(Photo by Rob Harris)
When theatergoers visit the David A. Straz, Jr. Center for the Performing Arts in Tampa, Fla., the show starts before they enter the theater. Executive Chef Benito D’Azzo creates specially-themed menus for the productions that run at the center, and considers the food to be the first act. “We’re setting the tone for the show,” he explained. “We really go out to go above [expectations] and impress the customer.”
For the production of “War Horse” that ran April 30 to May 5 in the center’s Carol Morsani Hall, D’Azzo incorporated inspiration from the show’s equine star into a unique recipe for hay-smoked Hereford ribeye with wild mushroom barley risotto and roasted baby rainbow carrots. He explained he used Hereford beef for its consistently good flavor, which is cold-smoked for 10 to 12 minutes with fresh hay from a local feed store, then finished on the grill.
“Hay smoking is something that’s just really starting to catch on, coming out of some of the top Norwegian restaurants right now,” he said. The hay burns at a lower temperature than wood, giving the meat a smoky flavor that’s not overpowering, according to D’Azzo.
Instead of using the customary rice varieties for risotto, D’Azzo again took a cue from “War Horse” by using barley and oatmeal, items you might find in a horse’s diet. For the roasted baby carrots, D’Azzo called up the Chef’s Garden, a family-owned farm in Ohio that hand-harvests and ships produce overnight to ensure freshness.
“I’m already working on the 2013-14 season that starts in October,” D’Azzo said. With themed menus created specifically for each show, D’Azzo and the culinary staff at the Straz Center essentially start from scratch after each show’s run.
“We’re rebuilding the restaurant every time there’s a show,” he said. “We get to play with our food.”
Contact: (727) 280-3146
Chef D'Azzo (Photo by Rob Harris)
Executive Chef Benito D’Azzo
David A. Straz, Jr. Center for the Performing Arts
Benito D’Azzo has the traditional training and background one would expect of an accomplished chef, but now at the helm of the culinary operations at the Straz Center, his role is anything but orthodox.
“I’m in my mid-50s now and have been cooking for 30-some years, so I have to stay really on the top edge of everything,” he said. “We’re really trying to always see how we can push the limits.”
Armed with his culinary beliefs in sustainability, supporting small farms and businesses, and always offering what’s fresh, D’Azzo draws inspiration from all cultures that he feels have the most fun with their food. “Asian, Italian, Spanish—I like the cultures where food becomes more than a meal,” he said.
Hay-smoked Hereford rib-eye with wild mushroom barley risotto and roasted baby rainbow carrots $36 (as part of a prix FIXE, multi-course menu)
Pairs with Louis M. Martini cabernet