Farm-to-Fork Hotspot of St. Petersburg
St. Petersburg, Florida USA
Cuisine Style: Italian, Southern, Pizza
Average Price: $$
Overall Rating: 4/5
Dined in: May 2017
By Sean Overpeck (CFE)
**A full article and index glossary of restaurants, wines, recipes and travel for
Wine Dine and Play are in the pages section above, or by following these links:
Executive Chef:
Rob Reinsmith
Restaurant Owners:
Tim Curci and Jeff Strouse
Local native and Executive Chef Rob Reinsmith spent time working with high-end chefs in New York City before returning to Tampa Bay to help open Noble Crust in 2014. The second location of Noble Crust is opening in Wesley Chapel in the Spring of 2017. Chef Reinsmith changes the menu with the seasons, combining farm-fresh flavor to create dishes that make it “difficult to taste where Italian ends and Southern begins.” The restaurant has an open kitchen with dining bar facing the action, and an 800-square-foot patio with a retractable roof when the weather is nice. The main dining has a combination of long high top tables, small rounds, plus the bar seating. Like most new age bistro style restaurants their specials of the day for food and drink are written out on chalkboards.
Brunch Menu:
- Starters + Sharing
- Brunch Plates
- Featured Item
- Salads
- A Lil’ Sumpin
- Kahwa + Beverages
- Pizza
- Pizza Additions
- Sweets
Dinner Additions:
- Fresh Seafood
- Pasta
- Mains
According to an article in Creative Loafing Tampa Bay one of the owners, Tim Curci is opening the Fat Beet Farm in Tampa, a produce production building where “Deliveries will be made out of here to any restaurants we do, moving forward with authentic farm ingredients,” says Curci. The farm plans to use a high-tech system and will be focusing on herbs, microgreens, and lettuce head varieties. It will be the main supplier for Noble Crust and its other future Farm to Table concepts.
— Wine Dine and Play (@WineDinePlay) September 7, 2017
The dining room was very busy, not just because it was a holiday, but just another average day for this popular hot spot, and its great vibe. The bar was neatly designed with old rusted looking pipes built into the walls and four levels of flat marble holding the many liquor selections elevated from bottom to top shelf selections, barrel wines, and tap beers, along with another chalkboard with the classic and special cocktails. My wife and I had several rounds of hand-crafted cocktails from a watermelon smash, mint julep, margarita’s, and a zesty Bloody Mary with bacon (they had me at bacon!) As I have mentioned in other St Petersburg and Tampa restaurant reviews, the craft-cocktail business is booming, and bar or mixologists are following the latest top five alcohol trends as Noble Crust is doing with barrel aging, craft spirits, regional cocktails, and local beers.
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| Hand Crafted Cocktails |
The brunch menu is a Southern breakfast in the northern territory. Yes, Florida is as far south as you can go, and it was a Confederate State, but today it has more transplanted northerners then it does southerners. With fried chicken and waffles, fried chicken biscuit, short rib ‘benny’ or a southern ‘benny,’ you can’t tell me that’s not southern. It felt like I was back at High Cotton or Halls Chophouse in Charleston, South Carolina or Food 101 in Sandy Springs, Georgia. There were several starters of great interest from the meatball combo of pork, veal, and beef with ricotta and parmesan to the ‘F.G.B.L.T.,’ which was a fried green tomato, with a tabasco-honey glazed pork belly, topped with pimento cheese. I was very close to ordering that. My wife and I settled on the deviled eggs with pickled mustard seed and a chive-paprika garnish.
We followed that up with the peach and fennel salad which had assorted baby greens, dried cherries, a good lump of goat cheese, thinly sliced red and watermelon radishes, pecans, and minced chives, all tossed in a nice sweet and slightly tart yet savory balsamic-honey mustard dressing. The presentation was displayed well with multiple exotic colors and sparked the ‘noble’ deep inside me as well.
