While the metro Tampa/St. Petersburg area has some fine restaurants, most of them tend to be closed on Christmas Eve, so we opted to dine 2 blocks down the road from our place (The Don Cesar Beach Suites) in the main dining room of the grande dame hotel of the area...MARITANA at the DON CESAR HOTEL (that big pink palace on the beach that Sam loves). Our expectations were high and were sometimes met, but not often enough to make the $300 tab really worth it.
We liked the huge fish tanks at the entrance with lion fish and more and those along the wall, but managed to get the one booth that faced a mirror.The light wood, big banquettes and ceiling fans give an airy and seafaring feeling, and our server Marc (from Quebec) seemed able enough as well.
We started with a DARIOUSH VIOGNIER 2006 which is super creamy with a citrus tang on the tong and immediately received our superb amuse of CREAM of TOMATO-BASIL soup with Basil Oil and Lump Crab Garnish which was really a rich bisque in a demitasse with nice chunks of tasty crabmeat. The bread came next and we got even more impressed with the beautifully presented herb grissini held up by slices of semolina and ended by two types of focaccia (potato and rosemary). A huge head of roasted garlic and carafes of extra virgin olive oil and balsamic were there for garnish. Where do I begin?
Will started with a GRAVLAX of SALMON, LUMP CRAB MEAT and TUNA TIMBALE which was atop MANGO Carpaccio with Citrus Vinaigrette, The description confused me as the timbale was mostly tuna topped with crab and a garnish of salmon and should have been ordered in reverse on the menu based on ingredients, even if it was very nice. My dreamy MAINE LOBSTER AGNOLOTTI were served atop wilted LEEKS, CORAL BUTTER with White TRUFFLE OIL and had the food stayed at this level, we would have been very happy.
We ordered a bottle of DOMAINE CARNEROS 2004 Chardonnay which was really very UNEXCITING for a Carneros Chard and then split a salad of MAINE LOBSTER & WHITE ASPARAGUS with Lemongrass Vinaigrette which was bland and unexciting save for the edible DINDROVOIUM orchid!
Entrees were a PAN SEARED SEA SCALLOP with Lobster Risotto, Roasted Beets and a bare tad of Osetra Caviar with Citrus Vinaigrette (the chef seems to like citrus vinaigrette!) which Will did not rave about, while my ORANGE HABANERO cream sauced GROUPER with a WARM LOBSTER, PINEAPPLE & VANILLA BEAN STEW on the side became miraculous when the two were combined to foil the spiciness with the slight sweet. Glazed Banana and Rum Pepper Paint finished off this wonderful inventive and superb tasting dish.
Sadly, when our glasses were refilled a different waiter poured someone else's Pouilly Fuisse into our Chardonnay and had to dump the glasses (it DID taste AWFUL!). He said he would pay (an odd usage or term) for additional glasses for us.
We decided to split the RASPBERRY SOUFFLE and order just one glass of dessert wine between us (which the other waiter was "paying" for"). From here on in, everything went downhill. The OREMUS TOKAJI 1999 Aszu Puttonyos was really a boring dessert wine, with little sweetness and I could only help thinking the bottle had been open for days or the vintage just sucked. The souffle was fine for two bites, but the entire inside was uncooked. We told Marc to simply take it back and bring the check (minus the souffle, of course). It came fast enough with some superb chocolates, but HOW CHINCY CAN YOU BE when you bring two DIFFERENT chocolates for two people, so they have to split the CAPPUCCINO and PRALINE (which was GREAT) so they can each taste each type!
Like I said, highs and lows, but not worth the tab.
