Bakeries have made a huge comeback on the beach since the height of the low-carb craze. Perhaps the best example is La Casa Del Pane, which moved out of hiding next to Gigi’s in St. Pete Beach to their own new freestanding building next to Waffle House and across Gulf Blvd. from the new Shells. Six days each week, you can get the bread and pastries baked fresh that day.
No preservatives are used, making the bread far healthier than commercial loaves.
The bakery specializes in traditional Italian brick oven white and semolina breads with and without sesame seeds. Take a look at the deli and pastry cases, offering delicious cookies and house-baked pastries.
Take dinner home ready to heat and eat from the cooler, or choose one of your favorites from the selection of gourmet groceries, some favorites with visitors. Stop in to pick up your daily or weekly loaf, or stay and have a sandwich or order a pizza, and have a great cup of coffee while you wait. Tables are available indoors or out. 7110 Gulf Blvd., St. Pete Beach. Call 727.367.8322 www.LaCasaDelPane.US.
Later in June Verducci Gourmet Italian Bakery & Market is set to cut its inaugural ribbon.
Proprietor partner Vinny Fortunato proudly guided a mini-tour of the new facility as it was being stocked with “the very best foods available from Italy, and some surprisingly special locally produced products,“ according to Vinny. “We can’t sell the very best without charging for it, but you can tell from our menu prices we are not here to gouge anyone. We have been on the beach a while and we plan to stay. We hope to make customers of the residents for a lifetime. When you try some of the products we will be offering you will never be satisfied with supermarket food again. If you like to have the very best, you can now have it without leaving the beach. Put 727.201.9740 in your cellphone. Visit the market at 7800 Blind Pass Road, St. Pete Beach. www.VerducciStPeteBeach.com.
St. Pete Beach and vicinity has an incredible number of restaurants with pizza ovens.
There is no doubt that Italian cuisine is the favorite foreign choice for local diners and visitors alike. All of these places also offer sandwiches served on bread, generally fresh-baked on the premises.
These favorites stretch from Su Ottovu on Pass-a-Grille’s Eighth Ave. north past Gennaro’s, 21st Ave. at 2004 Pass-A-Grille Way, a wonderful second generation, mom & pop Italian restaurant, open EVERY Day for Dinner. Gennaro’s – 727-360-0563.
Heading north from there, you’ll pass at least a half dozen restaurants serving pizza before you reach the newest Italian restaurant, A Slice of New York at 595 Corey Ave., behind Chill. Offering delivery from dinner to 4 AM with an amazing array of Italian recipes, they are a welcome addition. Visit online at SliceOfNewYork.net or call 727-201-9900.
The traditional late night leader Vito & Michaels Gourmet Pizza & Pasta bakes some mean bread of their own. A Philly steak sandwich on one of their fresh baked rolls is a meal for two sittings.
Story by Peter Roos