350 2nd Ave N,
St. Pete, FL 33701
… more pix n videos on Google Maps, Yelp & TA
A neighborhood square in downtown St. Pete. We stopped by after dinner at the Red Thread.
Part of it vicid green and part of it is a bit dilapidated – common character of a city park.
Palladium Theater
St. Pete, FL
… more pix on Reddit; St. Pete
The last production of St. Pete opera‘s 19th season; and they’ve been in the black. They forewarn of gunshots. It opens with the famous aria Habanera.
Georges Bizet’s 1875 Carmen. Nth time, the same joy.
Who’s your most favorite Carmen? Denyce Graves (1964-) for me. Saw her with the Met in 1997, it was during her prime. No one has come close since.
Again, late comers are allowed to be seated. One of ‘the thing’ at this theater is actors often going through the orchestra section to get on the stage. Tonight, few seconds or a minute after this video was taken at 7:46, the actors walked the same middle isle to the stage. This is a very dangerous situation, aside from the etiquette. Why would the theater allow the late comers to come in?
After the intermission, it will be the can opening symphony: puchi, or pop, the brief but sharp soda cans opening sounds, like in a ball park one after another 此起彼伏 forming its own symphony. I get it that you allow the audience to bring in their drinks. But can you please open the can before handing it to the opera goer? It’s simply disgusting.
… It feels so high school. If you act like a high school, you remain at high school level.
Palladium Theater is about to have a $10m major renovation, that was announced last year (abc; college; my palladium). Hope the new theater would have a better policy re the late comers.
Dinner at Red Thread was wonderful so is to discover a city green space.
300 1st Ave N,
St. Petersburg, FL 33701
… more pix on Google Maps, Yelp & TA (first)
Definitely will return for the atmosphere, service and the foods.
They do dinner only, opens at 5pm.
The bougainvilleas are in full bloom, and they’ve a lot of it.
This fusion restaurant opened in Jan 2025. Before it was a law firm then vacated for three years before they moved in.
Indoor and out sections, onion arches, booths, tables and corners; light color hardwood floor (or lookalike), tapestry… and the snakes, on the walls and as the door handles and hocks in the bathroom.
Slick utensils (might be a little hard to grasp with big hands and chubby fingers), elegant earthy plates, the stems could have been better.
The Rioja is great. We haven’t had Taj Mahal beer for a good few years – thanks for serving it.
I like their menu a lot: simple and less (is more!)
We went early before the opera. There was only one young lady serving, who is genuine, pleasant and professional.
All the foods we’ve are very flavorful:
– Falafel w/ naan bread
– Kafta en croute
– Squash kibbeh
I couldn’t jam the tiramisu down – one more incentive to return.
Btw, my last fusion restaurant review (initial 3 star) landed me in a lawsuit – yes the restaurant sued me. Tampa Bay Times published a balanced front-page story this past Sunday, (online 6/4, on paper 6/8) https://www.tampabay.com/life-culture/food/2025/06/04/hales-blackbrick-sues-yelp-reviewer-restaurants-tampa-bay/ – can’t wait to see the fate of this review, pun intended – red thread fate 红线 means marriage alliance in Chinese.
