Final Dinner at the Refinery

 We went to a restaurant that was closing in a week. Chef Greg Baker was the first chef to really elevate the food culture in Tampa and the Seminole Heights area. They were doing a throwback menu from when then they first opened in 2010. We had three small plates of pork belly, Nascargots (escargot hush puppies) and Maple glazed snapper with grit cake. We split an entree simply labelled "burger" (more to come on that later).

The hush puppies had a mustard and a fruit compote that really didn't compliment or contrast the escargot. It was hard to tell these were escargot. If it had a garlic butter dipping sauce or an aoli I think it would have improved the dish. Pork belly was very good with a deep pork flavor. It was served with grits and red cabbage slaw which both cut the fattiness. The snapper was my favorite of the three small plates. It had a piece of homemade maple sausage which really brought the dish together. The crunch of the grit cake was great for texture. It also had my favorite accompaniment of the night: char-grilled whole okra. Never had I had okra prepared this way - and I want it again and again It could be an appetizer all on its own. They were similar to shishito peppers but with a much smokier flavor (and of course not spicy).

The burger entree was my favorite item of the night. A burger cooked perfectly medium with sharp cheddar cheese, a creamy mild aoli and kimchee. The roll was pillowy soft but held up to the meaty burger and toppings. The kimchee had just enough spice to contrast with the beefiness. It was served with Yukon Gold fries which were hot from the fryer and perfectly salted. There was a homemade ketchup which was good but needed some more acid. Such a well composed dish. Simple and delicious.

Dessert was a doughnut sandwich. It had fresh peaches as the filling, torched marshmallow on top along with a fruity sauce. The doughnut itself was a bit stale so while I was expecting a Krispy Kreme "HOT NOW" texture, it was more like a Dunkin Donuts day old plain donut. I think I would have enjoyed it more if the filling and topping were reversed. The marshmallow was so good, it deserved to be the main component. And then I would have grilled the peaches and served with a tart raspberry sauce. But really just small issues since we had such a great meal.