Old Italian On The Beach
St. Pete Beach, Florida USA
Cuisine Style: Italian
Average Price: $$
Overall Rating: 1/5
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:
Gigi's Zomato rating:
Gigi's began in 1967 by the Newberne family, originally based out of Atlanta, Georgia. With southern hospitality and a love of Italian Gigi on St Pete Beach was born. Today there are three locations run by the second generation of the family. The original St Pete Beach location which we dined at and based the review for Wine Dine and Play has been voted the best on the beach 15 years running.
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| Gigi's / Dining room (picture courtesy of Gigi's) |
Gigi's Menu:
- Appetizers
- Cold Salads
- Soup of the day
- Sides
- Entrees
- Pasta
- Pizza
- Early Birds
- Children's
- Desserts
- Lunch menu
My wife started with a glass of Caposaldo chianti from100% handpicked grapes comprised of a blending of 75% Sangiovese, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 5% Malvasia. The fruit for Caposaldo Chianti comes from the hilly province of Arezzo and Siena in the Chianti region of Tuscany, grown in mineral-rich soils. After handpicking, grapes are brought to the winery for a traditional vinification that produces a greater extraction of flavor, color and tannins. Thirty percent is aged in oak vats prior to bottling. Ruby red with a fruity perfume, smooth texture, excellent structure, and a long, elegant finish. A classically produced Chianti
I had a glass of the Castle Rock Pinot Noir a 2016 Central Coast Pinot Noir that was recently awarded 88 points and is now featured in the Winespectator.com tasting report “12 Affordable California Pinot Noirs – New reviews of reds from Santa Barbara, Sonoma and more for $30 or less” Witten by Aaron Romano.
We came for an early dinner, taking advantage of the early bird and regular menu by splitting two entrees starting with the medium-sized pizzas half Margherita and second half called radio waves. The radio waves were topped with mushrooms, pepperoni, Italian sausage, and basil. The Margherita is one of my wife's goto selections for pizza whereas I bounce around with toppings, and the radio waves sounded delightful. The sausage had a nice spice tempered by the freshness of the basil, earthy tones and a semi-heavy gluten flavor from the crust. The cheese was heavy-handed but to me, that was nice, even though it does block other flavor profiles.
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| Gigi's / Pizza |
The early bird fettuccini alfredo was tossed with broccoli and thicker creamy sauce that was missing basic seasonings and flavor. Only bare amounts of parmesan came through, and seasonings needed to be added. There are many variations and varieties to making alfredo recipes, but it is hard to mess up. Seasoning is key, otherwise, you eating warm milk. The dish did hit the spot and both dishes went nicely with the wine selections.
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| Gigi's / Fettuccini Alfredo |
The only downside to the overall experience was the dining room. Besides being a little darker for a beach-side restaurant it had a slight odor that we had smelled before in a few other older buildings by the water that we have dined at like the La Cote Basque Winehouse in Gulfport.
Dessert:
We did not have dessert during this visit.
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
United States:
California:
European Union:
Italy:
Other noteworthy Italian cuisine articles and restaurants similar to Gigi's:
Italian cuisine is noted for its regional diversity, especially between the northern and the southern Italian peninsula. It offers an abundance of taste and is one of the most popular in the world. It has influenced several cuisines around the world chiefly that of the United States.
Alioto’s Restaurant Historic restaurant serving Sicilian-infused seafood in San Francisco, California
BiCE Restaurant Acclaimed upmarket classic with innovative Italian at the Dubai Marina in Dubai, UAE
BRIO Tuscan Grille Relaxed Tuscan-inspired Italian chain eatery, reviewed in Sarasota, Florida
Carrabbas Italian Grill An Italian-American chain from Texas with original family recipes reviewed in St. Petersburg, Florida
Gino’s East Pizzeria Chain serving Chicago-style deep dish pizza and other Italian eats in Chicago, Illinois
Greystone CIA Restaurant CIA School restaurant formally called Wine Spectator now GateHouse in Calistoga, California
La Petite Maison Relaxed French-Italian restaurant at the DFIC in Dubai, UAE
Locale Seasonal Northern Italian at the De Bortoli Winery in the Yarra Valley, Australia
Pizza Republica Trendy Italian trattoria and pizza restaurant in Centennial, Colorado
Ponte Vecchio Fine dining Italian classics in the Fallsview Hotel, Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada
Prato Rustic Italian bistro with modern takes on classic dishes in Winter Park, Florida
Roberto’s Ristorante A walk into the Piemonte with a contemporary twist at the DIFC, Dubai, UAE
Sea-Guini Chic restaurant with seafood and Italian-inspired cuisine in Clearwater Beach, Florida
The Garlic An old-world approach to Italian with Mediterranean classics in New Smyrna Beach, 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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Home to an eclectic menu of seafood offerings
St. Pete Beach, Florida, USA
|
Seafood spot owned by local fisherman
St. Pete Beach, Florida, USA
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Med-Latin and tapas café with 360 views
St. Pete Beach, Florida, USA
|
A few Florida restaurant favorites:
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Ybor City & Sarasota Traditional Spanish & Cuban chain since 1905
Sarasota, Florida, USA
|
Rustic Native American and Floridian fare w/Barbacoa Grilling
Tampa, Florida, USA
|
Relaxed waterfront seafood restaurant
Tierra Verde, Florida
|
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 Gigi's a 1 out of 5 stars, meaning that they were an average dining experience like most restaurants.
Scores are detailed in the factor chart below:
Formula Factor Conclusions and Overall Ratings for Gigi's
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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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Ambience
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11
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8
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3
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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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10
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7
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3
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Customer service
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13
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8
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5
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Alcohol and other beverages
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6
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3
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3
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Total regular points awarded
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50
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33
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17
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Total percentage — less the Bonus
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0.66
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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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0.66
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Stars Awarded (see chart below)
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- 0 - 5
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1
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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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1 of 5 Stars:
66% Rating with a 0 point “wow” bonus
An Average Dining Experience
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Corkage fees:
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Gigi's 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 at Gigi's:
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Italian
Allergen or dietary accommodations:
Gluten-free choices, Low Carb Choices, Pescatarian, Vegetarian Options
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Reservations:
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Not Required
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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Gigi's Experiences:
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Contemporary, Rustic, Hole-in-the-wall, Tourist grabber, 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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Gigi's has a private lot or 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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Low
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Smoking:
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Gigi's 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:
$32.00 USD
Gigi's:
4399 Gulf Blvd
St Pete Beach, Florida
33706, United States
Contact Information:
Restaurant website:
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Maître d or host:
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+1 727 363-3344
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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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Dinner: Mon-Sun
4:00 pm - 10:00 pm
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Social Media
And
Accolades for Gigi's:
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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…
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Creatively presented high-energy Mediterranean Fare
Denver, Colorado, USA
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Farm-to-fork upscale local chain for Southwestern cuisine
Austin, Texas, USA
|
Upscale eatery with butchery at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Tampa, Florida, USA
|
“Culinary perfection consists not in doing extraordinary things,
But in doing ordinary things extraordinarily well.”
-Angelique Arnauld (1591-1661)
Who is John Galt?
TTFN
