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Icon Central (Now Camden Central): Apartments In St. Petersburg

Posted on September 15, 2020

NOTE: Since my original publishing of this post, ICON Central, which was formerly owned and managed by TRG Management, the building was purchased and is now operated by Camden. The building is now called Camden on Central.

Continuing my series of blog posts giving people an inside look at apartment complexes in Downtown St. Petersburg, it’s now time to review Icon Central — the apartment complex I am currently calling home.

Icon Central is a new apartment complex located on – you guessed it, Central Avenue in the heart of Downtown St. Petersburg. I first learned of the building when I was out for a run down Central and saw construction beginning on what looked like a hotel pool. When I realized the new building was going to be a luxury apartment complex, I called Tyler and half-jokingly told him we just had to move.

Much time passed between that point and now. At the time, we were happily living about a mile away in Beacon430, so my ultimate masterplan was to move to Icon once Tyler graduated law school and got a job downtown Tampa. #GOALS

I remember telling my family about this “dream complex” that was going up …. I even once walked into the lobby only to be blown away by the glamorous interior decorating. I mean guys – they had the Tom Ford coffee table book in the lobby and everything.

However, as they say, life happens when you’re busy making plans and after graduating law school, Tyler accepted a position at a firm in Jacksonville – so we packed up and moved across the state with the (new) plan of returning to St. Pete as soon as possible.

Thankfully, a beautiful position opened up in Downtown Tampa less than a year into our transplant to Jax and we ecstatically moved back to the Burg.

Where else would we pick as our new home base but the chic hotel apartment with the Tom Ford coffee table book.

Icon Central Fast Facts:

Address: 855 Central Ave, St. Petersburg, FL 33701
Layouts available: Studio, 1, 2, and 3 bedroom units
Rent: *as of September 2020, about $1,409 -$3,349+ ranging from a 576 sq ft – 1,409 sq ft
Pet friendly? Yes! Monthly pet rent $20 per pet
Parking details: Gated covered garage for residents/limited guest spots available on the first floor of the garage
Distance to St. Pete Beach: 7.8 miles/16 minutes with light traffic
Distance to Downtown Tampa: 23 miles/25 min with light traffic
Distance to nightlife (party block as I call it): 0.6 miles/12 min walk – however, central has many bars just next door!
Closest Publix: Publix Super Market at 700 Central, 725 1st Ave S, St. Petersburg, FL 33701 0.2 miles/4 min walk
Closest Coffee Shop: Intermezzo Coffee & Cocktails, 1111 Central Ave, St. Petersburg, FL 33705 0.3 miles/5 min walk
Closest Dry Cleaner: Central Cleaners – Concierge Dry Cleaning, 790 Central Ave, St. Petersburg, FL 33701 476 ft./ 2 min walk

Icon Central: What is it really like living there?

Ok – obviously the intro of this post was more story-time and less matter-of-fact, but hey, I do live here and there were a lot of personal feelings going on when we moved back to St. Pete. BUT, unless you’re my immediate family (hi mom), you’re not here for the story, you’re here for the DETAILS.

In case you didn’t invest 20 minutes of your life to watch the above video I put hours of work into, I’ll give you the rundown. Tyler and I have been living at Icon Central since March of this year. The move-in process was seamless and we were given a cute tumbler gift set upon move in which felt very fancy.

We selected a one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment that felt like a comfortable size. Ideally, the dream was to have a two-bedroom, or at least a one-bedroom facing the pool, but the units available were on higher floors and were just a bit too much for us to commit to at the time. Remember – we had been paying Jacksonville rent for the past few months and it’s a bit of a bargain compared to this zip code. However, location is important to us and we’d gladly pay more for this city any day.

As soon as we moved in, we invited our family and friends over to tour the immaculate amenities – and I am so glad we did. Just a few weeks after that point, everything was shut down for Covid-19 precautions.

Since that point, many of the amenities have opened back up, the pool is accessible along with the rooftop deck, game simulator, lounge, and the gym. Tyler is waiting every day for an email announcing the movie room (his favorite part of this property) will again re-open.

