GROVE Takes Root As Areas Best New Restaurant

BRADENTON, Fla. - March 4, 2019 - PRLog -- The newest addition to Main Street Lakewood Ranch, GROVE, Restaurant, Patio and Ballroom, has also recently been recognized as one of the best in the area! In a special edition of the Herald-Tribune, Readers' Choice winners were made public and included a number of outstanding businesses serving Manatee and Sarasota Counties. GROVE took first place in the Best New Restaurant category.

Members of the restaurant's leadership team accepted the award at a Herald-Tribune gathering that took place in no other than the Ballroom space at GROVE.

A fine-casual restaurant and venue space, GROVE specializes in a wide-ranging selection of house-made meals served in several distinct dining areas, which were thoughtfully curated to give guests an abundance of choice in terms of both cuisine and scene.

There's no shortage of options for diners and event goers alike. Restaurateur Hugh Miller and Executive Chef/ Director Of Operations Greg Campbell have carved out an entirely new space distinct from the Polo Bar & Grill, which once occupied the building.

"It doesn't even have the same bone structure," Campbell said as he described the multi-million dollar renovation.

After months of "non-stop construction" what's emerged is stylish environs and a stunning interior that's focused on the details: handsome metal components in the lounge and throughout parts of the dining areas, a modern quartz bar top, reclaimed wood pieces including a brilliantly colored river table and a matching white cypress statement piece which naturally fell during Hurricane Irma.

Known for his devout scratch-kitchen approach, Campbell cooks his house-made creations on a plancha grill and allows his guests to choose from traditional and sophisticated dressings such as bleu cheese and horseradish crusts or beef demi and béarnaise sauces. Typical selections include seared diver scallops, grouper gnocchi, bone-in Angus beef tenderloin, vegetable pasta, roasted Brussels sprouts and lobster mashed potatoes.

The bar scene is unlike any other in the Bradenton-Lakewood Ranch area, with an extensive menu and extended weekend hours Fridays and Saturdays when the restaurant offers their late night options until midnight.


Already a crowd favorite, the Main Street Margarita made with El Mayor Añejo tequila, peach liqueur, peach purée, house-made sour, and house inferno bitters is the kind of craft cocktail that rises to art.

The menu like the ambiance is elevated yet approachable, and from time to time you'll find Campbell himself supervising dining room operations, putting into practice his experience at PIER 22 in Bradenton and other restaurants from around the country.  The buzz leading up to opening helped him attract an all-star team of talent both in the kitchen and dining room.

Campbell said that the sleepless nights and challenges of rolling out a new hot spot in just a matter of months were all worth it. He called the reception from Lakewood Ranch residents "warm" and "welcoming," and commented that "it's been a gratifying experience to open the doors to fine-casual dining reimagined and to find that our guests seem to appreciate and understand the vision just as much as we do!"

About GROVE
GROVE Restaurant, Patio and Ballroom is the newest offshoot of PIER 22, the award-winning waterfront destination headed by restaurateurs Hugh Miller and Greg Campbell. GROVE specializes in contemporary dining offerings and onsite event planning. The menu is elevated yet approachable and locally inspired. House-made dishes emphasize fresh seasonal ingredients as well as innovative cooking methods, and with 27,000 square feet of dining space including casual patio dining, private rooms, a relaxing lounge area and an elegant 350+ person ballroom there's room for everyone at the table!" Learn more at http://www.groveLWR.com