A restaurant that's created buzz within the culinary community since announcing its plans for Hyde Park Village in January 2015 is almost ready to debut.
The 4,000-square-foot On Swann, whose stylish corner digs meet at Swann and Oregon avenues, is two and a half years in the making. But the partners behind the project — veteran restaurateurs Trudy and John Cooper, chef Chris and Michelle Ponte, and general manager Chris Arreola — don't plan on forgetting how they got there.
As a nod to the gang's mentors, blink-and-you-miss-them kangaroos (the Coopers were with Outback Steakhouse for many years) are strategically placed above the entrance; they honor people the partners have had friendships with and those who've given them guidance over the years.
"It's to represent that notion of the road and the journey that it takes to get to this benchmark here," John says.
The neighborhood restaurant, which Trudy says they define as an American bistro, is set to open around June 1. Designers Patrick Dunne and Nathan Drewes of New Orleans-based Lucullus came on board to make the about 150-seat space feel as comfortable as the food that's to come.
Drewes and Dunne, a friend of the Coopers for 20 years, have worked on restaurant concepts in the past, including three restaurants for James Beard Foundation Award winner Frank Stitt out of Birmingham, Alabama, and NOLA chef Alex Harrell's new eatery. It was challenging to come into place that didn't have great age or texture, Dunne says, so their idea was to honor the texture of Tampa and the whole Gulf Coast culture.
There's brick and dark wood accents. Sea foam green and blues and "arsenic" gray. Locally built community tables. Blue tufted banquettes. Charcuterie boards fashioned by St. Petersburg's Bowls for Good. Steak plates cut by Trudy's brother for the ribeye. Doodles from the partners' children on the vents (and more to come). An open kitchen that spills into the bar and dining room. A red Italian Berkel slicer on display. And little pockets of intimacy, for folks who want a more private experience, incorporated throughout.
Trudy, who's a bit of an antiquer, discovered some of the design elements herself — mismatched silverware from an old pal's mother, light fixtures and chairs for her and Michelle's favorite nook in the restaurant among them.
"One of our philosophies as decorators is if you like something, it's gonna work, rather than the opposite — making someone like something because you think that's what should work," Dunne says. "It's always better starting from the human side of it."
On Swann's menu will look a lot like the real world: a melting pot. The partners traveled to food destinations like Los Angeles, Colorado, San Francisco and New Orleans while developing the lineup, and it's designed to fit what patrons are looking for on a particular visit.
Nibbles? Check. Shared boards? Check. Vegetable dishes? Mains? Check. Check.
"Those can all be shared," Trudy says. "We wanted it to be very fresh, locally sourced when we can. But it doesn't mean we won't have cheese from France."
Though diners will ultimately determine what become the signatures, Trudy says she thinks the ribeye, big enough to feed four people, is a dish that On Swann will become known for because it's visually beautiful. Charcuterie, tomato salad and larger plates with pasta, scallops, fish and half a chicken are some other items to expect.
Behind the zinc-topped, 14-seat bar, drinks also intertwine with the food. The specialty cocktail selection, developed by senior manager and bar specialist Vicente Lavayen, will complement the chef's fare and the seasons with barrel-aged creations, fresh berries (think local blueberry mojitos) and more; it's a mix of one-of-a-kind offerings and in-style seasonal items.
Lavayen, who says "they're already starting to call me bar chef," likes to make his own ingredients without extracts or flavoring, and he's teaching the bartending staff to do the same. The team's already started infusing their own flavored spirit — madagascar vanilla rum — to enhance one of the featured cocktails.
The organization of the menu and its descriptions were designed in a way that would prompt patrons to ask questions.
"We're trying to expand people's horizons, and at the same time, take an educational approach," Lavayen says.
Spirits and beer will support local as much as possible, while a balanced wine list will offer an array of different styles.
To test operations, the On Swann crew has been practicing service with their families. The kitchen's air conditioning went down, the fire alarm sounded off and the POS system wasn't working properly during their first go-round, but a second night's smooth run made up for it.
"We're over the moon excited to get this open. It's kind of like expecting a baby and thinking it's never gonna come," Michelle says. "It's like, finally, it's here."
Since the beginning, the restaurant has aimed to establish itself as a community gathering place. Michelle and Trudy have claimed that little nook near the bar as their own, but something tells CL they wouldn't turn away company.
As Trudy says, "Once you're here, it feels like a family. It feels like you're a part of something."
This article appears in May 26 – Jun 2, 2016.