Maritana Grille At The Loews Don Cesar Hotel _

The Scene
It's hard to miss the big, pink hotel whose backyard is the Gulf of Mexico and features $10,000 weekend room "specials." Though ghosts are said to roam the halls, Tampa's old-money elite come to dine near the salt-water aquariums doubling as walls in the Don Cesar hotel's exclusive eatery. The sleek booths and satiny pillows make this dining experience comfortable and sexy.

The Food
The blue stone on the plate is a pre-dinner lucky charm, the waitress says. But who needs luck at a place where appetizers include giant scallops sauteed and coated with a dollop of crumbly opal basil and pearl vegetables? The filet mignon is succulent, thinly-sliced and comes with truffle mashed potatoes and a dark, tangy tomato confit and port sauce. Horseradish-crusted Atlantic salmon is paired with shredded vegetables and grilled shrimp--all coated with creamy, sweet lobster butter. The six-inch-tall tower of chocolate mascarpone is wrapped in a thin chocolate wafer and topped with a cinnamon-flavored cream.