As part of a massive project at St. Petersburg Distillery, a new Italian restaurant has made its debut in the Warehouse Arts District. Cala Italian Kitchen is now open every Tuesday-Sunday night as part of a new shipping container village at St. Petersburg Distillery, 800 31st Street South.
The beautiful new al fresco setup outside the entrance to St. Petersburg Distillery features covered and shaded seating, a walk-up bar featuring the distillery’s excellent spirits and, we can now confirm, some truly delicious Italian eats. Cala’s kitchen features a massive brick oven churning out fantastic bread and pizza, while the full menu also includes several housemade pastas, appetizers like meatballs, burratina, and calamari, and rotating desserts.
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Cala is open from 6-10 pm Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, and 6-11 pm on Friday and Saturday, with drinks available from the bar each night, as well. This Wednesday was the official opening night for Cala. We had the chance to try out the margherita pizza and came away highly impressed (and looking forward to our next visit to try more).
The pasta in particular looks outstanding, with a heavy seafood influence. The options run deep, from lobster ravioli and clam spaghetti to Fra Diavolo and a seafood medley dish featuring mussels, clams, shrimp and calamari in black ink linguine with a spicy marinara broth. There are also land based dishes such as pork gnocchi, chicken spaghetti, and chicken fettucine alfredo.
The pizzas, of course, seemed to be the early favorite on night one. The fresh baked pies come in a variety of styles, from veggie or sausage to Americana or Margherita.
Cala at the distillery is actually a confluence of several area projects. This is the newest stage of St. Petersburg Distillery’s expansion, which includes the new Chad Mize SPACE Gallery. It is also the first step for Cala itself. This distillery location is their casual concept, but the full-service Cala Italian Kitchen is nearing an opening of its own in Grand Central, and it is sure to be a star with the culinary team behind it.
You can see Cala’s full menu here, and follow along on Instagram for more. While your there, be sure to check out St. Petersburg Distillery’s tasting room and gift shop.
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