Bring on some spice, blow your taste buds away, and feel the crispy thin crust crack apart as your teeth crunch down onto each mouthwatering savory piece of pizza, lightly coated with a house-made tomato sauce and rich velvety cheese. You can have a roasted mushroom, country ham, Margherita or our selection, the noble pig - the very befitting name for the classical American who likes to dine out!! Sweet with a hint of spiced fennel sausage, pepperoni, spicy soppressata, pickled peppers, caramelized onions, and a combination of fontina and parmesan cheese. Now, what is not to like about that? Unless your religious preference prohibits you from eating pork, or if you have a gluten allergy and can’t have bread, a vegetarian and don’t eat meat, or a vegan and not eat anything!! Each bite was an exciting array of cosmic flavors and tasting profiles all blending together in harmony. I cry tears for the vegan, gluten sufferer or Jewish/Muslims of the world. This pizza was beyond words to describe pleasure and happiness.
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| The Noble Pig |
My wife and I look forward to returning for dinner where they have southern fried chicken, fresh seafood choices including a classic Charleston shrimp and grits dish, assorted Italian pasta plates, marsala and parmesan chicken dishes, and much more to sink your taste buds into.
Dessert:
Though we did not have dessert there were a few interesting selections such as a peanut butter pie, lemon-buttermilk pie, banana-coconut cream pie, and a warm chocolate budino pudding with local Kahwa coffee brands and after dinner or meal cocktails.
Please see these guidelines for Tipping in Restaurants and on following proper etiquette, customs, cultures, and avoiding assumptions when you dine out.
Other Noteworthy Pizza and Italian Articles & Restaurants:
Base Woodfired Pizza A Re: Start business at “Little High Eatery” in Christchurch, New Zealand
Gino’s East Pizzeria Chain serving Chicago-style deep dish pizza & other Italian eats in Chicago, Illinois
Home Slice Pizza Thin-crust New York style pizza restaurant in Austin, Texas
Napoletana Pizzeria Wood-burned stone oven pizza restaurant at the Dubai Marina, UAE
Pizza Republica Trendy Italian trattoria and pizza restaurant in Centennial, Colorado
Italian
Alioto’s Restaurant Historic restaurant serving Sicilian-infused seafood in San Francisco, California
BiCE Restaurant, Dubai Marina Acclaimed upmarket classic & innovative Italian in Dubai, UAE
Feola’s Italian Ristorante relaxed eatery for pizza and pasta in Treasure Island, Florida
See the whole list by visiting “The Wine Dine and Play Article Glossary”
Other St. Petersburg restaurants and articles on Wine Dine and Play:
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Modern café-tavern chain with Greek eats
|
Rustic New American Fare
A top 100 on Wine Dine and Play
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New American, Southern Twist
|
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Innovative Finer Seafood & Raw Bar
At the Sundial
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Traditional and classic Italian plates
|
Colonial Portuguese Fusion with tapas
|
See the whole list by visiting “The Wine Dine and Play Article Glossary by country”
Final notes, review basics, observations and more pictures:
Overall from this experience, and the score factors outlined in the ‘about page’ section, based on my individual experience and rating, I give Noble Crust a 4 out of 5 stars, meaning that they exceeded my expectations and were far above the average dining experience of most restaurants, but they were outstanding.
