After our weekly Entrepreneur, Social Club meeting ends, we head further into downtown St. Petersburg to one of our favorite, delicious restaurants, where we eat, drink (more!) and continue to be merry! The ESC is a purely social club infused with strong, real-world business wisdom, mentoring, networking and problem-solving. And all of that work’s up our appetites, so I’ll get right down to the sharing of our 2015 Favorite Downtown St. Pete Restaurants for Dinner after the ESC. They are in alphabetical order for ease and fairness, I’ll note the ones that are member-owned and / or exceptionally great! Keep in mind that we only go to restaurants with adult beverages, though some here only serve beer and wine. Also, a key factor is lighting, ambiance and being able to sit 12-20+ of us all together. No sitting apart, this is a group event, the Entrepreneur Social Club. And yes, it’s ok to buy me, Michael S. Novilla, the founder, dinner. =D
Acropolis Greek Taverna at 515 Central Avenue, St. Pete, 33701 727-823-1010
The food is consistently solid good, the menu is huge and diverse and the restaurant large enough to roam around. Full liquor and outdoor seating. What we like most about Acropolis is that they throw napkins up in the air and I’ve created a game, being an April Fool baby myself, where we all must hit each other with a napkin, at least once each, in a nice fun way (no spitballs). Silly, yet super stress relieving, just what us Entrepreneurs need! Opa!!
Brick and Mortar at 539 Central Avenue, St. Pete 33701 727-822-6540
Smaller – though with our special reservations, we can still fit 12, cute restaurant, beer and wine, fresh natural and unique flavors – some of the best food in the city! We love owners / operators / couple Chef Jason and Hope. We’ll see you all again SOON!! MORE about Brick and Mortar
Community Cafe at 2444 Central Avenue, St. Pete 33712 727-222-6979
Mandy Keys is a favorite member of the ESC, and we were with her along the way as she built her community, taste and health conscious cafe, where you can go from Vegan to Meat Lovers, and wash it all down with a beer or wine. We adore you Mandy!! MORE about Community Cafe
Gratzzi Italian Restaurant at 211 2nd Street South, St. Pete, 33701 727-623-9037
Who doesn’t love excellent, fresh, authentic Italian dining? We ALL do, and Gratzzi Italian Restaurant always delivers a delicious, flavorful dining experience in a warm, welcoming atmosphere. Bravo to Dominic and his fabulous team!! MORE about GRATZZI
Oyster Bar at 249 Central Avenue, St. Pete, 33701 727-897-9728
Fresh and delicious seafood, plus a amazing ribeye (yum!!) and a full liquor bar, seating in and outside, good service and another ESC favorite!
The Queens Head Cafe at 2501 Central Avenue, St. Pete, 33713 727-498-8584
Recently changing hands, Queens Head luckily ended up with another fabulous owner. someone who really cares about great, tasty food AND a fun welcoming atmosphere. Beer and Wine and truly delicious menu. One of our favorites for sure! Say hello to new owner Tracy Asalita! MORE about Queenshead
The Mill Restaurant at 200 Central Avenue, St. Pete, 33701 727-317-3930
A newcomer, the Mill Restaurant exploded on the scene, taking us all by surprise. Yes there are a LOT of really good restaurants, but the Mill (like Brick and Mortar) is truly exceptional! Full liquor, amazing, unique menu offerings, and nice outdoor seating. Definitely a 2015 favorite restaurant of ours!! Say hello to Chef Jason! MORE about The Mill
Z-Grille at 104 2nd Street South, St. Pete, 33701 727-822-9600
Zach is a James Beard Award Finalist. What’s that? A big deal! What matters to us more is that Z Grille is cool as &$#@!, food is incredibly tasty and unique, they have excellent cocktails, and outdoor seating. A St. Pete must visit (weekly!!) Say hello to Jennifer (co-owner and Zach’s wife)! MORE about Z Grille
