After months of buildout, and a recent weekend of friends and family trial runs, St. Petersburg vegan restaurant Good Intentions will open to the public on Wednesday, Sept. 14 at 5 p.m.
The restaurant—located at 1900 1st Ave. S in the Grand Central District—will be open at 5 p.m. again on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, with availability happening on a first-come-first-served basis.
Menu highlights from the weekend include Good Intentions' seasonal gnocchi (with sautéed mushrooms, sun dried tomatoes, blistered heirloom tomatoes, charred corn, caramelized onion and a drizzle of basil szechuan oil), the fanciest adult vegan Lunchable ever (cheese from Catalyst Creamery, house made seitan, pickled grapes, onion jam, salami, nuts, and more), a hot Italian beef sandwich, and of course veganized takes on popular cocktails.
Its initial drink list—which includes concoctions like the "16 Dances" with watermelon-infused tequila, basil syrup, Ancho Reyes liqueur and lime—is full of both alcoholic and non-alcoholic options. There are several craft mocktail offerings alongside other NA beverages like Topo Chico, Liquid Death, kombucha, Bud Zeros and Guinness Zeros.
For the next few weeks, the newly-opened restaurant will offer a somewhat-limited menu and gradually add dishes as it transitions into full service. Other popular appetizers include pan-charred shishito peppers, tofu fries, "devilish" crab balls, buffalo tempeh, its Skyway melt burger and kimchi-fried rice with Just Egg. Good Intentions and Golden Dinosaurs co-owner Audrey Dingeman tells CL that as its menu expands, so will its operating hours (although it may never start accepting reservations.)
After this week's soft opening, Good Intentions will be open from 5 p.m.- 10 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays and 5 p.m. -11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Follow its Instagram at @goodintentions_fl for the latest news on its soon-to-change hours and menu.