Tampa Bay Area Chefs are Creating Fresh, Innovative, Healthy, and Delicious Menus
Remember being reminded to eat your vegetables? Or often being told about the benefits of a balanced, healthy diet?
Turns out that advice still holds true today.
Restaurants within the Tampa Bay area are increasingly focusing on fresh, seasonal ingredients, sourcing their supplies from farmers specializing in organically grown goods of sustainably raised crops or specializing in scientifically proven foods that build and maintain healthy bodies.
And they are accomplishing those good-for-us goals with some serious culinary creativity. Beets and leaks are being taken to a whole new level. Diehard carnivores are clamoring for more beans and greens. And the days of most gluten-free baked goods lacking a favorable flavor or texture are long gone.
Local chefs incorporating innovative, and irresistible, versions of dishes composed entirely of plant-based products into their menus. Produce once shunned, we are looking at you Brussels sprouts and okra, are now palate— and crowd-pleasing. In fact, meatless meals are being so well received, that diners not only desire them, but devour them. Even gluten-free folks are free to enjoy pizza again when the crust is made from cauliflower.
Bare Naked Kitchen
www.eatbarenaked.com
With a name like Bare Naked Kitchen you may wonder if salads will be served undressed or pizzas prepared topless. Rest assured there is no lack of full flavored dressings such as buttermilk herb or cilantro yogurt. And be ready to bite into a pie well outfitted with crispy bacon or chicken sausage and coated in cheese.
Options are available for those who prefer their meals meatless but, in the case of this place, tofu is not an option. However, steak, chicken and tuna are among the featured proteins.
Partners Chef Chris Ponte, whose restaurants include On Swann, Olivia and Cafe Ponte at Midtown Tampa, and Bob Basham, an Outback Steakhouse co-founder who has also been part of PDQ and Glory Days Grill, have combined their knowledge, experience and creativity to bowl diners over with Chef Created Bowls and lavish them with lavash (flatbreads) or “cauli” crust pizzas.
Using chef-crafted recipes, thoughtfully sourced ingredients and culinary inspirations from around the world, Bare Naked Kitchen hopes diners will shed their eating inhibitions for a more adventurous way to enjoy a variety of customizable bowls, select salads and pizzas, ready to eat, grab and go spreads, dips and nibbles and Sweet Tooth temptations.
“At Bare Naked Kitchen we are more than a bowl place. We wanted to bring in flavors that are bold and ingredients that are thoughtfully sourced that people may not understand. The flavor experience is fresh and vibrant, while the atmosphere is fun and relaxed. That allows the guest to dine with friends and family but also, the flexibility to quickly grab a bite to go,” said Basham and Ponte in a joint statement.
Craft Kafe
www.craftkafe.com
Bite into any of the freshly made pastries, breads or other baked goods that are handmade daily at Craft Kafe and enjoy exceptional sweet to savory flavors that are all the more satisfying because they are completely gluten-free.
Thanks to the craftsmanship of Teddy Skiadiotis who opened the first Craft Kafe in St. Petersburg’s West Central Shopping Center in 2015, and has since added a second location in downtown St. Petersburg, the kitchens are gluten-free and all of the foods produced on-site are made without wheat, barley or rye.
Now Tampa gets to find out how good gluten-free can be when Craft Kafe opens on this side of the bay along Kennedy Boulevard, just across from the University of Tampa later this year.
“Eating gluten can cause inflammation in your stomach if you have an allergy or a sensitivity. We’ve notice a lot of people have this sensitivity, so we decided to commit to a gluten-free kitchen to not exclude anyone. Gluten-free isn’t a trend or a gimmick to us, it’s a different approach to baking and cooking,” according to Skiadiotis. “Making our food and pastries taste like other wheat-based food and pastries isn’t what we are about. We are about making tasty pastries and delicious food that will bring a smile to your face.”
Craft Kafe also offers a selection of hot and cold coffees and teas, which may be served with house-made almond milk, vegan burgers and soups, organic salads, made-to-order omelets and ready-to-eat foods.
Florish
www.eatatflorish.com
In a case of role reversal, brothers Demetri, 18, and Ethan, 15, encouraged their parents to eat more vegetables and join them as vegans.
“They were following a plant-based diet and that inspired us. They did the research and started paying attention to what they were putting in their bodies more closely than we did,” recalled Jill Faline Sedita, an attorney. “But there were not many options out there in terms of finding what we wanted for a delicious lunch or dinner that was easy to pick up.”
Working with his wife, Keith Sedita, former Vice President of New Business Development with the Columbia Restaurant Group, began formulating plans for Florish, a 100 percent plant-based dining experience, two years ago.
“Since we had been vegan for a while, and have been cooking at home, we were already making many dishes that were flavorful and enjoyable that we can now offer to others. Food is two things, flavor and texture. If you can deliver on flavor and texture, it doesn’t matter what the source is,” he said.
Signature dishes will include comfort foods like pizzas and bowls that can be ordered off the menu, or customized to include house-made cheeses and sauces and plant-based meats. Initially open for lunch, with dinner to follow, Florish will feature cans of craft beers, select wines and cocktails. Cookie recipes created by Jill will be mixed at the Metropolitan Ministries’ commercial kitchen, the dough delivered to the restaurant and freshly baked batches available throughout the day.
“Community is important to us. We want to be more than a restaurant. This is our first location, but we want to find other ways to support our community in the future,” Keith added.
True Food Kitchen
www.truefoodkitchen.com
With integrative medical expert Dr. Andrew Weil as the co-founder and media personality and celebrity Oprah Winfrey an investor and board member behind the concept, this new location of this seasonally inspired restaurant and craft bar is likely to attract diners not only eager to eat, but curious to experience this better health through better eating concept. The Tampa Bay area’s first True Food Kitchen is sure to lure guests curious about how the seasonal dishes and drinks featured here will check all of the boxes for tasting good, as well as, for featuring nourishing fare for lunch, dinner and brunch.
This claims to be the only restaurant “fundamentally based on science which ensures all of its crave-able dishes and drinks work to increase the longevity of our people and planet.” The inspiration is based on Weil’s anti-inflammatory food pyramid which focuses on foods that help maintain optimal health.
“We’re thrilled to officially debut our seasonal dishes and handcrafted beverages in our first Tampa-based restaurant located at Midtown Tampa Plaza,” said True Food Kitchen Executive Chef Hector Valencia. “This dynamic and wellness-driven community is the perfect fit for our brand and we look forward welcoming guests into our dining rooms to enjoy our crave-able menu with dishes and drinks for any occasion.” M
— By Mary Lou Janson
