CL’s Jon Palmer Claridge, also known as JPC and currently Tampa Bay’s longest-running restaurant critic, released a book called "Drink.More.Wine!"
JPC somehow found the time in between reviews to compile his experiences at dining tables around the globe. "Drink.More.Wine!" is the culmination of a lifetime spent tasting in the world’s great vineyards, dining in temples of haute cuisine across the U.S. and Europe, and entertaining special guests, written in signature JPC fashion.
What follows below is an excerpt from the chapter called “Postcards from . . . Unsung Heros,” where JPC discusses his dining experiences abroad, while touching on a few of Tampa Bay’s essential eats.
“Meanwhile back in my ‘hood surrounding Tampa Bay, I’d be remiss if I didn’t shine a light on our unsung heroes. You know the illusory, romanticized, fantasy of wandering into a small village and finding a tiny Mom and Pop restaurant that takes your breath away? It’s usually somewhere in the south of France or, perhaps, a playground for the rich and famous like Martha’s Vineyard.
The food is, in a word, poetic. For great poetry is selective, finding just the right combination of words to induce a sigh. In our fantasy, every plate begins with seduction. The carefully composed dishes look too good to eat—wondrous kaleidoscopes of color and texture. The flavors explode on your palate in combinations that surprise or amaze.
But, like the search for the Holy Grail or waiting for Godot, it’s almost always a pipe dream of self-delusion. I’m overjoyed to report that I have found this mythical gastronomic unicorn, not in some far off Shangri-La, but across the street from Dunedin Lanes, a bowling alley on Florida’s Gulf Coast. At The Restorative, a spare but welcoming 18-seat space, chef/spouses Erin “Cricket” and Jason Borajkiewicz create magic with an 11-plate menu that is constantly morphing, changing two or three times each week.
Serious food is no longer so serious a business. And just across Tampa Bay from The Restorative is another gem. Rooster & the Till, under the watchful eye of chefs Ferrell Alvarez and Ty Rodriguez, explodes all the benchmarks and upends any preconceived notions about what constitutes the highest level of fine dining across the region.”
Want to see the man behind the words? JPC is hosting a book signing this Friday, December 13 from 5:00 p.m.-8:30 p.m. at Back in the Day Books located at 355 Main St. in downtown Dunedin. Don’t expect to sneak a peek, he will be in full disguise to maintain his anonymity.
Drink.More.Wine! is now available on Amazon and can be purchased as a Kindle ebook or paperback.
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