The Hottest Fine Dining Spot

By Idy Fernández

It seemed like a no-brainer: Cover ugly tabletops with tablecloths. Yet for chef Henry Salgado and his pastry chef wife Michele, this simple remedy transformed what was supposed to be a “mom-and-pop” restaurant into one of the hottest fine dining spots of New Smyrna Beach, Florida. Now in its sixth year, Spanish River Grill & Wine Bar has brought to the small beach town a combination of modern Spanish and Cuban cuisine in a comfortable location and a dash of chic.

The warm-colored walls peppered with Latin American artwork throughout the 60- seat restaurant are the backdrop to Salgado’s seafood trademarks like yuca crusted fish over black beans. Michele handles the floor management and concocts updated versions of Salgado’s grandmother’s caramelized flan and chocolate-chocolate bread pudding. Salgado’s brother serves as the sous chef, while Dad sometimes serves as the restaurant’s handyman.

“Food is definitely about love and passion. If your heart’s not into it, then it’s not going to work for you,” says 37-year-old Salgado, a Tampa native whose grandparents are from Spain and Cuba.

Salgado met his wife at the Horseradish Grill in Atlanta, where she was a waitress. They wed a year later and moved to New Smyrna Beach seeking the slow pace of a beach town in 1999. Together they tweaked a local diner’s design, unwittingly tapping into a niche that craved fine dining, when they added tablecloths to the décor. The wine list went from two bottles to 25 and the menu’s focus shifted from Cuba to a medley of traditional and modern Barcelona.

“Some call [Spanish River Grill] fine dining, but really it’s just like having a nice dinner party at your house with people you know well,” says Michele, whose natural baking talent isn’t backed by formal pastry chef training.

Via : www.hispaniconline.com

Samuel Pepys (1633-1703, British Diarist) : Strange to see how a good dinner and feasting reconciles everybody