Midtown Tampa’s newest restaurant Sunda dishes out a variety of bao buns, rice platters and sushi rolls. Credit: c/o Sunda

Openings

Sunda A new restaurant heading to Midtown Tampa will soon give the Bay area’s many Asian fusion concepts a run for their money. After a full year of anticipation, Tampa’s Sunda New Asian will celebrate its grand opening on Monday, June 26. Reservations for its opening week can be made on opentable.com. Sunda founder and two-time Emmy-winning actor Billy Dec told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay that Tampa’s upcoming location will offer a menu almost identical to that of its Chicago and Nashville restaurants, but with a few Gulf Coast twists. Pulling flavors and techniques from all across the Asian continent, Sunda features a true blend of cuisines, featuring Korean, Japanese, Vietnamese and Thai-inspired dishes like tuna truffle pizza, baked snow crab handrolls, Tom Yum-style grouper, bulgogi roti tacos, lemongrass beef lollipops and oxtail potstickers. Traditional Pinoy dishes like chicken inasal or BBQ skewers, adobo fried rice and crispy pork pata pay homage to Dec’s Filipino heritage, too. If this wide spread of Asian-inspired dishes wasn’t enough—Sunda also boasts a sizable sushi menu complete with specialty rolls, sashimi and nigiri. 3648 Midtown Dr., Tampa. sundanewasian.com

Pepper’s Island Trinidadian restaurant Pepper’s Island is swiftly finishing its buildout and will soon dish out roti and hearty curries from the heart of Ybor City. Located in the historic building that most recently housed Cephas’ Hot Shop—which dished out harsh health advice and bitter aloe shakes for almost 40 years—Pepper’s Island is slated to soft open next month. Owner and operator Rodney Dhanraj—a Trinidadian-American of Indian descent—is taking the leap from corporate executive to full-time restaurateur and chef when his debut eatery opens this summer. While Dhanraj will tap into family recipes and familiar Caribbean and Indian flavors at his restaurant, there will only be a handful of regular items on Pepper Island’s menu. He’ll offer chicken and beef two ways—stewed and curried—alongside doubles, a popular Trini street food of fried flatbread stuffed with spicy chickpea curry, as well as aloo pie, a savory pastry filled with potatoes and other spices. Paratha roti—colloquially known as “buss up shot” (because the bread is torn like an old shirt)—will also be offered, in addition to sides like rice and pholourie, a pea flour-based fritter. Eventually, Dhanraj plans to extend his menu to offer more varieties of curry, utilizing various types of proteins like goat, shrimp and duck. 1701 E 4th Ave., Ybor City. @peppers_islandrestaurant on Instagram

Predalina Located in the heart of Water Street Tampa, high-end Mediterranean restaurant Predalina has announced its highly-anticipated grand opening date. Predalina’s grand opening will take place on Wednesday, July 5, and its patient patrons can make reservations on its website starting next week. “Prepare to indulge in extraordinary flavors, unmatched ambiance, and impeccable service,” Predalina says in today’s opening announcement. The upcoming restaurant specializes in “seafood-driven Mediterranean cuisine,” boasting entrees like seared scallops, lobster skewers and flank steak, in addition to small plates like smoked hamachi crudo, pan-seared greek cheese and a mushroom flatbread loaded with black truffle, caramelized shallots, pomegranate molasses and kefalograviera, a popular Mediterranean hard cheese. Predalina offers a variety of different dining experiences from brunch, lunch, dinner and drinks; folks can browse the restaurant’s many menus on its website. For the latest news on this new downtown Tampa hotspot, head to its Instagram at @predalinawaterstreet. 1001 E Cumberland Ave., Tampa. predalina.com

Bonsai Beverage Co. Clearwater will soon debut a new neighborhood beverage stop. Bonsai Beverage Co. will officially soft open from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. this Sunday, June 25, offering a variety of coffee specials, as well kava and kratom. This Sunday’s menu will feature specials, including a sparkling lemon americano, which is a double espresso served over sparkling lemon and a lemon wheel, as well as the Tik-Tok famous whipped coffee, and a red velvet latte. Co-owned by Ean Neville, Ian O’neill and Rachael Brinson, Bonsai is also a wholesale business, currently selling to five different local establishments, including all three Red Mesa locations as well as Low Tide Kava Bar. Any upcoming announcements and events will be featured on Facebook and Instagram as well as the Bonsai Beverage Co. website. 28929 U.S.-Hwy. 19 N, Clearwater. bonsaibeverage.com—Min Craig

Closings

Chubby’s Super Subs & Pizza South Tampa will soon lose another locally-owned favorite. Chubby’s Super Subs & Pizza, located at 5023 Bayshore Blvd. adjacent Ballast Point Park, has been dishing out beloved sandwiches and slices for the last four decades. The owners took to Facebook earlier today to announce the fast casual restaurant’s imminent closure. “It is with a heavy heart that I announce the closing of Chubby’s Super Subs & Pizza. A staple of Ballast point for over 40 years, it will be sad to see it go. We invite you to stop by anytime in the next 8 days to share any stories you might have about Chubby’s— we would love to hear them,” Chubby’s wrote. “We will miss all of our customers, best part of the job.” Friday, June 30 will be Chubby’s last day open in South Tampa. Its farewell post refers to the restaurant’s prized “Steak Bomb” sandwich, loaded with chopped steak, sautéed onions, mushrooms, green peppers, American cheese and salami. In addition to its signature sandwich, Chubby’s is also known for its made-to-order pizza, salads, pastas, and both hot and cold subs. 5023 Bayshore Blvd., Tampa. @chubbyssupersubsandpizza on Facebook

