The Don César: St. Pete's Legendary Pink Palace

 

Built at the height of the Gatsby Era in 1928, Florida’s “Pink Palace” has a long and acclaimed history. Exquisitely located on the white sands of St. Pete Beach, this iconic 1920s resort became a favourite among the rich and famous of the Jazz Age including F. Scott Fitzgerald, Clarence Darrow, Al Capone, Babe Ruth and Franklin D. Roosevelt. Thomas Rowe purchased 80 acres of land in St. Pete's for $100,000 to begin his dream of building a "pink castle" and hired Indianapolis architect Henry Dupont to design the hotel and Carlton Beard as the contractor. The architecture is a blend of Mediterranean and Moorish styles modeled after hotels and developments that Rowe and Beard saw in Palm Beach, Coral Gables and Boca Raton, including arched openings, red clay tile roofs, balconies, stucco over hollow tile and tower like upper stories. Named after Don César de Bazan, the hero of William Wallace's opera 'Mariana', the hotel is a member of the esteemed Historic Hotels of America, and features refined New American cuisine in the elegant Four Diamond Mariana Grille, the Don César and also more casual Caribbean and Mediterranean dining in the relaxed beachfront Sea Porch and Rowe Bar overlooking the azure blue waters of the Gulf of Mexico and sugar white sands of beautiful St. Pete Beach.

The Beachfront Rowe Bar at St Petersburg's Pink Palace,

named after Thomas Rowe, the legendary founder of the Pink Palace

The Rowe Bar sign with 1930's-style typography

The menu features vibrant coastal-inspired cuisine 

Bird of Paradise in full bloom

Glass of Prosecco

Chardonnay

Pork Belly Reuben with beer-braised sauerkraut, Russian dressing, 

and Swiss cheese on marbled rye with French fries

Don César Salad with shredded egg, garlic breadcrumbs, grilled shrimp, 

sliced Parmigiana and Caesar vinaigrette

Ahi Poke Bowl with jasmine rice, tamari vinaigrette, mirin mushrooms and sliced avocado

The Pink Palace pool

www.doncesar.com

Chipotle-Infused Hanger Steak

Serves 1

Recipe courtesy of chef Alexander Reyes, Don César

10 oz Hanger Steak

4 tbsp chipotle pepper in Adobo purée

1 tbsp honey

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

1/4 cup vegetable oil

Salt and Pepper

For the Grits:

1 cup whole milk

1 cup water

1/2 cup quick ground cornmeal

2 tbsp butter

2 oz Cheddar cheese, shredded

Salt and Pepper to taste

Bunch of fresh watercress, for garnish

In a small bowl combine the chipotle pepper purée, mustard and honey. Gradually drizzle the oil until emulsified, season with salt and pepper and let it marinade for at least 12 hours. The next day, heat up a grill top over the stove on medium high. Place the steak on the grill and cook 4 minutes on each side. When done let it rest for 5 minutes before serving.

To make the grits, place the milk, water and salt into a medium, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Once the milk mixture comes to a boil, gradually add the cornmeal while continually whisking. Once all the cornmeal has been incorporated, decrease the heat to low and whisk frequently to prevent the grits from sticking or forming lumps; make sure to get into corners of pot when whisking. Cook for 20 minutes or until mixture is creamy. When the grits are done, remove from the heat, add pepper and butter, and whisk to combine. Once the butter is melted gradually whisk in the cheese a little at a time.

To serve, slice the steak in 5 pieces and place on a plate. Spoon some of the grits to the side of the steak and garnish with fresh watercress.

Historic Spanish Point on Little Sarasota Bay

Historic Spanish Point, a hidden 30-acre gem on Little Sarasota Bay in the Osprey area of Sarasota County, is one of the largest waterfront preserves showcasing native Florida plants in the state. With an archaeological record that encompasses approximately 5,000 years of Florida history, it's also is one of the largest intact and actively preserved archaeological sites on the Gulf Coast. Its earliest residents, the Manasota Culture, settled on the grounds and lived there for over 500 years, whose existence is evidenced by a burial ground at the park’s entrance, as well as a prehistoric shell middens which spans the majority of the grounds, which kept the area above sea level during storm season.

