Wine Dine and Play: The Avenue Eat/Drink

Great Downtown Eatery

St. Petersburg, Florida, USA

Dined in January 2016

By Sean Overpeck (CFE)

The location used to be an automotive garage, however as the downtown St. Petersburg food scene has steadily increased to match and be competition to larger american cities like Atlanta, Los, Angeles, Charleston, and Dallas, businesses like older store fronts or garages are transformed into wonderful eateries. The pulse of St. Petersburg is changing. There has always been the tourism aspect as the Gulf beaches are so close. From weekend markets, conventions, and a continuing remodeling of the downtown area and pier, you will continue to see the food scene explode. The Avenue is no exception to this rule. A converted space where mufflers, tires, and engines for your parents or grandparents cars is now a vibrant bar and eatery, with live bands, televisions for sports, and an overall feel for the gathering of people near and far, young and old.

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Executive Chef:

Ryan Kelly

From the restaurants home page:

Stephen Schrutt, a resident of downtown St. Petersburg, has been in the restaurant industry since the age of 14. After working in various restaurants throughout the Tampa Bay area, Stephen decided to apply his hospitality experience to open his own restaurant. In 2011, the AVENUE was born and became an instant hit.

Stephen is known as much for his freewheeling personality as his creative burger offerings. On any given day, he can be found in the restaurant interacting with customers, formulating the recipe for the next Burger of the Month, or just taking care of business. His vision for the AVENUE and his dedication to the business has made him and his restaurant a success in downtown St. Petersburg. As an active member of many local organizations, Stephen has proven to his customers, vendors and the community that the AVENUE is proud to call St. Petersburg home.

Main review:

Our visit to The Avenue was in mid January with my wife, my brother, and sister-in-law. They were visiting from central Ohio, covered in snow and below freezing temperatures, while here in St. Petersburg the wind was blowing, but the temperature was nice, only dropping down into the 50’s at night, but staying in the 70’s during the day. We arrived earlier in the evening to find the restaurant completely packed, without any room at the bar either. After getting on the waiting list for a table the host said to follow the hallway on the left side of the restaurant pass the main bar, where a second bar was available, and was less crowded. This was an inclosed patio area that did allow smoking to be warned. Even this area however was very full, but at least it had a few open seats at the bar for my wife to enjoy a house Sauvignon Blanc, while my brother and I enjoyed a northern favorite that has become very popular over the years here in Florida, a Yeungling.

After about a thirty minute wait, a table in the front side of the building opened up. There was also a small patio section, but the wind that evening was blowing at a pace where eating and talking would not have been very enjoyable. We sat near to where the band was just starting to set up. I’m not sure their name, but they sounded great, and were taking requests from the crowd. My brother had requested a song that the drummer loved, and decided to switch to the guitar to play.

We reviewed the menu as we ordered more drinks. From hand breaded chicken tenders ($9), BBQ mac and cheese ($9.5), to the firecracker burger ($12), this was american pub grub at its best. The full menu was broken down by:

Snacks
Salads
Mac + Cheese
Burgers
Speciality Burgers
Sandwiches
Desserts

We ordered a few items from the snacks portion of the menu which included your typical favorites like chili ($6.5), chicken wings ($10-18), and ahi tuna ($12.5). Since these items are common in many restaurants everywhere, we went for a few items that you normally don’t see, or things that you can say were unique to the location. St. Petersburg has a lot of uniqueness to it, so for The Avenue it was items such as corndog nuggets ($7), a southern classic as how it is advertised, but with many travels through Atlanta and Charleston to name a few, I don’t really remember seeing it. All the same it was a very nice treat served with some mustard aioli.

Second item we ordered was a twist on a Canadian classic titled Poutine … Y’All ($9), which typically is a classic french fry dish with cheese curd. The twist here at The Avenue was a topping of sausage gravy, and a sunny side up egg. Let me tell you folks, it was a fantastic starter, and something you need to think about ordering on your next visit.

The final snack starter order was the butcher board ($15), and though very common to see on many menus all around, the presentation of this board made it all worth while with two meats and two cheeses with a nicely overlapped with four glass ramekins of Green Bench Surrealist IPA Pickles, sriracha pickled okra, and ginger pickled beets.

The starters were all wonderful and filling at the same time, so when it came time to entrees we ended up just ordering a few things and splitting, taking our time, enjoying the atmosphere, conversation, and the band. One thing to remember about this place also is that it has so many people, that the line for the bathroom can be awhile.

