Foodie Weekend in St. Petersburg – Part 2
If you are just joining us on this 2 part article series, CLICK HERE to read part 1 first, then click on the link at the bottom of part 1 to come back here and read part 2.
Now let’s dive right in and see what all these cool places have to offer and what I had to eat!
Beans & Barlour
Wow, that milkshake was definitely a show stopper! While it looks like they do have a inside dining room, it was closed and only window service was available. Not sure if this was due to the pandemic or the fact that this was their second to last day before they move to a new location, either way I’m happy that I at least had a chance to try them while I was still in town. The Clouds (whipped cream) were light and fluffy, the sugar cookie had that rich sugar cookie flavor with a crumbly texture, and the milkshake was very light & creamy. Most milkshakes tend to be dense and heavy. Not this one, it was almost like a yoghurt texture with the blueberry puree mixed in. They must have a special technique when mixing it to make it that way because it’s unlike anything I’ve tasted before.
Beans & Barlour
Address: 405 Central Ave, St. Petersburg, FL 33701
Phone: (727) 440-4540
https://beansandbarlour.com/
Il Ritorno
If you are no stranger to the Food Network, then I’m sure you have heard of the show called “Beat Bobby Flay”. Owner and Executive Chef, David Benstock had an amazing opportunity to be on the show. As he was anxiously awaiting the shows release, the pandemic hit and delayed its release for a year and a half, so he had to keep the outcome a secret for that entire time. A few days before my visit they hosted a watch party and he could finally reveal that he actually beat Bobby Flay, which is no small feat since Bobby wins the majority of the time. The dish he won with is the Short Rib Mezzaluna, the green version above in photos, and it was truly amazing! I was lucky enough to get a chance to taste it as part of our 5 course tasting menu. Everything we tasted was exquisite! My favorite dishes from the night were the Amuse Bouche which tasted like a rich buttery fry bread topped with caviar, the charred octopus which was some of the most tender I’ve ever tasted, and of course the “Beat Bobby Flay” winning dish. The twist he used in this dish was the use charred shishito peppers and the parmesan crisps which really made this dish stand out from the original.
Il Ritorno
Address: 449 Central Ave N #101st, St. Petersburg, FL 33701
Phone: (727) 897-5900
https://www.ilritornodowntown.com/
The Urban Stillhouse
My last stop before heading home was for brunch at The Urban Stillhouse on Sunday morning. It’s situated a little further outside of downtown St. Pete and very close to I-275, so I drove there which made it very convenient for me to jump on the highway and head back home after we ate. This place has atmosphere to spare as you can see from the picture above. With two levels, they must have well over 300 total seats. The upstairs has several private rooms that would handle 10 – 15 guests for private dining. With brunch starting at 11:00am, the menu has a well rounded selection of brunch / lunch choices. My two favorites were the veal meatballs and the eggs benedict. The meatballs were lighter than expected and were very tender with a little added texture from the pine nuts and the cherries. The true test of a good eggs benedict is a runny egg. These definitely passed the test and were cooked perfectly!
The Urban Stillhouse
Address: 2232 5th Ave S, St. Petersburg, FL 33712
Phone: (727) 440-8040
https://theurbanstillhouse.com/
In Conclusion:
A HUGE THANK YOU goes out to my new friends, Kevin Godbee and Lori Brown, of the St Petersburg Foodies for all your help planning this foodie adventure! We’ve been working on it for 2 months and all of your suggestions were “Top Shelf” choices! Coming from a town as small as Vero Beach, St Pete almost felt as big as NYC to me. It’s been a while since I’ve navigated the streets of a downtown area like this in quite a while. You guys have so many great choices in this wonderful city, and I can’t wait to visit again and enjoy more food & drink with my fellow foodies in the near future!
Be sure to check out their website and follow them on social media for lots of great restaurant recommendations! All their links are listed below!
Follow the St. Petersburg Foodies
https://stpetersburgfoodies.com/
https://www.facebook.com/stpetersburgfoodies
https://www.instagram.com/stpetefoodies/
https://twitter.com/stpetefoodies