Steelbach
4 out of 5 stars
1902 N. Ola Ave., Tampa. Appetizers: $5-$17; entrees: $21-$65; dessert: $10. beer, cocktails & wine: $5-$21. 813-693-5478; steelbach.com.
Opened in February, Steelbach is easily the crown jewel of Armature Works, the adaptive indoor-outdoor reuse of the old Tampa Electric office on the Hillsborough River in Tampa Heights. The building, also home to the myriad choices of Heights Public Market, has a distinct rustic elegance. Steelbach’s decor features three original fireplaces, plus a repurposed 100-year-old vault that’s now a 1,000-bottle wine cellar.
One large nook is a U-shaped booth upholstered in soft tan leather — lit by an enormous chandelier with long vertical lamps that looks like some kind of space weapon from a 1930s Buck Rogers cartoon. There are old doors with cracked paint and plenty of whitewashed brick. The tall ceilings have exposed beams, along with shiny ductwork running every which way. The old-fashioned room pulsates with energy and the buzz of an enthusiastic clientele. One fireplace mantel sports 20 bottles of varying whiskeys in a dazzling array.
It reminds me of a favorite libation-themed ’toon. Three cowboys saddle up to the bar. The first two grizzled faces sport three-day stubble. One macho guy smacks the bar with his fist and yells, “Whiskey!” The second does the same. The third with a bespectacled, clean-shaven jaw inquires (with food critic-like curiosity), “What do you have in chardonnay by the glass?” The answer here is carefully curated selections, not of wine alone but beer and cocktails, too.
Couples flirt in overstuffed chairs before the dancing flames. It’s a very comfortable place to hang out — which is a good thing, because service of both food and drink is languorously slow, y’all. But if you can entertain yourself and your companion(s), the quality is worth the wait.
Chef-partner Nathan Hardin’s open kitchen features a 1,000-degree oak- and mesquite-fired grill. The menu aims for innovative Southern flair using ingredients from top Florida producers, including highly marbled grass-fed beef from a cattle ranch in Kenansville east of Lake Kissimmee.
A delectable way to start is with one or more of the four imaginative tartines. These are French-inspired open-faced sandwiches built upon a thick slab of toasted bread. We choose two. One is succulent gulf shrimp with corn niblets and accents of pickled onion, creamy avocado and cilantro leaves — a delicious combo. The same is true of the other with tangy whipped goat cheese, sweet blueberries and blackberries, fermented honey, some salty prosciutto, and a touch of basil. The bread is chewy, too much so for one of my tasters. I’ve had variations on these many times in France, so it’s not surprising to me. However, be forewarned that the crust has plenty of resistance.
Another big hit is the hand-cranked sausage board. On our visit, it’s a flavorful, juicy, oblique-cut chicken-garlic link with house-made sweet and dill pickle slices, pickled okra (whole) and onions (sliced), two kinds of mustard, and a soft pretzel baguette. Taking a bit of each in a single bite is totally winning.
The much-touted local beef is sadly not available except for a budget- and gut-busting 32-ounce tomahawk ribeye (at $78). The aged 8-ounce filet from another source, though, is superb. The large wooden board on which it sits sports a schmear of freshly churned butter, small mounds of flaky sea salt and cracked pepper. The grill-marked crust yields to perfect, meltingly medium-rare beef. My guest is in love, ignoring the condiments I’m required to taste. The table shares fulsome slices to happy moans.
Luckily, they don’t want any of my scrumptious duck breast. It’s less pink than I’d prefer, yet tender and delicious. The streak of apple butter that shares the plate with my own sea salt provides a sweet balance to the fatty goodness of the duck slices with crisp, charred skin.
As good as these two entrees are, the real revelation is the quartet of seared scallops. Caramelized to a deep brown but not the slightest bit rubbery, they sit on a bed of luscious sweet potato-brown butter sauce alongside small crisps of benne seeds and soft braised fennel. The opposite side of the dish is decorated with squares from tiny, sweet dots of pomegranate and mulled cider syrup to be used to taste. It’s a wonderful dish bursting with the Southern inspiration chef Hardin has set as his goal. The mashup is magical — like the first glimpse of fireflies that hint of summer.
Every a la carte side is made to share. While the bowl of Brussels may not look so enticing, the caramelized sprouts touched with sherry and maple and tossed with benne seeds, as well as a cured egg yolk, are delish. And charred heirloom carrots glazed with fermented honey sit on creamy labneh, or strained yogurt, with a garnish of cilantro and hazelnuts. You’ll be shocked at how good they are.
Dessert is first-class as well. S’mores cheesecake is an individual round of ultra-creamy-meets-light milk chocolate base — with distinct caramel notes — topped with torched Italian meringue. It overlaps the edge of a buttery graham cracker ring with a splat of translucent strawberry jus. Hummingbird cake (think carrot cake swapped for banana and pineapple) with sweet cream cheese frosting, two thin layers of each, is a yummy, flat rectangle garnished with candied pecans and a few fresh berries.
I shall return to Steelbach. There are simply too many delectable cocktail and grilled meat options not to make multiple visits. My only hope is that service is a bit quicker when the kitchen and bar hit their stride.
CL Food Critic Jon Palmer Claridge dines anonymously when reviewing. Check out the explanation of his rating system, or email him at [email protected].