If there's one place where I don't want my daughter to break the glass ceiling, it would be at the Chihuly Collection.
However, I did admire her tenacity in getting the photo she desired by placing my iPhone on the floor and capturing the brightly colored and fantastical shapes that fill the ceiling of a walkway in the newly opened Morean Arts Center Chihuly Collection in St. Petersburg, Fla. The building is the first designed to showcase the work of renowned glass artist Dale Chihuly; observing many people taking photos and showing their screens to others, I recognize this as a place where art inspires art.
The Chihuly Collection is one of three major art museums in the Florida Gulf coast city, which is currently enjoying a full-on resurgence both downtown and along Central Avenue, where the Chihuly museum opened in October (the collection had been housed elsewhere since 2010). This long corridor is lined with buildings tattooed by large-scale murals that house galleries, studios, restaurants and vintage shops. Central Avenue bisects the lobe-shaped peninsula in Tampa Bay, connecting downtown St. Petersburg on the eastern shore to Treasure Island, the barrier island that hosts miles of St. Pete's sugar-white beaches along the Gulf of Mexico. Few places in the world can claim such an embarrassment of geographic riches.
There are more reasons than ever to visit the city. The most urgent is the Frida Kahlo exhibit at the Dali Museum, on view until April 17. Nowhere in the world outside of Mexico can you see more of the Mexican surrealist's work in one place. Bonus, they are on display in the $36 million architectural masterpiece opened downtown in 2011.
The Dali Museum is hosting a Frida Kahlo exhibit through April 17.
The Kahlo exhibit is what lured my husband, young daughter and me to St. Petersburg during the holidays in a stay hosted by Visit St. Pete/Clearwater, the local tourism board. I had missed the Dali's Picasso exhibit in 2015 and wasn't going to let this one pass me by, too. Equally anticipated was the promise of finally staying at the landmark Vinoy Renaissance St. Petersburg Resort & Golf Club. The grand pink lady has distinguished St. Pete since it opened in roaring-'20s style on New Year's Eve 1925, cementing its role as a winter playground for the very wealthy. It's no surprise that fine arts philanthropists have so significantly contributed to the city's cultural life.
Though we came for the museums, we also brought our bikes to take advantage of the dry, warm weather with highs in the mid-70s. We were delighted to find a bike rack near the Vinoy's valet stand, which turned out to be no surprise once we discovered St. Pete to be a bike-friendly city.
If you've left your's at home, you can borrow one of the signature blue bikes from Coast Bike Share, with racks positioned throughout the city that enable you to borrow, return and pay-as-you-go. There's even a Coast station across the street in front of the 74-slip Renaissance Vinoy Resort Marina, which offers its guests access to all of the Vinoy's amenities, including the nearby 18-hole championship golf course and 12-court tennis complex.
As we climbed the hotel's steps and crossed the deep veranda, I noticed the clusters of guests who appeared to have nothing more urgent to do than to sit and enjoy the view of the busy marina and the long, green Straub Park that mirrors the length of the yacht basin (during the holidays, it is filled with magical displays of lights). Waiters delivered a cheese tray here and glasses of chardonnay there. I couldn't wait to claim my own seat.
The library area of the Vinoy Renaissance St. Petersburg Resort & Golf Club.
Inside the lobby with its original vaulted ceilings and the gold-colored Murano glass sconces and chandeliers, I felt as though I'd stepped back in time. A 2014 lobby renovation added some bold color and modern lines without diminishing its gravitas. Cozy library nooks and well-arranged seating near the lobby bar promised an inviting place for a family game of Qwirkle (one of our faves that always travels with us). Later, during a docent-led historical tour, I learned that that Vinoy's founder intended for his guests to spend their time in the public spaces, not in their rooms. Clearly the tradition has held.
We kicked off our first night with dinner at the opulent Sea Salt St. Pete, a newly opened outpost of chef Fabrizio Aielli's original in Naples, Fla., located in the newly reborn Sundial shopping and entertainment complex downtown. General manager Bill Mattrey told me that when Aielli wanted to expand, he saw all the cranes on St Petersburg's skyline and recognized them as a sign of success. "Fabrizio wants to be in front of the wave," said Mattrey, who hosted our meal. The concierge at the Vinoy sends guests here when they are looking for outstanding seafood and an extra-special experience. Whole fish on display in ice appear on the menu the next day. The oyster menu is printed daily, reflecting the day's catch. The 2,500-label wine tower also promises the possibility of discovering and tasting something new. Insider tip: Happy hour is from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. daily with specials including oysters, a lobster Reuben sandwich and fresh fish tacos.
The next morning our first stop was Black Crow Coffee, a funky local spot with clusters of vintage seating, a commitment to quality coffee and the flakiest croissants I've had in ages. A couple of antique typewriters offered some analog fun for my 7-year-old until it was time for our date with Frida.
The dazzling museum is located at the opposite end of the yacht basin from the Vinoy. An immense, hurricane-proof concrete block is engulfed by a geodesic bubble of more than 1,000 panes that almost appear as though a glass goddess is lying on her side holding the museum in her embrace. If you are reminded of the Louvre's glass pyramid, your senses are correct: Yann Weymouth is the architect behind the Dali Museum, and he had a hand, along with I.M. Pei, in creating the Paris museum's icon.
