St. Pete restaurant roundup: Fusillo, Central Park

New restaurants are bringing fresh flavors to St. Petersburg’s diverse culinary landscape.

One of Food & Wine magazine’s “next great food cities,” St. Pete is full of hidden gems, beloved local eateries, fine dining establishments, grab-and-go spots, and dessert shops. Here are four food spots that recently opened or are coming soon.

Fusillo Italian Pasta

Fusillo Italian Pasta, 905 Central Ave. in the EDGE District, opened March 7th. It’s a fresh take on Italian dishes that two lifelong best friends bring all the way from Rome, Italy. Fusillo focuses on authentic, high-quality, affordable pasta prepared in just minutes.

Co-owners Giangiacomo Greco and Alessandro Casali’s inspiration for the casual Italian eatery was childhood memories of the family meals their nonnas, or grandmothers, made with love. The friends had settled into careers as a military officer and a civil engineer when they decided last year to pursue their entrepreneurial aspirations.

“Our dream was to export authentic flavors of Italy abroad,” Greco says in a recent interview. “After coming to Florida…we found that St. Pete is the best place to do that.”

The duo is determined to serve high-quality on-the-go meals. The flour is imported from Italy. The hand-rolled pasta and authentic pasta recipes come from back home in Rome. 

The Fusillo website showcases dishes like pesto di pistacchi, cacio e pepe, and carbonara.  The restaurant also features delicious desserts such as torta della nonna and the nonno shot, a classic affogato of espresso over ice cream. They also offer authentic Italian beer and wine.

For more information, visit Fusillo Italian Pasta.

SoDough Square

The new St. Pete location of SoDough Square adds a taste of Detroit to the city’s pizza scene.

Owner Robert Bair’s upbringing on “square” pizza is the inspiration behind SoDough, which started in the Orlando area and opened a St. Pete location at 6925 4th St. N. in late January. 

Bair’s team has over 40 years of experience in the pizza business and is passionate about bringing the most authentic dishes to the city. According to their website, the pizzas are made exactly as they are in Detroit from start to finish. They’re baked in Michigan blue steel pans, using in-house-crafted ingredients, and the caramelized cheese crust known as “frico,” to make the SoDough experience one of a kind. Bair learned the techniques for making authentic Detroit-style pizza from the family of Gus Guerra, the owner of Buddy’s Rendezvous Pizzeria, credited for the rise of the style.

From garlic bread to coney dogs to 16 flavors to choose from, there’s something for everyone. Their grand opening was January 23, and locals from all over the city came to show their support. The soft opening hours are Tuesday to Sunday from 4 to 9 pm. 

For more information, go to SoDough Square.

Central Park St. Pete

Food hall Central Park St. Pete, 551 Central Ave., is partially open.

The five-story foodie destination will eventually include nine food concepts and four bars. Right now (March 11), modern New York-style deli Palm Avenue Deli, fresh burger spot Constellation Burger, healthy option Strawberry Fields, and Central Bar are open, according to Central Park’s website.

Tampa-based Hi Hospitality Group operates the new food hall.  Hospitality’s portfolio includes downtown Sarasota’s Kojo, an award-winning modern Asian restaurant, and Bar Hana, a tropical rooftop bar. Those will both have locations at Central Park

Don Ricardo’s Taqueria, a flavor-packed destination for tacos and burritos, Park Pie Pizza, Speaks Pasta, The Meadows, a dessert and coffee shop, and Kojo Wok round out the food concepts.

For more information, go to Central Park St. Pete.

Say Coffee House

A new way for locals to finish off a brisk walk along Central Avenue is coming to the Grand Central District this spring. Say Coffee House, a Vietnamese coffee and tea shop, brings a new cultural twist to the St. Pete coffee scene.

The café, located at 2414 Central Ave, will serve bold phin-dripped coffee, ceremonia -grade matcha, fresh tea, and more. Sea salt coffee, lychee green tea, and egg coffee are just some of the options in store for customers.

Owner Haley Huynh also owns Sip Tea Boba, a popular boba tea shop in Pinellas Park.

Vietnamese coffee, known for its traditional brewing method with a phin and bold robusta beans imported directly from Vietnam, has exploded in popularity in recent years, with internet searches spiking and new cafes opening in cities across the country. 

For more information, go to Say Coffee House.