Coming Soon

The H Just when you didn’t think it was possible—Hyde Park will soon get a little bougier. The Tampa version of Orlando’s popular The H steakhouse is planned for 1504 S Howard Ave., in the parcel of land that most recently housed seafood restaurant CopperFish, which closed in 2014 after facing over $700,000 in permitting violations from the City of Tampa. Earlier this month, the steakhouse’s parent company H And H Food Services submitted renderings and development plans to the city. According to documents submitted to the City of Tampa’s permitting website, Tampa’s newest steakhouse will open out of a 7,961 square-foot space, and also plans for a 1,053 square-foot outdoor patio with an 185 person occupancy. The steakhouse’s flagship restaurant in Orlando is known for its variety of meats–from dry-aged ribeye, NY strips and racks of lamb to kebabs, Japanese wagyu and filet mignon—in addition to a spread of seafood-based dishes, pastas and caviar service. Since The H has only recently filed its design plans, it’s unsure when the high-end restaurant will open its doors in Hyde Park. 1504 S Howard Ave., Tampa. thehorlando.com

Events

Il Ritorno’s wagyu tasting dinner If you want one night of pretending like you’re part of the 1%, then head to downtown St. Petersburg next week for a night of fine dining. On Wednesday, June 28 at 6:30 p.m., Italian eatery Il Ritorno (stylized “IL Ritorno”) will host a $195 pre-fixe tasting dinner featuring one of the most prized meats in the world—wagyu beef. This particular Japanese cattle is known for its intricate fat marbling and unique tenderness. From American wagyu out of Ohio to Australian and Japanese A5 wagyu, the Italian restaurant will dish out six unique courses at next week’s dinner. Appetizer-like courses include small plates of wagyu tartare and carpaccio, while heartier dishes feature ribeye cap with ramp creme and white asparagus, oxtail malfade, meyer lemon and whipped goat cheese, in addition to an A5 Japanese wagyu duo with Australian wagyu. And for dessert, you guessed it, more wagyu—complete with chocolate, a tallow ganache, hazelnuts and citrus. 449 Central Ave., St. Petersburg. llritornodowntown.com ICYMI

Tampa Edition’s Michelin-starred restaurant Lilac offers discounted VIP dinners for local restaurant workers Located inside of the Tampa Edition hotel, Lilac now offers Tampa Bay’s restaurant workers a VIP discounted dinner for two as a part of Executive Chef John Fraser’s nationwide initiative called “The Industry Table.” One table per night of service will be reserved as “The Industry Table,” seating two lucky folks that have filled out the questionnaire on Fraser’s website. Industry Table diners will only have to pay the cost of the food they ate—which hovers between 28%-35% of the total price, according to Toast. Alcohol, however, is not comped. That means industry folks lucky enough to dine at this exclusive VIP table may walk away with a whopping 65% savings on Lilac’s prized swordfish with eggplant caviar, roasted Cornish hen with chicken tallow rice pilaf, or aged lamb chops with coriander-black truffle crumble. “If nothing else, the pandemic reminded us of how much we missed our industry family and community.” Fraser writes on his website. “With nothing more than the simple desire to reconnect and share the fruits of our labor with like-minded, passionate folks, The Industry Table was born.” 500 Channelside Dr., Tampa. jfrestaurants.com

Matthew Neumann’s seafood shack Hookin’ Ain’t Easy is a must-visit gem of the St. Pete food scene Greasy paper towels and empty beer glasses on the picnic table. A belly full of blackened grouper. Those are just three signs of a hearty meal outside at St. Petersburg gem Hookin’ Ain’t Easy. Located near the edge of Gulfport, the fish shack is the type of establishment that you take out-of-town relatives to in an attempt to convince them that, sometimes, it’s actually cool to live in Florida. The freshest seafood in town means Hookin’ Aint Easy isn’t exactly cheap eats. Owner Matthew Neumann—a lifelong St. Pete resident and commercial fisherman—either catches everything himself, or personally knows the folks who do, so there’s a rightful price to pay for locally-caught seafood of this quality. Neumann’s welcoming, friendly nature, combined with Hookin’ Aint Easy’s laid back atmosphere and service make it the perfect place for folks looking for a casual, no-frills, core local dining experience. Hookin’s nautical atmosphere matches its seafood offerings and ultra-casual dining experience, but the best decor at might be the restaurant’s spread of kid’s toys which belong to Matthew and Veronica’s toddler son. It’s truly a family affair at this low-key St. Pete outpost. 3660 22nd Ave. S, St. Petersburg. @HAESeafood on Facebook