Perhaps it was the holiday week or maybe because the Kahlo exhibit had recently opened, but the museum was abuzz when we arrived just before it opened. A security guard told me that the parking lot had been hitting capacity early each day. Lucky for us, we came by bike (there's a bike rack in the employee parking lot on the far side of the museum, closest to the regional airport where private planes can land).
If you only know the Mexican surrealist from her flowered headdresses that have made their way into pop culture, this is your chance to better know the artist whose life was forever changed at age 18 after a horrendous bus crash. Her pain, courage and hope are expressed through the paintings, drawings and visual journal entries on display. Photos of Kahlo through the years also help the viewer piece together the artist's biography.
Museum tickets are $24, including audio guide, and are required to access the third-floor galleries (one of the purposes of the new museum was to safeguard the collection from hurricanes and flooding). If you don't have time to visit the art, at least stop in to see the building via the first floor gift shop, Cafe Gala (named for Dali's wife and muse) or the garden, which currently includes an installation that pays homage to Kahlo's lifelong home, Casa Azul in Mexico City.
Our next stop was billed as a tour of the "curated grocery market experience" at Locale Market, followed by lunch upstairs at FarmTable Kitchen. The 20,000-sqare-foot food emporium opened in December 2014 in the Sundial complex (next to Sea Salt St. Pete).
The Zen Belly station at Locale Market, part of the tasting tour on First Fridays.
The brainchild of James Beard award-winning chef Michael Mina and celebrity chef Don Pintabona, Locale's mission is to inspire and provide different culinary choices, said market manager Rachele Winkelmann, who introduced me to each of the chef stations that prepare everything to order, including ramen, fish tacos and the piled-high St. Petersburger made from beef that's been dry aged on site. There's charcuterie and a vegan station, and an in-house bakery provides everything from morning pastries to pizza dough to the coconut curry cornbread that's sold at the Surf & Turf station and in a six-pack to take home. Want a recipe? Ask for it. Need tips on preparing it? Ask a chef.
Upstairs is FarmTable Kitchen, a relaxed, full-service restaurant showcasing the fresh ingredients from Locale Market below. There's also a full bar whose seasonal cocktail menu, with names like Flower Crown and Love & War, is unmistakably inspired by Frida Kahlo. "Our cocktail menu is always inspired by whatever special exhibit is at the Dali Museum," said executive chef Jeffrey Hileman, who Michael Mina tagged to open Locale and FarmTable Kitchen, relocating him from his post as executive chef at Mina's Handle Bar at the Four Seasons Jackson Hole in Wyoming.
Hileman cooked for us, sending out a steady stream of just-right-size dishes from the menu for us to try. The most unexpected and memorable was an appetizer of tempura-battered maitake mushrooms that were light as air, crispy and perfectly balanced with the tangy toasted-sesame and yuzu aioli. Hileman finished our meal with a few slices each of the 45-day Locale dry-aged Kansas City strip steak.
Lunch "at a market" turned into an unforgettable, languorous meal that surprised me in every way. Much like St. Petersburg.
PLAN YOUR TRIP
Staying at the Vinoy Renaissance St. Petersburg Resort & Golf Club: The Vinoy offers 347 rooms and 14 suites on seven floors. Its Artful Retreat Package includes two tickets to the Salvador Dali Museum, the Salvador Dali Collection Catalogue, an upgrade to a Bay-view room and a $50 dining credit for Marchand's Bar & Grill, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner in a historical dining room. Rates start at $304 and are per room, per night, tax not included. Some blackout dates apply, and a limited number of packages are available.
First Friday in St. Pete: St. Pete is known for its First Fridays, a lively block party on Central Avenue that features live music with food and drinks on the first Friday of every month. The party continues at most of the restaurants along Beach Street, too.
Tasting tours at Locale Market and FarmTable Kitchen: Take a tasting tour of Locale Market on the first Friday of every month, as part of St. Pete's First Friday events. Twenty bucks gets you a nice composed plate at every station, including charcuterie and dessert (there are kid-friendly choices, too). Wine tastings are included. Advance tickets at or $25 at the door.
An eight-course chef's tasting menu is offered every week, Thursdays through Saturdays, and starts with a Champagne tour of the market at 6:30 p.m. Experience is limited to 10 diners,; book tickets in advance at www.localegourmetmarket.com/the-chefs-table/reservation.
Inspired? Make your own art: The Morean Art Center Glass Studio & Hot Shop is a working glass-art studio that offers daily demonstrations, included in your ticket to the Chihuly Collection (located a half-block away). Want to make your own art? The Hot Shop offers one-on-one experiences with a glass artist as well as regularly scheduled group workshops, such as Hot Date Night on Fridays.
Getting around: The Vinoy Hotel, Museum of Fine Arts, The Dali Museum and Sundial (entertainment complex where the restaurants are located) are all downtown and within one mile of the Vinoy. The Chihuly Collection is on Central Avenue in the Central Arts District and is two miles from the Vinoy. Take the the St. Petersburg Trolley Downtown Looper. The fare is 50 cents.
For more: Visit www.visitstpeteclearwater.com.