Cala Italian Kitchen — Restaurant in Saint Petersburg

You never know what you'll find near some shipping containers. In this case, it's fantastic Sicilian food. It was so good, we returned for a second serving the following day.

CALA has only had its soft open and is operating both outside and on a BYOB basis. Reservations don't seem necessary now, but might be as they have their grand opening. They're closed Mondays.

Try the squid ink pasta and seafood for a marriage of traditional Sicilian cooking with the flavors of the Florida Suncoast. Make sure you find anything that says "Catanese" to find dishes from the owner and chef's hometown of Catania. The focaccia options are similar to pizza, with an out-of-this world crust that combines chewy, charred, and crispy - thanks to a state-of-the-art pizza oven. Even the basic chicken parmigiana is infused with the same care, brined and set atop a bed of homemade pasta just past al dente. We enjoyed the burrata and each and every one of the DOP (Italian San Marzano) tomatoes.

Bring your friends. I'm willing to bet this will be a hot ticket...

Delicious and great vibe! Homemade pastas, pizzas, Sicilian style dishes in an incredible casual atmosphere in an outside courtyard at St Pete Distillery. This is Flavio (we love Flavio!) and Francesco that used to be at Italy Bottega. Francesco is a truly gifted chef. I had a pistachio burrata cream sauce with sausage that was incredible. and the tomato sauce on the breaded chicken is so flavorful. This is super high quality food, reasonably priced, in a casual setting. HUGE space, room to bring a big party. I hope they have live original music out there soon! The Distillery has the drinks at a cute bar, they tasted nice but not fairly priced. I routinely enjoy a $15 cocktail around town, but those are in glassware and garnished and gorgeous with herbs and tinctures. I don't think they should be charging that for those tiny 6oz cheap plastic cups with no a/c or dishwashing or other typical craft bar expenses. They are new so hopefully they will settle their prices to be more...

Excellent food, great drinks, fantastic service in a spacious, casual, dog friendly space! St. Pete needed a place like this that has All of the above. There’s something for everyone on the menu-the food is Authentic Italian, flavorful, and homemade. The space is versatile as well. This is an entirely outdoor venue with tables for small and larger groups, and bar height tables. My favorite are the modified shipping containers with couches and tables with a cozy lounge feel to them. You can dress up and go for a quiet date night curled up on a couch, or gather with a group of friends, chat and enjoy live music. Did I mention dog friendly? Another St. Pete requirement :) My friends and I are already making plans to go back! Ask for Flavio-he’ll Make sure your experience...