The Salad section also had your basic house salad ($6.5), an iceberg wedge ($10) with applewood smoked bacon, grilled red onions, bleu cheese crumbles and an infusion of a Kahlúa blue cheese dressing. The Diane salad ($9.5) was also an iceberg salad with candied walnuts, bacon, egg, craisins, assorted vegetables and a balsamic vinaigrette. My wife ate lighter, enjoying the caesar salad from their menu with an addition of some grilled chicken.

The burger section had all of your classics from a BBQ ($10.5), black + blue ($11), Patty Melt ($10), to some not so common burgers such as a Cali ($11) with fresh avocado, Swiss, and chipotle mayo, and a mac + cheese burger ($11) topped with their house recipe.

My brother and I went for the speciality burger section and my sister-in-law split with my brother. They enjoyed the Gunslinger burger ($12.5) with braised pork belly, queso fresco, tomato mango salsa, and smokey chipotle sauce. You could also choose the bun you wanted from regular wheat, a pretzel bun ($1.5) or a gluten free bun ($2.5).

I enjoyed the El Matador burger ($14.5) made with grass fed bison, taco seasoning, salsa, avocado, queso fresco, cabbage, and jalapeños. Each bite practically melted in my mouth. My wife took a bite and was in heaven as well. My brother and I also cut a piece off of each others burgers to try, and his was outstanding as well.

Other speciality burgers on their list that interested me were the Bite Mi ($13) which was a twist on the Vietnamese Bánh Mì sandwich with roasted pork, daikon, carrots, cilantro, and garlic lime aioli. Also they had one called theCracka ($12.5) with fried green tomatoes, slaw, pimento cheese, and BBQ sauce. With a burger, you also have to have some french fries, and they offer regular or cajun ($3) served in a little fry basket, giving higher marks for presentation. You could also modify and enjoy sides other that fries such as tots or coleslaw ($2), sweet potato fries, onion rings, or a side of mac and cheese ($3).

Other selections that close out their menu are from the seven sandwich selections with BBQ pulled pork ($10) southern fried chicken ($9.5) and a fat bastard ($12.5) with pulled pork, smoked bacon, mac and cheese, sunny side up egg, and BBQ sauce on Texas toast.

Dessert:

We were all completely fool and could not get dessert, however they had a few options that looked really good to include a classic S’mores ($7.5) fudge brownie with chocolate syrup, marshmallows, and a fried Oreo dessert.

A brief look at the wine list:

The wine list consists of house table wines at $7.00 per glass or $25.00 per bottle. The main focus for The Avenue is its craft cocktails.

5 stars	is Extraordinary
4 Stars	is Outstanding
3 Stars	Exceeded Expectations
2 Stars	is Above the Average
1 Star	is an Average Dining Experience
No Star Rating	The Restaurant is Basic, Poor, or Appalling

So, with the meal complete, and our culinary appetites fulfilled, lets see how The Avenue rates overall shall we. Here is how my rating system works….

Rating Breakdown And Analysis:

Professional Restaurant reviewers like the New York Times, or the San Francisco based Chowhound, and the sophisticated travelers sight Gayot base their reviews on single or multiple experiences, giving their opinion + a specific rating to that restaurant. These reviews and accolades tell the whole story and inform the diner of what to expect. Now social media from places like Facebook, the review and events page Yelp, the International Restaurant focused site called Zomato, and Trip Advisor have started to replace the traditional media readership. A large majority now look at these social ratings and write-ups judging the restaurant on them versus the use of review sites like this mine or the professional ones mentioned above. Social media is now the new make or brake to a Restaurant. Most times instead of being skeptical to a social review, people will see low ratings, and they will likely bypass and go elsewhere. Whether it is here on Wine, Dine, and Play, or the Elite Traveler’s Guide, the one thing I do is give an unbiased opinion, giving you the most information I can. The ratings given here are based on the overall experience, so use this review as another source of information to help make your decision.

From the tasting of the Chef’s specials to the lists of wines, prices, customer service, property, setup, flow, and cleanliness; these are just a few of the items I look at when giving a rating for a review. Sometimes I visit a place once-or many times-and I base it on the facts, versus a user on social media who writes a bad review because he had a bad day, or has a personnel dislike to an employee. I am one of many thousands of reviewers on this Earth, and my main job is to inform. I do this for fun as it is something I truly enjoy. I don’t not get paid or represent a special interest group. You may end up having a completely opposite experience then the ones I write about, but in the end it is all in the eye of the beholder. I’m just giving you more information then what you see or here on social media.

