Spending NYE with the Rooster
Chef/owner Ferrell Alvarez exhibits a container of Sterling Sturgeon caviar used to accent New Years Eve dishes. They select this brand due to its sustainability and excellent taste.
We spent New Year's Eve in the care of the kitchen at Rooster and the Till, a modern American neighborhood-type restaurant with world-flavor wisdom. R&T just celebrated its tenth anniversary, and there’s a reason it has persevered while so many others have failed. It’s the same reason it remains toward the top of my Tampa favorites list. Beyond snooty accomplishment awards, haughty Yelp reviews, and industry acclaim, and beyond the fancy or obscure-sounding ingredients, the food and service are consistently outstanding. There is enough variety and menu changes by top-end talent to keep it interesting. I love complex flavors that have been masterfully blended and simple dishes when they are best left simple. There’s always a reason to go back.
Executive Chef Martin DeJesus’ watchful eye inspects dishes as they leave the kitchen.
While chef/owner Ferrel Alvarez captained the kitchen for many years, he established a solid foundation and strong following. He has since had several talented wizards at the helm. In June 2023, Chef Martin DeJesus, former chef de cuisine at Bern’s Steakhouses Haven, took the reins as executive chef and has continued the tradition of preparing complex dishes and delivering excellence in service. His years of experience in crafting traditional and new-age dishes shine, and he watches every dish leaving the kitchen to ensure quality and that there are no spatters, spills, or food out of place.
Meachum Farms Golden Beets with whipped Ricotta, roasted cranberries, Foie Streusel, and basil oil is a delicious start to the five-course service
The New Year's Eve menu was prix fixe, consisting of five courses with an optional wine pairing and chef-suggested add-ons. The salad course brought a Golden Beet Salad from Meachum Farm in Tampa. These locally sourced beauties were served in a swish of whipped ricotta and mixed with fresh roasted cranberries and an interesting crumbly foie streusel. Think of it. Chunks of sweet beets with a slightly sour cranberry, crunchified by a chunk of sweet streusel, and creamy ricotta and basil EVVO to give it mouth. Yep!
Lobster Agnolotti in lobster miso bisque, marcona tarragon gremolata with Sterling Caviar topper
Next was Lobster Angolotti, beautiful pasta pillows stuffed with lobster sitting in a pool of miso bisque with a swirl of gremolata. We elected to add the recommended splurge of Sterling Caviar to take it over the top. Those little beads of salty, buttery fish flavor were the perfect addition.
Duck Confit- with braised beans, leeks, charred fennel, and grapefruit salad was iffy from the description but so tasty in its execution!
Course three came with some trepidation. Duck Confit in a stew of braised white beans, leeks, charred fennel -and here’s the iffy part- grapefruit salad. It was delicious! That duck breast was browned and crispy, and the rest of the combo (as I should have known) brought it all together. The grapefruit was just a tasty side hustle here. The duck and those luscious beans closed the deal.
NY Strip Au Poirve- cauliflower puree and wild mushrooms. Our server pouring the finishing touches table side is an example of the high level of service Rooster provides
The real meat and potatoes course (okay- it was cauliflower mash, not potatoes) was New York Strip Au Poivre, a classic French steak dish coated in peppercorns. It forms a crust on the meat and drops a black, peppery flavor bomb with every bite. The perfectly cooked medallions of NY strip are brought to the table, and our server pours a creamy mushroom gravy over the dish. The pepper offers a perky counterpoint to the steak flavor… and that gravy and cali mash… okay?
White Chocolate Persimmons=- Pistachio gelato, Rum anglaise and compressed persimmons
I’m stuffed. But not so much that I can’t muster the strength to try the White Chocolate Persimmon, a bowl of dessert heaven. It’s a square of sweet bread pudding goodness surrounded by rum anglaise (crème custard) served with a dollop of pistachio gelato. Happy New Year!
The full service bar at Rooster and the Till has a neighborhood feel and expert drink crafters.
Rooster and the Till has established itself as a shining culinary star in Seminole Heights with concierge-level service, creative and unique dishes, and a time-tested formula of keeping public interest. Tampa’s foodie crowd can be fickle. They gravitate toward the latest trend, then move on. Rooster keeps them coming back.
R&T got its full liquor license last year and now offers a full-service bar. Prices are fine-dining level, there is plenty of self-parking, and the noise level is moderate. If you go, sit at the kitchen bar to catch all the action!