Did The Steam Return, And Have They Lost The Chill?
St. Pete Beach, Florida USA
Cuisine Style: New American Cuisine, Tapas
Average Price: $$
Overall Rating: 3/5
Dined: October 2019
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:
Chill Restaurant and Bar Zomato rating:
Chill Restaurant and Bar Culinary Team:
Jerry Frystak, Stephen Magann, Mark Crews, Jorge Calvillo, and Martin Calvillo
Restaurant Owners:
Ruthie & Paul Buxbaum
In my first review of the Chill Restaurant and Bar on Wine Dine and Play I spoke a little about the history of the business and how in 2012 the new ‘Chill’ opened down the street from ‘Steam,’ the original 20 seat coffee shop the owners started with and was quickly voted business of the year. I spoke about how Chill had broken through the barriers of typical beachside dining and built a name for themselves as a go-to place for upscale mixed cocktails, creative modern gourmet menus, finer dining plate presentations, and very good service. I even placed them at an overall rating of 5 stars and then awarded them placement at #56 on the Top 100 Restaurant Experiences List for Wine Dine And Play. This was based on visits from April and May 2017. Here we are in October 2019, and my question is, have they lost the ‘chill’ and are they crawling back to a ‘steam’?
Chill Restaurant and Bar Menu:
- Small Plate Starters
- Small Plate Vegetables
- Small Plates for Sharing
- Burgers and Taco’s
- Traditional Entrees
- Desserts (homemade)
The menu minus some seasonal changes and a few new items are pretty much the same from the previous review two years ago, and food quality, plate presentation, and restaurant ambiance are still there, though the dining room is not as full as it was. Service has gone so far south that we may be in Cuba instead of St. Petersburg. We sat and waited over ten minutes for a server to come over and greet us. We were waiting for another party to join us, otherwise, we might have left. We placed a starting drink order, and with one other table in the restaurant, it still took over five minutes for that drink order to be delivered. We tried the Sables D’Azur Rosé from the Bronco Wine Company in the Côtes de Provence, France, and according to the winemakers’ notes, the Sables d’Azur blends the best selection of Rosé wines from the interior Valley of Provence and Sainte Victoire Terroir. These Côtes de Provence vineyards benefit fully from the Mediterranean climate: mild winters, early spring and moderate summers, when the sun’s continuous and beneficial rays ensure the vines produce fully mature grapes, oozing ripe juice. A dry fresh and clean rosé wine, with crispy acidity.
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| Chill Restaurant And Bar / Indoor Bar |
Chill has a large hand-crafted cocktail menu including the French 75 which was the second ordered cocktail. It is made from gin, Champagne, lemon juice, and sugar. It is also called a 75 Cocktail, or in French simply a Soixante Quinze. The drink dates to World War I, and an early form was created in 1915 at the New York Bar in Paris.
Later it was time to try their Bloody Mary which had an “okay” amount of vodka, to which when drinking a Bloody Mary it is important that you taste the alcohol over the spices in the tomato juice. With the spiced flavors, I got a hint of smoke, but not much more. A Bloody Mary covers nearly the entire range of taste sensations from sweet, salty, sour and umami or savory. The only thing it should not have is bitterness. I picked up less than half of those flavor profiles from this drink.
On our first two visits, we had the stuffed olives dish with kasseri unpasteurized sheep's milk cheese, a brie sautéed with leeks, shallots, applewood smoked bacon, mushrooms, and fresh herbs, fish tacos with pineapple pico de gallo, and the summer squash dish. On this visit, we started with a tapas appetizer that we also had on the first visit called the goat cheese terrine layered with three house-made tapenade choices in a French-style “Napoleon layering” with sun-dried tomatoes, kalamata olives, and the crowning third layer of a mission fig compote. The dish is then drizzled with a sherry reduction. The presentation was slightly different from the first visit, but flavor profiles, texture, and complexity remained spot on.
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| Chill Restaurant And Bar / Goat Cheese Terrine |
On this trip our party of four shared their orders around the table, with each of us being in the food industry, there were nearly 75 years of food experience, waiting to see if the food match the wonderful 5-star rating given two years before. We new that service so far did not. We began with the firecracker shrimp, hit with a little spicy but it’s flash-fried, so it loses any flare when you bite into it since the hot oil removed most of it. The savory profiles from the dipping mixture came through for a nice tasting fried shrimp, but the firecracker did not explode as was expected from the menu title.
