Meat Market
4 out of 5 stars.
1606 W Snow Ave, Tampa.
813-280-1113; meatmarket.net
Appetizers: $9 – $21; entrees: $21 – $110; desserts: $10 – $34; beer/Wine/Cocktails: $7 – $35.
Especially following my TOP 50 list where I deliberately eschew most temples of beef, the pressing question this Christmas week is: “Does Tampa Bay really need another steakhouse?" In the spirit of the season, the answer to my own rhetorical question is presented to the tune of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Please bring in the kids to sing along. If you’re childless, nab an urchin on the street as this ditty requires an enthusiastic chorus:
You know Charley’s and Fleming’s and Ruth’s Chris and Steelbach,
Shula’s and Malio’s and Renzo’s and Outback,
But do you recall
The sexiest steakhouse of all?
Meat Market Hyde Park Village
Is a special place to eat.
My fav’rites on the menu
Surprisingly are not meat.
The sea bass and the tuna
Lusciously burst with taste.
Everything’s so delicious
Not a morsel goes to waste.
If it’s cold out in the eve,
Heaters keep you warm.
Service and the room itself
Are way beyond the norm.
All of the other ribeyes
Have a most seductive hue.
Truffle and mushroom sauces
Go down as must-do.
Meat Market first made it’s name in Miami Beach and impressed with succulent meats, inventive cocktails, decadent accompaniments and knowledgeable staff. Hyde Park’s version is a handsome, modern room with a candle-lined wall and warm-up light. The tall recessed ceiling is filled with fixtures resembling a UFO invasion.
When you first sit down an enticing bowl of spicy Peruvian corn nuts is there to tempt you. The large “choclo” is habit-forming, so nibble with care, because a crusty chunk of warm bread and butter soon follows.
The tuna tartare is a study in nuance, inspiration and balance. You often see rare tuna paired with fresh ginger and soy, but seldom as delectable as this. The tiny mince mimics beef, but there’s magical alchemy here. The flavors soar and the plate offers perfect quenelles of avocado mash and mango mole to add to the citrus foam garnish topped with tiny chives.
A rare treat is the prime roasted bone marrow. The split bones are crisscrossed, topped with yummy shredded short rib-cherry marmalade and luscious slices of grilled bread that connect to something primal. Our Flintstone ancestors would be proud.
The beef choices run an expected gamut from 6-ounce. filet to 30-ounce wagyu tomahawk ribeye with options to add foie gras, blue crab or lobster tail. The only limits are your appetite and bank account. The signature filet soars with the wild mushroom and truffle sauce; my companion is gobsmacked.
I end up choosing the sea bass because I lost the coin flip for the meat. Lucky me; it’s one of the most delicious dishes of the year. The fillet with just a bit of char, sits on a creamy truffle mash, surrounded by truffle nage (a cheffy word for poaching broth) loaded with wild mushrooms, sweet yellow corn, red tomato concasse (another cheffy word for peeled and roughly chopped) with pale green soybeans popping above the surface. Divine.
There’s an alluring list of sides. We settle on two big winners. Crispy Brussels sprouts, perfectly caramelized, with bits of bacon, slivered almonds and some bite from julienned pickled red onions. The crunchy sweet potato fries may be even better. They are unbelievably creamy and served with a delightful pot of honey crème fraîche.
We finish with a signature sigh-inducing dessert perfect for the holiday season. Soft, warm chocolate chip cookies stuffed with Nutella plus a small glass of cold malted milk. It’s enough to make Santa and Rudolph take a break. My experience was stellar, but I must report that some Yelpers were not pleased, which is disappointing at these special occasion prices.
All other diners loved it
And they shouted out with glee
“Meat Market Hyde Park Village
You’ll go down in history.”
CL Food Critic Jon Palmer Claridge dines anonymously when reviewing. Check out the explanation of his rating system.
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This article appears in Dec 26, 2019 – Jan 1, 2020.