Next Level Brands – a partnership between restaurateur, Jeff Gigante; real estate entrepreneur, Andrew Wright; and attorney/investor, Joseph Guggino – has opened their third culinary concept, Union New American at Westshore City Center.
The restaurant offers two dining experiences; a 284-seat restaurant and expansive bar on the ground level, with a second-level lounge that offers a rooftop experience that doubles as a terrace and a private dining room set to open in May.
Union New American’s menu celebrates approachability with an everyday dining menu centered around a fire hearth that uses American white oak and coal.
The front-of-the-house team is led by General Manager, Kal Harris, who joined the team with more than 20 years of hospitality experience.
A thoughtfully curated list of modern American menu options highlights the classics, ranging from a selection of Chilled and Warm dishes, Salads, Sushi, main Plates, Steaks, and Sides.
Leading the kitchen is Next Level Brands’ veteran chef, Adam Polisei, who before joining the team, was part of Cameron Mitchell Restaurants and oversaw concepts like Ocean Prime and Michell’s Fish Market.
Inspiration pulls from all corners of the globe with flavorful starters like Yellowfin Tuna Tartare with mustard cream, sweet pickle gastrique, and crispy potato; a Hearth Roasted Platter of king crab legs, oysters, shrimp, lobster, and white wine garlic butter; Roasted Carrots with koji tahini, salsa verde, and garden herbs; and delicious bread starters like Parker House Milk Bread with whipped butter, honey and fresh thyme and Country Biscuits with Benton’s 1-year ham, blueberry pepper jam, and pimento cheese.
Lighter choices include a selection of four salads – House, Caesar, Greek, and Crunch Love with fry bread croutons, red pepper hummus, feta, and lemon vinaigrette – and five Sushi options that include a namesake Union Roll with Alaskan king crab, A5 Miyazaki, avocado, crispy onion, and truffle aioli; Salmon and Hamachi Crudo with pineapple vinaigrette, cucumber, jalapeño, cilantro, avocado cream, and chili oil; and Korean BBQ Salmon with avocado, charred allium, gochujang, sesame oil, honey, and togarashi.
An assortment of steak options includes an 8-ounce Filet, a 14-ounce NY Strip, and a 22-ounce Bone-in Rib Eye served with a Hasselback potato and the option to enhance with “surf” (shrimp, lobster, crab), truffles, and four sauces, which includes a Union Steak Sauce.
A selection of main items round out the offerings with items like Green Circle Farms Roast Chicken with confit vegetables and onion jus; a vegan-friendly Smoked Eggplant Enchilada with cauliflower, lentils, cashew cream, and pepper coulis; and General Po’s Iberico Pork with shrimp fried rice, Mandarin pancake, and yum yum sauce – and reflect the globally-inspired gastronomic adventure the restaurant will be known for.
Executive Pastry Chef, Summer Bailey, oversees all of Next Level Brand’s pastry programs.
She joined the restaurant group with an impressive resume that included a bevy of heavy-hitting New York positions at Christina Tosi’s Momofuku’s MilkBar and Andrew Carmellini’s The Dutch.
Bailey wowed the Tampa region with her contribution to Water Street’s new culinary gem, Boulon, and will continue this trend with a selection of five nostalgic desserts that include an Apple Hand Pie, Union Chocolate Chip Cookies served warm with iced vanilla milk, and a Blizzard.
Along with an impressively wide selection of beers and wines, Union New American has conceptualized a tantalizing cocktail program.
A selection of eight signature cocktails includes modern interpretations of classic concoctions and unique signature drinks including the Pepino Papi with Casa Noble Blanco Tequila, Mr. Q. Cumber Soda, and Thai herb elixir; Dominican Domino made from Diplomatico Rum, Chinola passion fruit, prosecco, mint, and honey; and a Lychee Lover with Drumshanbo Gin, St. Germain, tart grapefruit, and lychee-lavender cordial to name a few.
Top-notch culinary talent pairs best with talented designers, and Gigante appointed award-winning architects Atelier Zebulon Perron (AZP) to bring the expansive, two-floor, nearly 10,000-square-foot space to life.
Union New American is located at 1111 N Westshore Blvd Annex B, Tampa, Florida, and will be open for dinner on April 4, and lunch and dinner beginning April 5.
The restaurant will offer full lunch and dinner menus with an abbreviated menu available between the two meal periods, as well as a limited late-night menu when the second floor opens.
Lunch will be available Tuesday through Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., and dinner from Tuesday through Thursday from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. and Sunday from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Closed Mondays.
Valet service will be available during dinner for $5 per vehicle.
For reservations please call 813.768.9989 or make a reservation here.
For more information, please visit www.uniontampa.com and follow along on Instagram.