Located at the iconic Loews Don CeSar Hotel in St. Pete Beach, Maritana Grille is a AAA Four Diamond award-winning restaurant led by Executive Chef Kenny Hunsberger and Chef de Cuisine Gavin Pera.
Known throughout the St. Petersburg/Clearwater area, and all of Florida for that matter, this dynamic duo expertly blends contemporary American cuisine with fresh-from-the-sea selections at Maritana Grille.
And now, the restaurant has introduced a new St. Pete Farmers Market Tasting Menu, featuring items that include locally sourced produce and dairy products.
Nosh on Florida-fresh seafood from the St. Pete Farmers Market Menu — Photo courtesy of Maritana Grille
While the menu varies weekly, popular dishes include Seely’s Arc Rabbit, Anderson Lamb Rack, Stone Crab and Poached Scallops. And most dishes are accented with root vegetables and produce from local farms, too, including Worden Farms, Little Pond Farm, Hammock Hallow, Prevatt Farms, Eden’s Nectar, Larry Evans and Faithful Farms.
It’s not uncommon for Hunsberger and Pera to visit the weekly Saturday morning market in downtown St. Petersburg to meet with local vendors and select what will be highlighted on the specialty menu. They visit the local farms, too, to personally select the freshest produce and meet the farmers.
“Some of the best ingredients come from local growers. We want to help heighten the awareness of these farms and provide our guests with the most flavorful local cuisine available in all of Tampa Bay,” says Hunsberger, who helped land Maritana Grille on 10Best's list of top 10 restaurants in the area. “A special tasting menu featuring locally sourced ingredients does just that!”
Also known as the "Pink Palace," the Loews Don CeSar Hotel is located on St. Pete Beach — Photo courtesy of Loews Don CeSar Hotel
Walking in to the restaurant nestled inside the "Pink Palace" (as many call Loews Don CeSar Hotel), guests are first drawn to the four large saltwater aquariums, full to the brim with exotic fish and giving the restaurant a tropical yet elegant ambiance.
It’s the perfect spot for a romantic dinner, where you can sip wine, enjoy the chic atmosphere and taste dishes from the new menu.
And for a truly unique experience, book the Chef's Table and enjoy the show by Maritana's culinary team.
“We love working with the chefs at Loews. They are instrumental in raising awareness of local farms like ours and letting people visiting our area know that organic farms are a part of our lives here,” says Eva Worden, owner of Worden Farms. “Having our produce on their menu shows visitors that they care about the community and their commitment to providing only the freshest cuisine to their guests.”
The St. Pete Farmers Market Tasting Menu is $85 per person, plus tax and gratuity. A specialty wine pairing menu is also available.
Maritana Grille is located inside the Loews Don CeSar Hotel at 3400 Gulf Blvd.
A specialty wine pairing menu is also available — Photo courtesy of Maritana Grille