Similar to Selby Gardens’ downtown Sarasota facilities, Historic Spanish Point was owned by the homesteading Webb family in the 19th-century, who then sold it in 1910 to a forward-thinking woman of her time, Bertha Palmer, a Chicago native who became a Florida real estate pioneer. She also purchased 140,000 acres of swampland comprising one-quarter of what would eventually become Sarasota County. The extent to which Palmer transformed that land in the years before her death in 1918, and her lasting influence on Sarasota's development and Florida agriculture, is remarkable. Both the Webb family and Bertha Palmers homes and extensive gardens can be toured while visiting Spanish Point. Interestingly, it was Palmer’s family who both donated the property and helped it become the first site in Sarasota County to be listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

The museum also features one of the largest butterfly and native plant gardens on the suncoast, and hosts a rotating series of exhibitions throughout the year, with 'Clyde Butcher: Nature Through the Lens' currently on display throughout the grounds of Spanish Point the day we visited. Often called "the Ansel Adams of Florida," Butcher's exhibition featured large-scale prints on aluminum of Butcher’s beautiful images of plants, animals, and habitats of Florida, all photographed in their natural landscape. Spending a lovely sunny day exploring beautiful Spanish Point, enjoying a quiet lunch at the White Cottage Bayside Café, and being treated to a short history of the area from Caroline, a volunteer docent, made for a truly exceptional afternoon.

The Bayside Café (The White Cottage), operated by Michael’s On East, 

was built in 1884 by the Webb famiy, and offers a variety of sandwiches, drinks and snacks 

that can be enjoyed overlooking Little Sarasota Bay

A cold Stella on a hot day with temperatures hovering around 90°F

Grilled Turkey, Avocado and Tomato Panini with pickles

and Goose Island IPA Beer

Classic Beef Chile with warm homemade roll

Tomato Bisque with Grilled Cheese Panini

Cheese Quiche with freshly made Orange Marmalade on the side

Bertha Palmer's classical columns of her Pergola and sunken gardens

were restored from when she came to Sarasota in 1910 to establish a winter estate

Ponytail Palm outside the Bayside Cottage Café 

Clamshell Orchid 1, 2003 by photographer Clyde Butcher, who was an American large-format 

camera photographer known for wilderness photography of the Florida landscape

Matlacha Pass, 1991 in Charlotte Harbour, Port Charlotte

Wooden footbridge through the mangroves and overlooking the waters of Little Sarasota Bay 

Great White Egret nestled in the mangroves

Tangle of wild mangroves

Guptill House

The Guptill boatshed built in 1876

Guptill House Viaduct is so low one has to bend over to follow the path 

Wild fragrant Jasmin

Magnificent Magnolia blossom

Spanish Point Butterfly Garden

Wild flowers attract butterflies

White Peacock Butterfly

Julia Butterfly

Malachite Butterfly

While Peacock Butterfly on red blossoms

Little Hobbit-style homes in the woods

Trams are available to take visitors around the estate in the company of a knowledgeable docent

such as lovely Caroline, who drove us to the Bayside Cottage Café when we arrived

selby.org

Crab Cakes

Serves 4 (Makes 8 3-ounce cakes)

Recipe courtesy of Michaels on East

Crab Cakes:

1 tbsp lemon juice

2 oz Dijon mustard

2 tbsp cilantro, chopped

2 tbsp basil, chopped

1/2 tbsp garlic, chopped

1 tbsp fresh cilantro

2 oz mayonnaise

4 stalks celery, minced

1 Spanish onion, minced

4 3/4 cups panko breadcrumbs, divided

8 oz jumbo lump crab

12 oz lump crab

1 large egg

Herbed Tartar Sauce:

1 1/2 oz cornichons

2/3 ounces capers

Half a shallot

1 z fresh lemon juice

1/2 oz Dijon mustard

1/8 oz garlic

1/4 oz extra virgin olive oil

Process all of the Tartar Sauce ingredients in food processor. Cool until ready to plate and serve dish.

In a medium sauté pan over low heat, sweat the celery, onion and garlic, but do not allow them to brown as the low heat will take liquid out of vegetables. Set aside and allow to cool. Mix together all ingredients except the crab meat, then fold in the lump crab. Gently mix in the jumbo crabmeat, being careful not to break it up.

To portion each cake, use a 3-ounce scoop or mold into cakes with your hands. Coat the exterior of the cakes in Panko breadcrumbs. Set aside until ready to sauté and finish with the tartar sauce.