Icon Central Movie Room — Private Movie Room // Image Curtesy of Icon Central

For us, living here has been great. The property is still new-feeling, the building is impeccably decorated, the garage is well-lit, the maintenance and cleaning staff is friendly and the amenities that are currently open, are beautiful. I enjoy meeting people around the building; they all have been wonderfully welcoming. There is definitely social energy throughout the building which can be nice after you’ve been inside working alone all day.

Like anywhere, experiences can vary, but for us, Icon Central has been a beautiful and luxurious place to call home.

What we love:

The amenities at Icon Central seriously blew me away. Whether you’re on the 8th-floor rooftop deck overlooking downtown, or in the hot tub under the palm trees, it seriously feels like you’re living in a hotel — and not just like any hotel – a nice hotel.

Having common spaces to work in was also a necessity in the new work-from-home situation I found myself in. During the day, the large lounge area offers many seating areas that make it possible for me to leave my unit every now and then to work elsewhere while socially distancing.

Apart from the amenities, the location of Icon has been such a fun change from where we previously lived at Beacon430. Being right on Central Avenue has opened up a new world of restaurants, shopping, and things to do that we didn’t have right outside our front door in the past. Even with the reduced amount of action in these past months, there is still some energy coming from the area which we have really enjoyed.

Lastly, management schedules little events and fun “perks” throughout the month which is certainly enjoyable. One day, a representative from The Hyppo was out by the pool with the most adorable cart giving out ice pops. In another example, during fourth of July weekend, each resident got a box of cookies and a bottle of wine left outside their door – it was an adorable surprise.

What we don’t love so much:

In the spirit of transparency, I ALWAYS want to cover things I love in addition to things that I don’t care for so much. As I mentioned before, we moved into the complex in March and since then, I honestly haven’t had anything to complain about. There was a period of time where the air conditioning in our shared hallway was not working so it was pretty warm – however, the office communicated with us regularly about progress on the repairs.

The only other thing I can think of to say is that there are few areas on the parameter of the building that could benefit from some fresh mulch.

Overall, this apartment is very fun – but it’s a different “type” of fun than say, Beacon430. For example, the pool here can get busy and there is normally live music (typically someone singing hits throughout the decades) but it’s not a pool where you will find people playing their own music or a group playing flip cup. In other words – I have not once seen a giant flamingo pool float in the Icon Central pool. This is not something we have any issue with, but at times we have missed the louder atmosphere of previous complexes so I felt it may be helpful to include.

So overall, from my personal experience, I have not had any experiences or observances worth complaining about.

Would we recommend Icon Central to a friend?

Like with every post within this series, my goal with each post is to share my own experience and observances in hopes of serving someone who may be looking for some information.

Based on my personal experiences living at Icon Central, I would absolutely recommend this apartment complex to anyone looking to move Downtown St. Pete!

Urban Landings: Apartments in St. Petersburg

Posted on August 3, 2020

Urban Landings Downtown St Petersburg Apartment Building

With so many apartments available in Downtown St. Petersburg, picking your next home base can be a daunting and time-consuming task. That’s why we created this special series highlighting some of the popular apartment complexes in Downtown St. Petersburg. This post explores Downtown St. Pete apartment complex, Urban Landings – let’s dive in!

As I have not personally lived in Urban Landings, I contacted my lovely friend, Allessia who graciously invited me over and gave me a full tour of the complex. Allessia has been in the building for several years and is probably THE BEST person to talk about Urban Landings as she was the first tenant to move in when the building first opened!

P.S. she also makes a killer iced latte which I have found myself thinking about now days after visiting.

Urban Landings Fast Facts:

Address: 300 4th Ave S, St. Petersburg, FL 33701
Layouts available: 1, 2, and 3 bedroom units * as of July 2020, only 2 and 3 bedrooms available
Rent: *as of July 2020, about $1,824 -$2,124+ ranging from a 925 sq ft – 1,093 sq ft
Pet friendly? Yes! Max 2 allowed, Max weight 30 lb each/monthly pet rent $50 per pet.
Parking details: Gated covered garage for residents/street parking for guests
Distance to St. Pete Beach: 8 miles/16 minutes with light traffic
Distance to Downtown Tampa: 24 miles/25 min with light traffic
Distance to nightlife (party block as I call it): 0.4 miles/8 min walk
Closest Publix: Publix Super Market at University Village, 250 3rd St S, St. Petersburg 0.2 miles/3 min walk
Closest Coffee Shop: Kahwa 204 2nd Ave S, St. Petersburg 0.3 miles/5 min walk

Urban Landings: What is it really like living there?

