GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA — September 2020 — Hotel ELEO at the University of Florida is now welcoming the community to its cosmopolitan restaurant, Covey Kitchen + Cocktails, offering a casually elegant culinary experience with globally influenced cuisine.
Culinary highlights include the bahn mi, a popular Vietnamese sandwich, and modern twists on much-loved southern dishes such as shrimp and grits. The bar menu delivers refreshing hand-crafted cocktails, local beers and top wines. Covey Kitchen + Cocktails is open from 7 a.m. until 10 p.m. daily.
Created by Executive Chef Charlie Keller, a graduate of Johnson & Wales, the seasonal menu showcases the freshest produce from area farms and locally inspired dishes. Current highlights include buttermilk fried chicken alongside risotto and braised savoy cabbage, Key West pink shrimp served with Jimmy Red grits, Scottish salmon and classic steak frites with watercress, roasted pepper and blue cheese salad, fries and roasted garlic aioli. Sweet-toothed diners will be treated to delicious classics like housemade Florida citrus pie, bread pudding and red velvet cake.
In keeping with the easy-going ambience of the restaurant, lunchtime diners can indulge in dishes like a fried chicken sandwich with housemade pimiento cheese, a Cobb salad with deviled egg and a bahn mi sandwich. The breakfast menu suits every taste with a variety of options such as a French omelet, short rib hash with poached eggs and salsa verde, and a full English breakfast — all served in Chef Keller's trademark style.
For those seeking a refreshing tipple, Covey Kitchen + Cocktails drink selections feature inventive craft cocktails, including Jus de Poire, Perfect Fig and an Elderflower Margarita, a menu of craft beers with a focus on Gainesville's award-winning breweries, and an impressive wine selection.
Covey Kitchen + Cocktails' inviting décor reflects the relaxed sophistication of the menu. The stylish indoor-dining space with floor-to-ceiling windows features a bar and space to accommodate 96 guests, plus a private dining alcove for intimate dinners seating up to 10. The outdoor terrace overlooking Rush Lake can accommodate 89 guests and is an ideal setting for cocktail receptions.
Ray Logan, assistant general manager, said, "We're thrilled to welcome locals and visitors into our upscale restaurant — Covey Kitchen + Cocktails — to enjoy a delicious meal that showcases New American cuisine with a southern influence. Whether reuniting with fellow Gators, networking with colleagues or celebrating with loved ones — Covey Kitchen + Cocktails is the perfect choice for any occasion."
For more information on Hotel ELEO at the University of Florida, located adjacent to the UF Health family of hospitals and faculty practices, and to make reservations, visit HotelEleo.com or call 352-565-3536.
Hotel ELEO at the University of Florida, a 173-room boutique hotel, is located in Gainesville, Florida. The hotel is home to Covey Kitchen + Cocktails, offers flexible meeting and event space, features top-of-the-line equipment in the fitness studio, and is walking distance to restaurants, galleries, theaters, and stadiums on the University of Florida campus. For more information visit HotelEleo.com or call 352-565-3536.
UF Health is a world-class health organization that combines leading-edge research at campuses around Florida with patient-centered clinical care at a network of hospitals, including UF Health Shands Hospital, ranked the No. 1 hospital in Florida in the 2020-21 U.S. News & World Report Best Hospitals survey. With main campuses in Gainesville and Jacksonville, UF Health is a constellation of six health colleges, nine research centers and institutes, 10 hospitals, including two teaching hospitals and five specialty hospitals, and a host of physician medical practices and outpatient services throughout North Central, Central and Northeast Florida. Our mission is to promote health through outstanding and high-quality patient care, innovative and rigorous education in the health professions and biomedical sciences, and high-impact research across the spectrum of basic, translational and clinical investigation. Visit www.UFHealth.org to learn more.