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| Chill Restaurant And Bar / Firecracker Shrimp |
The shrimp and grits dish is listed as Ruthie’s hometown favorite of 5 Creole-style jumbo shrimp sautéed with andouille sausage, onions and green peppers in a ‘special sauce,’ served over cheese grits and an over-easy egg. The grits had a very good texture, cooked longer which is required when eating stone ground versus instant, and the spice of the andouille came through nicely for an enjoyable tasting brunch item.
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| Chill Restaurant And Bar / Shrimp And Grits |
The Rocky bacon cheeseburger is listed as a huge half-pound of the certified piece of Angus beef, char-grilled to order, topped with a smoky infused mayonnaise, bacon, grilled onions, and cheddar cheese not forgetting the classic side of fries. With the burger, we had a few Coppertail Brewery Free dive which has a pale golden color, perfect clarity with active head. According to the beer makers’ notes, it has a clean malt aroma, with heavy citrus and pine. The taste is hoppy with a crisp malt backbone, and on the palate is medium with a lingering bitterness.
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| Chill Restaurant And Bar / Rocky Bacon Burger |
Chill uses local company’s like Patriot Produce for their products, along with other companies to which Ruthie explains: “Some are organic, some not. But Patriot does a phenomenal job sourcing great quality for us.” Patriot Produce was established in 1991 with the motto of only sourcing the best produce, and as market trends are shifting to more sustainable, organic, and non-GMO items, Patriot is matching pace to supply what their customers are asking for. Chill is working on moving towards these newer trends, but still has a little ways to go.
Dessert:
We did not have dessert during this visit, but some items of interest on the menu include the “red” dessert or bananas foster.
But check out some of these wonderful selections from Wine Dine and Play:
Please see these guidelines for Tipping in Restaurants and on following proper etiquette, customs, cultures, and avoiding assumptions when you dine out.
Wine regulatory’s for the tastings in this article:
“In wine there is wisdom, in beer there is the strength, in the water there are bacteria.” - David Auerbach
European Union:
France:
Other noteworthy New American and Tapas cuisine articles and restaurants similar to Chill Restaurant and Bar:
Also known as Modern American cuisine, or Contemporary American cuisine, the term "New American" refers to the wave of modernized cooking predominantly served at upscale fine dining restaurants that began in the 1980s. It is generally a type of fusion cuisine that assimilates flavors from the melting pot of traditional American cooking techniques and mixes it with foreign and sometimes molecular gastronomy components. There is an innovative use of seasoning and sauces, originally based on French, and Nouvelle cuisine, and it has progressed to include elements of Asian, Latin American, Mediterranean, and other cuisines.
Alinea Highly creative New American molecular gastronomy tasting menus in Chicago, Illinois
Birch & Vine a local, organic, and top dining destination at The Birchwood in St. Petersburg, Florida
Brick and Mortar Rustic-chic new American dining in St. Petersburg, Florida
Harvest Moon Café Farm-to-Fork daily changing new American fare menu in Sonoma, California
Lobby at Twelve Boutique hotel bistro, new American, and Southern favorites at Atlantic Station, Atlanta
Moshulu New American dining on a restored ship in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
O’Bistro A casual style bistro focusing on the Mediterranean and New American Cuisine with a small eclectic flair in St Petersburg, Florida
Samantha’s Restaurant Mellow new American dishes in North Canton, Ohio
Zinc Bistro and Bar Southwestern-inspired new American fare in San Antonio, Texas
Zink Kitchen + Bar Restaurant Modern and sleek American cuisine in Centennial, Colorado
A tapa, in Spanish cuisine, is an appetizer, or snack. It may be cold or hot. In select bars in Spain, tapas have evolved into an entire, sophisticated cuisine. In Spain, patrons of tapas can order several different tapas and combine them to make a full meal. In some Central American countries, such snacks are known as Bocas, or in parts of Mexico, similar dishes are called botanas. The restaurants listed below may not be Spanish or Latin, but they feature a menu of tapas cuisine.
