Longtime Tampa Bay chef Ted Dorsey—who has helped bring to the area concepts like Ciro’s Speakeasy & Supper Club, Boca Kitchen Bar & Market, and Sonata Restaurant & Lounge—is taking a break from shaping the fine dining ecosystem of Tampa Bay to do something he says he’s always wanted to do: open a neighborhood bar in St. Pete. Called Sunshine City Tavern, this new bar will be “a local restaurant, created by locals, for locals,” the chef told What Now on Tuesday morning.
“This is something I’ve wanted to do in St. Pete in this location for seven years,” Dorsey said. “I’ve done a lot of restaurants in Tampa Bay over the years. And now, I’m forty-two, I’ve got a 10-year-old and an 8-year-old, and I want to do something fun.”
That’s Sunshine City: a local bar that Dorsey visualizes as an homage to the St. Petersburg of the 1990’s, “an era and a time when people went out to eat, without cell phones, just to enjoy each other’s company and engage in that community feeling.”
Dorsey is keeping most of the menu details under wraps for now, but he is revealing that Sunshine City Tavern will have a smoker. Meaning you can expect Smoked Prime Rib Fridays.
For Sunshine City Tavern, Dorsey is partnering with Teddy Skiadiotis, the culinary force behind Craft Kafe. “Teddy and I have always wanted to do something together and when I needed the right partner it was a no brainer,” Dorsey said.
Both restaurateurs have been affected directly by flooding during the area’s difficult hurricane season. But Skiadiotis said that, for him, this has come to appear to him as a good omen.
“When I first opened Craft Kafe, it was during a difficult time,” Skiadiotis said of his popular gluten-free bakery—and Craft now preparing to launch its third location. “I’ve been wanting to work with Ted for 12 years. I love his food and the way he cooks. We’re going to be bringing back old school food. We want people to come back to feel the love in what we’re doing.”
The location is still under construction, says coverage by St. Pete Rising, but it’s working to launch sometime in January.
You can keep up with Sunshine City Tavern news by following @sunshinecitytavern on Instagram.
