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What's new in food: The Artisan, Big Ray's Fish Camp, Joe and Son's Olive Oils

 
LARA CERRI   |   Times (2016) The partners at Lure include (from left) Michael Stewart, Tom Golden and Richard Alday. Lure, a new restaurant on the 600 block of Central Ave. in St. Petersburg, adds another dimension to St. Petersburg\u2019s growing eatery scene.
LARA CERRI | Times (2016) The partners at Lure include (from left) Michael Stewart, Tom Golden and Richard Alday. Lure, a new restaurant on the 600 block of Central Ave. in St. Petersburg, adds another dimension to St. Petersburg\u2019s growing eatery scene.
Published Sept. 6, 2018

COMING SOON: THE ARTISAN

Gulfport is heating up. I've been hearing raves about Golden Dinosaurs vegan deli, and now it seems that seasoned restaurateurs Michael Stewart, left, and Tom Golden will open an art and food collective called the Artisan in Gulfport at 2832 Beach Blvd. in the next couple months. This follows on the heels of having revamped Safety Harbor's Green Springs Bistro and debuting a wine lounge called Vintage, also in Gulfport. The nearly 7,000-square-foot building will contain an art gallery and two kitchens to turn out food in a range of styles (sushi, a bakery, pub grub). Tampa has become a hotbed of food hall growth (Hall on Franklin, Heights Publix Market), but Pinellas County has been a little slower to embrace the multiple-concepts-under-one-roof trend.

SAIL PLAZA: BIG RAY'S

We've written about Nick Cruz's Big Ray's Fish Camp coming to downtown Tampa and Sail Plaza. It has been slow to get under way, but construction starts Sept. 17 at the Sail, reimagining the space around a 360-degree bar, adding new amenities like upgraded/expanded restrooms, additional seating, shade structures and a full-kitchen for the seafood-centric Big Ray's (of note: grouper sandwiches and lobster corndogs). Target opening is April 2019, and the Sail will remain open during construction with regular hours.

COMING SOON: JOE AND SON'S

Joe and Son's Olive Oils is coming to Carrollwood late this fall. The family-owned and operated specialty food store will debut a second location at 11618 N Dale Mabry Highway, next to Noble Crust. In 2011, Andrea Messina Gebbia, right, opened the business in South Tampa, offering more than 50 varieties of ultra-premium, imported, extra virgin olive oils and balsamic vinegars, including single-varietal extra virgin olive oils, infused and fused olive oils, seed and nut oils, infused aged balsamic vinegars, and other specialty foods. It's a family tradition: In 1938, Gebbia's great-grandfather, Giuseppe (Joe) Favata, opened a neighborhood grocery store in the historic Ybor City area where Joe and his son sold produce, meats, olive oils and other staples. joeandsonsoliveoils.com.

FOOD FEST: TAMPA !P

This one has a name that's going to give our copy editors fits, but it's called Taste of Tampa !p and it's part of the Tampa !p (Innovation Partnership's) Fourth Annual Innovation Gathering. It features bite-sized nibbles from at least a dozen North Tampa/Temple Terrace restaurants along with Yuengling beers. Participating restaurants include East!, Prost Kitchen and Bar, Quickly Boba Cafe, RyRy's Chicken & Waffles, Grain & Berry, SoFresh, Pizza Fire, Fuzzy's Taco Shop, Chicken Salad Chick, World of Beer, Glory Days Grill and Mission BBQ. Guests will learn about the area's pioneering businesses, researchers and community organizations. Journalist, urbanist, futurist and two-time Jeopardy! champion Greg Lindsay, right, will share insights on globalization, innovation and the future of cities. 6 p.m. Sept. 13, starting at 6 p.m. at the University of South Florida Connect Galleria, 3800 Spectrum Blvd., Tampa. $50, free for college students. eventbrite.com.

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FOR A CAUSE: TOP CHEFS

PARC's fourth annual Top Chefs event is going down at the Birchwood on Sept. 15. In 2015, PARC broke ground on a new culinary program, part of a program in which people with developmental disabilities receive training to expand their career choices and live more independently. The culinary program provides job skills and opportunities. To help, they launched the Top Chefs event, in which chefs are paired with a PARC culinary student to design a menu selection, while guests enjoy an open bar, entree samplings and desserts. Restaurants include Birch and Vine, Guppy's on the Beach, Rusty's Bistro, and the Galley. For the first time, corporate chefs from Bloomin' Brands (Outback, Carrabba's, Bonefish and Fleming's) will also partner with students. $125. 6 to 10 p.m. parc-fl.org.