Harvey's Fourth Street Grill, St. Petersburg, FL

Finding ourselves Saturday "bachelorettes" for various and sundry reasons this weekend, one of my oldest and dearest pals (Georgia Peach) and I decided to revisit the scene of many unspeakable crimes of our misspent youth.  Harvey's was where we ate and drank our lives away in the early 90s and I was delighted to find that the pub-grub served here is still top-notch 20 years later...which explains why the place was slammed at 2:00 PM  in the afternoon.

We grabbed a couple of stools at the bar where we received uber-friendly and helpful service.

Despite its "bar-ish" demeanor, food is surprisingly fresh and creative at Harvey's.  Onion rings were about as good as they come...crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. The Peach and I have relished in the house-made Broccoli Cheese Bites for decades and they never disappoint.

Harvey's Chicken Salad with mandarin oranges and toasted walnuts on a tender croissant has withstood the test of time. Quality always prevails.  Potato salad side was fresh-tasting, tangy and cold.  SO good.

Peach's Blackened Grouper sammie was also a study in freshness.  Perfectly blackened and without a hint of "fishiness", this is as good as it gets in Tampa Bay.  Cole slaw was also delish...crunchy and not overly laden with mayo.

Our dessert of Key Lime Pie was a simple, classic rendition...tangy lime goodness slathered atop a thick and toothsome slab of graham cracker crust.  There are some things that cannot (and should not) be "improved" upon.

We spent under $70 before gratuity for all of this plus three glasses of Kendall Jackson apiece. 

Recommended for friendly vibe and service...not to mention better than average casual fare.  But be aware that staff and long-term regulars are pathological liars, so don't believe any crazy stories you might hear about us regarding certain Full Moon Parties of 1992 and 1993 because they are nothing but sheer fabrication.  *Adjusting halo*.

http://www.harveys4thstreetgrill.com/



My blog entries contain the unmitigated, and sometimes unforgiving, dining truths and perceptions I experience as an ordinary restaurant patron. Every meal I post about has been fully paid for by one of the participating members of my personal dining party. I do not engage in the gratis blogger freebie dining events I'm constantly invited to attend and never will. If I ooze font-like love for a restaurant in my blog, it's because they totally earned it…not because they gave me free food or knew I was going to share the experience on the internet.