St. Petersburg, Florida, is a vacation spot that can please everyone in the family. For golfers, the city itself has three municipal courses and the surrounding area adds many more options. Museum hounds can visit the Salvador Dali Museum, the Florida Holocaust Museum or several others in St. Petersburg alone. In the Tampa Bay area, shoppers can find just about any store, and kids will enjoy the beaches and Busch Gardens theme park. If you have a yen for Italian food, St. Petersburg has the typical chains, plus local spots you won't find anywhere else.
Cafe Cibo
The secret is in the sauce at Cafe Cibo, a casual Italian restaurant that serves lunch and dinner on weekdays and dinner only on weekends. The buttery marinara sauce is served with bread for dipping, but the "St. Petersburg Times" says that regulars put it on everything. Cafe Cibo serves pastas, grilled fish, pizzas, salads and sandwiches with an emphasis on freshness. The desserts are homemade, and the wine list is populated with options from Italy, California and Australia. Less than three miles away from the restaurant, the Mangrove Bay municipal course offers 18 holes of championship golf, rated three stars by "Golf Digest." On the same property is Cypress Links, a nine-hole, par-3 course.
Cafe Cibo
8697 Fourth St. N.
St. Petersburg, FL 33702
(727) 579-1570
cafecibo.net
Fresco's Waterfront Bistro
Fresco's Waterfront Bistro is in a picturesque setting at the gateway to a St. Petersburg landmark, the Pier. Diners can look out at the inverted pyramid on the water, a tourist spot that has dominated the city's Tampa Bay waterfront since 1973, and watch the boats at the marina next door as they rock with the gentle bay waves. The restaurant has a 2,000-square-foot deck for dining outdoors, or you can sit inside and enjoy the view through floor-to-ceiling windows. The menu features classic Italian dishes along with some Creole favorites in what the restaurant calls "Gulf Coast cuisine." After dining at Fresco's, take a short stroll to the Pier to see its small aquarium, check out the gift shops or take in the expansive bay view.
Fresco's Waterfront Bistro
300 Second Ave. N.E.
St. Petersburg, FL 33701
(727) 894-4429
frescoswaterfrontbistro.com
Primi Urban Cafe
Primi Urban Cafe, in downtown St. Petersburg, serves traditional Italian fare, touting its "freshest and finest ingredients." Its owners, who came to St. Petersburg after running a successful restaurant in South Africa, say each meal is cooked to order, with nothing pre-made and only Roma tomatoes coming from a can. When possible, the restaurant uses organic ingredients, and some entrees are vegetarian. Primi will adjust its dishes to accommodate special dietary requests when possible. The restaurant also supports local artists by exhibiting their works in the dining room. Four miles away, the Twin Brooks municipal course has 18 holes of par-3 golf, along with a driving range.
Primi Urban Cafe
27 Fourth St. N.
St. Petersburg, FL 33701
(727) 895-4909
primiurbancafe.com
About The Author
Elizabeth Nickelaid is an editor and writer with more than 20 years' experience in the newspaper industry. She has won state and national awards for headline writing and has collaborated with Pulitzer Prize-winning reporters. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Wake Forest University.
