Brick & Mortar
American restaurant · St. Petersburg ·
Seasonal New American fare, unique wines, craft beers, outdoor seating
Seasonal New American fare, unique wines, craft beers, outdoor seating
"A new concept is being developed by a group of veteran operators near the busy Halsted and Clybourn intersection, set to occupy the former Golden Ox and Burger Bar space; further details and an opening timeline have not yet been released." - Ashok Selvam
"Chef Jason Ruhe is a favorite among local diners, thanks to his inventive pairings and elevated comfort dishes. After upgrading his In Bloom Catering company to a permanent setting (hence the name Brick & Mortar), he got started on a menu of New American rustic cuisine. Fresh ingredients are used to make favorites like the Fat Noodles, made with citrus, mint, and toasted pine nuts, or the Brick & Mortar veal meatballs, served over creamy polenta. You can spot Ruhe’s inspirations all over the menu, with each dish exploring a new flavor or ingredient." - Stephen Rubino
"Set to occupy the Dailies & Sides space, Brick & Mortar will function as an incubator-style restaurant where diner votes at the Pullman Yards Chefs Market determine which up-and-coming chef earns a paid residency in a fully staffed kitchen for up to three months. The residency is designed to be different from a pop-up — aimed at chefs who are serious and ready to work at it 100 percent — and the program will pay winning chefs from the sale of their dishes. The restaurant will have a staffed front of house, back of house, and bar program; a base menu will be set by in-house culinary director Alan Somphonephakdy (founder of Asian street food pop-up Salty Smiles); the resident chef retains creative control and the space will operate Wednesday through Sunday, with the first residency debuting on August 10." - Henna Bakshi
"St. Helena’s Brick & Mortar is identified as a local producer included on the beverage list, contributing to the mix of Old World and nearby winemakers." - Lauren Saria
"I learned that Brick & Mortar, a venerable Central Square bar that was closed through much of the pandemic and has recently reopened, will be the first participating venue in artist Oliver Mak’s pilot program: a pixel-art rendering of its building will be auctioned as an NFT on opensea.io at noon on May 25. The winner will be able to digitally visit the artwork within Mak’s artist-created game environment, OliWorldNFT (currently in prototype), and in the real world will be able to name a cocktail on the Brick & Mortar menu. Proceeds will go toward operating costs for the bar and development costs for the artwork; owner Gary Strack called it “pretty unique and uncomplicated in the most complicated way,” and hopes the pilot could potentially help dozens of local restaurants, clubs, bars, and art spaces going forward." - Rachel Leah Blumenthal