Open just under a month, Ybor’s newest Mediterranean Tapas & Pasta bar is The Nest (1430 E.7th Avenue, Tampa FL 33605, 813-247-7500). This unassuming restaurant near the Czar Vodka Bar is a wonderful new addition to Ybor’s 7th Avenue.
The atmosphere is a combination of dark woods, natural tones and stainless steel. They serve both a lunch and dinner menu of Mediterranean favorites from pasta to salads to a selection of sandwiches and more. The open air feel from all of the windows casts delicate light throughout the room, giving a very pleasant dining experience.
For lunch, I opted for the special, a 3 course meal of bread and house salad, vegetable sandwich with fries and an unidentified dessert. The bread came out hot and with an oil based, slightly spicy dipping sauce. The outer edge was crunchy and crisp. The inside was warm and ready to soak up the oil. The bread reminded me a lot of the ciabatta loafs you would find in many of the higher end Italian restaurants. The salad was a mix of greens, mesculin, frisee and vine ripe tomatoes tossed in oil. Nothing exceptional about it, but it was a good compliment to the bread and oil dish and a good next step toward the sandwich.
The sandwich was made of a stack of regional vegetables and mushrooms in a similar bread to the opening course. Crunchy outside gave way to warm, tasty filling with a light cheese. The inside had a consistency of Eggplant Parmesan that perfectly complimented the outer shell. While many breads become soggy or inconsistent when filmed with warm and moist vegetables, this sandwich seemed to hold up.
It was served with a cup of french fries, which I found odd considering how high-end everything else about the meal looked, felt and tasted. That said, they were lightly salted with what appeared to be a sea salt. Cooked to a golden brown texture with light crunch and non-greasy feel that you would expect from something as simple as french fries in a place like this. The fries came with a creamy sauce, resembling a light mustard but with a certain sweetness to it. I wouldn’t wager to guess what it was, but it was delicious.
The dessert was something I couldn’t begin to identify. What looked like a crepe covered in powdered sugar in what tastes like melted ice cream. Very rich, very sugary. Perhaps a bit over the top, but there was just enough to seal the deal on a wonderful meal without being too overpowering.
Dereck went with the Cuban Sandwich, a favorite not found on the menu. One of the regulars came in and continued to order a Cuban sandwich, which this restaurant did not offer. After a while of persistent requests from he customer, the sandwich made its way onto the lunch menu and is now a celebrated favorite. Dereck’s sandwich was accompanied with the same fries and sauce as my sandwich.
Considering the quality of the ingredients and the attention to detail, the price tag was a reasonable $20 for two lunch meals. Service is quick and orderly, the environment is friendly and I can see a big future for this startup.
Related Listing
-
Acropolis Greek Tavern Review
I spent much of my young working life in a Greek restaurant, learning both the culture and the ...
-
Restaurant Review: Athenian Garden Restaurant
In my never end quest for high quality Greek food, I decided to try a place that is both famous and ...
-
Panos Kouzina Restaurant Review
Kara and I were feeling in the mood for Greek Food, so we tried our hand at Panos Kouzina Safety ...
Denis A. Baldwin, 2 years ago
BaconandCheeseBitch – What a review! I’ve been to the nest a few times after the review and had pretty positive experiences. That was about a month ago. I’m hoping they haven’t fallen down hill already!
BaconandCheeseBitch, 2 years ago
Empty Nest
The Nest, a fairly new restaurant in Ybor City, appeared at first to be a diamond in a coal mine. I made a visit to a part of town I normally reserve for dancing and late night revelry but with high expectations after reading the menu and wine list online it sounded too good to be true. And frankly it was. I guess I shouldn't hold such high standards to a restaurant surrounded by clubs and tourist friendly dining destinations.
The dining room on its own is quite confusing. Do I wanna bring a date here or do I want to order pancakes or do I want bottle service? The sheer size is amazing but lends itself along with its furnishing to give a feel of a HoJo diner rather than a fine dining establishment.
The menu is what iniatally got my attention. Anybody that puts Torrentes and Sangiovese by the glass on a Medditeranean inspired menu has a good idea about what there doing. Also a surprisingly diverese selection for a Frenchman. But with the list averaging out at $10 a pour you can't afford to enjoy the idea of a "perfect pairing". That is the whole point of tapas you know. Not like it matters since the standard and all-encompassing menu selection intices your eyes on paper and plate, but not you mouth.
The lamb chops I ordered came well-done. Which I guess is how they are always done considering the server did not ask. Plus the chickpeas were completely irrelevant to the dish.
And the scallops were over seasoned and over cooked. The tapenade did not aide in this, just accentuated the saltiness. Not sure where the citrus was or the point of the vegetable mixture, again not helping the scallops at all.
A lot of pasta too…I pretty sure they don't know what "fresh" pasta is. Most of them are obviously not made in house and taste previously frozen the spinach fettucine was neither spinachy nor cooked properly – sticky and over done, like mush. The bolognese sauce on top was no better than the offerings at Carraba's and The Olive Garden.
I'm finding it difficult to compliment a dish here. Maybe the Bacalao? The elements could stand on their own as superior. The sweetness of the cod & tomato versus the vinegar & salt of the olives and fritters came together well along with the variety of textures.
Now I could be a little biased on this all considering I didn't sample any of the entrees. Only because I don't see the point of having large $20 something items on a tapas menu.
There's a lot lacking from the menu upon further glance. For example where are the cheese dishes? This is supposed to be Medditeranean? I'll I found was your supermarket tube goat cheese in the piquillos and some now standard young manchego. Its not the 90s man.
The desserts are boring but well executed and simply delicious. Plus I do have to give a pat on the back for having a decent choice of dessert wines. But where's the Sauternes Frenchy?
And I have to mention the ownership and staff. Although very amiable and friendly, sometimes to the point of annoyance, the latter is unknowledgable about the pairing process. Hesitant about recommentations and constantly receiting staff meeting management babble bull shit.
At night it turns into just another Ybor spot – poppin' DJs, sexy bartenders, girly shots and all. A true Floridian style mid-life crisis. The Nest is trying its best to combine the hottest big city crazes – meditteranean cuisine, lazy chic & spoiled college kid opulence. Its a shame that all the details get kicked to the curb amongst the effort. Just like your boyfriend after too many Washington Apples shots last night in Ybor.