Lombardi’s Seafood, one of the area’s premier fishmongers, is beefing up its cafe offerings with the hiring of two high-profile chefs: Austin Boyd and Yoshi Pintar.
Boyd was most recently part of Jason and Sue Chin’s Good Salt Restaurant Group (Osprey, Seito Sushi, Reyes) and left after a recent restructuring. Pintar is known by many in the area as Chef Yoshi.
Pintar, who has worked at JW Marriott and Four Seasons, started at the Fairbanks Avenue seafood shop Friday rolling sushi and preparing fresh poke bowls. Boyd will begin developing items for the cafe menu as well as food kits and prepared dishes customers can take home to make or reheat.
Owner Mike Lombardi said by phone Friday that he had known both chefs for a long time and their availability worked for his longterm plans for the 50-year-old business.
“Austin and I have been talking for a while,” he said. “I have been trying to find the right person that can really bring fresh ideas to not only the cafe but is also interested in making items for retail so that we can help our customers have a better experience cooking seafood at home.”
Lombardi said he has no plans to become a fine dining restaurant, or even an evening dinner destination. “We’re working on a late afternoon, happy hour kind of thing,” he said, eventually featuring a raw bar and tapas menu.
Boyd will also be introducing nonseafood items, including a house burger and a Nashville hot chicken sandwich.
Lombardi said he’s bringing in more refrigeration units to showcase the chefs’ items. He’ll also be featuring recipe cards and purchasing guidance for seafood-cooking novices.
Lombardi’s Seafood moved to its current location at 1888 W. Fairbanks Ave. in Winter Park five years ago from its original location near the corner of U.S. Highway 17-92 and Orange Avenue. It has been in operation since 1961.
