Originally from Chicago, Dernier Buleje relocated to Tampa in 2023 and now serves as the Executive Chef at Hotel Flor and The Dan.
ABOUT ME
My greatest memories, whether with friends or family, involve gathering around amazing food, music and laughter. Being Latino, in our culture, the women and mothers express their love through food, so it was easy for me to love everything about cooking and food.
MY LOCAL KNOWLEDGE
My favorite hidden gem in Tampa Bay is a Venezuelan food truck called El Sabor de Tampa Venezuelan Food, which serves up the best reina pepiada arepa and an amazing chicha dessert dusted with cinnamon and notes of vanilla cream.
I’ve enjoyed dining at Tori Bar off Kennedy because of the braised pork belly and duck breast skewers, as well as all of their temaki offerings.
My favorite lunch spot is Aji Limo Peruvian Restaurant. I love to order their leche de tigre, anticuchos a la parilla and their tallarin verde with steak is amazing!
I enjoy coffee and tea. My favorite café to visit is Casa Azul in Westshore. I love their horchata latte and freshly made Mexican-style churros with dulce de leche.
If I were designing a day out with family in Tampa, I would start our day at Chez Faby for breakfast and then head to Clearwater Beach for the afternoon. We’d snack on garlic crab ries and tuna nacho appetizers at Frenchy’s Rockaway Grill. In the evening, we’d graze the food hall at Armature Works for dinner and walk the Tampa Riverwalk, finishing the night off with drinks at The Tampa EDITION.
When visitors are in town, I like to take them to Downtown Tampa on Channelside to explore the restaurants and bars. Enjoy Armature Works and the rooftop bar M. Bird for skyline views of the city. Strolling the Riverwalk is a must, and enjoying the water taxi and broiled oysters at Ulele is the best!
I think Tampa has several great places for cultural experiences. You can make a day of Ybor City. The food scene is great—too many to name—but a few must-dos are Columbia Restaurant, La Segunda Bakery and Santo Stefano. Don’t miss Ybor City Museum State Park, Hoffman Porges Gallery and the art gallery inside Hillsborough Community College Ybor City Campus.
For date nights, it all depends, and that’s what makes Tampa such a fun place to live. You can keep it super low-key or go all out dressed to the nines. It would have to start with visiting one of Tampa’s many craft cocktail bars or champagne bars. Dinner depends on the occasion, but any of my favorite spots would do, and I’d finish the night with a walk along the Riverwalk to Sparkman’s Wharf.
When I’m not working, I enjoy going to Latin socials, heading to the beach, and most importantly, entertaining with food, karaoke, and tequila at home with good friends.
This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.
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