In theory, it's an interesting concept ' offer diners the very best street food the Americas have to offer, and do so in a place where most of your patrons are from other countries. That's the thought behind Pleasure Island's boisterous Paradiso 37, the latest initiative by E-Brands, the restaurant conglomerate that brought us Timpano Chophouse, the Samba Room and Salsa Taqueria. The '37â?� in the restaurant's appellation is a reference to the 37 countries in the Americas, though that figure may or may not be entirely accurate. And if you're expecting to find at least one dish from each of the 37 nations, better lower your expectations. It was difficult to hide my disappointment when my beloved Canadian poutine was nowhere to be found on the menu. If French fries lathered in gravy and cheese curds is too exotic for Downtown Disney, then any hopes of finding Trinidadian bake-and-shark, Puerto Rican bacalaítos or Jamaica
ST. PETERSBURG — Acme Jazz Garage will perform Sunday, Oct. 24, 4 p.m., in Hough Hall at the Palladium at St. Petersburg College, 253 Fifth Ave. N., St. Petersburg.
However, when the country shut down last March, the boulevard was anything but bustling.
“It’s been tough times, to be honest,” says Alex Variu, manager of Gran Forno.
Gran Forno kept their store front open throughout the pandemic, removing seating while ramping up take out and trying to comply with all the other requirements.
“It’s been tough, the store has been open, we’ve tried to keep it open because there was no supply of bread in the chain stores and we tried to help everybody out as much as possible,” says Variu.
Marc Leach, a pharmacist and owner of The Chemist can relate as it has been a Las Olas staple for 16 years.