Lingr is a Nordic-Asian inspired restaurant from renowned Chef Jeffrey Jew, and is located at 400 6th Street South in St. Pete.

Celebrity chef Jeffrey Jew never thought he would open a restaurant outside of Washington D.C., where he spent most of his childhood and garnered international attention for his culinary work.  

But his move to St. Petersburg eight years ago changed that. Chef Jew not only loves calling St. Pete his new home, but he also sees the exciting potential resting just below the surface of the city’s already thriving restaurant industry.

He decided that there’s no better place than the Sunshine City to debut his first restaurant, Lingr.

“Being able to call somewhere your new home and starting your first solo restaurant is quite emotional for me,” Jew said. “It’s a lot of years in the making and I’m excited to be in St. Pete and expand the already bustling culinary scene. It’s an exciting time to be here.”

A familiar face to Bravo’s Top Chef fans, Chef Jew has worked alongside renowned chefs like Gordon Ramsay and Angela Hartnett, served as the head chef of the Embassy of Italy, and has spent years honing his craft around the world. Locally, he spent six years with 2B Hospitality, helping to establish Stillwaters Tavern and BellaBrava as Beach Drive staples.

Locally sourced wok-based dishes and dim sum deliciousness

Serving up Nordic-Asian-inspired fare, Lingr is an ode to Chef Jew’s culinary roots and shows off his years of culinary experience, the beauty in buying local, and the endless possibilities that come with integrating two unique cultures.   

With a dedicated wok station, Lingr’s guests can anticipate a menu of tasty Asian dishes, including several dim sum elements inspired by Chef Jew’s childhood memories with his grandfather. Craft coffees and cocktails will also be available.

Sourcing food materials from local vendors is essential to fulfilling Chef Jew’s vision for Lingr. The kitchen will be chock-full of ingredients from Brick Street Farms, Sammy’s Seafood, Key West Seafood Co., Made Coffee, and other local farms that are growing produce specifically for Lingr.

“That’s where the Norwegian/Scandinavian side comes in,” Jew said. “There’s a lot of ingredients that I can import but that’s not really the way. They use ingredients that are hyper local and things that you can find in your backyard and forage. Now, Florida doesn’t lend itself too much to that, but I took that philosophy and said I need to get as much as I possibly can from this area.”

Every dish tells a story at Lingr

Chef Jew hopes that Lingr will provide “a different take” on some of the foods that have become increasingly available in restaurants by revealing pieces of his upbringing and various cultures in the menu.

“It’s fun to show people different cultures that they might not be familiar with and tell a story with the food and why it speaks to me, and hopefully it speaks to those who are eating it,” Jew said. “In general, to introduce people to different cultures and different flavors and different ingredients is always an interesting thing to do through food.”

More outdoor dining for St. Pete

Most of the restaurant’s seating will be outdoors on the patio, but several seats will also be available inside the main dining room. High-tech sanitation devices and other interior adjustments have been made to maintain a safe, healthy space for guests and employees.

Lingr will begin taking reservations on June 14. Future diners and dedicated foodies can find it at 400 6th Street South.

“I think Lingr will help transform the culinary scene,” Jew said. “There are a lot of eyes on this area, and I think there are a lot of chefs that have elevated and continue to elevate the cuisine scene here.”

If you’re interested in joining Chef Jew’s team, the restaurant is hiring front-of-house and back-of-house staff. Both part-time and full-time positions receive paid time off and health care benefits.  

Follow Lingr on Facebook and Instagram for updates.

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