CUAISR ITNE
FINE DINING AT ITS BEST
Birch & Vine
By Margaret Word Burnside and Aaron R. Fodiman
MARCH/APRIL 2019 | TAMPA BAY MAGAZINE 169
F ine dining is achieved when the
quality and presentation of food,
service and atmosphere exceed one’s
expectations. At Birch & Vine in the
Birchwood Hotel in St. Petersburg, which is
known for its rooftop lounge The Canopy,
we found every element of fine dining to
be exceptional.
The atmosphere and service are
comfortable, elegant and exactly what
you would expect at a restaurant of this
caliber. However, it is the creative menu by
Executive Chef Lee Aquino that made us
declare dining here a treat to be enjoyed.
Chef Lee has managed to make every dish
memorable from starters to desserts. There
is no “ordinary” at Birch & Vine.
Starters are crab cakes, pink shrimp
cocktail, chilled or roasted oysters, a
charcuterie board (chorizo, pistachio,
pimento, olives), a cheese slate, calamari
and shrimp, a Korean street corn tamale
with mole blanco, Rib-eye Carpaccio with
blackened Brussels sprouts, beet marinated
cabbage, grilled broccolini, parsnip
mousse, crunchy kale and farro.
The seven desserts are a 3 Chocolate
Torte, a peanut butter chocolate bar, tropical
fruit dessert, seasonal cheesecake, sorbetto,
gelato and the Birchwood Bananas Foster
over rum soaked coconut cake.
The menu evolves with the seasons
since they pride themselves on the use
of locally sourced ingredients that are
currently available. The wine selection
is carefully and thoughtfully chosen to
meet the tastes of most wine aficionados.
With more than 475 choices, you are sure
to find a match for your palate. 9
EDITOR’S NOTE: The Birchwood’s Birch
& Vine Restaurant is located at 340 Beach
Drive N.E., St. Petersburg, (727) 896-1080,
thebirchwood.com.
caperberry relish and whipped bone
marrow butter. There is a soup of the day
and the signature roasted cauliflower
bisque with crumbled bleu cheese. Salads
are large enough to share. There is a house
salad, a green goddess, a wedge, a baby
spinach and strawberry, a kale, Caesar
and Southern Cobb, all with their own
special treats.
Smaller portions are the smoked lamb
chops, sesame-seared tuna, a petite New
York steak, scallops and pork belly, and a
not-to-be-missed Escargot Perloo served
with a scallion butter, pickled fennel and
the chef-created Redneck Caviar. Their
steaks can be ordered with interesting
side items. Chef Lee’s tempting entrées
are Venetian-style pork ribs, sweet potato
gnocchi, Lantern Lane Brick Chicken,
cottage pie, scallops and grits, duck and
caper pasta, Scottish Salmon, a fish of
the day and a dish he calls Cruciferous
that consists of cocoa roasted cauliflower,
PEZZ PHOTO
The Charcuterie Board is tempting at the Birch & Vine and includes Italian Speck,
Spanish chorizo, mortadella pistachio, house pimento cheese, gorgonzola dolce,
marinated olives, chocolate comb, whipped honey and seasonal jam