from sandwiches to salads, and savory dinner favorites—all with a coastal flair.” The concept will also include as a coffee shop component with baked goods, and a “one-of-a-kind gelato cart.” Photo via Perry’s Porch/Facebook Credit: Photo via Perry's Porch/Facebook

OPENINGS/CLOSNGS

New waterfront restaurant Perry’s Porch will open in downtown St. Pete this weekend
A new waterfront dining spot is about to debut at the entrance to the St. Pete Pier. As part of the recent expansion at the St. Petersburg Museum of History, Perry’s Porch is an homage to the 20th century developer Perry Snell, and will open this weekend at 600 2nd Ave. NE—a space that was most recently occupied by craft beer spot Hops and Props. The restaurant’s parent company, Seed & Feed Hospitality Group, says the new space will soft open on Saturday, Feb. 8, and then officially debut with normal service beginning Wednesday Feb. 12. “As lifelong residents of St. Pete, we’re proud to contribute to the city’s continued growth and vibrancy with Perry’s Porch,” said Ryan Griffin, co-owner of Seed & Feed Hospitality Group, in a statement. “The St. Pete Pier is an iconic location, and we’re honored to be part of its story. We’re looking forward t creating a space that feels welcoming and reflective of our city’s charm.” The menu at Perry’s Porch will center around “Old Florida classics,” says the press release, “from sandwiches to salads, and savory dinner favorites—all with a coastal flair.” The concept will also include as a coffee shop component with baked goods, and a “one-of-a-kind gelato cart.”

Chef Vollmer opens 18-seat Tampa restaurant Fisk, located next to Michelin starred-Ebbe
When diners walk through the heavy doors at 1202 N Franklin St., they now have the choice to dine at two different concepts from the same Michelin-starred chef. Sweden-born Ebbe Vollmer, who debuted his first Tampa concept Ebbe in 2023, quietly opened an 18-seat bistro right next door in December of last year. “Fisk” in Swedish translates to “Fish” in English, which is on the forefront of Chef Vollmer’s menu, in addition to a few homestyle, Scandinavian classics that reflect the cuisine that he grew up with. Fresh salmon, cod, red snapper, bluefin tuna and turbot are the stars of Fisk’s constantly-evolving menu, cooked using a variety of both homestyle and high end techniques. Just a few of its fish-oriented dishes include caviar with sourdough waffles, fish pie croquettes and a longtime family recipe of curried cod with pressed potato and cucumber. – Kyla Fields

Pete’s Bagels expanding in St. Petersburg, and opening drive-thru in 2025
Pete’s Bagels is ready to spread its “everything” seeds even further after the local chain announced plans to expand in St. Petersburg this year. The manatee mascot is bringing his charm to downtown St. Petersburg with a new concept spot called Seymour’s. The announcement told the story of Seymour, a New Jersey native that ate bagels scooped, with pickles. Seymour’s—located at 407 Central Ave. in the Snell Arcade Building—will serve coffees, bagels and lunch in a 1,200 square-foot space, according to the Tampa Bay Business Journal. Pete’s Bagel is also ready to open its previously-announced drive-thru-only location this spring at 2439 4th St. S, in St. Petersburg. The location “still looks under construction,” according to a social media post, but the long awaited drive-thru is almost done. No need to leave your car to grab the famous well-seeded everything bagel. – Julia Saad

Juicy Brewing Co. will open in St. Pete this month in the former Avid Brew Co. location
There is a new brew in town, all the way from Virginia. Juicy Brewing Co is set to open a St. Petersburg location this February, in the same address where Avid Brew Company closed (1745 1st Ave. S). The Virginia brewing company gets its flavor from fruity sours and IPAs, offering smoothie-style beers such as the guava strawberry or banana passionfruit mango coconut sour. The St. Petersburg location will be Juicy’s first brewery outside of Old Dominion. According to the menu at the Virginia location, individual drafts come in a seven or 12-ounce glass, with four-pack to-go options on all beer options. Juicy’s owners considered the Florida expansion after finding the former Avid Brew Co.’s listing online, according to St. Pete Rising, which said the location is supposed to open this month. Avid Brew Co. was a staple in the local beer scene, opening its taproom in 2018. It hosted a last all-you-can-drink bash on Dec. 31, 2022, to celebrate several years in the community. – Julia Saad

Jacksonville breakfast favorite Grumpy’s wants to open in Tampa
Tampa might be getting a new moody option for breakfast and lunch. Grumpy’s, with five locations in the Jacksonville area, is looking to come down from north Florida and open locations here in Tampa Bay. After Tampa was ranked No. 5 on WalletHub’s Best Foodie Cities in America listing, Grumpy’s brass started looking for entrepreneurs willing to help them expand, a press release states. The traditional “Americana” diner offers a full breakfast southern-style menu, including omelets, full breakfast plates with all the traditional sides and sandwiches. If you are staying for lunch, the “bad mood dude” offers a diverse hand-held menu, from gyros to Phillys. Salads and soup of the day are also on the menu. A date for the expansion or any groundbreaking for the location are to be determined. – Julia Saad

FOOD EVENTS

‘Iron Chef’ Geoffrey Zakarian comes to Tampa this week for Metropolitan Ministries ‘Food Fight’
Back for an eighth year, and bigger than ever in 2025, Metropolitan Ministries’ Food Fight welcomes “Iron Chef” and “Chopped” judge Geoffrey Zakarian to Tampa’s Amalie Arena for a chef battle that benefits the nonprofit’s job training programs. Team captains from St. Pete (Lee Aquino; Birchwood and Teak) and Tampa (Waylon Nelson; Delaware North, Tampa Bay Lightning) lead squads made up of more than 40 local restaurants as attendees get their drink on and sample dishes as they work their way from silent and live auctions, pastry demos and more. Tickets to Tampa Bay Food Fight happening Tuesday, Feb. 11 at Tampa’s Amalie Arena are still available and start at $100. – Ray Roa

FOOD NEWS

The Michelin Guide is coming to St. Petersburg and Clearwater
In a press release, the Michelin Guide said it has arrived in St. Petersburg and Clearwater, adding that its inspectors are already in the field marking reservations and looking for “culinary gems.” Other parts of Florida that have been added to the guide include Greater Fort Lauderdale and The Palm Beaches. St. Petersburg and Clearwater’s first chance to get into the guide happens this year when Michelin does another update to its publication. It’s still unknown exactly how much VSPC kicked into the effort, but reports say that that Visit Florida, Visit Orlando, Visit Tampa Bay and Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau collectively paid $1.5 million to initially bring the guide to the Sunshine State. It’s unclear whether or not restaurants in surrounding Pinellas neighborhoods—including Pinellas Park and the beaches—will be included in the guide. Tampa is currently home to five restaurants with Michelin Stars (Ebba, Rocca, Koya, Lilac, Kōsen), four with Bib Gourmands (Rooster & the Till, Gorkhali Kitchen, Streetlight Taco, Psomi), and dozens of others that have been recommended by inspectors. – Ray Roa

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