Petersburg restaurant Sauvignon has been perpetually packed since opening in early 2021. ItвЂ™s the salsa macha - a dark and smoky medley of peppers and peanuts - that really steals the show.ДЄ seared snapper is served over pea puree with Calabrian chili oil and dragon fruit salsa at Sauvignon Wine Locker & American Trattoria in St. ThereвЂ™s always something in flux, and itвЂ™s almost always great.Д«ut while Reinsmith shakes things up seasonally, there are a few mainstays on the menu that have earned their keep: jerk-seasoned octopus plated with lemon jam, fennel and mint chorizo-stuffed dates, wrapped in crispy slices of bacon and nestled in a pool of smoky tomato and piquillo pepper sauce and a dreamy tuna tostada, featuring the perfect marriage of bright, smoky, crunchy and creamy elements. A seasonal burrata salad might feature fresh peaches one day and juicy heirloom tomatoes and cherries on another. A roasted half chicken served with yuzu salsa verde and fries on one visit might be reimagined as a Peruvian grilled chicken served alongside purple potatoes on the next. Over the last year and a half, IвЂ™ve popped by on several occasions, always curious what the вЂburgвЂ™s buzziest restaurant will come up with next.

This year, weвЂ™ve decided to take a different approach again.ДЄt Wild Child, crispy fish and grits are served with pickled jalapenos, tomatillo, creme fraiche and cotija cheese.

Judging or critiquing restaurants at such a tumultuous time didnвЂ™t just feel wrong, it was impossible: I wasnвЂ™t dining out regularly until a few months ago, when - fully vaccinated and amid dwindling COVID-19 cases in the state - I finally felt comfortable sitting in a packed dining room. But the past 18 months havenвЂ™t been easy, either.ДЄll of this contributed to our decision not to publish a traditional top restaurants list in 2021. Many Florida restaurants fared considerably better than their counterparts elsewhere in the country. And of course, the many restaurant employees that would inevitably contract COVID-19, sometimes prompting a days-long shutdown of the business. The labor shortages, the supply chain lags, the exponential food price hikes. The capacity restrictions and the ensuing social media backlash whenever a restaurant looked too busy. There were the mask mandates, and the staff tasked with enforcing them when unruly customers refused to comply. Judging by this,В I was expecting to see historic, hacienda-style decorВ once I opened the door to the suite itself.Many of those surprises came from the restaurant world, where I watched as chefs, owners and restaurant staff worked harder than ever to save their institutions and preserve their livelihoods, constantly pivoting and rolling with the many, many punches that the coronavirus pandemic lobbed their way. The hotelвЂ™s MediterraneanВ style architecture was reflectedВ in the details of this door as well, with its wrought-iron window, and hammered metal accents. IвЂ™d like to say that I was that seasoned traveller expressing my admiration at the room, but it was actually a close friend, Joanne, whoВ travels extensively andВ happened to be staying in Florida herself while I was there, who actually made the comment.В We had just met up even before I had checked into the hotel, so I invited her to come up with me while I dropped off my bag, before heading out to grab a glass of wine and catch up.Д®ven before we got to myВ suite, I wasВ impressed byВ the doorway that separates the entrance to each pair of suites from the hallway, allowing for that much extra soundproofing and privacy. ThatвЂ™s what happened to me with the Zamora Hotel in St. When a seasoned traveller who has been in their fair share of hotel rooms for business and pleasure walks into a hotel suite andВ says вЂњNiiiice!вЂќ, you know youвЂ™re onto a good thing.

Lingr st. pete