Taste | Summertime is here

Plus: A new speakeasy lounge coming to St. Pete

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View on the web Go to our home page Subscribe to the Times Thursday, June 1, 2023 Forward this to a friend Subscribe to more newsletters [MARTHA ASENCIO-RHINE | Times] Take to the beach, with these food spots in mind Hello! I'll be your Taste guide these next couple of months as Helen is off working on an exciting project. It's June 1, and even though the season hasn't officially started yet, it is summer and I am feeling it.    A weird thing about me is that, as a Florida native, I can't stand the above-80-degree temperatures we get for most of the year here. But I love the feeling of summer. That's when it's supposed to be hot, so the soaring temps and long days and colorful sunsets feel fun instead of oppressive.    But I could not survive the next few months without being in close proximity to water. Whether a pool or splash pad with my toddlers, the name of the game is cool, refreshing water. And that of course includes our beautiful beaches. Now is the time to go, before the water gets too warm.   My favorite thing I read this week was Helen and my colleague Gabrielle's guide to the beaches in their new newsletter, One Day in Tampa Bay. It's a very thorough and helpful resource for locals and tourists alike. If you haven't signed up, I suggest you do.   And I always bookmark this list of beach restaurants this time of year. I was out at the beach this past weekend, and it came in handy.    — Michelle Stark, Assistant Editor, Life & Culture RESTAURANT RADAR [DIRK SHADD | Times] New speakeasy lounge opening in St. Pete A new business is coming to one of the most notable buildings in St. Petersburg’s historic neighborhood The Deuces. The Catalyst, a lounge and speakeasy bar, is set to open in what was once the Chief’s Creole Café.    Free beer is back: Heading to Busch Gardens this summer? You can get a free 7-ounce beer while you're there. Get the details here.    Looking for some fine dining?: We reviewed the new Chris Ponte restaurant at Midtown Tampa — and the $39 martini on the menu. Read about it here.  WHAT I'M EATING RIGHT NOW Lunch at Cafe Clementine I had been to the cafe inside the Museum of Fine Arts a couple of times to swoon over their drool-worthy pastries (the salted honey croissant is divine), but I had never been for lunch until recently.   The menu of non-pastry items ranges from house-made granola and yogurt to a Turkish eggs dish that includes herbed garlic yogurt, house-made chili crisp, poached eggs and sourdough toast.   There are also salads and a daily soup and sandwich. On this particular visit, I ordered an egg salad dish, sort of a cross between a salad and a piece of toast. Set on a large piece of house-made sourdough bread were large leaves of delicate lettuce, a collection of pea shoots and a big scoop of creamy egg salad, very heavy on the dill. It was herby and delicious, and so large I took half of it home.   For something sweet, I grabbed a blueberry almond coffee cake and a vegan chocolate hazelnut cake. Both were decadent but also quite hearty and appropriate for the midday snack I was craving later.   255 Beach Drive NE, St. Petersburg. mfastpete.org. Contact Michelle Stark at mstark@tampabay.com. Follow @mstark17 on Twitter and @michellestark17 on Instagram. 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 © 2023 • 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.