Their loss, our gain: B.T. is a Vietnam native who arrived in the U.S. as a refugee. Now she and her husband, Norman Batley, run three truly exotic restaurants where the fare is in a class by itself — a French-Vietnamese restaurant called B.T.'s and its more casual next-door neighbor, The Noodle Lounge, both in South Tampa, and The Yellow Door in Hyde Park. One way to gauge how people feel about her food is to check the crowd when you dine: One day we saw Andrew Ashmeade, chef and owner of The Jerk Hut, an exuberant eater whose interest in food is not limited to the cuisine of his native Jamaica. Other respected chefs turn up as well in their precious off time to sample B.T.'s fabulous surprises.
This article appears in Sep 25 – Oct 1, 2003.