Central Avenue is what St. Pete politicians and developers point to when they want to brag how vibrant downtown life can be. Considering the sheer volume of good eating — from inexpensive to pricey, street food to fine dining — they have a point.
Bella Brava and Ceviche symbolize the new downtown St. Pete. Sparklingly hip and decidedly modern in design and cuisine, Bella Brava serves updated Italian, like mysterious, pastry-topped sedanini alla Bella Brava — packed with pasta, powerful sausage, fragrant sage and a rich pancetta-laced red sauce — or subtle veal-stuffed ravioli dressed with an airy cream sauce fortified by, you guessed it, more tasty pancetta.
Ceviche's digs in the Ponce De Leon Hotel anchor the Bayside end of Central, serving traditional Spanish tapas amidst elaborate tilework and a shocking amount of wrought iron. After downing multiple small plates of calamari or snails (braised, fried or sautéed, take your pick), or classic fried potatoes paired with rich garlic mayo, you can step downstairs to work off the calories in Ceviche's cozy flamenco bar.
In between these two newcomers is the old guard: the eclectic new American cuisine of Redwoods; steak and pasta in the French Quarter-inspired Garden; quiveringly fresh mollusks at Central Avenue Oyster Bar; Thai seafood and sushi at the King and I and the Greek-inspired pizza and pasta of Jo Jo's in Citta.
Need a more down-home (or downscale) meal? Grab an overstuffed stack of meat and rye at Lucky Dill Deli or a floppy slice of N.Y. pie at Fortunato's. Or if meat's not on your menu, Central Cafe & Organics serves tasty vegetarian and vegan fare. Pincho specializes in quick hits of tapas and wine from Northern Spain in a tiny spot, with outdoor seating on Central's sidewalk, or you can watch the crowds up close from Z Grille's roadside tables with a plate of chef Zack Gross's uber-fresh Baja cuisine. And if you're just in the mood for a taste of wine, there's A Taste for Wine, where you can also sample a tasty hors d'oeuvre or two while observing Central's passing throngs from a New Orleans-ian balcony.
Head a block or two north or south and you'll discover even more great places just off Central that are well worth including in a Downtown St. Pete tour (check out "Off-Central" for details). If you can't find something appetizing here, you're not trying.
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This article appears in Jun 13-19, 2007.