Castile Restaurant Med-Latin and tapas café with 360 views at the Hotel Zamora, in St. Pete Beach, Florida
Iberian Rooster Colonial Portuguese fusion with tapas restaurant in St Petersburg, Florida
Nine One Five Globally accented tapas with innovative American fare in Key West, Florida
Sparkman’s Wharf An outdoor Channelside venue with a beer garden, coffeehouse, and 10+ restaurants in Tampa, Florida
Tapas 218 Cozy tavern severing traditional Spanish small plate cuisine in Canton, Ohio
The Lemon Grass Casual fusion of Thai and Japanese with tapas portions in St Petersburg, Florida
Vizacaya Restaurante and Tapas Bar Vibrant spot for classic Spanish dishes and tapas in Tampa, Florida
See the whole list by visiting “The Wine Dine and Play Article Glossary”
Other St. Pete Beach restaurants and articles on Wine Dine and Play:
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Cool cocktails and coastal eats
St. Pete Beach, Florida, USA
|
Comfort foods, drinks, at the Don CeSar Hotel
St. Pete Beach, Florida, USA
|
Table-side Hibachi with a sushi bar
St. Pete Beach, Florida, USA
|
A Few Florida Favorites:
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A family-owned sushi house
City of Anna Maria, Florida, USA
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Convivial sports bar with Irish pub grub
Brandon, Florida USA
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Organic & hormone-free steakhouse
Clearwater, Florida USA
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See the whole list by visiting “The Wine Dine and Play Article Glossary by country”
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 ambience, 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 Chill Restaurant and Bar a 3 out of 5 stars, meaning that they exceeded my expectations but compared to the first visit and review when the score was 5 of 5 stars, they have a drastically reduced score due to service and some food quality issues.
Scores are detailed in the factor chart below:
Formula Factor Conclusions and Overall Ratings for Chill Restaurant
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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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11
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11
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0
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Food quality
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9
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8
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1
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Plate presentation
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10
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10
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0
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Customer service
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12
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5
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7
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Alcohol and other beverages
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8
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7
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1
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Total regular points awarded
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50
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41
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9
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Total percentage — less the Bonus
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0.82
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“Wow” factor BONUS
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5
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0
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0
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Total bonus percentage
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0
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Total percentage and bonus for a final star rating
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0.82
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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.**
***
Overall Star Rating:
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3 of 5 Stars:
82% Rating with a 0 point “wow” bonus
Exceed My Expectations in a Dining Experience
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Corkage fees:
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Chill Restaurant and Bar 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 at Chill Restaurant and Bar:
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The Mediterranean, New American, Spanish Tapas
Allergen or dietary accommodations:
Farm to Fork, Gluten-Free, Local, Low Carb, Organic, Pescatarian, Vegan and 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
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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Chill Restaurant and Bar Experiences:
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Place for foodies, Contemporary, Trendy, Great outdoor dining, Good for special occasions, 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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Chill Restaurant and Bar has street meter parking
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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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Chill Restaurant and Bar is a non-smoking restaurant, with a non-smoking 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 (pricey)
$£€¥ 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:
$30.00 USD
Chill Restaurant and Bar:
357 Corey Ave
St. Pete Beach
Florida 33706
Contact Information:
Restaurant website:
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Maître d or host:
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+1 727-360-2445
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Online reservations
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Website Contact:
Email Us:
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Serving hours:
Eastern Standard Time
(GMT, Zulu, or UTC - 5:00)
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Mon-Wed
11:00 am - 10:00 pm
Thur & Sun
8:00 am - 10:00 pm
Fri-Sat
8:00 am - 1:00 am
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Social Media
And
Accolades for Chill Restaurant:
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****
The world’s 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…
|
Fine Indian and Pakistani Cuisine at the Burj Khalifa
Armani Hotel, Dubai, UAE
|
Fine dining Italian classics
Niagara, Canada
|
Contemporary Japanese restaurant, sushi, & cocktail mixology
DIFC, Dubai, UAE
|
“Culinary perfection consists not in doing extraordinary things,
But in doing ordinary things extraordinarily well.”
-Angelique Arnauld (1591-1661)
Who is John Galt?
TTFN
