Sophisticated Lunch By The Bay
St. Petersburg, Florida, USA
Cuisine Style: Contemporary American
Average Price: $$
Overall Rating: 3/5
Dined in January and July 2016
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:
Tyson Grant
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| Picture courtesy of Parkshore Grill |
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A note to the reader…
This article was revised and updated on November 10, 2017, from the original publication to include new content, information, and updates on the business and its products.
***
Even during the winter months St. Petersburg (Florida not Russia) can have some hot sunny days, and on one particular Saturday, my wife, daughter and I were downtown. It was extremely crowded, with no parking anywhere to be found. Parkshore Grill just happened to offer complimentary valet with your meal. We were going to eat somewhere anyway, so that narrowed down our choices. Our plan was to visit the Saturday Market, which brings out people by the thousands to the downtown area. Brunch was the main focus this day, however when my wife and returned in July to visit Parkshore a second time it was a weekday, and late afternoon for a lunch / happy hour dining.
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| Parkshore Dining Room |
For our first visit that Saturday, my family and I enjoyed a table on the patio with our brunch meal. Though a little warm for that time of year, it was bearable enough to be at a table with an umbrella to block out the sun. The patio area of the restaurant is very large, encompassing the front and parts of the side of the building. The restaurant was one storefront connected to a larger strip style building with several other businesses in front and condominiums to the backside. The other businesses include Shapiro's Gallery, Paciugos Gelato and Cafe, and Annata Wine Bar. During the second visit in July, it was extremely hot, and my wife and I ate indoors nearer to the wine cellar. The dining room is very large, with the bar and cocktail area, and the wine cellar close to the door, then up a few steps to the main dining room that is just the same size. It is possible that more than 150 people could fit inside at one time. Here is a sampling and breakdown of their menus:
Brunch:
- Niman Ranch Smoked Ham Benedict
- Build Your Own Omelet
- Smoked Salmon Plate
- Ale Battered Shrimp and Cheese Grits (Gulf Shrimp & Grits)
- Crab Cake Benedict
- Chorizo Pork Belly Frittata
- Banana Brioche French Toast
- Cheese Blintzes
- Side Dishes
Lunch:
- Starters
- Lunch Salads
- Wraps
- Burgers
- Panini’s
- Tyson’s Trio
- Parkshore Picnic
- Desserts
Dinner:
- Starters
- Salads
- Park & The Parkshore
- Share
- Tyson’s Feature
- Composed
- Sides
- Desserts
The Brunch:
My wife started with a signature cocktail on their menu called the Dali Muse ($12) with alchemy ginger vodka, St. Germain, and lemon. You will see the name Dali often when you're in St. Petersburg because of the influence of Salvador Dalí on the city with the most prestigious museum dedicated to the surrealists work.
The Royal Academy of the Arts based in London has a mission and education objective, and that is to make all of the worlds art accessible to anyone that has an internet connection. Also known as “Artsy,” this is their link to the Salvador Dalí page which has over 18,000 followers worldwide. Artsy features the world’s leading galleries, museum collections, foundations, artist estates, art fairs, and benefit auctions, all in one place. There growing a database of 800,000 images of art, architecture, and design by 70,000 artists spans historical, modern, and contemporary works, and includes the largest online database of contemporary art.
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| Royal Academy Artsy Logo Visit there webpage by clicking here |
Other cocktails on the Parkshore Grill list include the king's ransom, old-fashioned, metropolitan, and the namesake Parkshore. I started with a beer called the Florida Swamp Ape ($7) from the Florida Beer Company based out of Cape Canaveral, Florida. My daughter still being underage enjoyed a sprite, since I won’t let her drink coke, but do give her a choice between sprite or water. The wine list consists of a range from house table wines at $7.00 to $16.00 per glass and $26.00 per bottle and higher with mainstream names like Remoissenet Pere & Fils offered at $370. They also have a very nice cocktail and beer list. We all started with an appetizer of a crab and avocado salad with large chunks of red bell pepper, celery, jumbo lump crab meat, yellow tomato, and topped with micro greens for garnish.
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| Crab and Avocado Salad |
My daughter's entree was a chorizo pork belly frittata ($13), using Niman Ranch chorizo, braised pork belly, potatoes, Vidalia onion, tomatoes, and a garnish of micro cilantro. It looked more like a flat unfolded omelet or pizza versus a typical frittata, but all the same from what I recall after having a taste, it was nice.