The biggest thing I took away from meeting with Allessia is that Urban Landings is actually a split complex where half of the building is 65+ and the other half is open to all ages. Interestingly enough, the building actually offers completely separate amenities to both sides so though you are all under one apartment complex, the two parts of the building are pretty separate. Both sides use the same garage, but apart from that, there are two gyms, two common rooms, two mailrooms etc.

Lifestyle St. Pete Apartments

Beacon430: Apartments in St. Petersburg

Posted on July 11, 2020

Alright guys – it’s time I sit down to actually write out an idea Iv’e had floating around in my mind for far too long. LET’S GET THE REAL NEED-TO-KNOW INFO ABOUT APARTMENTS IN ST. PETERSBURG and we’re starting with Beacon430.

Since moving to St. Pete, I’ve had the pleasure of visiting and touring a lot of the apartments here and with so many looking to potentially move to the area (highly recommend!) I felt it was high time to put together a series of posts giving people the need-to-know info about the apartments in Downtown St. Petersburg, Florida.

So, as I set out to start God’s work, I reached out to friends and people in the community to get genuine feedback on each of the apartment complexes I cover. I plan to write a post for each complex that offers the good, the bad, and anything in-between. First up? A special place in my heart, Beacon430.

Beacon430 Fast Facts:

Address: 430 3rd Ave S, St. Petersburg, FL 33701
Layouts available: 1, 2, and 3 bedroom units
Rent: *as of July 2020, about $1,306 -$3,434+ ranging from a 1,279 sq ft
Dog friendly? Yes! One time fee + monthly pet rent $20-$40.
Parking details: Street parking with a permit or gated covered garage
Distance to St. Pete Beach: 8 miles/16 minutes with light traffic
Distance to Downtown Tampa: 24 miles/25 min with light traffic
Distance to nightlife (party block as I call it): 0.4 miles/8 min walk
Closest Publix: Publix Super Market at University Village, 250 3rd St S, St. Petersburg 0.2 miles/4 min walk
Closest Coffee Shop: Kahwa 204 2nd Ave S, St. Petersburg 0.3 miles/5 min walk

Alright, so now that we got the “googleable” info conveniently gathered for you in one place – let’s talk personal takes on Beacon430. This Downtown St. Pete apartment complex was where I called home when Tyler and I first moved to the dtsp area. Though I was looking and looking and nothing felt “right.” It was really hard balancing the price vs. the location vs. the amenities at of a lot of these complexes. It felt like everywhere I looked was just SO small and very expensive. I remember talking to my mom and she said, “if it doesn’t feel right, you just haven’t found the right fit” and she encouraged me to keep looking.

At that point, I started just driving around the area (which was super new and scary to me at the time – what were all of these one-way streets doing?!) and found Beacon430. How had I not seen this gem before?! It turns out that for whatever reason, the complex was not listed on the various apps I had been using to guide my apartment search.

Beacon430: What is it really like living there?

Tyler and I lived in Beacon430’s 1 bedroom/1 bathroom for about a year and later expanded to a 2 bedroom/2bathroom when my sister moved in with us. My sister still lives in the complex and is now enjoying her own studio unit – so Iv’e seen my share of units in this complex.

Ok – so let’s talk vibe. Beacon430 offered a lot of great amenities and a lot of great people. It was a younger community but didn’t have a “dormish” feel like some other complexes did. I would say we used the amenities quite often – I would go to the pool a lot and was able to throw some great pool parties there. Because the pool was distanced from the office, we didn’t have noise complaints and everyone was able to blast music and drink whiteclaws until the sun went down. I mention this because other complexes I will cover in this series have a more subdued pool vibe that may or may not be more of what you’re looking for. For us, Beacon430 was the perfect place to introduce Gary, our giant flamingo.

Beacon430 also had a great gym that included pretty much every machine you could need. However, my husband did lament about there not being a free weight set-up. The gym offers floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking downtown and even had a boxing bag – a nice touch I didn’t find in other complex’s gyms. Additionally, there is a great entertaining room with a kitchen and private bath that was open to the residents and could be reserved if desired.