Ulele: Native-Inspired Cuisine on Tampa's Riverwalk

 

Located on Tampa's Riverwalk and overlooking the beautiful Hillsborough River, Ulele is a native-inspired restaurant and brewery offering a vibrant menu filled with fresh fare from local farms and waters, once home to the indigenous people of Florida, including the young princess Ulele. Originally a steam-powered pump house built in 1903, renovations to the historic building were extensive, and has resulted in a warm and welcoming space filled with art from Richard and Melanie Gonzmart’s private collection, owners of Columbia restaurants that has served Spanish-Cuban cuisine in Florida since 1917. While Ulele's menu changes seasonally, examples include Soft Shell Crab, Fire-Roasted Corn-on-the-Cob, Blackened Redfish, Yellowfin Tuna crusted with pumpkin seeds, Alligator Hush Puppies, and Gulf Coast oysters which have been a local staple since the Tocobaga harvested them from these waters over a thousand years ago. Ulele also as an on-site brewery called Ulele Spring Brewery and provide their own craft beers, and also feature wines from family owned U.S. wineries, as well as several private-label selections from family vintners in Spain, a nod to early Spanish explorers who came ashore in Tampa’s waters.

Tropical outdoor setting for the Ulele's Beer Garden that features 

their own craft beers brewed on-site 

Ulele was originally a steam-powered pump house built in 1903

and served as the water source for Tampa until the 1930s

The interior design recalls the history of the building 

using industrial lighting and natural materials to create a wam and welcoming space

The cutlery with Casula dish cloth-style napkin and retro cutlery

The menu features native inspired cuisine

The open seafood kitchen busy shucking oysters 

Ulele's popular charbroiled oysters are simply made with a little butter, 

a little Parmesan and Romano cheese

1789 stained glass panels over the kitchen doors were purchased 

by Cesar and Adela Gonzsmart at auction in 1972

All the art was purchased for Ulele and also on loan from 

Richard and Melanie Gonzmart’s private collection

Spanish Albariño

Oregon Pinot Noir from Williamette Valley

Chili-marinated fresh Florida alligator tail, dusted in seasoned flour, flash-fried 

and served with their signature spicy remoulade

Ulele Burger made with grilled short rib, brisket and chuck blend, house-made steak sauce, 

Wisconsin sharp cheddar, portobello mushrooms, fire-roasted red peppers, fried leeks, 

and served on a brioche bun with French fries

Chesapeake Bay soft shell whole crab dusted in seasoned flour and flash fried, berbere seasoning, 

apple cider slaw, honey datil aioli served on a brioche bun

The bill arrives with a miniature clothes peg attached to a Ulele postcard

Sculpture of Princess Ulele in the garden of the restaurant, 

was a Native American princess believed to have lived in Florida in the 1500’s

Humpty Dumpty was saved and lovingly restored from Tampa's Fairyland Amusement Park at Lowry Park Zoo which was built in 1957, by philanthropist Richard Gonzmart

The Height' Public Market along Tampa's Riverwalk

The industrial-style interior of the market

Cobblestone walkway around the market stamped with Baltimore manufacturer  mark 

ulele.com

Southern Fried Catfish

Serves 4

Recipe courtesy of chef Patrick Quakenbush, Ulele

Catfish:

1 lb catfish, cut into 4 portions

4 oz buttermilk

8 oz seasoned cornmeal

24 oz root vegetable succotash

4 oz whipped butter

1 1/2 cups vegetables

1 1/2 cups Ulele remoulade

1/4 oz parsley, freshly chopped

Root Vegetable Succotash:

1 oz blended oil

6 oz corn salsa

1 oz cranberry beans

1 oz celery root

1 oz sweet potatoes

1 oz parsnips

1 tsp garlic, chopped

1/4 cup vegetable stock

1 oz salted butter

Ulele Remoulade: makes a big batch

1 gallon mayonnaise

2 cups Dijon mustard

1 cup lemon juice

1 cup freshly parsley, chopped

1 cup of Crystal hot sauce

3/4 cup whole grain mustard

1 cup garlic, chopped

3/4 cup capers, chopped

1/3 cup of Worcestershire sauce

1/3 cup Spanish paprika

2 cups green onions, finely chopped

4 tsp kosher salt

2 tsp cayenne pepper

Place catfish in buttermilk for a minimum of 20 minutes. Drain well and place in seasoned cornmeal making sure to cover all sides. Shake to remove excess, and place in a 350°F fryer for four minutes, until crisp and cooked throughout. 

For the succotash, place oil in sauté pan over medium high heat. Once hot, add the salsa, cranberry beans, garlic, sweet potatoes, parsnips and celery root. Sauté for one minute, and add vegetable stock to deglaze. Lower heat and add butter. Cook until butter is incorporated. For the Remoulade, place all ingredients in mixing bowl and whisk thoroughly.

Serve the fried catfish with the Root Vegetable Succotash and small bowl of rémoulade and serve with green beans and southern-style biscuit.