DINING VisitSPC.com/Dining WATER OAK GRILL SEA WORTHY FISH + BAR PIA’S TRATTORIA oysters from all over the United States are served. A large, shaded patio includes plenty of outdoor seating and come happy hour, it’s one of the area’s best-kept secrets for high-end seafood steals, $1 oysters, and discounted snacks like arancini, tuna sidewalk seating right on Main Street. Owner Walt Wickman has made fresh, locally caught seafood his calling card, and though the premise here is on high-quality steaks and seafood dinners, the price tag speaks to a more casual, neighborhood spot. A raw bar and seafood section highlights local catch dinners and shareable snacks like sliders and butter poached carrots to handmade tagliatelle with roasted bone marrow. JACK PALLINO’S • Dunedin; $ • This downtown Dunedin pizzeria and sports bar provides a little bit of everything for everyone. For the sports fans, a long indoor bar offers a great spot to spend a Sunday afternoon watching the game while the cozy indoor dining room and large outdoor patio are highlight here are Neapolitan-style pies, which emerge from the restaurant’s brick oven perfectly pockmarked with charred bubbles of dough and touches to Italian antipasti like soppressata with braised fennel and olives and white anchovies SEA WORTHY FISH + BAR • Tierra Verde; $$ • In 2015, Hope Montgomery and Jason Ruhe opened Brick & Mortar in downtown St. Pete to great later, their sophomore effort is just as delicious, with a seafaring twist. The new restaurant is inspired by the couple’s love for the open water with a menu that leans heavily on local seafood. Don’t skip out on the scallops with bucatini carbonara or the whole fried catch, which arrives plated atop coconut rice and a bright papaya slaw. The restaurant inside imbues cozy nautical vibes but the best seat in the house is on the outdoor deck when, if you time it just right, you will net spectacular views of the sunset. WATER OAK GRILL • Safety Harbor; $$ • This upscale-casual steak and seafood restaurant sits in the heart of downtown Safety Harbor with ample ITALIAN IL RITORNO • St. Petersburg; $$$ • dining Italian restaurant in downtown St. Pete has been around for several years but still feels modern and of-the-moment with a constantly evolving menu that hinges on the freshest ingredients and impressive kitchen techniques. Led by a small team of tenured culinary players and a polished and knowledgeable waitstaff, dinners here feel both MAZZARO’S ITALIAN MARKET • St. Petersburg; $ • The popular market in St. Pete has achieved something akin to cult status, and both the one-of-a-kind shopping experience and the gourmet food products are worth every bit of the hype. Come here and spend hours browsing the massive cheese and sprawling butcher case. Or pop in for a offering the best of what the chef has in store that day, from a lardo-wrapped octopus with brown 80 AMERICA’S BEST BEACHES
Gulf To Bay St. Pete Clearwater FL Gulf to Bay St. Pete Clearwater FL: Page 80
