Mouth-watering
steaks, fresh local seafood, excellent service and a beautiful view on the
Tampa Riverwalk.
As our hostess opened the door from the dining room to our
table on the patio we marveled at the view of the river and the luxurious boats
docked at the hotel’s marina. We are in
the heart of the city of Tampa, a short boat ride from Tampa Bay, and the
gentle wind from the south west brings the clean smell of the ocean. Green
plants, palm trees and a white picket fence separate the raised patio dining
area from the Riverwalk below. Across the wide channel we can view the condos
of Harbour Island and the bright sign advertising the location of the Westin
Tampa Harbour Island
This is the perfect place, on a warm evening, for a
comfortable business dinner or a romantic dinner with your partner. The tables are spaced well apart so you do
not hear the conversations of the other diners and the dress code is casual so
you and your guests can relax. The few people walking their dogs on the
Riverwalk are out of sight behind and below the greenery.
Our server, Charles, was attentive, knowledgeable and
efficient. He appeared promptly when we
were seated and offered us drinks. It
was a delight to find the restaurant had several Florida beers available and I
chose the Jai Alai IPA on draft from Cigar City brewing. To start we shared the Wild Mushroom and Goat
Cheese Flatbread topped with Arugula and Caramelized Sweet Onions. This was the perfect size for sharing, we had
two generous slices each, mine had all the onions, my wife’s had all the
arugula – a perfect arrangement.
For the main course my wife chose the fresh Salmon “Catch of
the Day” served with a side salad and mushrooms. It was delicious, grilled to perfection so it
flaked using a fork. I ate the Wood
Grilled Delmonico, a prime rib eye steak grilled, then served with herb
butter. It was delicious. This is rather a pretentious name for a
steak, especially as there is some dispute over exactly what the name
signifies. The history of the name “Delmonico’s” is quite interesting and can
be read at www.steakperfection.com/delmonico. With my steak I
had an excellent glass of house Cabernet chosen and recommended
by Charles.
Including tip the dinner cost $100. Excellent value for money given the perfect
weather for eating outside and the magnificent view. After dinner we took the few steps down to the
Riverwalk and walked to the Tampa Bay History Center and back. A pleasant 30
minute stroll. Then we retrieved our car
from the Marriott valet for the discounted price for diners of $9 and drove
home.
