might seem like a uniform genre at first delivers a unique selection of dishes, each one carrying a powerhouse of flavors. Starters like the buttery, flaky Thai curry puffs and the restaurant’s signature boat noodle dish are more than enough reason to visit. WOODEN LADLE • Oldsmar; $ • Drawing on culinary influences from Japan and Vietnam, this ramen and pho spot in Oldsmar offers a selection of noodle soups and izakaya-style snacks and small plates in a modern setting. For a fast-casual spin, guests order from touch-screen iPads before seating themselves in the dining room, outfitted with tall wooden tables and walls papered with black-and-white anime prints. Ramen is the highlight, from the traditional tonkotsu-style bowls to spicy chicken and vegetarian versions. A long list of beers feels well-suited to some of the snackier items like the Japanese-style karaage chicken. american upscale THE URBAN STILLHOUSE • St. Petersburg; $$$ • St. Pete’s Warehouse Arts District is home to this sprawling cocktail bar, restaurant and bourbon lounge. Designed with distilleries in Scotland and Kentucky in mind, the 16,000-square-foot, bilevel building features industrial touches and a sleek modern decor. Guests can sip cocktails in the downstairs lounge or sample whiskey flights inside the private tasting room. Meanwhile, diners can nosh on shareable plates of chicken liver crostini with cranberries and rosemary and entrees like pappardelle with fresh Maine lobster and lemon mascarpone cream. THE DEWEY AT BERKELEY BEACH CLUB • Pass-a-Grille; $$ • Part of the boutique Berkeley Beach Club, the restaurant is a joint effort from a pair of seasoned Tampa restaurateurs and the kitchen’s upscale take on modern beach cuisine is spot-on — elevated and innovative yet still deeply evocative of the seaside culture it seeks to re-create. A few blocks from Pass-a-Grille beach, this isn’t a toes-in-the-sand kind of joint, though many of the dishes feel light enough for a swimsuit-wearing snack, from the creamy smoked mahi dip to the barbecue-grilled shrimp and a grilled stone fruit salad. ingredients and the flavors emblematic of both cuisines — star anise, fennel, cardamon, ginger — work remarkably well together. The dishes not to miss: puffy rounds of Sami bread, topped with smoked lion’s mane mushrooms, brunost cheese and chili oil; mapo ho fun noodles, swathed in a fiery sauce heavy with Sichuan peppercorns; and wedges of spiced parsnip cake layered with a sweet mandarin cream. PATTI’S KITCHEN • Pinellas Park; $ • This off-the-beaten-path foodie destination in Pinellas Park delivers big rewards for anyone in search of some seriously spicy noodle soups and Thai specialties. The tiny, nook-of-a-restaurant serves as an homage to the street noodles of Bangkok. What SAUVIGNON WINE LOCKER & AMERICAN TRATTORIA • St. Petersburg; $$ • Tucked between two bars off a busy strip of Central Avenue, this elegant, upscale restaurant offers a fresh breath of air from the bustle outside. There’s a heavy focus on decadent charcuterie boards and fine wines and the spot has garnered a strong following of local oenophiles and curious imbibers looking to expand their palates. The rest of the menu is equally exciting: Creamy burrata gets paired with tomato confit and the homemade pasta collection features pappardelle swaddled in a thick and flavorful lamb sugo, studded with oyster mushrooms and caramelized tropea onions. THE DEWEY AT BERKELEY BEACH CLUB restaurant, this is a sweet spot to spend an intimate evening. A healthy sake collection forms the backbone of the drinks program, and half the fun is sampling from the many different bottles. The small but superb menu of Japanese and Asian-inspired small plates is the other draw. From the haricots verts and snap pea medley tossed in a garlic and cashew vinaigrette to a snapper crudo with whipped avocado and a truly excellent bowl of soba noodles, you can’t go wrong here. LINGR • St. Petersburg; $$$ • This delightful modern restaurant features a unique concept that hinges on Nordic-inspired dishes with Asian influence. Some dishes skew more Scandinavian while others feature a heavier hand with Chinese VISITSTPETECLEARWATER.COM 87
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