Live In St. Pete

SatMornMarket

Among my favorite things to do is visit the Saturday Morning Market in downtown St. Petersburg. What started out small on a single block of Central Avenue has grown into a huge market, now taking up the entire parking lot of Progress Energy Park (Al Lang Stadium, for those of us who have lived here more than a few years).
It’s wonderful to see all the interesting wares, fresh produce, live music and delicious foods that the market has to offer. (I even did some of my Christmas shopping at the market this year.) Even better is to see lots of folks walking around downtown. After the market, many people meander along Beach Drive or towards Central to brunch or lunch at their favorite spots.
In the summer, the Market takes shelter in the parking lot of the Mahaffey Theater. It was remarkably cool and shady when I went last before the market returned to its primary location. I’ll look forward to that spot for a change of scenery when the weather changes.

HolidayLights-crop

It’s wonderful to live in a city with waterfront parks and warm weather! This Friday we kick off the holiday season (although the street decorations are already up!) with the annual lighting of the tree in Straub Park in downtown St. Petersburg. The park transforms into a glittering wonderland that’s just something to see. Plan an evening downtown at one of our great restaurants along Beach Drive or Central Avenue, or wherever you like.

From the City of St. Petersburg’s web site, www.stpete.org, here are the details: Nov. 27 – Holiday Tree Lighting and Park Activities.
N. Straub Park, Beach Dr. and 5th Ave. N.E. 5 to 7 p.m. Come out to celebrate the holiday tradition of the Mayor flipping the switch and lighting the holiday tree with Holiday lights across the waterfront. Activities begin at 5 p.m. with holiday entertainment featuring The St. Petersburg Community Band, Gulf to Bay Chapter, Inc. Sweet Adelines and Radio Disney. Blanket Seating and concessions available.
5 p.m. Mayor Baker’s daughter – Julann Baker performs; 5:15 p.m. – Gulf to Bay Chorus – Sweet Adelines International perform; 6:15 p.m. – St. Petersburg Community Band plays; 7 p.m. – Mayor Baker switches the LIGHTS ON!! and the Community Band plays during the closing ceremony. Festivities continue with the Holiday Movie in the Park. 727-893-7441.

Parkshore3rdAnnv

It’s hard to believe that it’s been three years since Steve Westphal and Chef Tyson Grant opened the Parkshore Grill at 300 Beach Drive in downtown St. Petersburg. I had the pleasure of joining the anniversary festivities last evening, including complimentary wine and hors d’ouevres. Ironically, I was with the same friend who I shared the grand opening event with! There were plenty of folks enjoying the balmy evening, strolling between Parkshore and its sister restaurant, 400 Beach Drive Seafood & Tap House, which was also sharing in the celebration.
We stayed for dinner at Parkshore, where the bar and dining room were packed and lively. I decided on the Beef Wellington, which is truly authentic and rich, in my humble opinion. I wasn’t disappointed! I love having such a great restaurant just a half block away from my office. I’ve always felt that their menu offers a great deal of variety, in a great variety of price ranges, too.
I’m looking forward to seeing how Steve’s next venture comes together, The Hangar Restaurant & Flight Lounge at Albert Whitted Municipal Airport. If you haven’t dined at either Parkshore or 400 Beach, I encourage you to do so, especially on a day when you can sit outside and enjoy our beautiful downtown waterfront parks.

MountedPolice

Imagine my surprise to look out my office window and see police on horseback sauntering down Beach Drive! It turns out that today was the official unveiling of our newest law enforcement team – two mounted units, on horses named Brooklyn and Jacob who came to us after the Boston, MA, police department disbanded their 12 horse mounted division.
Check out the story that the St. Petersburg Times posted just after noon, apparently just before we saw the horses.
It’ll be interesting to what impact this new twist on police presence will have in the ‘Burg!

400 Beach Seafood & Tap House

Just had lunch at downtown St. Petersburg’s newest restaurant, the highly anticipated 400 Beach Seafood & Tap House that opened officially this past Friday night. Mom and I opted for a table in the room that feels more like sidewalk dining (without the heat), overlooking North Straub Park and the Vinoy Basin, a beautiful scene. We shared the clam chowder, which was quite nice – tasty, with lots of clams, not too thick and not too thin. Moving on to the main course, we shared a Cod Basket (i.e. fish & chips) and an interesting tuna melt on pumpernickel. The cod was definitely a winner, and the steak fries were perfect – golden brown and crisp on the outside, and tender on the inside. It’ll be great fun to try all the intriguing things on the menu, especially the dinner menu.

I had the pleasure of attending the gala pre-opening event on Thursday night, where there was wine and champagne a-plenty, and butler service with samples of their menu items. I thought I must have been in Hollywood – this was the hottest ticket in town. It seemed like hundreds of people milling about despite the fact they couldn’t get inside if they arrived too late. It was definitely a see-and-be-seen-scene, with lots of familiar faces and personalities. From the looks of it, it was a grand success! But, after all, it seems as though everything that Steve Westphal touches turns to gold (can’t wait to see what happens at the terminal at the Albert Whitted Municipal Airport).

From the balcony of the Parkshore Plaza condo where I’m house and dog-sitting for a few weeks, it was fun to look down on Friday evening and see the beacons flashing and folks enjoying the new restaurant tucked under the 400 Beach condo building. Downtown was definitely bustling this Labor Day weekend, and it made me smile. We’ve come a long way.

burgblastscreenshot

I’ve been getting Jon Labudde’s Weekly ‘Burg Blast for a while now, and I love it! It’s a fantastic highlight of what’s going on in downtown St. Petersburg and beyond – where to go for great restaurant specials, which movie’s playing next on the rooftop of PUSH, what festivals are going on in the week ahead, who’s on stage at the Palladium, what bands are playing at Jannus or the Rare Olive, when’s the next Little Black Dress party at Table, what crazy thing is going on next at NOVA, and much, much more. I pass it along by email to anyone who’s not getting it.
Today I got an email that there’s a web site, www.weeklyburg.com, under construction where you can go if you misplace your weekly email, or if you want to check something out anytime. They’ll have sections for Calendar items, Restaurants and Businesses. Bookmark it today, and make sure you sign up for the ‘Burg Blast if you’re not getting it: e-mail mailto:weeklyburgblast@aol.com if you’re not already a subscriber.

Last night I enjoyed the opening of a new exhibit at the Florida International Museum, which is now part of St. Petersburg College’s downtown arts collaboration. “In a New Light” features selections from the recently closed Gulf Coast Museum of Art Collection. There was a nice reception in the brand new lobby of the building that will also house American Stage. I enjoyed the exhibit’s range of media, including a breathtaking photograph by Clyde Butcher, one of my favorites. Check it out sometime over the next few months. The exhibit runs through October 4, 2009. Find out more at www.spcollege.edu/FIMuseum.

Hole in One!

My family business was pleased to sponsor a $10,000 cash hole-in-one prize for the charity golf tournament benefiting Family Resources at the Isla del Sol Golf & Country Club. It meant that I had to “sit” the hole as a witness all day, enjoying the beautiful Florida sunshine! The tournament was a great success, raising funds for a super organization that helps families in crisis.

St. Pete Grand Prix

Trackside at the St. Pete Grand Prix.