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| chorizo pork belly frittata |
My wife had a small spinach salad ($6) with red onion sliced, goat cheese, and seasoned red beets. Other items from the brunch menu included a build your own omelet ($12), smoked salmon plate ($13), banana brioche french toast ($11), and a crab cake benedict ($15) with creamed spinach and hollandaise. There was also a second benedict special with Niman Ranch Ham on puff pastry ($12). There are several restaurants my wife and I have been too around Central Florida where we see Niman Ranch on the menu. The company is based out of Alameda, California.
For my entree, I chose the remaining item on the menu not mentioned above, and usually, when I see it on a menu I’m on the fence about ordering it. My favorite of this dish is prepared in Charleston, South Carolina, however, I have tried it in many other locations from Ohio down to Georgia, and have never been happy with it. That item is Shrimp and Grits ($14). The shrimp on this dish is from the Gulf, ale battered, served over cheese grits with an andouille ragout and smoked chili oil. The presentation looked nice, the sausage tasted wonderful, but the grits and the shrimp were really not all that impressive to me. I’m not sure if they were using stone ground grits or another product, but the quality seemed off. The shrimp did not have an ale or any other seasoned flavor, just a fried covering.
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| Shrimp and Grits |
We bypassed desserts and headed to the Saturday Market and walked around the downtown for a while before collecting our vehicle with the valet. The downtown area is very nice, and we have seen it both lively like this and during the weekdays where there is hardly anyone around. Either way, it is still nice to walk around it, visiting the open air parks, going up and down the street to see the different shops.
Lunch:
My wife and I returned five months later to get out of the house and relax downtown. It was extremely hot, but then again it was July in Florida. We sat inside to the right of the host desk and bar, right next to the wine cellar, where through a glass display you could see the line-up of their many different wines, most of which was the new world, with a few European varieties. There was a banquet against the wall with table, where my wife sat, and I took the chair facing the wall where all the awards and accolades for the restaurant were on display.
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| Wine Cellar |
We started with an appetizer of a Sonoma goat cheese spinach dip ($11) with roasted red peppers, and olive crostini. For drinks, my wife had the 2013 Rosé by Jean Luc Columbo winery, and according to the webpage the tasting notes showed complex flavors of fresh raspberries, cherries, and a hint of black olive and finishes with an elegant touch of freshness and spice.
I enjoyed a glass of a red blend called the Hands Of Time by Stags Leap wine cellars, which though a mainstream Napa winery, was one that I was familiar with from a visit in 2013 where I tasted and reviewed their Cask 23. The winemaker's notes on this year offer pleasing aromas of ripe, crushed wild berries and cola. The palate is loaded with blackberry, plum, and dark cherry flavors along with hints of dried herb.
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| Sonoma goat cheese spinach dip |
Other items on their starter list for lunch or dinner were roasted oysters ($13) with applewood smoked bacon, a blue crab cake ($12), beef carpaccio ($13), and stuffed meatballs ($10) with Iowa Maytag blue cheese to name a few. With the dip, my wife enjoyed the same spinach salad she had the last time we dined here. Instead of having a salad, burger, wrap, or panini from their lunch menu, I went with a section called the Parkshore Picnic where you choose either a house or caesar salad, an entree and dessert, all inclusive for $18. Their choices for this picnic included sirloin, blue crab, tilapia, chicken breast, portobello mushroom, beef tenderloin, gulf shrimp, and finally my selection; a grilled salmon filet with lemon caper butter and angel hair pasta.
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| Grilled Salmon |
Dessert:
The dessert list would not have even crossed our mind if it didn’t already come included with the picnic box. From their selection, you could choose the fresh seasonal berries with whipped vanilla mousse, a classic cheesecake, warm apple cobbler, crème brûlée, or mini dessert combinations all for $8. Our selection was the decadent chocolate bar with hazelnut brittle and a raspberry sauce.
