ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — St. Petersburg has been named one of the “next great food cities” by Food and Wine.
The magazine credits the city for its access to fresh seafood, Michelin Star restaurants and Caribbean cuisines.
What You Need To Know
Food and Wine Magazine said St. Petersburg could be one of the “next great food cities”
It said the city has great access to fresh seafood and high-end restaurants
Pipo’s Cuban Café was mentioned by Food and Wine for its longevity
Seven other cities made the list
A handful of restaurants in St. Pete were mentioned, including Pipo’s Cuban Café.
“Giving you quality Cuban food, no corners are cut, everything’s authentic,” said Ramon Hernandez, co-owner of Pipo’s Cuban Café.
Pipo’s Cuban Café in St. Pete has been around for nearly 50 years. Hernandez has been around the café for the last three decades.
“It’s awesome to keep doing it three generations later, and it just speaks for itself,” he said.
They serve up Cuban sandwiches, shredded pork and more. Hernandez said they go through about 12 roasted pigs a day, and every year, he said they’ve gotten busier.
“Whether we’re selling more pork or whether we sold more Cubans that year, something. But, consistently — I can’t say for the 45 years — but I can say that the past ten years, I mean, we’ve seen this business grow, grow, grow,” Hernandez said.
In July, Food and Wine named St. Petersburg as one of the next great food cities. Pipo’s was recognized for its Caribbean flavors and longevity.
“Just our name amongst some of the other names that were mentioned, it’s something to be proud of,” he said.
He said this recognition is great for St. Pete and expects it to bring in more hungry tourists, which of course is good for the business.
“I think we’ll probably see a little influx of people coming in. ‘Hey, we saw you in the magazine. We saw you here and there.’ All that helps and it might not be an immediate change, but that change is going to happen,” Hernandez said.
Whenever the change happens, Hernandez said they are prepared to stay busy.
“You get a hefty portion, no one leaves hungry,” he said.
Just make sure you come with an empty stomach.
Other cities the magazine named as future great food cities include: Sacramento, California; Durham, North Carolina; Madison, Wisconsin; Providence, Rhode Island; Reno, Nevada; Columbus, Ohio; San Antonio, Texas.