Finally, Beacon430 offers a great conference room on the fourth floor and a ground floor library common area that was vastly underutilized and served as the perfect place for Tyler to spend approximately 531,985,934 hours studying for the Florida Bar.

What we loved:

The office staff and community members were all very friendly. There was a lot of fun to be had but the complex also offered spaces to work uninterrupted outside of your unit. The finishes in the units were all modern and we appreciated the granite countertops and dark wood flooring. With the location offering a Publix, a coffeeshop, a CVS and bars all within easy walking distance, we definitely enjoyed the location.

Video Tour of Beacon430

What we didn’t love so much:

Though we enjoyed the convenience of Beacon430’s location, there was a lot of foot traffic from the bars at night by both tenants and othes leaving the outside of the complex somewhat littered with trash. If you had a unit on the outside of the complex like ours, you could often hear revelers late at night returning after a long night out. Though Beacon430 was pet friendly, I did wish they had a dog washing station and a larger dog park. Because we were surrounded by sidewalks, the small dog park with turf in place of real grass wasn’t THE most ideal.

Additionally, don’t get me wrong – Beacon430 is kept up quite nicely and we hardly EVER had any maintenance issues, however now looking back, I can say that the complex isn’t spruced up as often as other complexes in the area. It was always clean but not SPARKLING – does that make sense?

Would we recommend Beacon430 to a friend?

Yes! I think Beacon430 continues to be a competitively priced complex that errors on the side of a lower price if you are looking for a small unit downtown. Though it’s a bit of a longer walk from Central (where many boutiques, bars and restaurants are) Beacon430 is situated in an incredibly walkable area which is what many might be looking for if they are looking to move downtown.

Lifestyle

5 Apps offering Free At-Home Workouts

Posted on April 26, 2020

rooftop collective app that offer free workouts at home

With many states restricting outings to only essentials (groceries, medical appointments, etc.), many industries are learning to adapt to our “new normal” of staying home as much as possible. Among the leaders of adapting is the fitness industry. Once powered by gym memberships and trendy boutique gyms, pre-recorded and live workouts have replaced the old ways that we’d break a sweat. So, we set out to find four of the top apps offering free at-home workouts so you didn’t have to.

Let’s take a look at a few of the leading workout subscriptions that you can do in the comfort of your home, all of which are currently offering free trials in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic to allow everyone access to ways to stay healthy and fight the “quarantine 15.”

If you’re looking for something with structure…

Beachbody on Demand

Deemed the “Netflix of fitness,” Beachbody on Demand is offering users a free 14-day trial to its workout streaming app. Known for some of its most popular programs like P90X and 21 Day Fix, the app has recently broadened its scope of workouts and is now streaming popular programs centered around barre, yoga, kickboxing, and more.

As someone who has a pretty intermediate level of knowledge of fitness, I find that the programs on Beachbody are perfect for all levels, but especially beginners. The programs are led by world-class trainers who explain every movement and how your body should be feeling with each one. It’s perfect if you’re not 100% on things like proper form, breathing through movement, and other basics. Each program that I tried came with a suggested schedule as well as detailed guides on what to expect which was perfect for my Type A personality.

If you’re looking for a way to set new habits of working out regularly and prioritizing your health, I’d highly recommend starting with 21 Day Fix. It’s one of Beachbody’s legacy programs and is a very motivating way to make sure you get your movement in daily. From there, you can checkout one of their newer programs like Barre Blend or PiYo to find what kind of exercise is right for you! At only $99/year for the streamable content, it is one of the lower priced home workout apps on the market.

Centr: Workout like Marvel’s Thor

Have you ever wondered how Thor keeps his physique? No? Maybe that’s just me, but you’re probably wondering now! Chris Hemsworth has gathered his fitness and nutrition team to launch Centr, a health app designed to help you find your center with health. This app covers more than just exercise – it offers suggested workouts that you stream on the app, recipes for healthy meals, and guided meditations to train mindfulness. It’s truly a 360-degree app focused on your total wellbeing, and completely customized based on your personal information and ultimate goals.

