CHEF’S ON THE LOOSE – FOODIE ALERT INTRO
Fellow Foodie Adventurers,
I have to share this surprisingly delicious and out-of-the-ordinary dining experience I had at CHEF’S ON THE LOOSE in Tampa. (It took an hour to get there from Gulfport because of a bomb scare and rush-hour traffic, but only 40 minutes to return home. Found out the “bomb” was an instrument to measure bridge vibrations. Wouldn’t you think there would be some kind of sign in a couple of languages saying “Dummy, this is a harmless, deadly looking machine that frightens grown men. Don’t panic. Don’t call your mother or the police. But why are you poking around here, anyway? ”)
“CHEF’S ON THE LOOSE is an interactive ‘hands on’ culinary experience where everyone can discover the art and excitement of creating gourmet cuisine. We’re firing up the kitchen & heating things up for parties that sizzle. Unleash your inner chef.”
www.chefsontheloose.net
In their open kitchen with an attached, upscale dining area that was outfitted with crisp white linens, glimmering glassware, unique dishes, and spring-flowered branches in 4′ tall glass cylinders on a table that seats 20, and another raised butcher-block table that also seats 20, they offer an inviting place to get your hands scented with fresh herbs and organic flour or just watch the action, while sipping imported beers and memorable wines.
There are many opportunities to get to know interesting folks during the 3-hour dining experience, enhanced by carefully chosen music and a glow from all the candles placed on shelves covering the walls.
They offer relaxed, hands-on experiences; themed dining fun, a Friday-night supper club, and private party opportunities. I chose the Celtic-themed dining, which was being orchestrated by Jennifer Lee, who was a special delight during the evening.
As I said, be ready to meet interesting folks or if you’re too shy, bring your own crowd, because the dining is communal. I sat near a lively women who runs tours of up to 12 folks to Scotland and Ireland fiona@celticdreamstours.com (813-317-6013); a charming man of Botanical Design Studios (813-831-0965) talkative with stories of jobs for celebrities and dignitaries (Tom Cruise, Obama, the Queen, etc.); and an interesting children’s speech therapist and her event-planner friend.
I was on my own, not knowing what to expect, but folks came up to me and introduced themselves, so I felt very comfortable right from the start. The hosts are charmingly friendly and inviting. I felt as if I was at a private dinner party with friends.
Jennifer Lee owns Celtic Table, offering “Exquisite European Cuisine.” (celtictable@gmail.com 813-441-2051) She is a personal chef and offers cooking classes. Her story is movie material. She has a smidgen of Irish in her, but with her dark hair and eyes, pale skin and freckles, cute nose and mouth and infectious charm, you’d swear she was 100%.
Jennifer grew up in Vermont and moved with her folks to Tampa and has a degree in the culinary arts, specializing in organic and European cuisine. During a trip to Ireland, on her last day in a pub (of course) an Irish lad asked if he could take her out. She had to tell him she was returning to America the next day (oh, poop!). He asked (of course) if he could take her out if he came to America.
Well, she now runs a bed and breakfast on their sheep farm in the middle of Ireland in a village of 25 folks. An airline steward and friends who were at the dinner had spent a night at Jennifer’s bed and breakfast during their Ireland vacation and lamented how they wished they had spent the whole time with Jennifer. (Drinking champagne in the middle of a flock of sheep during a glorious Irish sunset is not part of the usual commercial tour-bus agendas.)
Now for the food…the glorious food! And colors added visual excitement, along with the flavor and texture dances on our palates.
Forget-the-Economy Starters and Palate Wake-Uppers
Imported Irish beers and memorable wines
Palate Teaser
Half of a peeled pear filled with creamy Irish blue cheese, relaxing in a bed of purple and green baby-tender leaves, and dusted with purple feathery mini-flower petals. (I would have liked the walnut topper toasted. I know, I can be brutal! I have caught my friends rolling their eyes during one of my rants.)
Palate Tickler
Salmon mousse w/a perfectly ripened and seasoned bundle of tomato bits, along with baby triangles of toast. (And the cute serving cup just tickled my eyes.)
Palate Cleanser
Honeydew sorbet w/lime zest served in a variety of fun, pedestal shot glasses. The baby ceramic spoons made dipping into the chilled splash of refreshment an Alice-in-Wonderland experience. (Yes, I find that how food and drink is served can add to the epicurean experience. A fried-baloney and onion sandwich tastes entirely different eaten from a handmade, creamy yellow basket, lined with an azure blue-checked napkin, than from a Styrofoam plate…ask Martha!)
Palate Exciter
Velvety halibut poached in hard cider w/boiled potatoes swimming in salty, smokey bacon bits and a big bubble of herbed Irish soda bread.
Palate Blaster
Sticky toffee pudding with homemade honey-brandy vanilla ice cream
(It was like a having cold crème brulee that hadn’t solidified. The recipe comes from Jennifer’s sister-in-law. One of her husband’s eight (we’re talking Irish Catholic here) siblings who is a nun in Ireland. It is a concoction of egg yolks, cream, honey, and brandy (gotta love the Irish)…that’s it. And she just cooks it and puts it in the freezer…no churning! (I told you this is movie or romance novel material. I want to hear the nun’s story, too; brandy, good brandy, is the main ingredient.)
Palate Relaxers and After-Dinner Conversation Enhancers
Beer, grapes. homemade crackers, and a gathering of Irish cheeses and stories. (The gentle white cheddar, clotted with sweet lemon-peel bits was my favorite.)
Now for the biggest surprise: CHA-CHING Only $55!!
This was my first experience, but talking with the owners of this eight-month-old business, I got the feeling this is the experience they are striving to deliver for their guests at all their dinners, and I do mean guests. The enhancement of your senses through lovely music, delectable scents, exciting tastes and textures, and given the time to unwind with interesting folks is all about your pleasure and delight.
Be well and well fed!
Foodie Adventurer on the Loose
CHEF’S ON THE LOOSE April 30, 2009