Greg Baker writes every recipe down, which is important since he changes the menu at The Refinery on a weekly basis. Baker, his wife Michelle and their sous chef trade text messages during the first few days of each week about flavor combinations and ingredient ideas. By Wednesday, those texts are turned into a single page of interesting food they’ll serve until the next Wednesday. Text, rinse and repeat.
That doesn’t mean that The Refinery always serves one-of-a-kind dishes. Much of the food is simple but well-done, with a little twist that gives Baker’s food its identity. Sometimes (frequently, even) that twist is bacon.
The Refinery, 5137 N. Florida Ave., Tampa, 813-237-2000, thetamparefinery.com
Recipe after the break:
This article appears in Jun 10-16, 2010.