Based on your level (beginner, intermediate, or advanced), the app will distribute workouts, recipes, and content that is unique to you and your plan. The workouts themselves come in two forms, self-guided or coached. With the self-guided option, a custom workout is put together and instructional videos on proper form are provided, but you ultimately move at your own pace through the various movements. Coached workouts are the most typical streamable workouts that have one of Chris’ coaches leading you through a warm-up, workout, and cool-down. The production of the workout videos is top-notch and the energy from the coaches is infectious.

With a 7-day free trial, and a price tag of $29.99/month for the month-to-month option, the free trial is one of the shorter on the market and the subscription is higher than others. There is the option to pursue a $119.99/year subscription if you end up hooked after your 7-day trial. And remember, the cost covers the workouts, healthy recipes (which you can easily turn into a shopping list), and the guided meditations – all customized to you and your plan. It’s like having a top-notch trainer in your pocket!

If you’re missing your hometown studio…

Local Spotlight: Pilates with Randi

Many who religiously attended classes at their favorite fitness studio may be missing the camaraderie of group fitness. Luckily, many boutique studios have transitioned to online classes including local studio, Pilates with Randi. Though not an app, we felt it was important to include at least one locally owned business within our list. #SupportLocal

Offering a variety of classes ranging from cardio-based high-intensity intervals (HIIT), to mat pilates classes, Pilates with Randi’s online courses can easily transform even the smallest of living rooms into your own personal studio.

The studio offers drop-in classes for just $8 in addition to packages of five, ten, or an unlimited amount of classes per month. Giving users the opportunity to have a free at-home workout, one of their main instructors, Victoria Waycaster, offers a free introductory class that you can redeem when emailing her at [email protected]. Though each class is offered live giving you the opportunity to workout alongside familiar faces, you have 24 hours to use the class providing the flexibility some may need.

If you prefer to pick and choose…

Peloton Fitness App

If you’re a more advanced fitness junkie, you may prefer to pick and choose your exercises on a daily basis. If you’re looking for the flexibility of not following a specific program, with the ability to move seamlessly between cardio, strength training, or other fitness types, Peloton may be the right app for you.

Offering an impressive 90-day free trial due to the COVID-19 concerns, this app really offers quality content of all kinds: strength, yoga, cardio, meditation, running/walking, outdoor audio fitness, cycling, stretching, and more! The content mostly comes in the form of pre-recorded videos, but they also offer audio-guided workouts for walks, runs, outdoor fitness, etc. as well as my personal favorite – live classes! Offering a schedule with classes you can tune in to live with other fitness junkies, they take place at all times throughout the day, allowing you to choose live workouts that best fit with your work-from-home schedule. In true Peloton fashion, the power of community is harnessed in many ways throughout the app, even allowing you to see who else is watching one of the workout videos at the same time! This is one of the many reasons this app is Rooftop Collective’s Founder, Gabrielle’s favorite at-home workout app.

After you’ve spent 90 days discovering your favorite workouts and getting in shape, you can keep your subscription for just $12.99/month, a very reasonable cost for the quality and diverse exercise content offered in the app. Just make sure you sign up soon – the ability to sign up for the free trial ends April 30th!

If you’re looking for a little bit of both…

Kira Stokes Fit

Last but not least, and my personal favorite, if you’re looking to have the option to follow a pre-designed plan or switch things up, the Kira Stokes Fit app may be the option for you. Known for training celebrities like Ashley Graham and Candace Cameron Bure, Kira takes a holistic approach to wellness and emphasizes low impact workouts.

Her app is full of carefully curated content designed to help you reach your fitness goals. She offers modifications throughout the videos and brings a vibrant energy that is sure to help you get stoked. She offers the ability to follow a 7-day plan (Stoked in 7 for newbies to the app or Super Stoked in 7 for the veteran subscribers). Adoringly referred to as “appletes,” Kira is extremely active on social media, bringing an added level of personalization to her approach.

When you sign up and get involved with app, you’ll learn ways to enjoy your fitness routine and sneak in some extra work when you don’t have time for a full 30-60 minute workout. Referred to as “movement snacks” by Kira, she offers ways to get in just a few minutes of activity throughout the day. With her emphasis on low impact (perfect for those of you currently quarantined in apartments with lower level neighbors!), Kira works in “sneaky cardio” throughout the pre-recorded exercises. The Stoked Method emphasizes form, function, fun, fatigue and fuel to create a well-rounded workout every single time.