On Wine, Dine, and Play, I have an overall star rating scale of six levels with the lowest being a poor or appalling experience (zero stars), up to an extraordinary experience (five stars). This rating scale is formulated by braking down individual experiences such as (1) wine, (2) plate presentation, (3) ambiance, (4) wow factor, (5) customer service, plus (6) food quality and combines them on a separate scale of zero to ten, with ten being the best. In the next paragraph, I brake down how and why I come to the conclusion of the rating numbers listed in the overall review chart below.

I have been to The Avenue once, but can tell you that my wife and I do intend on returning again.

The overall star rating from Wine, Dine, and Play that I give to The Avenue is a three, meaning that it exceeded my expectations, and my expectations are set at a high standard compared to other reviewers out there. I came to this conclusion based on all the other factors listed above and how they rated.

Overall Star rating by Wine, Dine, & Play:	3 of 5 Extraordinary
Ambiance:	5 of 10
Quality of the Food:	8 of 10
Plate Presentation:	5 of 10
Customer Service:	5 of 10
Wow Factor:	5 of 10
Wine Selection: *(See the full list below)*	1 of 10

I rate ambiance on several factors from the most important being cleanliness of the dining room and restrooms, to organization and flow. I look at the atmosphere, character, the tones, artwork, and the design styles to see if they match the themes of the food. During the daylight hours natural lighting versus electric is also a strong enhancer of enjoying a meal, and of course the styles of furniture, or if it is inviting and comfortable.

The Avenue was your typical bar with many objects hanging from the walls, the live band, and the overall fun atmosphere. I do not recommend it for children during the weekends as it is crowded, and this is a place to enjoy with adults. If you do bring them, then there is a children's menu.

The quality rating bases the essential or distinctive characteristics that the food offers, or if I see that it is of a higher grade, superiority, or excellence. Also important is the taste. Did the chef pair or match distinctive ingredients together, and did he send my palette on an adventure?

With a rating of 8 out 10, the food quality and originality gets very high marks. Beyond a typical bar, food makes it all worth while, and for The Avenue it is no exception.

The plate presentation is based on the art of how the food is put together and displayed as it is brought out. Does it look unique, or have interesting garnishments, or built action style at the table? Does it make you look twice and go “wow”? All of these attributes help add to this rating.

The food was served on wood cutting boards versus plates, a different twist from a restaurant, but still enjoyable. Who knows, with it being a bar, plates may have gotten broken more often then not, so a wood is drunk and idiot proof. I give them a rating of 5 out of 10.

Customer service can make or break a restaurant. You can have the best quality of foods, and plate presentations that put Escoffier to shame, or the most beautiful ambiance, and fantastic wine or bar list. However if you have a service staff that is not attentive to the needs of the guest, or has an unclean uniform, smells like a cigarette after returning from a break, does not act professionally, or lacks knowledge on the menu, food, and restaurant, then you have a major problem. On the other hand a great server can bring a customer back over and over again even if the food is mediocre. People go to restaurants for the show. They think they are experts because they watched a reality tv show on the Food Network, but what needs to be understood is that as amazing as a kitchen staff and Chef’s may be, the front of house is just as great.

The server was a partial order taker, and very busy considering how packed the bar was, so the rating on customer service is a 5 out of 10 as there was really no wow factor or high marks, however she was attentive and made sure that all our needs were met.

The “wow” factor as I like to call it is a quality or feature that is extremely impressive. It can be something that is seen or done that is funky, surprising, or pleasing. It is something that just makes me go “wow”. This rating is also the hardest to get high marks for. The wow factor is a combination of ambiance, quality, plate presentation, customer service, and wine or mixology that goes above and beyond what you would expect from a restaurant.

The wow factor is a rating that I normally give to most places starting at a 3 and maybe they go up to 5. Most of the time it has to really impress me and be a finer dining restaurant to get above a 6 on this scale. For The Avenue with their creative dishes, and presentation in a bar atmosphere I give them a 5 out of 10. Other factors that give it a higher rating then many of the other St. Petersburg and Tampa restaurants was their creativity, originality, stepping outside the box, and design.

