At Elements, opposites attract

A charming newcomer melds vibrant, contrasting flavors in an intimate Gulfport setting.

By LAURA REILEY
Published May 23, 2007

Elements Global Cuisine

3121 Beach Blvd., Gulfport

(727) 343-9894

Cuisine: Eclectic

Hours: 5 to 9:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday

Details: American Express, Visa, Master Card; reservations accepted; wine and beer

Prices: Dinner entrees $18-$26

My fantasy restaurant looks something like this: Smallish, maybe 50 seats. Bright and airy, painted a sunny yellow, and with lots of plants and a low-tech exhibition kitchen. Open just for dinner, with a short and idiosyncratic menu. And I’d bake my own bread.

I’m going to have to work on a more original vision, because Jose Luis and Catherine Pawelek beat me to the punch, adding proximity to the beach (half a block) and an abundance of chutney to the dream.

That chutney is among the many things that make 5-month-old Elements Global Cuisine in Gulfport charmingly unique.

Catherine, who grew up in the Netherlands, brings out her own ever-changing little cup of chutney to pair with her chef-husband’s bread basket (a simple French bread, maybe some sliced focaccia). Some places give you butter, some infused olive oil — but where else do you get mango kicked up with ginger, curry, onion and garlic, spreadable on still-warm, homemade bread?

Jose Luis is from Buenos Aires; the couple met in the Caribbean and most recently had a restaurant in New Hampshire. That’s a lot of globetrotting, something that is reflected in the menu at Elements — only two pages long, but it covers lots of ground.

Of the appetizers, the  Kona-braised short ribs ($9) get a coffee rub for a little bitterness, a Kahlua glaze for a little sweetness. The ribs are butter tender and falling from the bone into a wide pool of soft  Gorgonzola polenta. It’s a sophisticated homage to Mexican mole.

Another name-brand booze imparts the zest to an equally successful appetizer of fat shrimp wrapped in prosciutto and grilled ($8), nestled in among tender greens and drizzled with a basil-OJ-Grand Marnier sauce. Again, it’s a balance of tangy and sweet, with a bit of salty provided by the prosciutto.

It seems almost silly to keep going on about the appetizers when entrees are generously portioned and come with a lovely mixed green salad or a bowl of soup (one night an intense, but not cream-rich, mushroom).

Still, I’ll belabor the point: a wild mushroom medley ($7) brought earthy cremini, porcini and portobellos sauteed and splashed with Madeira, the heady juices soppable with a flaky puff pastry hat.

Jose Luis’ heritage is apparent in the hearty, flavorful grilled flank steak entree, the rosy slices elevated by a zippy citrus-based chimichurri with garlic and parsley. It’s Argentine at its core, but the balance of spicy/salty/sweet is echoed in other well-executed dishes that hail from elsewhere: Indonesian-Thai inspired chicken and veggie stir fry ($18) gets a spicy peanut sauce and a bed of fragrant white basmati.

For the vegetarian, a passel of portobello ravioli ($18) comes napped with a smoldering Madras coconut milk curry, the whole dish dotted with dried cranberries and tart, diced Granny Smith apple. Again, that graceful balance of heat and sweet.

When Catherine described why they chose Gulfport as their new home, she said, “It’s an older Florida town on the cusp of something new.”

Elements fits right in, with a bohemian vibe — from the interior to the funky servers — in a comfy, accessible setting. The staff is friendly, the wine list fairly priced (weighted a little to Australian and New Zealand wines, bottles mostly in the $25-$35 range), and to-die-for desserts prepared by Catherine from her father’s recipes: a homey strudel, a light-as-air cheesecake and a bread pudding that may all result in fork fights. As long as it stays civil, a little demure dessert scuffling may be part of the Paweleks’ restaurant fantasy, too.

Laura Reiley dines anonymously and unannounced. The St. Petersburg Times pays all expenses. A restaurant's advertising has nothing to do with selection for review or the assessment. Reiley can be reached at (727) 892-2293 or lreiley@sptimes.com.

[Last modified May 24, 2007, 10:48:12]