Daily Loaf

Although chef/owner Zack Gross has dished up fine food at Z Grille for years, this year saw such a quantum shift in the downtown St. Pete restaurant that it deserves rookie status. First, a move down the street and around the corner to beautiful digs in the Signature Place building, where artful interpretations of Gross’ love for tattoos and skateboards give the place a casual but refined vibe. Then, the food, which has morphed from Baja-Mex to imaginative, modern American cuisine that ranges from elegant to playful. With those changes, Z Grille has become the destination for foodies in the crowded St. Pete restaurant market.

104 Second St. St. Petersburg, 727-822-9600 or zgrille.net.

Despite the culture surrounding celebrity chefs that’s sprung up in recent years worldwide, our own local culinary heroes usually spend much of their time behind the line instead of in front of the cameras. Our annual Best of the Bay Readers’ Poll is your chance to recognize your favorite knife-wielding madman (or madwoman)!

Right now, the race is tight. Here’s a rundown on the top vote-getters so far: Read the rest of this entry »

This week — with Taylor cruising around China — Brian invites a few guests to the CL studio: Zack, Jen and Zen Gross, owners of Zurritos and Z Grille. We talk about his rise through the culinary ranks, his uncompromising personality and how damn cute their little daughter Zen is. Listen up.

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Breaking news from the James Beard Foundation awards committee: Tampa’s Zack Gross (of Z Grille) and Sarasota’s Derek Barnes (of Derek’s Culinary Casual) made the semifinals list for Best Chef: South a month ago, and Bern’s made the short list for Outstanding Restaurant, but none of them made the cut to the finalists list announced today.

I profiled Barnes in CL Sarasota a couple of weeks ago, and reviewed Z Grille a couple of months ago; both are well worth a visit, but the Beard Foundation has always tended towards honoring chefs with name recognition, usually from bigger markets. Still, as hackneyed as it sounds, it’s a big step for Barnes, Gross, Bern’s and Florida’s Gulf Coast just for them to be nominated. Congrats again, guys.

Check out the full list of finalists after the break:

Read the rest of this entry »

It’s been a busy week, folks, so here’s an easy list of all the top stories in CL’s food and drink coverage. Eat it up!

Nosh Pit Episode 4 is up!
Corkscrew covers wine and chocolate.
Ocean Prime and Restaurant BT build better cocktails.

Restaurant News: Bern’s and Zack Gross of Z Grille make Beard Awards semifinals, the horror and delight of Sam’s Club pizza, waiter rant, Mr. Dunderbak’s re-opens, Cilantro Indian Cuisine owner being deported, $10 bottles of wine at Ruby Tuesday, The Table loses its chef, free bread at the chains

Drinks: Beer Review: Nogne O Brown, Total Wine coupon, tickets on sale for Spring wine events, Beer Review: Petrus Oud Bruin, Wine Review: Brandal 2007 Albarino, Spanish love at B-21

Cooking and Recipes, Food News after the break: Read the rest of this entry »

Traditionally, smaller cities and less atypical chefs rarely make the Beard Foundation’s short list for their annual restaurant awards. This year, that seems to have abated a bit.

Bern’s Steak House has made the grade for Outstanding Restaurant — a national award that includes mostly established, big name restaurants. But they also picked Zack Gross of Z Grille as one of twenty people on the shortlist for Best Chef: South Region. A beard judge must have sampled his Dr. Pepper ribs or Butterfinger egg roll.

Sarasota also has a name on the list — Derek Barnes of Derek’s Culinary Casual. It’s a well-deserved honor for a chef who’s blazed a trail towards more innovating cooking in the area for years.

Congrats to all of them.

Check out the entire list after the break: Read the rest of this entry »

This morning I posted a review of Zurritos — the Zack Gross outlet that used to be Z Grille. Perfect timing, since the new Z Grille (727-822-9600) is officially opening today. Gross moved down the street to the new Signature Tower development at 104 2nd St. S, giving his casual and relaxed restaurant a more upscale vibe, edgy decor and a slightly enhanced menu. It’s still the same Baja-Mex and Cali fusion that made me give his ribeye Best Steak a couple of years back.

Check out the new Z Grille and let me know what you think.