Since we're still a bit far from the retail going up in downtown Tampa, thought it might appropriate to have a new thread for the new stuff (outside of condos and offices) going up in Channelside and Ybor that opened in the past two months or will be opening in the next month (from what I've walked past):

Gallagher's Steak House in Channelside (where the Signature Room used to be). Nice, upscale steakhouse with a good selection of seafood as well. Nice, friendly bar staff and great manager who's certain to make this restaurant a success. A bit pricey but worth it -- try the 20oz Sirloin.

Tim McGraw's Country Saloon in Channelside, right across from Thai Thani on the second floor. Haven't been there yet (not a country music fan) but big space that (I think) is open Thurs-Sunday evenings. Looks pretty nice on the inside with a big space for live bands.

NYPD Pizza in Channelside on the front, near Hooter's. Have gotten takeout from there -- pretty decent lasagna and great soup. Haven't tried the pizza, but apparently they're doing a good business already.

Pirate's Cove in Channelside on the front, near Joffrey's. Nice, upscale-type convenience store, from what it looks like.

Edit - St. Pete Times on May 4, 2007 says this will open Saturday, May 5th. Late night, 2,500 square foot convenience store, but also bar area with tables outside and the first White Castle franchisee south of Tennessee ...

Zelda's Cafe and Deli attached to the BP station on Channelside and Kennedy. Scheduled to open June 3rd. Nice deli, and they're expanding out the back to include a covered but outdoor courtyard.

Luxe Urbain in the Victory Lofts Building on 12th and Whiting. Nice, upscale-looking spa and hairstyling place. Haven't been in -- its usually closed when I walk by, but looks nice. It's rumored that the owner might open a second location in Grand Central.

Give & Take in the Model T Building on 12th and Whiting. Haven't been in, but looks like a women's clothing store. Can't tell if its new clothes, or an upscale consignment shop (hence its name).

District Designs in the Meridian on 12th and Whiting. Funky, artsy, home decorations place -- I really like a lot of the stuff in there, and will fit the neighborhood well. Will definitely be there soon buying stuff as soon as the sale of my Clearwater condo is finalized (next week, knock on wood).

AC's Raw Bar and Market in Ybor on 4th Avenue and 18th Street (right on the train tracks in a renovated yellow bungalow). Went there for lunch today, and this will probably become my new hangout. Funky, Key-West-ish interior (bright blue walls, Jimmy Buffett) with INCREDIBLE raw bar options and other things as well. Only open for lunch from Tues-Sat for now, with beer and wine right now. Liquor license to come. Great fish market to come as well (they say they'll be able to order anything for you within 24 hours). GREAT oysters for $10/dozen -- trust me, for the taste and size, not pricey at all.

That's all I know for now ... lots more moving in.

Keep us updated...THANKS!

Here's the SP Times piece about Pirate's Cove. I'll definitely be checking out the burgers, it has been a long time since I've had a Whitecastle. Too bad there is no good parking right near by, it's over kill to hit the garage for a few slyders.

http://www.tbt.com/entertainment/food/article39842.ece

Here come the 'Slyders'

By Sharon Ginn, Times Correspondent
People in Tampa will soon be able to order hot White Castle burgers for those late-night munchies.

Pirate's Cove, a new restaurant and store set to open in Channelside on Saturday, will begin serving the fast food chain's breakfast menu and burgers and fries May 26. White Castle is a late-night staple north of the Mason-Dixon line but has no standalone locations south of Tennessee.

The square burgers known as "Slyders" are sold frozen in local grocery stores.

"But you can't beat a White Castle burger in the middle of the night," Pirate's Cove owner Shawn Kaplan said. "I contacted White Castle ... and we worked a deal together."

But burgers won't be all Pirate's Cove has to offer.

Kaplan will have a convenience store for those who live and work nearby, a full bar for partiers who stay out until the wee hours, and breakfast seating for the early morning cruise-ship set.

All of it will be wrapped up in a classic Tampa theme and squeezed into a 2,500-square-foot space. The entrance to Pirate's Cove, at 615 Channelside Drive, Suite 103, is on the outside of the complex, and Kaplan expects to offer seating both indoors and out. Servers dressed as "pirates and wenches" will accommodate as many as 150 patrons at a time.

Kaplan, 30, founded a similar store called Island Oasis in Harbour Island in 2003 and recently sold it. He said he enjoys filling niches and is happy to be able to sell aspirin to a Channelside employee or milk to a downtown resident.

The Channelside area was appealing mostly for its growth potential, Kaplan said.

"We're friends with (other) bar owners in this town," he said. "We're all trying to launch the downtown market to make it successful. In the next two years you're going to see such a change (with more) restaurants and bars and little cafes. ... It's so fresh and everything is going to be new."

Pirate's Cove will also offer entertainment several nights a week, Kaplan said. He expects to open at 6:30 a.m. daily, closing at midnight or 1 a.m. Sunday-Thursday and 3 or 4 a.m. Friday and Saturday.

Residents' Welcome Mat Out For Ikea
By JANIS D. FROELICH, The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 19, 2007

PALMETTO BEACH - Here's how Ikea, the Swedish housewares and furniture maker, plans to assemble its Tampa store: secure city council zoning approval Thursday, prepare the site beginning this summer, complete 12 months of construction by 2009.

But first, the worldwide company, which had 458 million customers in 2006, had to present its detailed plan before about 20 people at the Palmetto Beach Community Association meeting Tuesday evening at DeSoto Park pavilion.

Without community approval, construction plans usually go awry before zoning officials.

There was little concern expressed from this neighborhood of about 200 residences along McKay Bay, which has seen little construction in the past 50 years.

Ikea (pronounced Eye-key-a) rolled out all the specifics, including the insider information that Target was close to drawing up a site plan for the prime 30 acres at 22{+n}{+d} Street and Adamo Drive when Ikea called California developer Panattoni, the property owner.

'Ikea was the way we decided to go,' Mike McCanless, a St. Petersburg development manager for Panattoni, told the audience.

The bright blue and yellow 350,000-square-foot store will replace a 600,000-square-foot warehouse. The site needs lots of work, McCanless said, because it must be raised 3 to 5 feet from its flood plain state. Ikea promised landscaping plus a retention pond to separate the property from the neighborhood.

Ikea will buy the property from Panattoni after the land is prepared.

The store will feature 10,000 items, a 300-seat restaurant and 50 room settings so customers can visualize how their assemble-at-home furniture will work. McCanless said most customers will enter the site via Adamo, although there will be two entrances on 26{+t}{+h} Street.

Two-year resident Greg Richardson said trucks use 26{+t}{+h} Street to back into loading docks across from the Ikea site.

'That won't go well with Ikea traffic,' he said.

McCanless said the corridor will be transformed by a truck ramp, plus the almost $2 million in impact fees paid by Ikea.

The store promises 300 to 400 jobs, plus 500 construction jobs.

Darlene Guzman, president of the community association, said she likes the idea of Palmetto Beach residents being able to walk to work at Ikea.

'This is a great project,' she said.

Reporter Janis D. Froelich can be reached at (813) 835-2104 or jfroelich@tampatrib.com.

http://southtampa2.tbo.com/content/2007/may/19/residents-welcome-mat-out-for-ikea/?news