There’s a new symbol at the entry to International Plaza’s Bay Street.

It’s as if, now seasoned, the street has earned new glitter and glamour. You can’t eat décor and rich, club-like atmosphere, but here’s what the Miami Herald had to say.  Capital Grille is "like a culinary theme park full of dark wood, stuffed game heads, cigars, high-end drinks, fine wines and dry-aged steaks." This is also a place where you’ll never find lint on your black suit from a crisp, white dinner napkins. No, the Capital Grille whisks out black napkins for such an occasion. 

Capital Grille is part of a 15-year-old restaurant firm, headquartered in Atlanta, specializing in  classic cuisine -- steaks, chops and seafood. The attentive staff is menu knowledgeable; their large wine selection is important, as well.

Who’s at the helm of Tampa’s new Capital Grille? Executive Chef Dan Tederous with 14 years of culinary experience and a staff of 40. What’s Chef Dan really like? His enthusiasm is contagious, his food savvy runs deep. Pensive, yet jolly and strappingly large, his rectangular glasses top his strong beard-surrounded mouth. He’s fun to get to know! He is smiley-eyed, confident and promises great food for Tampa.

Capital Grille central gives him freedom to make his restaurant distinct. It’s Chef Dan who comes up with the tempting daily specials, many of which are diners’ suggestions he pays attention to. The Grille’s every-day menu, regularly features six customized, no-nonsense, hand-cut in-house, dry-aged, steaks. Dry aging is a process where meat is aged in humidity and temperature-controlled coolers for 14 days. The first 10 days of this process allows for natural tenderization of the steak. The remaining days intensify the natural flavors of the beef. The house Veal Chops are Porterhouse style; Lamb Chops, double-cut. Skilled meat chefs use a special, commercial, 1400-degree gas grill. Careful rotation is key to the process. 

Some of the house’s flourishes are Double-Mustard Sauces, Roquefort Butters and some Dry Sack in the Lobster Bisque. The Creamed Spinach gets a Nutmeg Bechamel Sauce. Salmon Steaks arrive on beds of homemade spaetzle. In the Dessert section, Coconut Cream Pies arrive on Macaroon-style crusts, and the Chocolate Hazelnut Cakes are built with layers of Chocolate Mousse and Hazelnut Chocolate Ganache beneath a crest of Crème Anglaise.

Comfort foods accent the richer foods. What does comfort mean to Chef Dan? He appreciates Smoked Ham Split Pea Soup, full-pounder baked potatoes, as well as potatoes au Gratin or Lyonnaise. Mashed potatoes are simple, Red Bliss, with sweet cream and butter, no lumps of Lobster, Cheddar or invasive garlic. A dessert here can also be as simple as fresh berries covered with vanilla cream.

Tederous comes to Tampa from Capital Grille, Atlanta, where he served as sous chef concerned with daily specials and menu development. The Grille won awards during his time there. He also trained under the revered Chef Kevin Rathbun at Atlanta’s Nava Restaurant and was sous chef at the Italian restaurant, LaStrada.

Here in Tampa, he slides down comfortably into a generous leather booth and readily gives a short play-by-play of the "making of" what several deem his best-kept menu secret. It’s his generous Cclamari appetizer, easily a satisfying lite lunch, perhaps with a salad. The calamari has a cheery-warm flavor from sautéed, slightly fiery peppers. He puts club soda in his tempura, and the calamari must be cooked no ore than 45 seconds. He smiles. He knows it’s a winner.

Tederous’ earliest food influences were Lebanese from his grandmother and father. He has many of their cookbooks and feels one of these days, with time, he’ll "be able to work it in." He and his wife, Rachael, enjoy the openness of Tampa’s people, digging into the excitement of their new city and sampling the eats at Tampa’s other restaurants.

Ever-mindful of the community they serve, Capital Grille is currently in partnership with Tampa’s Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

© Marty Martindale, 2005, Largo FL