TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

A Dining Conductor

Scott Iskowitz/ The Tampa Tribune)

David Sunday,right, operations chef unpacks food as Rusty Evers,executive chef,left goes over her list in the kitchen at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center. Evers took over about

ADVERTISEMENT

By JANIS D. FROELICH, The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 24, 2007

Additional Photos

DOWNTOWN - Rusty Evers confesses she spent the morning yelling at everybody. A produce dealer tried to sell her wilted rosemary "with buds on the bottom," she said with a horrified look.

When you're executive chef at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center - new to the job, trying to bring up standards - icky herbs just won't do.

Evers, who ran a small but well-known catering business called The Art of the Feast in South Tampa for 10 years, was hired seven months ago to bring quality to the center's three restaurants.

She has grand ideas for the trio of Maestro's, one a formal restaurant, one a lobby cafe and the third outdoors by the Hillsborough River.

Evers also has started a catering business at the center for the groups who come to see entertainers or hold meetings there, expanding the service to takeout orders from local offices and other facilities.

A confident, energetic 56-year-old, Evers doesn't mind saying she was perfect for the job. She moved from New York to Tampa, so she's used to serving a melting pot of hungry customers, including Diane Sawyer and Mike Nichols. She also worked for Donald Trump, both in the Big Apple and for the now-stalled condominium project bearing his name in downtown.

"This was right up my alley," she said of her new showbiz environment, relaxing at a dining room table on a recent sunny morning before moving into her small, efficient kitchen.

She views the theater as a great venue for feeding people and would like to move away from the buffet style for most crowds. She envisions theatergoers sticking around for dessert and coffee or to select a cheese along with tempting wines and ports.

But for now she has added fun to the buffets. For the upcoming 53 performances in December of the Rockettes in the "Radio City Christmas Spectacular," she devised "The Plaza" menu. It reflects an old-fashioned holiday dinner, including turkey with cornbread sausage stuffing and ham with bourbon-raisin sauce. Being of Cajun-French heritage, Evers also added Creole clam chowder.

When the curtain rises on "Jersey Boys" in February and March, the menu will feature diner fare such as meatloaf with smashed potatoes, fried chicken with sausage gravy, burgers and fries, and root beer floats.

"I'm big on visual presentations," Evers said, pointing to fall pumpkin arrangements she made to spruce up Maestro's.

In fact, Evers brought with her a vast collection of decorating items such as baskets and fancy ribbons from her former catering business on Kennedy Boulevard. She stores them in a long, narrow two-story space off the refrigerator room.

Her boss, Bernie Kloppenburg, director of the center's food and beverage division for four years, said the main reason he hired Evers was her "tabletop presentation."

"It was very hard to find someone who makes food look very high-end," he said. "But Rusty has catered some elegant parties, including those for a lot of celebrities."

In December, about 135,000 people are expected at the center, with about 15,000 served food through the restaurants or catering. Kloppenburg, standing in the kitchen that was just painted a mushroom color under Evers' guidance, said his executive chef will handle soup to nuts for the 70 events.

As if on cue, Evers reappeared with a sample of her homemade spicy pecans. She wants to open a gourmet food store in the center.

Operating chef David Sunday, preparing small poached Seckel pears, said Evers is fun.

"Rusty shoulders a major responsibility here, and she will get frazzled like anyone would," he said. "But she always makes it work out."

Brittney Pearson, busy sliding trays of applewood-smoked bacon into a 350 degree oven for crisping, added, "I'm amazed by the stuff she puts on the table. No rubber chicken sold here - that's our motto."

Evers, the mother of a son and daughter, ages 38 and 34 respectively, said she tells her staff of upwards of 15 that if they wouldn't serve an item to their mother, then it's not good enough for the center.

A NEW MAESTRO

For Maestro's reservations, call (813) 229-7827. Call (813) 222-1072 for catering information.

To contact the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center, 1010 N. W.C. MacInnes Place, call (813) 222-1072 or go to www.tbpac.org.

Reporter Janis D. Froelich can be reached at (813) 835-2104 or jfroelich@tampatrib.com.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT