���������������������������������� ������������������������ ���������������� Coming Soon Inside One of the City’s Oldest Businesses by Amy Beeman Sometimes the most unlikely of pairings make for the most memorable experiences. At least that’s what restaurateur Michael Cecere is hoping for as he transitions his restaurant, Bowled, into a new concept eatery called Slō Restaurant, where slow-cooked food is the theme. The twist—it’s located inside Bob Lee’s Tires, St. Petersburg’s iconic 70-yearold auto mechanic shop. Bowled moved into the location last November after Cecere says the restaurant struggled financially at its former location further north on Fourth Street. The new location has brought more success to the five-year-old business, in part because of the built-in crowd of the bustling auto shop’s customers and employees. “We’re really nothing without the people in the neighborhood,” he says. Above: Restaurateur Michael Cecere By Kelly Nash Photography While his goals for Slō as a singular restaurant are ambitious, he also appreciates the importance of creating a nice lounge space for Bob Lee’s customers. “I want people to have an amazing experience while they get their tires changed,” Cecere says with a twinge of humor. Ultimately though, the mildmannered entrepreneur with baggy clothes and kind brown eyes says his goal is “to help foster a new place in the neighborhood. Really, it’s about the community.” Cecere’s concept for Slō means that everything on the menu will have some element of slow cooking, whether it’s savory meats and seafood cooked on smokers out front, slow-simmered crockpot meals, or some of his signature sauces that take days to prepare and perfect. While Slō will be open for breakfast and lunch during the operating hours of Bob Lee’s Tires, serving many of the same menu items it currently offers as Bowled, Cecere aims for the restaurant to be a dinner destination after Bob Lee’s closes for the day. To entice the dinner crowd, Cecere is offering new options like Barolo Braised Beef Short Ribs, Slow Roasted Chimichurri Pork, and Filet Mignon prepared in the French sous vide style—meaning the meat is sealed airtight with seasonings in a bag, and slowly cooked at a precisely controlled temperature in a water bath. He says this method means you can cook a filet mignon for two days and still have it come out medium-rare, then take a quick torch to the outside to crisp it up a bit, and voila! Cecere’s concept isn’t just about slow food preparation, it’s also about taking a pause and slowing down in life. One of his many ideas for the restaurant is a phonecharging station, where people can leave their phones while they sit and enjoy their food—and their companions—without the seemingly endless distractions of technology. “Slō also means slow down, actually enjoy your presence on this earth,” he says. In contrast, just because the name is Slō, it doesn’t mean that you’ll have to wait a long time for your food. “Cecere is offering new options like Barolo Braised Beef Short Ribs, Slow Roasted Chimichurri Pork, and Filet Mignon prepared in the French sous vide style.” Below: Chef Craig Schenker By Kelly Nash Photography “We’re really nothing without the people in the neighborhood” 6 Above: Braised Blueberry Bourbon Barbeque Beef Brisket
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