St. Petersburg has a new spot for beer, wine, charcuterie — and flowers
Wines from the Pacific Northwest are the focus at Pistil House, which opened Tuesday in St. Petersburg’s Grand Central District.

By Helen Freund
Tampa Bay Times
Published: Jun 26, 2024

ST. PETERSBURG — They traveled to New Orleans, Louisiana; Houston, Texas; and Portland, Oregon. There was a stint in New Zealand and some time in South Florida. But in the end, St. Petersburg was the place that felt most like home.

Carly Dauscher and Anthony Diaz are the new owners of Pistil House, a wine, beer and flower shop that opened Tuesday in the Grand Central District. Inspired by their experiences honed while traveling, the couple — who both grew up in north Pinellas County — said St. Pete felt like the perfect place to open their first brick-and-mortar business.

Following a career in finance, Diaz, 33, wanted to get into a profession that emphasized craft. At the time, he had no formal training or experience, so he learned how to brew beer and enrolled in the University of South Florida’s Brewing Arts Program. He interned at Tampa’s Fat Beet Farm and later worked for six months brewing beer at St. Petersburg’s 3 Daughters Brewing.

Diaz then went to culinary school in New Orleans and worked side-by-side with legendary chef Susan Spicer at her restaurant Rosedale. While living in Portland, the couple fell in love with the flowers and wines of the Pacific Northwest. Later, Diaz worked the harvest season at a vineyard in the Willamette Valley.

The culmination of those experiences is at the heart of Pistil House, which occupies a 1920s craftsman bungalow at 2533 First Ave. S. Outside, several picnic tables sit beneath a large Magnolia tree, and a shaded porch with a wooden bench provides an additional nook for sitting. The building holds a special significance for the couple beyond the business: After signing a lease earlier this year, they got engaged on the front porch.

Upon entering the space, guests are greeted by rows of long-stemmed flowers — roses, chrysanthemums, poppies and snapdragons — a nod to Portland’s flowers and Dauscher’s experience as an event planner.

The space functions as a hybrid flower shop, wine, coffee and beer bar, where guests can pop in for a glass of wine or beer and linger or grab a coffee while selecting flowers and greenery that can be cut onsite and made into a bouquet. Right now, the shop is stocking flowers from all over, but eventually the couple said they’d love to bring in as many local plants as possible.

The roughly 1,200-square-foot space is outfitted with vintage decor and lamps, photographs and pictures from the couples’ travels, cookbooks and salvaged finds, including a clawfoot bathtub that does double-duty as an ice chest and is filled with Texas beers like Shiner Bock, pony bottles of Coors and Oregon sparkling wine. There is seating for approximately 30 people inside, spread across several two-tops, a wraparound bar, a long communal table and a cozy sunroom, outfitted with a couch and plush armchairs for lounging.

Inspired by New Orleans’ famed wine shop and bar Bacchanal, the spot will also sell design-your-own charcuterie boards. Next to the front door, a cooler is stocked with craft beers and a selection of cheeses and meats — guests can pick and choose from however many selections they’d like, and the kitchen team will put together charcuterie boards coupled with pickled vegetables, sourdough and focaccia bread (from Tampa Bay bakery Nosh) and other accoutrements. Diaz said the spot will also sell snacks like boiled peanuts, warm olives and cucumber dip, and that the menu will likely expand as they get their footing.

Where wine is concerned, Dauscher and Diaz said they want to try to stick with the Pacific Northwest theme, and they are currently focusing exclusively on selections from that region, including notable picks from Washington’s Columbia Valley — known for its Cabernet and Merlot — and the Willamette Valley in Oregon, where excellent examples of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay have garnered the area widespread recognition. Patrons can either grab a bottle to-go or, for a small corkage fee, drink the bottle on-site. There are also several wines available by the glass.

Along with the craft beer selection (the spot has four rotating taps), Pistil House will also serve kombucha on draught as well as several non-alcoholic beer and cocktail choices.