Dining

St Petersburg FL is known for being very eclectic in its food choices and boasts a very culturally diverse restaurant scene.  Below are some good choices if you are looking for restaurant in St Petersburg

Latitudes opens in Madeira Beach spot where Dockside Dave’s used to be

MADEIRA BEACH — It’s a space with a pedigree. In the spot that used to house Dockside Dave’s, a new three-story building has been erected at the edge of Madeira Bay Marina. Construction delays put its schedule back by more than a year and four months, but Latitudes Waterfront Dining finally opened its doors mid-April.

It’s the handiwork of a bunch of pros. J.W. Centanni worked at Ricky T.’s on Treasure Island for 11 years; his wife, Kathy, beat his record with 16 years at PJ’s Oyster Bar in Indian Rocks Beach. Co-owners Kelli and Gino Centanni had Beach Nutts Bar and Grill for years out in Treasure Island.

In short, these people know what they’re doing when it comes to casual, waterfront dining heavy on the Jimmy Buffett soundtrack and catch of the day, both with a generous side of fries. The building itself is quirky, seeming still a bit unfinished: The restaurant entrance is on the third floor, accessible by stairs or elevator. The second floor houses the restaurant’s office as well as a yacht brokerage and a boat rental outfit. It’s easy to wander around confusedly until the smell of steamed clams and sweet fried Florida lobster orients you to the third floor.

Once inside, there are a couple of tough choices: To sit at the bar, where bartenders steam goodies (mussels, clams, Old Bay-tinged shrimp; all $8.95) right there while you watch? Or out at one of the back patio tables to view the bobbing boats tied up so tidily? From either perch, menu perusal yields a lot of usual suspects: po’ boys ($7.95-$8.95), seafood baskets ($6.95-$8.95) and seafood pots (what I know as a New England clam bake, with oysters, mussels and other seafood supplemented with corn on the cob and some red bliss taters; $23.99 for two people).

To get up to date information, visit the resident Food Critic, Janet K Keeler, on her blog at Stir Crazy. Janet was named food editor in 2000, and in 2006 she added travel editor to her responsibilities and now overseas travel coverage in the Sunday Latitudes section. Keeler is a regular guest on local television, and has been an adjunct professor at University of the Pacific and frequent guest lecturer. She also hosts a regular Web video feature called “Janet’s Kitchen” at tampabay.com.