by lacy morris ~ photographs by robbie caponettof l 8 | s o u t h e r n l i v i n g | j u n e 2 0 1 4

t r a v e l + c u l t u r e s o u t h e a s t i n s i d e r

C h e C k I n

the look & Feel

Beach meets barn with

the rustic elements of

timeworn leather, hemp-

rope lights, and cowhide

rugs. Hospitality interior

design company Gettys

took care to bring in

furnishings from Tampa

antiques stores and

feature Central Florida

little nooks are filled with

antiques and oversize

leather couches, perfect

for browsing one of the

vintage cookbooks

stocked straight from

Bern’s personal collection.

Grade

the service

Attendants toting iPads

greet guests at the door

and escort them to their

room for check-in. A room

tour includes where the

remote sits, how to turn

on the shower, and step-

by-step instructions on

brewing a cup of coffee.

This VIP-style treatment is

a cute attempt at setting

themselves apart, though

the intrusion into your

personal space comes off

as a bit try-hard. Grade

the sleeping Quarters

Compared to the rest of

the hotel, the room almost

feels like an afterthought.

The expected fixins are

there—flat-screen TVs,

rain shower heads, and

complimentary Wi-Fi—

but the design elements

underwhelm. That said,

the bath products are

from the lovely Gilchrist &

Soames’ certified organic

Sprout Out collection, and

the Simmons Beautyrest

mattress conforms nicely

to your body while

400-thread-count sheets

top the restful nest. Light

sleepers should avoid the

second-floor rooms,

which feature a sliding

glass door that opens

straight onto a shared

garden terrace, a space

perfect for sipping

cocktails with friends.

Grade

artists throughout; each

bathroom has a rolling

wooden door hand-

milled from local artisan

Dominique Martinez at

Rustic Steel Creations.

A reclaimed wood ceiling

came from the old S.J.

Greenbaum-owned

distillery in Woodford

County, Kentucky. Comfy

key: yOu’LL WAnT TO STAy AWHILe A BeD THAT’S BeTTeR THAn BISCuITS MORe OPuLenT THAn TWeLVe OAKS A GRAnDe DAMe OF SOuTHeRn STAyS

The entrance serves as a communal

gathering space.

edge rooftop bar

Overall Grade

Sleek with a youthful slant.

1207 South Howard

Avenue; epicureanhotel

.com. Rooms from $199

We lift the lid on Tampa’s newest hotel,

a food-and-wine lover’s respite

a s O f l a s t y e a r , tampa’s hyde Park has a

new must-visit destination: a 137-room boutique

hotel and restaurant from David laxer of Bern’s

steak house (the son of original owner Bern

laxer). From basket-clad beach cruisers to the

state-of-the-art culinary classroom, it’s a perfect

mix of old and new Florida.

By the numBersGeT TO KnOW ePICuReAn

0: The number of artificial dyes, sulfates, and parabens in the bath products

80: The percent-age of artwork that comes from Central Florida

artists

1: James Beard

Award Semifinal-

ist for Best Chef, South (Chad Johnson, 2012)

40: Maximum number of partic-ipants for classes at the Epicurean

Theatre

epicurean hotel

f l 1 0 | s o u t h e r n l i v i n g | j u n e 2 0 1 4

t r a v e l + c u l t u r e

the Food & Drink

Backed by a Tampa dining institution and the anchor of the hotel, Élevage has a lot to live up to. Executive chef Chad Johnson features time-honored Southern dishes with modern technique. With the Sunday Supper, available daily but a nod to the meal Chad’s grandmother reserved “only for God’s day,” Duroc pork-shoulder ribs, glazed in a cider vinegar BBQ sauce, are stewed with white beans and served with delicate cornbread madeleines. Skip the cocktails and order from the extensive list of 70-plus wines. Head to the rooftop bar and try some-thing from the seasonal menu, such as the tequila-based Turn Signal, a concoction of ginger-lime syrup, strawberry soda, and Angostura bitters. Grade

the extras

This is no ordinary hotel lobby. First up is Bern’s Fine Wines & Spirits, a well-stocked collection of wines from all over the world at each end of the price spec-trum: from a bottle of Robert Hall from California ($33) to a 2005 Chateau Margaux from France ($1,200). Down the hall, at sweetshop Chocolate Pi, indulge with macarons, salted caramels, and handmade sodas. The Epicurean Theatre boasts an ultramodern 40-seat culinary classroom, where a constantly rotating cast of industry pro-fessionals, such as Brannon Soileau, an assistant professor at The Culinary Institute of America, teach everything from how to make bacon to cooking with coconut oil. Grade

Élevage is the heart of Epicurean.

BY

th

e

nu

mB

er

s 48: The price, in dollars, of a bottle of Chateau Montelena

Cab delivered to your room

80: The average number of specialty gin and

tonics served at Edge each month

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