In St. Petersburg, three newcomers are adding to the city's food and drink landscape.
InVision Creative Cafe, a free co-work gathering place for like-minded entrepreneurs and other creatives, opened with a medley of eats and beverages on Oct. 21. The cafe at 275 16th St. N. has dubbed itself the first of its kind, offering the "community and creativity of a coworking space with the comfort and ambiance of a modern café."
Snag kratom and kava, teas, coffee, kombucha, bagels and pastries while putting in work at one of the in-house professional workstations, outfitted with dual monitors, digital drawing tablets and more. Free parking is offered in the grassy area on the right side of the cafe, which also hosts events like movie nights and Social Saturdays. InVision stays open late, too.
Further north, chicken and doughnuts, the signatures of Better Byrd, have made their premiere at 4447 Fourth St. N. This latest fast-casual concept for Ciccio Restaurant Group launched next door to its sibling restaurant Fresh Kitchen, where Daily Eats was originally slated to open, last week.
The funky menu highlights everything from sandwiches and wraps to all-day brunch and bowls, including the ChimiCHIC (roasted and pulled chicken, chimichurri, pickled onion, and Peruvian slaw on a New York City hoagie or whole-wheat wrap) and Melon Margaryta bowl (buttermilk fried chicken, mixed greens, kale, watermelon, cucumber, mint, sweet and sour citrus vinaigrette, and quinoa or cous cous). Choose from three, six or 12 made-to-order mini doughnuts as well.
Go west on Central Avenue to find where Blake's Crab Cakes is also coming soon.
At 7224 Central Ave., the new crab cake place will serve "a taste of Chesapeake Bay" — shrimp Creole with 20-plus spices, seasonal blue crab fingers and Maryland-style jumbo lump crab cakes included — for takeout only. Non-seafood items on the bill of fare are sandwiches, Old Bay wings and Dad's Famous Beef (tender beef with a special blend of spices sliced thin and served medium rare). The restaurant plans to debut at 5 p.m. Dec. 9.
