A few months ago we had the pleasure of taking a tour of Midtown with Elihu Brayboy and his wife Carolyn. The entrepreneurial couple has worked tirelessly to breathe new life into the Deuces. Back in August, we asked the Brayboys why they've exhausted so much energy and resources to rebuild the district. Their response still gives us goosebumps.
"We felt a spiritual obligation to preserve the area," said Elihu. "This is our home. We love the Deuces and the people that live here. More than a community, Midtown is a family. We want to invite the city to become a part of it."
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The city has accepted the invitation. The pressure was on this summer for the cafe to open. During our tour, several potential customers passed through hoping to book the restaurant for a party. Elihu told us he liked the pressure, and today we see he has the conviction to back up those words. The cafe satisfies St. Pete foodies' need for diverse culinary offerings and dynamic menus.
On November 3, Chief's Creole Cafe held its grand opening celebration. The opening featured promised delicacies like beignets and chicken drummettes along with creole butternut squash soup and hot corn chowder with crab meat. Before the Brayboy's took the initiative and began to visualize the potential for the cafe, Elihu said the buidling was another neglected landmark in the Burg.
"The Cafe was once Haden's Grocery," Brayboy said. "When we first got here, the building was boarded up and abandoned. If my wife and I hadn't come back, we'd be looking at a decaying thing and a vacant lot," said Elihu. The opening of the cafe is an homage to Midtown's legacy and an effort to solidfy the neighborhood's future as one of prominence and prestige.
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Not to be outdonee, their main menu features their signature Creole Gumbo. The dish is made of Louisiana style gumbo cooked with okra, with your choice of meat in creole spices and rich sauce. What's so exciting about Chief's opening is the vigor it brings to a slowly evolving Deuces Live area.
The Deuces Live Sunday Market, along with institutions like Gallerie 909, a new ice cream shop and the success of Sylvia's Soul Food are the perfect union of passion and effort in the Midtown area. Chief's is another gem on the culinary crown of St. Pete. In an area rich with history, culture, music, food and drive, Midtown and Chief's Creole Cafe are two more reasons the world is taking notice of the Sunshine City.
Chief's Creole Cafe is open daily from 10:30am-9pm. Chief's Creole Cafe, 901 22nd St S.
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