The 7-day free trial offers the perfect amount of time to try out the Stoked in 7 program and the subscription is $14.99/month (or $144.99/year) after. In addition to the free trial, Kira is hosting free and live workouts with her celebrity clients on Instagram Live and announces upcoming workouts about 24 hours in advance so you can plan to attend or follow along later. If you tune in for her live workouts, Kira is also using Instagram to suggest videos to follow each day if you’re craving a little more structure.

The bottom line of at-home workouts

Whether you try one of these fitness apps, or all of them, many are discovering the joy of working out from home during this unprecedented time. Finding the app that keeps you motivated and provides you the best fitness for your goals takes time, which is why it’s essential that take advantage of these trials offering free at-home workouts! Each of these apps allows you to cancel subscriptions at any time.

For an inside look at my first-hand experience with these apps, head to Instagram and view my Health highlight!

Bars & Bites Dining

Rococo Steak is Letting You Get Fancy at Home: Takeout Wine and Cheese Boards

Posted on April 11, 2020

Charcuterie Board from Rococo Steakhouse

Rococo Steak joins many restaurants exclusively offering curbside pickup – and you don’t want to miss it.

As we continue into the next extension of our stay-at-home order, more and more local restaurants are introducing creative ways to bring their offerings to customers in the comfort and safety of their homes. Downtown St. Petersburg restaurant, Rococo Steak is offering an impressive take out menu between the hours of 4PM-8PM in addition to meal kits and special offerings as supply is available.

When Tyler and I heard about their charcuterie kit – we had to try it! Afterall, Rooftop Collective is all about finding ways to have elevated experiences…what better way than to bring the elegance of a top local restaurant home?

Each kit costs $50 and includes: ⁣⁣⁣
– Your choice of a hand-selected red or white bottle of wine ⁣⁣⁣
– Mixed cured & aged meats (4)⁣⁣⁣
– Mixed artisan cheeses (4)⁣⁣⁣
– Nuts, jams, jellies, honeycomb & more⁣⁣⁣
– Chocolate torte⁣⁣
⁣⁣

Rococo Steak Take Out Wine and Cheese on Rooftop Collectivw

On a normal evening, Rococo’s glamorous restaurant is a must-try location for a special occasion. I was happy to see their attention to detail and hospitable service was not lost as they transitioned to curbside pickup during these crazy times. BTW – check out that curbside pickup appeal…

As the closest I have ever come to ordering a full-on charcuterie board to-go has been running into Publix for a bottle of wine and a block of cheese, I was very curious to see how Rococo was going to bring their elegant dining experience to the comfort of my home.

Needless to say, from their branded takeout bags to the clearly labeled and individually packaged meats and cheeses, the whole order was an impressive experience. Additionally, the quantity of food they provided in this order was huge – we could have easily split the board between three people, of course – we didn’t and ate it all ourselves. #NoRegrets

Rococo Steak Takeout Wine and Cheese Board on Rooftop Collective

All we had to do was call ahead to reserve our order and pick it up outside of their restaurant during designated hours. From there, it was as easy as grabbing your wine glasses and unwrapping everything. To be honest, the hardest part of the whole experience was taking these super fancy pictures… *wink*

As you can likely tell, Tyler and I 100% recommend ordering this offering from Rococo Steak whenever they have them available. As they have sold out quickly the last two times charcuterie has been offered, follow them on Instagram to be notified when something special is available. @RococoSteak

Rococo Steak Takeout Charcuterie Board on Rooftop Collective

Not feeling wine and cheese? Check out our post showing you the delicious opportunities that await from Trophy Fish, St. Pete.

Bars & Bites Dining

Date Night In with Trophy Fish St.Pete

Posted on March 31, 2020

As soon as local seafood restaurant, Trophy Fish announced on Instagram they were starting to offer “make it yourself curbside cocktails”, I knew we had to try them. Admiring their creativity and ingenuity (take a look at those custom cocktail bags that even keep the garnish in-tact) I waited for the weekend to roll around to place my dinner order making a special date night!

