I’ve been dying to go to Urban Stillhouse in St Pete, but the timing hasn’t worked out, until today. I just happened to check Open Table and they had one reservation at 5 pm. Since I’m an old lady in a slightly less old lady body, I was totally fine with the early bird seating.
While the menu looks great, I really wanted to go to see the Christmas decor. It’s known for having some of the best Christmas decorations in Tampa Bay. And as someone who has seven Christmas trees up, I agree.
It was so cozy and lovely inside. The AC was on, so the fire felt so nice. There was holiday music on and everyone seemed to be in a jolly mood, including the bartender who was our server (side note: reservations are required for all seating, including at the bar).
We started with some cocktails. I had the Gin-gle All the Way, a gin and Prosecco cocktail that was super delicious, and beautiful. My dad, my dinner partner for the night, had a perfect Manhattan, using their Horse Soldier bourbon (not shown because it looked like very Manhattan).
We started with appetizers; veal meatballs for dad, crispy Gulf oysters for me. I don’t eat veal but he said they were very good. The oysters were so good that I convinced dad to try one, and he actually really liked it, despite claiming to hate oysters.
For dinner, dad had the grass-fed Delmonico, which looked pretty unappealing to me because I don’t eat red meat, but he said was very, very good. He also ordered a side of cheesy potatoes au gratin, and they were delicious.
I had the Maine lobster cavatelli. The lobster was perfect, not chewy at all. The sauce had nice little spice to it, and the burrata on top balanced the spice out perfectly.
Although we were stuffed, we shared the chocolate mousse with salted bourbon caramel. It was nice and small and the perfect thing to share.
All of the food came out shockingly fast. Like within minutes for some of it. The bartender said it was all fresh, but some of the food was prepared early and finished upon order. It all tasted fresh and was delicious, so it was kind of nice not having to wait around for our meal.
I loved it so much that I made a reservation for brunch in a few weeks. The Christmas decor stays up until the second week of January, so there’s plenty of time to go and see the decor!
They also have a little store, full of dress socks, golf stuff, and bourbon things. If you need a gift for a basic white dude, it’s the perfect place.
Pro tip: check Open Table for last minute reservations. Four spots opened for the same evening while we were there, due to last minute cancellations.
Saves Lives Will Travel 