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YBOR CITY
The block of Seventh Avenue in Ybor City between 19th and 20th streets looks a little down at the heels. Some empty spaces, a strange costume store and, what's this? A lovely restaurant with high ceilings and skylights, a cool loft at the back, and long brick walls on which the works of local artists are displayed. Elegant, airy and hip, it is a space that has serially housed Sushi on 7th, Sushi X, Raw Lounge and Cinco de Mayo. It sat empty for quite a while before David Sunday opened Sunday's Fine Dining in January.
It was a rocky start — it took until May to get a liquor license, and in August, David's older sister and business partner, Donna, passed away. But David has pressed on, slowly building a fan base on the strength of his internationally inflected seafood preparations. Serving in the Army as a cook in far-flung places like South Korea and Germany, Sunday has a keen appreciation for the punchy flavors of Southeast Asia. He likes sriracha and ginger, chili oil and lemongrass, and he's not afraid to show it.
What this means for customers is a trio of menus — brunch, lunch and dinner — that covers a lot of ground geographically but is still marked by Sunday's gutsy sensibility. Portions are big, occasionally too big, and some dishes might be improved by the addition of a side veg or crisp/crunchy accompaniment for contrasting color and texture. Still, prices are reasonable, and Sunday has an especially deft touch with sea creatures — lobster in particular.
Get things started with a selection from the very short wine list (affordable and familiar Old World and New World names) or one of the inventive house cocktails (e.g., the Yborbon martini: Jim Beam, amaretto, peach schnapps, fresh lemon and sugar). Nibble warm focaccia with herbed olive oil and, if you're really hungry, order the artisan cheese display ($11) for the table, an absolutely monster tray of sliced cheeses, flat breads and fruits. Cheeses aren't particularly exotic, but it's a nice mix of hard, soft, stinky and creamy varieties.
Fried calamari ($9) and fritto misto (battered and fried mixed veggies; $7) are given expert treatment, fried in clean oil, crisp and greaseless, and set on a bed of chunky, punchy tomato sauce with some spicy peppers in the mix. For something a bit lighter, the house Caesar salad ($7.50) brings long leaves of smoky, briefly grilled romaine in a lively, garlicky dressing with curls of Romano and hearty crostini. And while the name is misleading, Korean pork "tacos" ($9) may be the most arresting starter. Really, they're lettuce wraps enfolding strips of nicely grilled pork with a sweet/salty/spicy soy marinade with a tangy cucumber kimchi and a tangle of sprouts.
Chefs' specialties tend to be the pricier items at many restaurants. No exception at Sunday's Fine Dining, but these are still the most notable entrees. A brick-pressed duck ($29) brings a generous quantity of bird, extra-crisp skin, moist meat (although not rosy-rare), set atop spicy vegetable fried rice, topped in turn by a scoop of tangy pear and bean sprout slaw, the dish getting a bowl of sweet-spicy "hibachi sauce." Another elegant marriage of flavors, a passel of nicely seared sea scallops rode in on top of a nutty cauliflower puree dotted with softly sauteed crimini mushrooms and sweet corn kernels ($26), a faint truffle oil flavor somewhat incongruous and unnecessary in the assemblage.
On a couple of visits, service was mixed. On one evening, inexplicable lag times made pacing stutter; drinks weren't proffered for much too long. A second visit was smoother, menu knowledge more assured (although a vegetarian request temporarily flummoxed our server because the dinner menu doesn't offer much that's meat-free). Still, this upscale newcomer brings some fresh ideas to Ybor City six days a week — on Monday, Sunday rests.
Laura Reiley can be reached at lreiley@tampabay.com or (727) 892-2293. She dines anonymously and unannounced. The Times pays all expenses. Advertising has nothing to do with selection for review or the assessment.
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