With St. Pete and Tampa Bay’s restaurant scene in jeopardy as a result of COVID-19, many restaurants are looking for creative ways to entice those staying at home to order online or through a third-party delivery app. This has brought about many new ideas such as take-home meal kits, bubbly brunch kits to-go, and of course, these fun curbside cocktails.

Trophy Fish Online Menu:

Trophy Fish is currently offering meals and cocktail orders to be placed over the phone, through this link, or, via Door Dash. As Tyler and I are making a large effort to stay in as much as possible, we opted for Door Dash Delivery. (FYI – Door Dash is currently running a “Local Restaurant Saturday” promotion now through the end of April which grants you $0 delivery to local restaurants for orders $15+)

Food Menu

Since I am sure their menu is subject to change, click here to view their online menu listing current dishes available.

We ordered (and thoroughly enjoyed) the Blackened Mahi paired with Cole Slaw, Red Beans & Rice, and Citrus Rub Grouper, paired with Asparagus, and Red Beans & Rice. The food was cooked to perfection and was a MUCH welcomed change from our current go-tos of canned soup and salad.

The fish was fresh and cooked to perfection. However, one of THE BEST things at Trophy Fish, in my opinion, is their perfectly golden hushpuppies. #SOMUCHYESSSSS

Curbside Cocktail Menu

In addition to classic favorites such as a Margarita and Moscow Mule, patrons can order from the below Trophy Fish cocktails:

Salty Dawg: Ketel One Grapefruit Rose Vodka, Giffard Pamplemousse, Provence rose, grapefruit juice and vanilla salt
Calm Before the Storm: chamomile, Russel’s Reserve 10 year bourbon, Compass Box Peat Monster, Boston bittahs
Blood Money: smokey Del Maguey Vida Mezcal, Aperol, Averna, and blood orange
Pistachio Mai Tai: stolen Smoked rum, Flor de Cana 4 year, Pierre Ferrand Dry Curacao, pistachio, lime and tiki bitters
Fin and Tonic: Hendricks Gin, Thatcher’s Elderflower, citrus peel, juniper berries, cucumber and fresh flowers

Any cocktail with grapefruit is a favorite of mine — so I selected the vodka-based Salty Dawg and Tyler enjoyed their award-winning Blood Money cocktail.

Pictured: Trophy Fish Cocktails, Blood Orange (front) and Salty Dawg (back)

To those in the St. Pete area looking to brighten up your new stay-at-home-eat-all-of-the-quarantine-snacks routine, we highly recommend bringing the tropics of Trophy Fish home this week.

Make it a date night! Order in and check out our post with the complete list of Marvel movies in chronological order.

get the list

Lifestyle

How to watch Marvel movies in chronological order

Posted on March 29, 2020

During the last few days, I have seen approximately 432,422 blog posts outlining what new movies and shows to stream while we are all responsibly social distancing.

However, if we are being honest here – I am just not a huge fan of jumping into every “binge-worthy” show that takes social media by storm. Why? 9/10 times they stress me out. So – when thinking about how I wanted to distract myself from the craziness that is going on in today’s world, it was a clear answer – let’s turn to the superheroes, obviously.

via GIPHY

Many of us have likely seen most of, if not all of the movies that have trickled out of Marvel Studios throughout the years. BUT – how many of us have committed 50 hours to rewatch these iconic films in the order they happen within the Marvel Universe?

Tyler and I have been watching these movies in order over the past few days and I wholeheartedly recommend it. By watching each movie as they happen within the overall Marvel storyline, you notice so many nuances and comments made by characters that make so much more sense when watching them in this order.

So go ahead, pop the popcorn, open up Disney Plus and let’s let the superheroes show us how it’s really done.

Bonus: Make it a date night! Get honest reviews of some of the best restaurants in Downtown offering takeout here.

