Through the darkened door of St. Pete’s newest restaurant, Red Thread (300 First Ave N), unfolds a moody, romantic scene reminiscent of Casablanca. A painted monkey looks over its shoulder, framed visages of Bollywood actresses preen and vogue, guests disappear behind carved Moghal screens, and glittering trinkets—bought or bartered in a bazaar in Istanbul or Bangladesh—adorn the interior. Red Thread intentionally elicits feelings of a mysterious rendezvous.
The restaurant’s name refers to the red thread of fate, an East Asian belief that an invisible thread connects those destined to meet. The thread can tangle and stretch, but it never breaks. Playing on that theme, Red Thread pastiches the spices, flavors, and designs one would encounter along the Silk Road, a trade route that connected Europe and Asia for more than 1,500 years. Chef Joshua Bury incorporates the spirit and history of the Silk Road into the dishes. “I’ve never done so much research,” he says. “I read every article I could…looking at historic dishes, I wanted to bring them into modern times.”
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One of the most popular dishes, the Pork Chop, uses a port beurre rouge sauce made with fermented garlic and port wine—the most traded alcohol at the time. The Cherry Kafta, featuring ground lamb and beef—a Middle Eastern staple—is rolled into meatballs, spiced with sumac, cinnamon, mint, and coriander, and finished with a gastrique of tart cherries that have been simmered and reduced. Chef Bury curated a menu of about 18 equally unique dishes and is devising a brunch that similarly maps an intercontinental journey for the adventurous palate.
Watch the night evolve long after dinner
Red Thread was created by the same owners behind the popular bar Saigon Blonde. The restaurant’s cocktail connoisseur, Lucien Chalfoun, now operates as the general manager of Red Thread and pilots the cocktail program here, too. Chef Bury adds that Chalfoun not only designs the drinks but also crafts their memorable names. There’s the Saz Arak, a playful twist on the New Orleans drink Sazarac—the Saz Arak at Red Thread is misted with Arak, known for its distinctive licorice notes. Chalfoun describes the Phoenician Mule as “if a Moscow Mule and a Mojito had an Arabian baby.”
Chalfoun’s program is more than snappy names and unconventional ingredients. The cocktail menu is an invitation to continue the experience—a kind of afterparty that begins when the last plates are cleared. “We want to push the bar as an after-dinner occasion,” says Chalfoun. “Stay and watch the night evolve. Experience a journey…”
On Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays after brunch, visitors can enjoy live entertainment—including fire dancers, musicians, and DJs—on a secluded back porch.
Local artists created Red Thread’s dreamy ambiance
Red Thread’s theme can be described as Pan-Asian. The moody, romantic atmosphere pastiches design elements from India’s Mughal era, Moorish architecture, Bollywood celebrities, and numerous trinkets collected from around the world.
The wide range of design elements is the result of contributions from numerous local artists, designers, and builders. Leonard Contractors handled the structural build-out, Oliver Shaw designed much of the interior, Bryan Nichols of Etch Pro carved the Mughal-inspired wooden screens, and artist Miss Crit developed accent paintings and details, such as the monkey painting and Bollywood images.
Follow Red Thread on Instagram to learn more.
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