Revolutionizing the Steakhouse

Member Spotlight: Rococo Steak

Rococo Steak, open in 2013, gets its name from the art period that moved away from the Baroque period characterized by symmetry and fluid designs, and focused more on attention to detail, ornamentation and use of bright colors. The characteristics of the art period are major themes of the restaurant as well, and can be found in more than just the aesthetics. Just like the art period, they too are a revolution, this one against the traditional steakhouse. They are aiming to remove the stigma of the fancy steakhouse reserved for special occasions by creating an environment that involves the community.  Their commitment to community involvement is apparent as you walk through and see their five private dining areas, many of which are equipped with AV equipment so it can be used for more than just wedding rehearsals or celebratory dinners (though they do plenty of those too, and are the perfect location for it!). Audrey Grounds, the Events Director and Rococo representative for the St. Petersburg Downtown Partnership, says they wanted to be an alternative meeting space to hotels for community events.

Rococo’s commitment to community involvement is also apparent in the selectiveness of their ingredients. They want to give their patrons the best food, so they roll out seasonal menus every few months to feature fresh, locally sourced ingredients.  Their commitment to using locally sourced ingredients not only goes back to their focus on community involvement, though they do have a commitment to giving back to the farmers of St. Petersburg, but also to their attention to detail to finding the best ingredients possible for their menu items.                

Rococo’s Executive Chef Jordan Buendia, (pictured below), who’s been there since the beginning, told me what some of his favorites are. “Pretty much everything! I really love the miso salmon dish and the snapper dish as well. My favorite thing to make is the lobster bisque; it’s a simple dish but it breaks down to the time and effort that you put into the simple soup that makes it special,” Buendia shared with me.

As you can see, Rococo has plenty of fantastic food to offer the public, and they want everyone to try it, no matter what the occasion! In trying to break the stereotype of the steak house only for special occasions, they have started offering a daily Happy Hour from 4:00-6:30 PM  as well as a Sunday Brunch from 11:00 AM – 3 PM They don’t require any particular dress, and even encourage people to just come in from off the street to try their amazing selection.

So what’s coming to Rococo in 2019? They will soon be releasing their biannual wine list that includes over 600 labels, crafted with care to ensure to fill any holes in their previous wine list equally as extensive, so keep an eye out for that. They will also be releasing their Seasonal Menu for the winter soon, so be ready for some new, fresh dishes. If you go to Sunday Brunch, be sure to try their new Kentucky Wake Up Call, which Grounds described as sort of an old fashion with coffee, created with a cold drip coffee brewing machine. Last but not least, Rococo will be catering starting in 2019! Yes, you can now have Rococo’s amazingly fresh food at any special event, no matter where it is! For more information on their catering program, visit: http://www.rococosteak.com/catering/

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