A rising star in Tampa Bay’s culinary scene is bringing his talents to St. Pete’s Warehouse Arts District. Eat, Art, Love Café & Gallery is opening soon at 589 22nd Street South, a modern cafe bringing elevated breakfast, brunch and lunch to the city. The concept soft opens this Friday, January 26 (open 9 am – 3 pm), and plans for a full Grand Opening on February 2.
Chef Mario Brugnoli, most recently of Rocca fame in Tampa, has merged his fine dining acumen with the casual vibes of breakfast and the artistic beauty of the Warehouse Arts District and the neighboring ArtsXchange. Promising “food for your soul,” the intimate, 25-seat restaurant will be a showcase for local artists and Brugnoli’s talents alike, filled with great food and artistic pieces and performances.
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Celebrated St. Petersburg entrepreneurs Jose and Natalie Martinez (Sartorial and Style St. Pete) are the owners and driving force behind Eat, Art, Love, which is a true passion project for all involved. In addition to the food, the team behind the restaurant has visions of growing with the neighborhood and using the proximity to so many creatives to showcase St. Pete’s incredible arts scene. In fact, even the menu was designed by a St. Pete artist.
On the food side, Brugnoli has crafted an eight-item menu, all of which fall in the breakfast-brunch-lunch scope, and his creative twists are evident throughout. Even the classic breakfast plate, for instance, is much more than basic eggs, meat, and potatoes. Brugnoli’s version showcases kielbasa, a house-made Israeli hot sauce, crispy hash browns, and incredibly fluffy and creamy scrambled eggs made with cream cheese.
After years of preparing whole duck, his breakfast twist is duck and grits: a confit duck leg served atop specialty white grits made with a spicy red pepper feta. Throughout the menu, diners will find breakfast-y takes on culinary classics, and high-end takes on a.m. staples. In addition to coffee, there will be wine and beer, for those looking for a boozy weekend brunch option.
The entire Eat, Art, Love team is creating a modern café where local artists – particularly those who are perhaps less established, or only part-time – can showcase their work without having to pay to be on display. They plan to have dual events, where an artist can treat the restaurant as their gallery for a day and perhaps even perform live paintings, all while a local musician serenades the crowd. Jazz, art, hash browns, and wine – sounds like a winner to us.
Eat, Art, Love will be open for breakfast, brunch and lunch Friday-Sunday from 9 am – 3 pm. They will also have wine nights on Thursday evenings (4-9 pm) that will showcase specific wines paired with small plates, shareables, and other tapas different from the weekend menu. Follow Eat, Art, Love on instagram for more updates and sneak peeks at the menu.
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