Chef Jeannie Pierola has big plans for Anna Maria Island, Tampa Riverwalk
By Ashley Gurbal Kritzer
Tampa Bay Business Journal
Published: Dec 14, 2022

One of Tampa’s most celebrated chefs is rolling out two new concepts: a pop-up cocktail bar on the Hillsborough River and The Bohemian, a full-service restaurant on Anna Maria Island.

Jeannie Pierola, whose Chef Driven Restaurant Group owns Edison Food and Drink Lab and Counter Culture in South Tampa as well as Edison’s Swigamajig at Sparkman Wharf, has taken over two prime spots. Her craft cocktail team — Alex Artishenko, Spencer Hayes and Rachel Ruggiero — is hosting Over the River, a pop-up at the former Remedy space at Rivergate Tower in downtown Tampa.

She’s also signed a “long-term” lease for the former Island Grill on Holmes Beach, where she plans to build a restaurant that she calls “a love letter to Anna Maria Island.”

Over the River will pop up through the holiday season and possibly extend to Valentine’s Day, said Pierola, a five-time James Beard semifinalist. The Bohemian, in the former Island Grill space, is just about to enter the permitting process, and she’s hesitant to put an opening time frame on the restaurant.

“We’re pretty pumped about it,” Pierola said of Over the River. “It’s a really cool venue with a cool view and killer sunsets.”

The Bohemian is a homecoming of sorts for Pierola, who was born in Tampa and moved to Anna Maria Island as a child. Her family owned a resort on the island for years, and her mother still lives there.

“When you go to Anna Maria Island, you literally just wanna put your toes on the sand and be a hippie,” Pierola said. “I’m calling it a hippie foodie haven, but it will read like an encyclopedia of the Gulf Coast and what’s happening in those waters. This restaurant celebrates the Gulf Coast.”

Halflants + Pichette has been hired to design the space. The Bohemian will blend a modern style with a “very organic Florida aesthetic” that speaks to the island’s laid-back vibe, Pierola said.

“It’s incredible what has happened on Anna Maria Island,” she said. “They call it the Martha’s Vineyard of the South. It’s a thriving island.”

At 60, Pierola said she’s driven to create new concepts so her core team members have the opportunity to grow. Beyond the new concepts, she’s also expanding the hours at Counter Culture, which will open for early lunch hours or what she’s calling “brunch lunch.” Counter Culture currently serves breakfast and brunch on weekends only.

“You start to ask yourself, what does a chef do that’s starting to get older?” Pierola said. “How do you lift up everyone who’s worked so hard to bring you on your journey?”