ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — One Tampa Bay city snagged the top spot for foodies in a new study published in June.
InsureMyTrip measured its rankings by looking at the average rating of restaurants, cafes, and bakeries, as well as the prices of cooking classes across 99 of the most populous cities in the country. It then gave all cities a score of one through 10, with 10 being the highest.
St. Petersburg finished on top with an overall score of 7.16. According to InsureMyTrip, the city has some of the best ratings for its cafes and restaurants—in fact, St. Pete cafes have an average rating of 4.52, while the city's restaurants have an average of 4.41.
"It's about time. We have been on the map for a long time. It's time we got our appreciation for it," Tom Golden said.
Golden owns The Lure, which serves a large menu of sushi and American tapas. He attributes accommodating rent prices during the city's growth to why it became a food destination.
Across the street, The Colony Grill offers a unique style of pizza. Manager Kelcie Perez was not surprised by the rating.
“I think that’s pretty spot on. I think we have a mix of some really great restaurants here, lots of diversity, lots of variety," Perez said.
Known for their hot oil topping on a New-England style “bar pie”, colony grill has been serving pizza since 1931. They have been here at this location for about three years now and have a second Florida location in Tampa Midtown.
“Florida’s not really a pizza destination, but we have what I think is the best pizza in the bay area," Perez said. "We get lots of people excited to bring their families here, enjoy the pizza, just kinds reminisce on good days and bring a little slice of home to those people here in Florida.”
Geography also played a part. Due to St. Pete's coastal location, local eateries can offer fresh seafood straight from the Gulf. The study also found that three-course meals cost an average of $57.50, a relatively low cost compared to other cities.
Even Cape Coral was included in the study's top cities, finishing in 10th place with a score of 5.72.
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