Scores are detailed in the factor chart below:
Formula Factor Conclusions and Overall Ratings
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Max Points Possible:
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Total Points Awarded:
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Total Points deducted:
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Ambiance
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10
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10
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0
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Food quality
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9.5
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8.5
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1
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Plate presentation
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8
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7.5
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0.5
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Customer service
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7.5
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4.5
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3
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Alcohol and other beverages
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10
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6.5
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3.5
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Total regular points awarded
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45
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37
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8
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Total percentage — less the Bonus
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0.822222222222222
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“Wow” factor BONUS
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5
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2
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0
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Total bonus percentage
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0.0444444444444444
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Total percentage and bonus for a final star rating
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0.866666666666667
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Stars Awarded (see chart below)
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0 - 5
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4
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**A full break down and explanation of the observations and point disbursement is available in the linked article above. To receive a detailed copy of your score, feel free to contact me at any time and I will provide it to you.**
***
Overall Star Rating:
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4 of 5 Stars:
87% Rating with a 2 point “wow” bonus
An Outstanding Dining Experience
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Wine List:
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Wine rating:
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5 of 10
Old World selections:
France, Sicily, Italy, Germany
New World selections:
Argentina, California, Oregon
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Corkage fee’s:
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This Restaurant does not list any corkage fee’s however, most American restaurants charge
$25.00 per bottle
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Restaurant style:
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Casual dining
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Cuisine style:
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Italian, Pizza, Southern American
Allergen or dietary accommodations:
Farm to Fork, Local, Low Carb, Organic, Pescatarian, Sustainable, Vegetarian Options
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Reservations:
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Not Required, But Recommended
Walk-Ins:
Accepted, but not guaranteed
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Dress code:
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Casual attire
This is Florida, everybody wears flip-flops!
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Child policy:
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The Restaurants reviewed on this site may have a kids menu or cater to them; however, for full enjoyment of food and wine, it is recommended that kids not to be in attendance, unless they have been trained in proper etiquette.
If not then:
Hire a Babysitter!
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Experiences:
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Place for foodies, Trendy, Lounge, Hotspot, Great bar, Great outdoor dining, Good for special occasions, Rustic, Great brunch, Classy, Upscale, and a Neighborhood Gem.
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Payments:
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Cash, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express
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Parking:
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Private lot
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Wifi
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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.
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Noise level:
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Loud
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Smoking:
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Nonsmoking restaurant, and nonsmoking patio
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Patio or terrace:
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Yes
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Food Prices
(excludes, alcohol, taxes & 20% gratuity’s)
$£€¥ - Under 50.00 (inexpensive)
$£€¥ x 2 - 51.00- 99.00 (moderate)
$£€¥ x 3 - Over 100.00 (pricy)
$£€¥ x 4 - Over 200.00 (expensive)
$£€¥ x 5 - Over 400.00 (very expensive)
**Currencies reflect the world’s major travelers, restaurant, or wine connoisseur’s**
Currency:
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Price
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United States Dollar (USD)
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$
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Great Britain Pound Sterling (GBP)
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£
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Canadian Dollar (CAN)
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$
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Chinese Yuan (CNY)
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¥¥¥
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European Union (EUR)
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€
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Alcohol prices:
$41.00 USD
Noble Crust:
8300 4th St North
St. Petersburg, Florida
33702
Contact Information:
Restaurant website:
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Maître d or host:
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+1 727-329-6041
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Online reservations
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Email Contact:
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Serving hours:
Eastern Standard Time
(GMT, Zulu, or UTC - 5:00)
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Monday:
Closed
Tue-Thur:
4:00 pm - 11:00 pm
Friday:
4:00 pm - 11:59 pm
Saturday:
10:30 am - 11:59 pm
Sunday:
10:30 am - 10:00 pm
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Social Media
&
Accolades:
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****
The worlds best restaurants is a subjective list of who is writing it and changes on a regular basis. The Wine Dine and Play best experiences are based on my highest rated stared restaurants, meaning that the visit was an outstanding or extraordinary experience. From cafés, chains, mom + pops, hole in the walls, to fine dining including a few Michelin spots. Visit the Top 100 page to see the entire list.
A few to tease you with…
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Fine Indian and Pakistani Cuisine at the Burj Khalifa
Armani Hotel, Dubai, UAE
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Fine dining Italian classics
Niagara, Canada
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Contemporary Japanese restaurant, sushi, & cocktail mixology
DIFC, Dubai, UAE
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Other Pictures:
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| Dining Room |
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| Open kitchen/pizza oven |
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| Weekend DJ |
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| Uniquely designed bar |
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| Craft Cocktails |
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| Deviled Eggs |
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| Peach and fennel salad |
“Culinary perfection consists not in doing extraordinary things,
But in doing ordinary things extraordinarily well.”
-Angelique Arnauld (1591-1661)
Who is John Galt?
TTFN
