The Raven
2.5 out of 5 stars
2535 E. Bay Drive, Largo. Appetizers: $3.50-$9; entrees: $6.50-$18; desserts: $3-$7; beer: $2-$6. 727-507-0823; theravenlargo.com.
Jay and Colleen Dingman love beer. In just a few short years, they’ve become stars in Tampa Bay’s beer firmament. First with Barley Mow Brewing Company, and now with the family-friendly Raven, which they’ve partnered on with Allan and Ashley Fernandez from Out of the Pot catering.
What’s great fun at The Raven is building a flight of 4-ounce servings to sample a range of styles and flavors from the rotating craft beer on tap. Since I’m more of a wine guy, I bring a beer aficionado as part of my posse to be sure there’s an expert drinker to keep me honest and help give context.
We settle on five different brews to check out the state of the art. Quackalope American IPA is robust, with a balance of hops and golden malt. The Unkindness, an American black ale, is “the beer that got it all started” with tons of hops for bitterness and aroma. For Tampa Bay Beer Week, a grapefruit American pale ale is smooth with the tart fruitiness you’d expect. Americana Golden Ale has aromas of sweet malt and doughy white wheat; it’s crisp with bright citrus and hops. And last, Nipperkin American Porter is smooth, complex and delicious.
Within this happy context, next comes the food. Sadly, failures of technique keep some good ideas from soaring. The cup of beer cheese soup has the creaminess you’d anticipate, but its flavor is timid. There’s no sharpness from the cheese, nor assertive notes of hops or malt. It’s all texture with little taste.
Better are the beer-battered mushrooms. The small golden bite-size orbs are pleasant as crisp batter yields to release the earthy mushroom juices. However, there’s a greasy patina that gets in the way. Fried food can easily take a dive if the oil isn’t hot enough or really, really fresh. These are close, yet fall short.
Pork belly sliders miss the lushness of this ingredient by treating it more like thin slabs of bacon. Each fresh mini bun is topped with two thin slices that deliver flavor, but not seductive texture. So despite the trio’s different garnishes of Korean barbecue, Southern and the punchy banh mi, it’s missing the component that makes pork belly great. This one’s enjoyable, though it could be transcendent.
Entrees range from dull to indulgent. The brewer’s pie is underseasoned, and the mushroom stout gravy promised for the ground beef and barley filling is just missing. When I take a bite, I can tell stout is part of the mix, but the meat and grain is dry; there’s zero gravy. Thus, the quality of the horseradish mash doesn’t matter. It’s OK, but doesn’t have much spicy kick or enough cheese to make an impact. My British guest, who has chosen this variation of shepherd’s pie, has a frown of disappointment.
A favorite with beer, pizza is featured with Southern pulled pork, a Mexican chorizo-salsa combo, a daily special, and our choice, called Spin on Dip. The thin crust has an olive oil and garlic base loaded with creamy spinach and artichoke, then topped with mozzarella and Parmesan. At 14 inches, the pie’s well beyond a personal serving. The topping delivers, while the crust is a thin, pallid transport vehicle. It’s another example of a missed opportunity where one element isn’t a match for its partner.
The Raven offers three taco flavors on soft tortillas. Each has merit, but my tasters are mixed. The carnitas has loads of flavor from roasted pork, salsa verde, onions, cilantro and cheese, yet lacks the texture of the bulgogi, which tops Korean barbecue beef with the welcome crunch of radish and cabbage slaw, plus a pop of Sriracha aioli and cilantro. I also like the roasted cauliflower with beer- and lime-roasted veggie; the taco almost seems like curry with its golden color. Two members of my posse, however, find there’s not enough cilantro-lime slaw and house salsa to rescue this one. Unless you’re a vegetarian, though, do you really expect cauliflower to be competitive in a head-to-head battle with pork? Not likely.
Finally, the special steak and black truffle burger is a gift that keeps on giving, at least for me. The Pat LaFrieda artisanal chuck and short rib patty is loaded with flavorful rich truffle oil. Top it all with crumbled blue cheese, crispy fried onions, and arugula spring mix on a brioche bun and it’s a real treat — except the truffle oil reminds me of its presence for hours on end. (Be forewarned; I hope your digestion is better than mine.) Is it worth it? Absolutely. Unfortunately, the burger’s beer-battered fries suffer from the same aforementioned greasiness, which doesn’t help.
We’re stuffed, but can’t pass up the opportunity to taste the beer-infused sweets for, indeed, the desserts take full advantage of the house beverage. Chocolate stout cake makes sense as a combination, because those notes are already present in the brew. But stout remains in the background of this layer cake, which isn’t especially moist and is served cooler than ideal. It’s fine rather than memorable.
More surprising, and not as gimmicky as it sounds, is the “beer-a-misu,” substituting local beer for coffee in this Italian favorite. The kitchen keeps the beer in check, so it works. The dessert’s ladyfingers are tender, and its mascarpone is just sweet enough. Who knew?
Jon Palmer Claridge dines anonymously when reviewing. Check out the explanation of his rating system.
This article appears in Mar 16-23, 2017.