Friday, January 2, 2015

Locale Market – St. Petersburg, FL



 

We spent the day on Tuesday wandering St. Petersburg with our friends Laura and Thu.  We started the afternoon off at Locale Market – which just opened in the brand new Sundial shopping mall (previously called Baywalk). 


The market is led by chefs Michael Mina and Don Pintabona and consists of 11 different food stations in a gorgeously designed space.  When I was in college studying interior design, one of our school projects was to design a gourmet grocery store.  This is everything I could have imagined and even more!  The signage, artfully arranged displays, and even the plating of the food are all so thoughtfully crafted – it is clear their designers were attentive to the little details.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

It spans two stories and has everything – including a butcher, bakery, freshly made pasta, cheese, and charcuterie stations, produce, wine, beer, kitchen gadgets, and even ready-to-eat meals that can be enjoyed on their outdoor patio. 
 
 
 
 

While wandering, Thu enjoyed a grapefruit sorbet that was tart and refreshing.  We were given free samples as we walked around – including mozzarella that had just been made, sausage, and some delicious cheese. 
 

We ordered some lunch at the counter to eat out on the patio – the smoked St. Louis ribs with guava BBQ sauce came with an almond, molasses and marshmallow filled sweet potato and braised greens.  Lance had the Commander Hileman’s fried chicken, with potato & mushroom gratin and also served with greens. 

The seasoning on the ribs was incredible – and the fried chicken was surprisingly light with a bit of citrusy flavor.  The sides were equally as delicious.  We were blown away by our meals. 

It reminds me of Mazzaro’s Market (although it is definitely on the higher end for prices…)  It has only been open since December 17th, but it has already had rave reviews.  The quality of everything they sell is top-notch.  If I had tons of money to splurge, I would buy this place out. 

Locale Market is located at 179 2nd Ave North  St. Petersburg, Florida 33701 and is open 10am – 9pm Monday – Saturday and 12pm – 8pm on Sunday.   

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