The Refinery is a new eatery each week

W hen you first enter, your eyes are immediately drawn to the gold-framed art mounted catawampus on its walls.

Then, after being seated at a nondescript, wooden table, a server arrives with water in mason jars.

Filled with little surprises like these, The Refinery is the restaurant equivalent of a breakout indie film. The Seminole Heights restaurant totally fills the bill if you're looking for something decidedly different and delicious to eat.

Three months old, The Refinery occupies the same site as the former Bungalow Bistro and has diners like me to take notice.

Owners Greg and Michelle Baker, a k a the Culinary Sherpas, have a clear vision for their first restaurant.

Reintroducing the old-fashioned theory that what's in the garden is what we're eating tonight, the couple said their menu relies as much as possible on locally grown products. Working with local farmers is their mission.

As with any farm-to-table menu, The Refinery's one-page of appetizers and entrees is constructed around seasonal availability of produce. It includes nine "small plates," five "more than a small plate," a flatiron steak, burger and a couple of desserts.

Greg gathers ingredients first that look good and then figures out how to get them onto the plates, he said. A wall-size chalkboard informs diners "where their food came from."

I began my meal by ordering bone marrow, which was served with a bright, mint chimichurri crostini.
Although some of you might find it horrendously disgusting to eat marrow, I encourage you to buck up and try it sometime. Creamy and rather buttery-like, it's breath-of-fresh-air delicious. Greg calls it "meat butter."

I particularly loved the mint chimichurri, which I've included as this week's recipe. A serrano pepper gave a nice heat contrast to the toasted bread and bone marrow.

Would I make the long drive and return again? My answer arrived with a roasted chicken entree brightened by a cider gastrique. I swear it tasted just like my mom's with its crunchy skin and tender meat. Cooked to perfection, the bird was paired simply with a luxurious chicken-liver bread pudding and fresh green beans, cooked al dente.

Although I ordered wine, The Refinery's beer selection was tempting. Greg said he always carries about 20 beers, ranging from blue-collar favorites, including Pabst Blue Ribbon and Tecaté to microbrews and craft beers.

The Refinery, at 5137 N. Florida Ave., is the kind of neighborhood restaurant I wish was closer to my backyard.

For information, call (813) 237-2000.

GREG BAKER'S MINT CHIMICHURRI