Taste | Here's where you'll be eating in 2022

Plus: A new Taste newsletter is on the way

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View on the web Go to our home page Subscribe to the Times Wednesday, January 5, 2022 Forward this to a friend Subscribe to more newsletters [CHRIS CASELLA | Cameron Mitchell Restaurants] 5 new restaurant concepts coming in 2022 Howdy, and happy New Year, y’all.  We’ve got a lot to unpack today, so let’s get straight to it.  While the first half of 2021 was stacked with notable restaurant openings, the last quarter — usually a booming time for debuts — was, well, a lot quieter.   Ongoing supply chain lags and labor shortages are mostly to blame for this, but that doesn’t seem to have dampened anyone’s outlook for the coming year. Tampa Bay restaurateurs are feeling pretty optimistic about 2022. Dozens of projects originally slated to open last year are now set to make their big debut in the coming months. There are so many new places I’m excited about, but five concepts in particular have me extra jazzed. You’ll want to check out this list and make a note of all the great spots coming our way.  Now, for some slightly more personal news.  For the last two and a half years, I’ve co-authored this newsletter with my editor extraordinaire Michelle Stark, providing you with all the best dining news, cooking tips and recipe content.  Next week, we’ll debut a brand new Taste newsletter anchored by yours truly while Michelle — now the Assistant Editor of our Life & Culture team — focuses on other editing duties.  The name of the newsletter is staying the same, and if you’re reading this now, don’t worry — you’re already signed up. The content will be similar, too, but with a much tighter lens on Tampa Bay’s wildly fascinating and ever-changing restaurant landscape.  What does this mean? More of my restaurant reviews, more dining news, more industry buzz. If you’re a foodie or simply someone who likes to stay in the know about everything happening in the dining world, this is for you. Plus: I'll offer my personal takes on everything from food trends to great local places to grab a drink.  Readers can still find Michelle’s great food stories and recipe columns in our archives. And you can discover new recipe content in tbt* Weekend, our print section that also debuts next Wednesday.  And one more thing: Next week, we're publishing this year's Top Restaurants package, the first restaurant roundup of this size and scope I've written since the onset of the pandemic.   Trust me, you won’t want to miss it.   — Helen Freund, hfreund@tampabay.com Read more Hofbräuhaus St. Petersburg’s vacant building sold for $7.1 million The building was purchased by a group tied to the founder of Wiseguy Pizza. A night out at In Between Days We checked out St. Petersburg's hottest new nightlife spot, a Tokyo-style listening room and sake bar.  INSTAGRAM OF THE WEEK COOKING CORNER Recipe of the week  [MICHELLE STARK | Times] Honey soy chicken thighs: Delicious, inexpensive and easy to make, skin-on chicken thighs really are the best weeknight protein.  WHAT'S ON OUR PLATE [HELEN FREUND | Times] Tilefish with salsa macha The Restorative  While researching this year's Top Restaurants package, I had my work cut out for me. After eating the majority of my meals last year hunched over takeout boxes in my car, I spent the last few months playing heavy catchup.   That meant dining out, a lot. Like, almost every day. Sometimes twice a day. To be clear, I'm not complaining — it was exhausting but also so rewarding. I was reminded, once again, how lucky we are to call the Tampa Bay area home.   One of my favorite meals last month came from The Restorative in Dunedin — a tiny, envelope-pushing restaurant where the menu changes nightly. My favorite dish? A seared tilefish, served atop a murasaki sweet potato puree, drizzled with a fiery salsa macha and finished with a squeeze of burnt lime. Here's hoping that's one dish that makes a repeat performance in the new year.  — Helen Freund, Times Food and Dining Critic  Did someone forward this to you? Get Taste in your own inbox next time. It's free to subscribe. Sign up here. Contact us Privacy policy Terms, conditions and copyright Standard of accuracy © 2021 • All Rights Reserved Tampa Bay Times • 490 First Avenue South • St. Petersburg, FL 33701 • 727-893-8111 To ensure this email is delivered to your inbox, add custserv@elist.tampabay.com to your address book. You are receiving this email because you signed up for the "Taste" newsletter from the Tampa Bay Times. If you’d prefer not to receive updates, you can unsubscribe from this email.