Andy Fillmore
| For the Star-Banner
A 40-seat fine dining restaurant now located in a northeast Ocala strip mall is moving into an 8,640-square-foot dining space on the sixth floor of the Holiday Inn & Suites adjacent to Interstate 75 near State Road 200.
Chef and restaurant operator Juan Berrocal said the move is aimed at upgrading everything from garnishes to menu items.
“We should be moved in about three weeks,” Berrocal said as he provided a tour of the new digs.
A post on the Taverna Berrocal Facebook page states simply: “can’t wait.”
The spacious dining area atop the Holiday Inn & Suites, 3600 SW 38th Ave., was most recently occupied by the SKY Asian Fusion restaurant.
The current Taverna Berrocal menu of Peruvian, Italian and French cuisine will be expanded to include some American favorites, and presentations will be enhanced, Berrocal explained.
Some examples of dishes available or planned at Taverna Berrocal include Peruvian Lomo Saltado, marinated tenderloin strips with tomatoes, onions and more; Italian grilled pork chop; French cuisine selections; and soon American menu items like aged steaks.
Taverna Berrocal opened in April 2022. A caption in a Star-Banner photo gallery states that Berrocal had “traveled all over the world in the past 13 years perfecting his skills, living in Peru, France, Italy, Japan, Saipan and Alaska.”
Berrocal has stated his restaurant is named in honor of his father, Juan Isidoro Berrocal Coronado, who according to Vinylmeplease.com was a popular Peruvian vocalist in the 1960s known as “El Cholo Berrocal.”
A Nov. 6, 2022 Star Banner article indicated Berrocal, then 58, is a Le Cordon Bleu culinary school graduate.
The restaurant now operates out of the roughly eight-table facility at 2515 NE Third St. and has a 4.3 out of 5 possible stars on TripAdvisor.com. One recent commenter on the site states: “(e)very bite is an explosion of flavor. Fresh ingredients and unique combinations that make every dish special.”
Thomas McDougall has been in training at Taverna Berrocal on a Marion Technical College Culinary Arts intern program, Berrocal explained.
McDougall said he enjoys preparing a wide range of cuisine and pastry baking. He also commented on what he’s learned is an important issue in the food preparation profession.
“Stay cool,” he said when the kitchen gets busy.
Taverna Berrocal, fine dining, currently at 2515 NE Third St., Ocala, moving soon to the Holiday Inn & Suites, 3600 SW 38th Ave., Ocala, sixth floor; TavernaBerrocal.com; (352) 421-9311
Dining and Cooking