Michelin-Starred Chef Opening Restaurant At The Vinoy In St. Pete

ST. PETERSBURG, FL — A Michelin-starred chef is opening a waterfront restaurant at The Vinoy Resort and Golf Club.

Elliott Aster, a concept by Chicago-based Chef Lee Wolen and the Boka Restaurant Group, will open early next year, according to the restaurant’s website.

It will replace Marchand's Bar & Grill, which has been closed since 2020, according to St. Pete Rising.

Wolen joined the Boka restaurant as a chef partner in 2013, according to the Boka restaurant’s website. The team is also behind Italian eatery Alla Vita and GG's Chicken Shop, also in the Chicago area.

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He’s earned a Michelin star every year since. He also received “3 Stars” and “Chef of the Year” from the Chicago Tribune and “Restaurant of the Year” and “Chef of the Year” at the Jean Banchet Awards.

“I am truly honored to be opening a restaurant in St. Pete, a place that holds a special place in my heart,” Wolen said in a statement shared with WFLA. “Having stayed at The Vinoy with my family and experiencing its rich history and charm, it feels like the perfect setting to create something truly special.”

Elliot Aster is named after a lavender wildflower native to Florida and also nods to Gene Elliott, who named The Vinoy in honor of its owner, Aymer Vinoy Laughner, I Love the Burg said.

The restaurant’s menu will include dishes a 45-day dry-aged prime bone-in ribeye, king crab tagliatelle, whole-roasted blue prawns fra diavolo, aperitivos and cocktails, and an antipasti bar featuring Italian meats, whipped ricotta, and fresh, seasonal vegetables, reports said.