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| Chocolate Bar |
Other Noteworthy American Cuisine Articles & Restaurants:
91 Wood Fire Oven Refined rustic American fare in Canton, Ohio
725 South Casual American eats At The Westin Tampa Harbour Island, Tampa, Florida
Brandon’s Contemporary twist on American favorites in Palm Beach, Florida
Charleston’s Restaurant Casual American eatery; reviewed in Indianapolis, Indiana
Cypress Refined creative American fare in Charleston, South Carolina
Grace 17.20 Modern and contemporary American cuisine in Peachtree Corners, Georgia
Murder Mystery Train 5 course American meal with a show in Fort Myers, Florida
Periscope Restaurant American Cuisine in the Magnuson Hotel, Marina Cove, St Petersburg, Florida
Ruth Eckerd Hall A Star Trek Experience with dinner in Clearwater, Florida
Salt Rock Grill Fine-dining waterfront spot for grilled fish and steaks with a raw bar in Indian Shores, Florida
The Zink Kitchen + Bar Modern and sleek American cuisine in Centennial, Colorado
Yacht Starship Seasonal American cuisine dinner cruise in Tampa, Florida
Z Grille Colorfully inspired twists on American Classics in St. Petersburg, 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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Colonial Portuguese Fusion with tapas
St. Petersburg, Florida, USA
|
Traditional and classic Italian plates
St. Petersburg, Florida
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New American, Southern Twist
St. Petersburg, Florida, USA
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A Few Florida Favorites:
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Casual Swiss Fondue restaurant chain
St. Petersburg, Florida
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Laid-back bar with cocktails, wine, & Cigars
Key West, Florida, USA
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Eclectic and casual style seafood dishes
Melbourne, Florida, USA
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Chef-driven seafood restaurant
City of Anna Maria, Florida, USA
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Brew Pub Chain
Pinellas Park, Florida USA
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Relaxed Tuscan-inspired Italian chain eatery
Sarasota, Florida, USA
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Final notes, review basics, observations and more pictures:
Most reviews are subjective, depending on the writer; but they should also be responsible, and respectfully written, upholding the truth, and accurately conveying the experience to the best of the writer's knowledge, even if it includes metaphors the restaurant may not like to read about. My ratings are by the stars I award (from 0 to 5). The rating is calculated on a point accumulation of six separate factors based on individual experience. They include wine and other beverage selections, plate presentation, customer service, restaurant or café ambiance, food quality, and wow factor. To see more details of this rating list, read this article:
Overall from this experience, and the score factors outlined in the ‘about page’ section, based on my individual experience and rating, I give Parkshore Grill a 3 out of 5 stars, meaning that they exceeded my expectations and were far above the average dining experience of most restaurants.
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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9
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1
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Food quality
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10
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7
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3
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Plate presentation
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11
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10
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1
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Customer service
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13
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7
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6
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Alcohol and other beverages
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10
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9
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1
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Total regular points awarded
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54
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42
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12
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Total percentage — less the Bonus
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0.777777777777778
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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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0.037037037037037
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Total percentage and bonus for a final star rating
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0.814814814814815
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Stars Awarded (see chart below)
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0 - 5
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3
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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.**
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Overall Star Rating:
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3 of 5 Stars:
82% Rating with a 2 point “wow” bonus
Exceeded my Expectations in a Dining Experience
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Wine rating:
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7 of 10
Old World selections:
France, Germany, Italy, Spain
New World selections:
Argentina, Australia, California, Chile, New Zealand, New Mexico, Oregon, South Africa, Washington State
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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 to Conservative dining
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Cuisine Style:
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American, Seafood, Southern
Allergen or dietary accommodations:
Farm to Fork, Gluten Free, Local, Low Carb, 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 or Conservative attire
It’s 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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Contemporary, Modern, Trendy, Great bar, Great outdoor dining, Good for special occasions, 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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Valet or Street meter parking
Free 2 hour valet with receipt of a meal at PArkshore excluding tips
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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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Medium
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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:
$89.00 USD
Parkshore Grill:
300 Beach Drive NE
St Petersburg, Florida
33701
Contact Information:
Restaurant website:
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Maître d or host:
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+1 727-896-9463
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Online reservations
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Website Contact:
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Serving hours:
Eastern Standard Time
(GMT, Zulu, or UTC - 5:00)
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Mon-Thur
11:00 am - 10:00 pm
Fri-Sat
11:00 am - 11:00 pm
Sunday 10:00 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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High Rise Fine Global Dining, Highest Restaurant In The World
Burj Khalifa, Dubai, UAE
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Elegant Modern Australian with Molecular Gastronomic dining
Melbourne, Australia
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Haute French Restaurant
Paris, France
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Other Pictures:
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| Florida Beer |
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| Caesar 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
