Culinary Center will provide Esplanade residents with dining options

When Joseph Vignola purchased a home in Lakewood Ranch's Esplanade community in 2014, he discovered the Florida lifestyle meant more than sun and fun.

At times, it meant traffic.

"There are times in January, February and March when places can get real crowded," Vignola said. "But now, we don't have to leave Esplanade."

Well, perhaps not now, but soon.

In April, builder Taylor Morrison broke ground on "The Culinary Center," a crown jewel amenity for its community of 1,250 homes. The 16,000-foot center will be home to five differing culinary experiences and is expected to be open in the summer of 2019.

"This is a place for us to bring our residents to build a community," said Tony Squitieri, vice president of land resources for Taylor Morrison's southwest Florida division. "You are not going to be bored at our clubhouse and you do not have to leave this community. You can drive a golf cart up, and you will have choices."

Squitieri, who lives in Lakewood Ranch, joined Taylor Morrison seven years ago and was a driving force behind The Culinary Center, which was planned six years ago. Taylor Morrison had to wait until enough homes were sold to support the center. Now that 800 homes in Esplanade have closed, the time was right and ground was broken in April.

"It's like anything you really want, it can never get here fast enough," Vignola said. "So, yes, I am excited about it. Now when I want something simple and I don't feel like sitting at home, I can go (to the Culinary Center) and I don't have to leave Esplanade. It has everything I could possibly want there. It is exactly what they told us it would be."

The Culinary Center will be managed by Pope Golf, which manages Esplanade's golf and tennis operations. Squitieri said he doesn't see the new facility competing with the adjacent Bahama Bar, which serves the golfers and tennis players along with those using Esplanade's pool area. The Bahama Bar serves 40,000 plates of food a year and Squitieri said he doesn't expect that to change once The Culinary Center opens.

"I feel this is new and edgy," he said of the new facility.

Perhaps one of the most important options offered by The Culinary Center will be a banquet room capable of seating more than 400 people. East County has few options when it comes to large banquets and wedding receptions and Squitieri said this space will give Esplanade a chance to host major functions and thereby attract the public to view the neighborhood, its amenities and homes.

"We also can host our golf events in a larger setting," he said.

The five regular dining choices will be Dodici 951, Uva Tasting Room & Esplanade Teaching Kitchen, Barrel House Bistro & Tap Room, Backyard Patio Grill and The Café Coffee House & Fresh Market. 

Dodici 951 (the building's street address) will be an elegant ballroom that will host multi-course means and wine and beer flights. A regular Friday Night Harvest Dinner is being planned to offer themed dining. The Uva Tasting Room & Esplanade Teaching Kitchen will offer cocktail classes and cooking demonstrations. It will seat 40 to 50 people for intimate gatherings.

The Barrel House Bistro and Tap Room will offer "Napa-inspired pub fare," craft beer and wine. Those visiting can be dressed casually. The Backyard Patio Grill features a beer garden, gourmet burgers and hot dogs, along with comfort foods. Squitieri said The Café Coffee House & Fresh Market can be compared to a Starbucks and also will offer single portion entrees to go.

One major kitchen will services all the different dining areas.

Squirtieri said The Culinary Center is the first of its kind for Taylor Morrison, which is planning to add a similar facility to its Esplanade community in Naples.

"We target programming, and we want to give our residents multiple options," he said.