UPDATE: Editor's note: The original version of this story said Fodder & Shine will open at 4 p.m. Friday, Dec. 19, as per a news release. However, a little after 2 p.m. Dec. 19, the restaurant announced its opening is postponed until 4 p.m. Friday, Dec. 26, “due to some licensing delays.” The story was updated to reflect this.
Florida speckled butter beans. Wood-roasted oysters. Emerald okra. Rabbit and cornmeal dumplings. These and other Cracker cuisine delicacies will be highlighted at Greg and Michelle Baker's Fodder & Shine when it opens at 4 p.m. Friday, Dec. 26.
In a 8,400-square-foot space at 5910 N. Florida Ave. in Seminole Heights, where regionites first got a taste of the Bakers' acclaimed flagship The Refinery, the past meets present; Fodder & Shine will serve dinner and late-night fare from 4 p.m. to 3 a.m. daily.
Breakfast and lunch will be offered in its 116-seat dining room, which has white-tiled walls and a view of the kitchen, in the coming weeks, according to a press release.
Native Floridians, the Bakers sourced ingredients that pay tribute to the state's culinary heritage, composing a bill of eats that showcases Greg's interpretations of authentic Florida Cracker recipes.
Pilau with Carolina Gold rice, Minorcan sausage, chicken liver and boiled egg, as well as diners' choice of a meat-and-three plate (one protein, three sides), will be among the entrees, while Southern peanut butter and grapefruit chiffon pies will anchor the dessert selection. In August, Michelle told CL canned and pickled foods will be featured, too.
On the outskirts of Tampa, Bartow's Crum Brothers Family Farm will supply Fodder & Shine's heirloom veggies like Florida broadleaf mustard greens, Everglades tomatoes and high-bush eggplant. The eatery will also butcher pigs and Florida Cracker Cattle Association grass-fed beef in-house.
And the drinks? They'll be headed by former Czar bartender Kamran Mir, who plans to integrate the restaurant's produce into its spirits program.
The classics, including Sazeracs and Sidecars, will be crafted alongside signature cocktails such as the White Manhattan (whiskey, vermouth and house-made orange bitters) and the I-75 (gin, orange blossom simple syrup, lemon and sparkling wine).
Stocked with other beverages like wines and craft beers, the bar, with its stainless steel top, will accommodate 18.
