Peter Morrell meets Jon Atanacio, Executive Chef of the Michelin listed Élevage SoHo Kitchen & Bar at the Epicurean Hotel in Tampa, and tastes his fresh and inventive food
The publication of the Michelin Guide for 2023 announced that four new restaurants in Florida had been awarded Michelin stars, three of them in Tampa. Florida restaurants also did very well in the Michelin Bib Gourmand Guide, with four of them in Tampa.
The Élevage SoHo Kitchen & Bar at the Epicurean Hotel in Tampa was one of the restaurants that received the accolade of a Bib Gourmand listing. Jon Atanacio, Executive Chef at Élevage was in London recently and I went along to meet him and taste his food.
Jon has 20 years of culinary experience and draws his inspiration from his Puerto Rican and Italian heritage, he continues to raise the bar in the local Tampa dining scene. His extensive career has seen him working in several prestigious restaurants in New York City.
Jon’s food is very inventive, has a fresh upbeat taste, and uses flavours to their best effect.
The dishes included squid in chilli oil, this was tender and enlivened by the piquant taste of the chilli, there was mini fish and chips, a crunchy batter enveloped the fish and complemented by the very crispy chips. There was also a delightful flavoursome lamb cutlet, cooked pink to perfection.
These were all excellent dishes, and a great showcase for the quality of the food in Tampa.
When you go to Tampa no visit is complete without a visit to Ybor City. In the 19th century the area was originally a large group of cigar factories employing thousands of migrants from Cuba, Spain and Italy. Now it has evolved into a major visitor destination with shops, museums and lively entertainment. It is also packed with restaurants, you can go Greek, sample Columbian food or savour a curry, to name but three.
One of its biggest claims to culinary fame is that it is the home of Cuban sandwiches, Cubanos. If anyone has seen the 2014 film Chef starring John Favereau a food truck serving Cubanos is a main part of the plot.
The sandwich was originally designed as a quick and convenient lunch for the cigar makers. When I was at the event, I picked up a recipe for the Cuban Sandwich, and made two at home. I found a recipe for Cuban bread, heavy on pork lard, and made two oversized rolls that were soft and pillowy. They were filled with a layer of mustard, then cured ham followed by pork slices. On top of that was salami, then Swiss cheese and sliced pickles. It was grilled in a sandwich press to flatten it, melt the cheese, and make the crust flaky.
The result was delicious but I’m sure that trying the real thing in Ybor City is a much better bet.
If you are in Orlando and want a day off from Mickey, then Tampa is only about an hour’s drive away. When you arrive, you will be spoiled for choice with the culinary options available.
For more information go to https://www.visittampabay.com/
To see more about the Élevage SoHo Kitchen & Bar go to https://www.epicureanhotel.com/taste/elevage/
Information about Ybor City can be found at https://yborcityonline.com/
Read about the Michelin Guide 2023 awards in Florida by going to https://aboutmygeneration.com/2023/05/14/2023-michelin-guide-ceremony/
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