Chroma Modern Kitchen + Bar is the latest Lake Nona restaurant from the Tavistock Restaurant Collection.
Chroma differs from its sister Lake Nona restaurant — or it might be brother, I could never tell — in that the menu here is focused on small, shareable plates. They’d rather you didn’t say tapas, but that’s what it is.
My guest and I started with the Roasted Pork Sausage, made in house, just like most everything else on the menu, with crisp-fried frizzles of shallots, pickled vegetables and stone-ground tangy mustard.
The Roasted Bone Marrow was rich and creamy and served with toasted bread. It was a canoe cut so it was easy to scoop out all of the gooey goodness.
Calamari was a special of the evening and featured squid from Cape Canaveral with a delicate but nicely seasoned breading and a remoulade for dipping.
The hit of the evening was the Chroma Burger under the Three-Bite Slider heading. The patty was fashioned out of short rib meat and so was extra juicy and tender. It was topped with melted cheddar cheese and onions infused with bourbon. Some bacon jam and a soft brioche bun made it a winner. And I took more than three bites to finish it, and I savored every one.
The restaurant has a large, open feel. If you sit at the central bar, you’ll have a good view of the kitchen behind a large window. If it’s a nice night, as it was when I visited, you’ll find the garage-door walls open and screened to allow the Florida air to imbue the dining room.
And you’ll get a good view of the conical tower of the parking deck that features a colorful swooshing projection. (Also, easy parking therein.)