One
of our Christmas presents from my parents was a stack of CL Deals to use for date nights! So for dinner last night, we headed to Piquant in Hyde Park.
It’s
in a cute location right on the corner of Rome & Snow Avenues. I don’t think we’d been there since Sophie’s French Bakery was in
that location a few years back.
The
previous restaurant had more of an eclectic coffee shop feel – it still has the
bakery, but now it’s a bit more upscale now with ghost chairs, high-back black
leather banquettes, and mood lighting.
I
ordered the La Tour Eiffel cocktail – the Ketel 1, passion fruit, St. Germain,
bubbly & rosemary. It was served
with crushed ice, so it tasted more like a fancy slushy drink. Lance had the Coppertail Unholy Trippel
(served in a 3 Daughters glass…) We still haven’t made our wait to Coppertail Brewery in Ybor, but Lance
enjoyed his beer, so we’ll have to check it out soon!
They
served some crispy baguettes before the meal – I had to restrain myself from
eating the whole bread basket.
For
my meal, I ordered one of their Signature Entrées, the Braised Boeuf Short Ribs
with gratin dauphinoise, wilted spinach with pine nuts & preserved lemons,
bordelaise sauce, and crispy leeks. The
portion wasn’t huge, but it was plenty enough for me. And it was clear that it was quality over
quantity. The meat was tender and
flavorful, and the potatoes and veggies were perfectly cooked.
Lance
had the Piquant Burger – made with Niman Ranch grass-fed beef, topped with a
red wine onion confit, heirloom tomato, and white cheddar on a challah bun. It
included parmesan, parsley, and truffle oil fries. It was the perfect burger & fries.
We
didn’t have room for dessert, but their pastry display was filled with all
sorts of goodies including tarts, cupcakes, and their famous cronuts. We’ll need to come back another day and just
have sweets & fancy coffee.
It
was a really wonderful meal. The CL Deal
definitely helped with the price though, so keep an eye out on the Creative
Loafing website to see whether they post another deal!
Piquant
is located at 1633
West Snow Avenue, Tampa, FL 33606 and is open 8am – 8pm Sunday – Wednesday
and 8am – 10pm Thursday – Saturday.