Enjoy flavorful vegan fare at The Cider Press Café
EXPLORE ST. PETERSBURG
THE SOCIAL CENTER OF ST. PETE D I N E , S H O P A N D B E E N T E RTA I N E D O N B U S T L I N G C E N T R A L AV E N U E By Heather Turk
Photo of café courtesy of Visitstpeteclearwater.com; art courtesy of Imagine Museum
No trip to St. Pete is complete without visiting Central Avenue. A local favorite, the funky street is home to a wide variety of businesses, from retro shops to some of St. Pete’s newest museums. It even features several cool culinary concepts foodies are sure to love. THE CIDER PRESS CAFÉ This 2,000-square-foot, plant-based café is changing people’s misconceptions that all vegan and vegetarian food is bland. In fact, its Kale-Lemon Me Softly Burger — a vegan burger blended with mushrooms and garlic topped with tangy lemon aioli, charred smoked sea salt kale, red onions and cheez — was voted one of the Top 10 patties in James Beard Foundation’s 2018 Blended Burger Project, competing against meat-based burgers across the country. Guests can dine inside of the restaurant or out on its 34-seat patio while savoring its award-winning vegan comfort food for lunch, dinner or Saturday/Sunday brunch. ciderpresscafe.com HASLAM’S BOOK STORE A staple of St. Pete since 1933, when its original owners, John and Mary Haslam, rented books for 2 cents a day, this family-owned bookstore is the largest independently-owned, new and used bookstore in Florida. Since moving to its current location on Central Avenue in 1964, the bookstore has expanded to 16,000 square feet with another 14,000 square feet closed off to the public for administrative purposes and storage. Boasting more than 150,000 titles across a broad range of subjects, it offers everything from children’s books to books on art, religion, history, metaphysics and the D e s t i n at i o n ▪
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military. Several glass cases filled with rare and collectible books are scattered throughout the space, too. haslams.com IMAGINE MUSEUM Dedicated to Contemporary American Studio Glass, this museum houses more than 500 pieces representing more than 55 artists who have been integral to the development of the medium as a fine art form over the past 55 years. Current exhibitions include one on Karen LaMonte that examines her two newest series, “Floating World” and “Nocturnes,” through 32 sculptures in various media. Anthony James’ acclaimed titanium, LED light and transparent mirror piece “Icosahedron” is also currently on display. In addition to self-guided tours, visitors can go on a guided tour with a Museum Experience Associate every Tuesday through Sunday at 3 p.m., as well as Saturdays at noon. imaginemuseum.com
See Contemporary American Studio Glass art at the Imagine Museum
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