The wine selection can vary from place to place, and I base the ratings not just on the quality of the wines offered but also the selections. Wine is grown everywhere around the world these days and the demand for it has increased ten fold. Distributors in every major city whether they work for a large named company like Empire or a small boutique company can provide any restaurant any wine if they want it. Some restaurants will choose to have brand name wines only and that to me will lower a rating faster than a plane nose diving. If they make an effort to have even a small selection with variety such as a wines from Napa California, Willamette Oregon, Bordeaux France, Stellenbosch South Africa, the Yarra Valley near Melbourne Australia, or the Piemonte in Italy, to name a few, then that rating will shoot up higher on my review list.

All of the wonderful food and atmosphere, creative cocktail list, and nice beer selection brought The Avenue to higher scores then several St. Petersburg restaurants, but the score could have gone higher if they would have had a wine list that was as impressive as the cocktail list. Unfortunately it was a fail with a score of 1 out of 10.

This rounds up the review and rating for The Avenue, and from this experience, I would compare our experiences here at The Avenue to a few other places either I or my wife and I have been to in the past such as the Zink Bistro and Bar in San Antonio, Texas just a few blocks from the Alamo where their menu selections were also unique and very hip, with a nice bar. Also the Cape Cod Room Restaurant in Chicago at the Drake Hotel where the bar gets high marks for its history and the people that have carved their name into it such as Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio.

Other St. Petersburg reviews on Wine, Dine, and Play:

Fresco’s waterfront Bistro

The Tap Room at the Hollander Hotel

Z Grill

Brick and Mortar

Acropolis Greek Taverna

Bonefish Grill

St. Pete Saturday Market

Jack’s London Grill

Parkshore Grill

Food Prices

(excluding, alcohol, taxes & gratuity)

$£€¥ - Under 50.00

$£€¥ x 2 - 51.00- 99.00

$£€¥ x 3 - Over 100.00

$£€¥ x 4 - Over 200.00

$£€¥ x 5 - Over 400.00

**Currencies chosen reflect the world’s major travelers and restaurant connoisseur’s**

My food bill:	Currency:	Price chart:
$86.00	United States Dollar (USD)	$$
£60.00	Great Britain Pound Sterling (GBP)	££
€75.00	European Union (EUR)	€€
$111.00	Canadian Dollar (CAN)	$$$
$117.00	Australian Dollar (AUS)	$$$
¥560.00	Chinese Yuan (CNY)	¥¥¥¥¥

Alcohol Prices:

$17.00

***

Customary starting gratuity for restaurants in the United States begins at 15%

Of your total food bill and increases based on the level of service you received.

In Europe, Australia, Africa, and some Asian countries it is not

common to leave any gratuity as it is already included into

the check, but you may feel free to leave extra anyway. Alcohol gratuity

is calculated by a separate 10% or higher if you wish.

***

Review basics:

Wine selections by region:	1 of 10 Old world: Italy: New World: California:
Corkage fee’s:	The Restaurant does not list any corkage fee’s however, most American restaurants charge $25.00 per bottle
Restaurant style:	Casual
Reservations:	Not Required, But Recommended Walk-Ins: Accepted, but not guaranteed
Dress code:	Casual attire
Child policy:	The Restaurants reviewed on this site may have a child’s menu or cater to them; however for full enjoyment of food and wine, it is recommended for children not to be in attendance, unless they have been trained in proper etiquette. Hire a Babysitter.
Cuisine style:	Contemporary, Bistro, Modern, Lounge, American, Southern, Organic, & Vegetarian
Experiences:	Place for foodies, Lounge, Hot spot, Great bar, Great outdoor dining, Good for special occasions, Rustic, Tourist grabber, and a Neighborhood gem.
Payments:	Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express
Parking:	Street Parking
Wifi	The restaurants reviewed on this site may have Wi-Fi, but do not require you to go online, because the excitement of the food and wine alone will keep you too entertained instead of checking your social media and emails.
Noise level:	Loud
Smoking:	Nonsmoking restaurant, but a smoking patio
Patio:	Yes

The Avenue:

330 1St Avenue South

Saint Petersburg, Florida

33701

Google Map

GPS Coordinates:

27.770121

-82.637654

Contact Information:

Maître d, Reservations:	+1 727 851 9531
Restaurant Website:	The Avenue Eat/Drink
Serving Hours: Eastern Standard Time (GMT - 5:00)	Daily: 11:30 am - close
Social Media & Accolades:	Facebook Link
	Twitter @theavenuedtsp
	Instagram