Marvel Movies in Chronological Order:

Captain America: The First Avenger (takes place during WWII)
Captain Marvel (takes place in 1995)
Iron Man (takes place in 2010)
Iron Man 2 (takes place after Iron Man)
The Incredible Hulk (time unspecified, pre-Avengers)
Thor (time unspecified, pre-Avengers)
The Avengers (takes place in 2012)
Iron Man 3 (takes place six months after The Avengers)
Thor: Dark World (post-Avengers, pre-Ultron)
Captain America: Winter Soldier (post-Avengers, pre-Ultron)
Guardians of the Galaxy (sometime in 2014)
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (after Guardians)
Avengers: Age of Ultron (takes place in 2015)
Ant-Man (takes place in 2015)
Captain America: Civil War (post-Ultron, pre-Infinity War)
Spider-Man: Homecoming (post-Civil War, pre-Infinity War)
Doctor Strange (takes place in 2016)
Black Panther (takes place in 2017)
Thor: Ragnarok (post-Ultron, pre-Infinity War)
Avengers: Infinity War (takes place in 2017)
Ant-Man and The Wasp (ambiguous, but fits nicely between IW and Endgame)
Avengers: Endgame (starts in 2017, finishes in 2022)
Spider-Man: Far From Home (post-Endgame)

via GIPHY

Bars & Bites Lifestyle

Make a Difference: How You Can Help Feed Healthcare Workers Fighting Against Covid-19

Posted on March 27, 2020

St. Pete Rising and the Edge Guide Donate Meals to Healthcare Workers

In the midst of news surrounding COVID-19 going from bad to worse, two St. Pete organizations are teaming up and going above and beyond to support those on the front lines — and they are asking for our help.

St. Pete Rising, an urban development blog, and local site, EDGE Guide, have partnered together to bring fresh meals to healthcare workers fighting against COVID-19. Taking their focus one step further, they have committed to teaming up with one local restaurant and one hospital or healthcare provider each day to not only provide welcomed meals to workers but to support local businesses.

How We Can Help:

What makes this mission so impactful, is that the organization is purchasing these meals from local restaurants impacted by COVID-19 hoping to support them through an increase in sales. This means you and I can support this movement by simply donating a small amount that would sponsor a meal for a healthcare worker.

Supporters are given the option to donate $10+ with each increment of $10 providing an entire meal for those risking their health to fight against the virus.

Join us in supporting the Edge Guide and St. Pete Rising as they make this incredible effort to provide meals to local heroes fighting on the frontlines each day.

Click here to support

Beauty

New Shape Tape Foundation Review: How Sweatproof Is It?

Posted on July 7, 2019

An Honest Review: Shape Tape Foundation

Let’s talk FOUNDATION. Foundation is without-a-doubt the number one thing in my makeup kit I am always rotating. Being tan, foundation has always been a discussion point for me as it has always been rediculously difficult to find a foundation that is the right color for my face – let alone one that actually wears well. Tarte Cosmetics has always been a fun, cruelty free brand carried by makeup retail giant Ulta that has caught my interest. However, when they launched their original Shape Tape Foundation to compliment their cult classic Face Tape Concealor, many were dissapointed due to their very slim shade range.

Following harsh backlash, Tarte pulled the foundation and again relaunched it in 50 shade ranges to match many more skin tones. In addition to a more inclusive shade range (still, not as many shades offered as other cosmetic giants) the foundation claims to be “transfer-proof, waterproof & sweatproof.” This post is dedicated to putting these claims to the test by wearing it all day, working out in it and then of course giving an honest review.

I compared the new foundation to my current go-to foundation, MAC’s Studio Fix Fluid for a two-day, very sweaty test.

How much does it cost?

Each bottle of foundation costs $39 and can be purchased from Tarte’s website, or from Ulta.

Is Tarte Shape Tape Foundation full coverage?

YES. I was honestly very impressed by the level of coverage the Shape Tape Foundation offers. I found it to be very blendable and very high coverage throughout the day.

Can you use Shape Tape Foundation as a concealer?

Because the foundation is so high-coverage, I found it to cover the dark circles under my eyes completely. However, if you are looking to lighten under your eyes, I would recommend still purchasing a concealer that is one to two shades lighter than your foundation.

Face Tape Foundation vs. Mac Studio Fix Fluid after workout

Conclusion:

After testing both foundations through a full day of wear and a workout, it was clear to see the Face Tape Foundation stayed on better than the Mac foundation. After an intense workout, I still looked very made up and after blotting away the sweat (ew) my face looked as if I had recently applied the makeup. I was honestly impressed.

I have very normal skin and did not find the foundation to irritate my skin in any way. I would recommend anyone looking for a high-coverage, matte foundation to try this re-release.

Have you tried it? Let us know what you thought of it in the comments below!

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