The recently opened Tigress Restaurant & Rooftop Bar brings three intriguing elements together in one North Naples locale: a modern Cantonese chophouse, for starters, and a space that affords a bird’s-eye view of the Cocohatchee River from atop The Perry Hotel Naples. The luxurious new hotel sits next to The Bay House, a restaurant long known for its tranquil water views. From the roof of the seven-story boutique hotel, however, diners get a completely different perspective.
The third element is chef Dale Talde, a regular on the Bravo reality series Top Chef, who has also appeared on Chopped, Iron Chef America, and Beat Bobby Flay. In between TV gigs, Talde is a restaurateur, consultant, and cookbook author. He also is curating the menu for Tigress, and he’s charged up. “We’re excited for the challenge and happy to be part of a community that has amazing food already,” he says. “We’re excited to show Naples and the surrounding community what we can add to it. We want to be part of a great scene.”
Talde, who was born in Chicago and raised there by his Filipino parents, describes his vision of a Cantonese chophouse as “refined Cantonese cooking with lots of meat cuts, with a really stellar beef program.” It’s a place where customers may choose a large, well-marbled steak topped with a rich sauce or a simpler cut and preparation. The menu also offers a selection of vegan-friendly and gluten-free small plates and dishes. Chinese classics, such as crab fried rice, walnut shrimp, and beef potstickers, regularly earn high praise from diners.
Talde melded his Filipino roots with the classical techniques he learned at the prestigious Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. Working at various types of restaurants added more cultural influences to his melting-pot approach. Expect a more pronounced Filipino profile as Talde and the Tigress team get things running smoothly. “This is phase one,” Talde says. “We’ll add that later.”
As the menu evolves, Talde wants guests to sample broadly. “Dinner for two is amazing, but dinners for four are better,” he says. “Everything is meant to be shared. Choose your own adventure and find your favorites.”
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