****

The worlds best restaurants, based on the

Wine, Dine, and Play’s Favorites

That I visited and reviewed on this site…

Alinea Chicago, Illinois, USA	Tetsuya’s Sydney, Australia
The Test Kitchen Cape Town, South Africa	Vue de Monde Melbourne, Australia
Qui Restaurant Austin, Texas, USA	5A5 Steak Lounge San Francisco, California, USA
The French Laundry Yountville, Napa, California, USA	LA TABLE de Joël Robuchon Paris, France
Quay Sydney, Australia	The Tasting room at Le Quartier Français Franschhoek, South Africa
At.mosphere Dubai, UAE	Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud Dublin, Ireland
Attica Ripponlea, Melbourne, Australia	Grill 225 Charleston, South Carolina, USA
Mr. Todiwala’s Kitchen London, United Kingdom	Rioja Denver, Colorado, USA
McCrady’s Charleston, South Carolina, USA	Cook'n' With Gas Bistro Christchurch, New Zealand
Aubergine Cape Town, South Africa	Reflets par Pierre Gagnaire Dubai, UAE
Zuma Dubai, UAE	Commanders Palace New Orlean’s, Louisiana, USA

You can also use these sites for reference on the top restaurant categories:

All of these guides are helpful to find what you're looking for, starting with The Best Restaurants Near Me by the Trip Advisor Restaurant Finder, followed by my favorite, the top 100 in the world Elite Traveler’s List, also its competitor and more recognized the San Pellegrino Top 50+. For the individual continents, start your adventures in North America with the Best of Canada, then for the United States with the100 Best New York Restaurants try Timeout.com. Hope to the west coast for the Los Angeles Times top 101list. The enjoy meat and potatoes with the Top 100 Steakhouses in the USA. For social media lists you can view theYelp Top 100 In USA, the OAD Guide 100 in USA, the OpenTable Top 100 and finally The EATER 38 Top Places to Eat. For Central and South America you have the Latin America top 50. Across the pond focusing on Europe you have the Michelin Guides, and the top 50 Best. Move south to explore the wilds of Africa’s Top Restaurants from Cape Town to Cairo, then enjoy desserts of the desert in the 10 best Middle East guide, with an even greater focus on the top 7 Best in Dubai. Head north to explore the Best of Russia, then the far east with the 101 Best in Asia which includes India and the island nations. The trip around the world is nearly complete with the final continent’s best Down Under Australia top 100, and its island neighbor New Zealand’s Best 15 Restaurants. There are many more guides out their, but these are a start.

So many great wines in this world, here are a few of my favorite tastings:

Meerlust Wine Estate Rubicon Stellenbosch, South Africa	Hoopes Vineyard Napa, California, USA
Jonata Winery Santa Barbara, California, USA	La Motte Franschhoek, South Africa
Penner Ash Wine Cellars Willamette, Oregon	Yarra Yering Yarra Valley, Australia
Biltmore Estate Winery Asheville, North Carolina, USA	Bergström Wines Willamette, Oregon
Silver Oak Alexander Valley, California, USA	Eagles Nest Winery Constantia, South Africa
Ghost Block Vineyards Yountville, California	Pahlmeyer “Jayson Wines” Napa, California, USA

Reviewed by:

Sean Overpeck (CFE)

Picture below was taken in Afghanistan in 2012 with

James B. Mallory III, Major General (Retired);

CG 108th Training Command (IMT);

Deputy CG NATO TNG MISSION-AFGHANISTAN

About Sean:

I am based out of St. Petersburg, Florida working in the food service industry for the past twenty years, and am currently with the American Embassy as the Executive Chef in Basra, Iraq. Formally I have worked with groups contracting in Afghanistan, and Antarctica, also working in restaurants in and around Atlanta, Georgia prior to the wars. I have also owned a catering company and served proudly in the United States Army Food Service Program. The idea for Wine, Dine, and Play started in late 2012 after a trip to Jordan, when I was asked by friends to write down the experiences from a few Jordanian restaurants, plus the wine from the region that I tasted, and locations of interest such as Petra. Since that time, over 200 articles have been written on restaurants, including fifteen from the worlds top 100 lists of San Pellegrino and the Elite Travelers Guide. There are articles on exotic world locations such as Victoria Falls, and South African Safari’s; food recipes & Grand Food Dictionaries; country cuisines such as Afghan, and Peruvian; tasting tours of world cities like Dubai, Charleston, and Cape Town; and of course wine from vineyards in California, Oregon, the Carolina’s, South Africa, New Zealand, and Australia, with much more to see and write about.

Who is John Galt?

“Culinary perfection consists not in doing extraordinary things,

But in doing ordinary things extraordinarily well.”

-Angelique Arnauld (1591-1661)