St. Petersburg named a next great food city by Food & Wine
Why it matters: Momentum is growing around the dining scene in Pinellas County.
State of play: St. Pete was one of eight cities in the Food & Wine round-up, which also included "under-the-radar" foodie destinations like Sacramento, San Antonio and Providence.
It was part of the magazine's Global Tastemakers series, which highlights the best dining destinations via a survey of more than 400 chefs and food, wine and travel experts.
Zoom in: Our proximity to fresh seafood and our first restaurants added to the Michelin Guide — Il Ritorno, Fortu, Sushi Sho Rexley and The Tides Market (located in Safety Harbor, but we'll forgive the geography oversight) — received shout-outs.
So did the local favorite Wild Child and Slim Charmer, its new sister spot next door. And the magazine nodded to St. Pete's "Caribbean influences" through restaurants including Pipo's Cuban Cafe, Sid's Caribbean Grill and The Floribbean.
What they're saying: "It's really gratifying," Floribbean founder and owner Salvatore Merola told Axios.
While he struggles to get out of the restaurant enough to try all of St. Pete's new food offerings, he noticed more depth in the dining scene.
"I do feel like flavor is becoming just as important as aesthetics," said Merola, who is planning to open a food truck along with Floribbean's Grand Central District storefront.
The big picture: The Food & Wine spotlight comes comes six months after Pinellas restaurants became eligible for the Michelin Guide and its coveted stars, thanks to a $180,000, two-year contract between Michelin and Visit St. Pete-Clearwater.
It also comes on the heels of a $20,000 partnership with the James Beard Foundation, which awards the best chefs and restaurants each year.
The partnership grants the tourism agency a presence at two of the foundation's Taste America events and a local chef takeover of James Beard's Platform show kitchen in New York, Visit St. Pete-Clearwater spokesperson Jason Latimer told Axios.
The bottom line:"I think it's right on time," Il Ritorno owner and executive chef David Benstock told Axios of Food & Wine's recognition.
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